Table of Contents
What is the theory of Karen Horney?
Psychoanalytic theorist Karen Horney developed one of the best-known theories of neurosis. She believed that neurosis resulted from basic anxiety caused by interpersonal relationships. Horney’s theory proposed that strategies used to cope with anxiety can be overused, causing them to take on the appearance of needs.
What were Karen Horney’s three types of personalities?
Abstract. According to Horney who is a representative of socio-psychological theory, there are three types of personalities: Compliant, aggressive and detached. Behavior of individuals may change according to these personality types.
What is the actual self according to Karen Horney?

Horney described the real self as “the alive, unique, personal center of ourselves” (1950, p. 155) the actualization of which is the meaning of life and alienation from which may be called a “psychic death” (1945, p. 185).
What did Karen Horney believe was the foundation of personality development?
She believed childhood social, not sexual as Freud believed, experiences were crucial to the formation personality. Also, Horney countered Freud’s assumption that women had a weaker superego and that they suffered from “penis envy.”
What are Horney’s three neurotic trends?
The three main neurotic trends are: the compliant type, defined by a tendency of moving toward others; the aggressive type, which involves moving against others; and the detached type, utilizes a strategy of moving away from others.

What is the main focus of the superego?
The primary action of the superego is to suppress entirely any urges or desires of the id that are considered wrong or socially unacceptable. It also tries to force the ego to act morally rather than realistically. Finally, the superego strives for moral perfections, without taking reality into account.
What are the 3 neurotic trends?
What are the 10 neurotic needs?
Horney enumerated 10 neurotic needs: for affection and approval, for a partner to take over one’s life, for restriction of one’s life, for power, for exploitation of others, for prestige, for admiration, for achievement, for self-sufficiency and independence, and for perfection.
What was Karen Horney’s contribution to psychology?
Karen Horney (pronounced horn-eye) was a neo-Freudian psychologist known for her theory of neurotic needs, her research on feminine psychology, and her critiques of Freud’s emphasis on the concept of penis envy.
Why Karen Horney’s theory is named as psychoanalytic social theory?
Psychoanalytic social theory of Karen Horney is based on the assumption that social and cultural influences, highlighting childhood experiences, are primarily responsible for shaping an individual’s personality (Feist, J., & Feist, G. J., 2009).
What is meant by Electra complex?
The Electra complex is a term used to describe the female version of the Oedipus complex. It involves a girl, aged between 3 and 6, becoming subconsciously sexually attached to her father and increasingly hostile toward her mother. Carl Jung developed the theory in 1913.
What is the Oedipus and Electra complex?
Oedipus Complex is a Freudian concept that describes a child’s sexual desire for the parent of the opposite sex and a sense of rivalry with the parent of the same sex while Electra complex is a non-Freudian concept that describes a girls’ adoration and attraction to their fathers and resentment, hostility and rivalry …
Can neurotic people love?
Even if some neurotic people have a difficult time sustaining romantic relationships, Finn has found in her research that people with these personalities tend to become more emotionally stable and feel less angry, anxious and depressive when they have a partner.
What are the signs of a neurotic person?
Common Neurotic Traits
- An overall tendency toward negative emotions.
- Feels of anxiety or irritability.
- Poor emotional stability.
- Feelings of self-doubt.
- Being self-conscious or shy.
- Experiencing moodiness, sadness, or depression.
- Easily stressed or upset; unable to handle stress well.
- Dramatic changes in feelings.