The Psychology of the Person Chapter 5 NeoFreudians

The Psychology of the Person Chapter 5 Neo-Freudians Naomi Wagner, Ph. D Lecture Outlines Based on Burger, 8 th edition

Background for the Emergence of the Neo-Freudians l Many scholars who gathered around Freud in Vienna eventually broke away from the Vienna group to develop their own theories of personality and establish their own schools of psychology. l Collectively, these theorists are known as the neo- Freudians because they retained many basic Freudian concepts and assumptions.

Limitations of Freudian Theory According to the Neo-Freudians Among the limits they saw in Freud's theory were: l His failure to recognize personality change after the first few years of life l His emphasis on instinctual over social influences • The generally negative picture he painted of human nature. l

(Cont-d) l They differed from Freud along some aspects of his theory l Freud put emphasis on early childhood and on instinctual drives, without considering social factors. l The neo-Freudians also objected to the overall pessimistic tone of Freud, and his views of female inferiority.

Alfred Adler and Individual Psychology Adler was an eye-doctor, who was a weak and sick child His autobiography is important for the understanding of his ideas l Alfred Adler introduced the concept of striving for superiority to account for most human motivation. l It is the ONLY motivation in life

Superiority and Inferiority Adler argued that we are motivated to overcome feelings of helplessness that are rooted in the infant’s dependence on others l The striving for superiority is not expressed a an egotistic sense of grandiosity, but rather in Social Interest l Meaning- working to benefit others l

Parental Behavior and Birth order l Adler also identified parental pampering and neglect as two sources of later personality problems. l He argued that middle born children were the most achieving and were less likely to experience psychological disorders than were first-born or last-born.

Birth Order Advantages Adler saw in the middle child

Carl Jung and Analytical Psychology Carl Jung proposed the existence of a collective unconscious that houses primordial images he called archetypes. The collective unconscious contains material each of us inherited from past generations and is basically the same for all people. Evidence for the collective unconscious was in ethnic myths, religions, dreams

Archetypes Jung used the terms Archetypes or Primordial Images to refer to the collective unconscious materials. Most important of the archetypes are the anima, the animus, and the shadow. Jung pointed to the recurrent surfacing of archetypal symbols in folklore, art, dreams, and psychotic patients as evidence for their existence.

Symbol (? )

Erikson and Ego Psychology Role of ego: To establish and maintain a sense of identity Development across the lifespan: Erikson divided the lifespan into 8 phases Each phase had a developmental task to accomplish, which Erikson called “crisis” The crisis can be resolved either positively or negatively, affecting further development

The Eight Phases of Development Infancy: Trust vs. mistrust • Child depends on the responsiveness of the caregivers

Toddler: Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt Allowing the child to explore provides a sense of mastery over the environment

Early Childhood: Initiative vs. Guilt Learn how to interact with others, seek out playmates and resolve conflicts

Karen Horney and Feminine Psychology Karen Horney rejected Freud's emphasis on instinctual causes of personality development. She argued that the differences Freud saw between the personalities of men and women were more likely the result of social factors than inherited predispositions. Horney maintained that neurotic behavior is the result of interpersonal styles developed in childhood to overcome anxiety. She identified three neurotic styles, which she called moving toward people, moving against people, and moving away from people

Elementary School: Industry vs. Inferiority Social comparison with classmates may evoke a sense of competence or faliure

Adolescence: Identity vs. Role Confusion Time of experimentation

Young Adulthood: Intimacy vs. Isolation Developing intimate relationship

Middle Adulthood: Generativity vs. Stagnation Guiding the next generation or involving in self-idulgence

Older Age: Ego Integrity vs. Despair Reflection on past experience creates a sense of integrity and acceptance

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Among the personality assessment instruments to come out of the neo- Freudian theories is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator This test measures “psychological types”, as outlined by Jung. Test scores divide people into types along four dimensions: extraversion-introversion, sensingintuitive, thinking-feeling, and judgmentperception. Researchers have challenged the way the test divides people into categories.

Current Status of the Neo-Freudians The Neo-Freudians are mentioned today primarily because of their historical relevance Among the strengths of the neo-Freudian theories are the contributions they made to psychoanalytic theory. Many later approaches to personality were no doubt influenced by one or more of these theorists. Criticisms of the neo- Freudians include their use of biased and questionable data to support theories. In addition, critics have charged that some of theories are oversimplified and incomplete.