Social Foundation of Personality theory by Karen Horney

Karen Horney was the first female psychiatrist criticized the work of Sigmund Freud. Horney reformulated Freudian thought and social influences, human growth and achievement of self-actualization.

Horney’s theory can be explained as follows:

A)   Basic Anxiety: Human beings are genetically predisposed to anxiety (Capelli, 2006). However, Horney emphasized the anxiety that arises as a result of social forces. As human beings, our essential challenge is to be able to relate effectively to other people. Feeling of lonely and helpless in a hostile world increases basic anxiety (Horney, 1945).

Some of the conditions undermine Child’s security and cause feelings of basic hostility which much be repressed for fear of losing the parent’s love such as Domination, Isolation, Overprotection, Hostility, Indifference, Inconsistence, Behavior, Disparagement, Parental discord, Lack of respect & Guidance or lack of Encouragement and Warmth. (Horney, 1937).

B)   Neurotic needs & Trends: In face of basic anxiety, Children may develop certain defense attitudes or strategies that permit them to cope with the world and Offord a certain measure of gratification (Horney, 1937).

The 10 Neurotic needs are as follows:

a)      Affection & Approval; ii) Partner;  iii) Restrict one’s life narrow borders;  iv) Power for control others;  v) Exploit others & get better of them;  vi) Social recognition or Prestige;  vii) Personal admiration;  viii) Personal achievement;  ix) Self-Sufficiency & Independence and x) perfection.

10 Neurotic needs are condensed into 3 categories:

a)      Compliance category (Moving-towards strategy)

b)     Aggression (Moving against People / Expansive Solution)

c)      Withdrawal (Moving away from or Resigning solution)

C)   Theory of the Self: Gorney explained that we have 2 views of our self – “Real self” and the “Ideal self”.

The Real self is who and what we actually are. The Ideal self is the type of person we feel that we should be. The neurotic person’s self is split between an idealized self and a real self. 

D)  Evaluation of the Theory: Karen Horney argued that difference between genders (males & females) are the results of social factors more than biological factors (as stated by Sigmund Freud).