The Psychodynamic Perspective: Neo-Freudians

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The Psychodynamic PerspectiveNeo-Freudians
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Neo-Freudians

• Followers of Freuds theories but developed
  theories of their own in areas where they
  disagreed with Freud
• Disagreed with Freud in his belief that
• Behavior is motivated by sexual urges
• Personality is formed by early childhood
  experiences
• Human nature and society are inherently driven by
  sex and destruction.

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Post-Freudian Psychodynamic TheoriesThe
Neo-Freudians

• Carl Jungs collective unconscious
• Karen Horneys focus on security
• Alfred Adlers individual psychology

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Carl Jung (Yoong)(1875-1961)

• Rejected Freuds assertion that human behavior is
  directed by sex aggression.
• Believed in general psychic energy that pushes us
  to grow psychologically.

• Believed that humans share a collective
  unconsciousset of common themes, archetypes
  inherited from the wealth of human experience
  shared by all people.
• The whole spiritual heritage of mankinds
  evolution born anew in the brain structure of
  every individual.
• First to describe introverts and extroverts

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Archetypes

• Archetypes Mental images of human instincts,
  themes and preoccupations that are shared by all
  cultures.
• Often expressed in a cultures mythology folk
  tales.
• Anima sense of femaleness in males
• Animus sense of maleness in females
• Other archetypes The Shadow - dark side
  inside us all, the hero, the wise old man, the
  nurturing mother.

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Karen Horney (HORN-eye)(1885-1952)

• Believed cultural/social variables (especially
  parent-child relationships) are the foundation of
  personality development not sex like Freud.
• Found psychoanalysis negatively biased against
  women.
• Women didnt have penis envy it was instead
  that they envied mens superior status in
  society.
• Instead said men have womb envy and compensate
  by making creative achievements in their work.

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Karen Horney

• Looked at anxiety related to security and social
  relationships, especially parent-child
  relationships.
• Basic anxiety the feeling of being isolated and
  helpless in a hostile world
• Deal with this anxiety by.
• Moving Toward Other People having an excessive
  need for approval affection
• Moving Against Other People having an excessive
  need for power over other people
• Moving Away from Other People having an
  excessive need for independence making them aloof
  and detached from others.
• Felt that healthy personalities are flexible in
  balancing these needs but unhealthy people are
  stuck in one of ways of dealing with anxiety.

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Alfred Adler (1870-1937)

• Agreed with Freud on the importance of early
  childhood but thought social tensions were more
  important than sexual tensions
• Believed psychological problems were the result
  of feelings of inferiority
• Inferiority Complex - A condition that comes from
  being unable to compensate for normal inferiority
  feelings

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Alfred Adler

• Most fundamental human motive is striving for
  superiority
• Arises from universal feelings of inferiority
  that are experienced during childhood
• People compensate for their weaknesses by
  emphasizing their talents and abilities or by
  working hard to improve themselves.
• If unable to compensate or when feelings of
  inferiority are too great a inferiority complex
  can result where person feels inadequate, weak
  helpless and are unable to try to improve.
• If people overcompensate for their feelings of
  inferiority then they develop a superiority
  complex where one exaggerates achievements and
  importance to cover up their own limitations.

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Evaluating UpdatingFreuds Psychoanalytic
Theory
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Evaluation of Psychoanalysis

• Evidence is inadequate Freuds data is developed
  from a small number of upper class patients or
  from self-analysis. (skewed sample)
• All of Freuds data was from him so was he
  imposing his own ideas onto his patients or
  seeing only what he expected to see?
• Theory is not testablelack of operational
  definitions and no way to measure results. Good
  at explaining the past but not at prediction.
• Many psychoanalytic concepts impossible to
  disprove because even contradictory information
  can be used to support Freuds theory.
• Sexismbelieved that women were weak and
  inferior. Used male psychology as basis for all
  people
• Said women were more vain, masochistic, and
  jealous than men and influenced more by their
  emotions and had a lesser moral and ethical sense
  than men.

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Updating Freuds Theory

• Most psychodynamic psychologists agree
• Sex is not the basis of personality.
• People do not fixate at various stages of
  development.
• Much of a persons mental life is unconscious.
• Childhood experiences shape us socially and
  psychologically.
• People struggle with inner conflicts and
  regulating their impulses, emotions and thoughts
  toward what society deems acceptable.