Theories of Personality

Introduction to Object Relations Theory o Can be contradictory. For example, a little boy
Klein: Object Relations Theory ➢ Differs from Freudian theory in three important can phantasize beating his mother and having
Biography of Melanie Klein ways: babies with her.
➢ Born in Vienna in 1892, the youngest of four children.
o It places more emphasis on interpersonal B. Objects
➢ She felt rejected by her parents, especially her
relationships, o Drives must have an object (hunger drive: good
father. However, she developed fondness to her
o It stresses the infant’s relationship with the breast; sex: sexual organ).
older siblings, Sidonie and Emmanuel, who both
mother rather than the father, and, o Child’s relationship with these objects (parents’
died.
o It suggests that people are motivated primarily face, hands, breast, penis, etc.), which she saw
➢ She married Arthur Klein, Emmanuel’s close friend,
for human contact rather than for sexual as having a life of their own within the child’s
at age 21, and had 3 children.
pleasure. phantasy world.
➢ Emphasizes the nurturing and loving relationship
➢ The term “object” refers to any person or part of a o For example, body parts such as parents’
between parent and child, had neither a nurturant
person (such as mother’s breast) that infants hands become important symbols of love, care,
nor a loving relationship to her own daughter Melitta
introject, or take into their psychic structure, and and security in a child’s mind. Similarly, breast
(oldest).
then later project onto other people. or penis might represent nourishment or
➢ When Melitta was 15, her parents separated and
curiosity for the child as they associate these
Melitta blamed her mother for the separation.
Psychic Life of an Infant with feelings of pleasure.
➢ After Melitta received a medical degree, she ➢ Infants are born with a natural tendency to manage
became an official member of British Psycho- their anxiety caused by the two main instinct: life Positions
Analytical Society, professionally equal to her instinct (desire for pleasure, survival, and growth) ➢ In their attempts to reduce the conflict produced by
mother. and death instinct (tendency towards aggression good and bad images, babies organize their
➢ Edward Glover, who was a rival of Melanie Klein, and self-destruction). experience into positions.
became Melitta’s analyst, and encouraged Melitta’s A. Phantasies ➢ Positions – the way of dealing with both internal
independence. o Very young infants possess an active, and external objects; it’s like stages of
➢ The animosity between mother and daughter unconscious (id) phantasy life. development, but Klein used “position” to indicate
became even more intense when Melitta married o This possesses images of “good” and “bad.” For that positions alternate back and forth, and they
Walter Schmideberg, another analyst who strongly example, babies who fall asleep while sucking are not periods of time or phases of development
opposed Klein and who openly supported Anna their fingers are phantisizing about having good through which a person passes.
Freud, Klein’s number one rival. breast, and hungry infants who cry and kick are A. Paranoid-Schizoid Position: first 3-4 months of life
➢ Melanie had neither a PhD nor an MD degree but phantasizing they are destroying the bad o The struggles that babies experience with the
became an analyst. She specialized in working with breast. good breast and the bad breast led to two
young children. o Unconscious phantasies continue to exert separate and opposing feelings – desire to
➢ She believed that children develop superego much impact on psychic life, but newer ones emerge harbor the breast and a desire to bite or
earlier than Freud believed (4-6 months after birth) as well. destroy it.
➢ She died in 1960 (heart failure).
o To tolerate these two feelings, the ego splits o When dangerous objects are introjected, they instance, if children’s egos are too rigid to be
itself by retaining parts of its life and death become internal persecutors, capable of split into “good me” and “bad me”, then they
instincts while projecting other parts onto the terrifying the baby and leaving frightening cannot introject bad experiences into the good
breasts. residues that may manifest in dreams or fairy ego. Thus, they cannot accept their own bad
o It then has a relationship with the ideal breast tales. behavior, and tendency to deal with it through
(the one provide love and comfort) and the o For example, babies fantasize that their mother destructive and terrifying impulses – or
persecutory breast (they fear this more than is constantly present; that is, they feel that their repressing them.
their own death instinct). mother is always inside their body. The real D. Projective Identification
o To control this situation, babies adopt the mother, of course, is not always present, but o Split of unacceptable parts of themselves,
paranoid-schizoid position – the tendency to babies still devour her in fantasy so that she project them onto another object, and finally
see the world as having both destructive and becomes a constant internal object. introject them in an altered form.
omnipotent qualities. B. Projection o For example, a husband with strong but
o This develop during the time the ego’s o Phantasy that one’s own feelings and impulses unwanted tendencies to dominate others will
perception of the external world is subjective reside within another person. project those feelings onto his wife, whom he
and full of fantasies, rather than objective and o Children project both good and bad images so then sees as destructive (projection). The man
real. that they ease the unbearable anxiety of being subtly tries to get his wife to become
B. Depressive Position: first 5-6 months of life destroyed by the dangerous internal forces. domineering. He behaves with excessive
o The anxiety that babies experience around 6 o For example, a girl might fantasize devouring submissiveness (introjection) to force his wife to
months over losing their mother and yet, at the her mother but projects that fantasy onto her display the very tendencies that he has
same time, wanting to destroy her. mother, who then she fears will retaliate by deposited in her.
o Resolved when babies phantasize that they persecuting her.
have made up for their previous offenses o Good impulses example, babies who feel good Internalizations
against their mother and realize that their about their mother’s nurturing breast will ➢ After introjecting external objects, infants organize

mother will not abandon them. project their own feelings of goodness onto the them into a psychologically meaningful framework -

breast and imagine that the breast is good. - internalizations .

Psychic Defense Mechanism C. Splitting A. Ego
➢ Children adopt various psychic defense mechanisms o Mentally keeping apart incompatible images to o Exist since birth; Internalizations are supported
to protect their ego against anxiety aroused by their tolerate good and bad aspects of themselves by the early ego's ability to feel anxiety, to use
own destructive fantasies. and of external objects. defense mechanisms, and to form object
A. Introjection o Picture of both “good me” and “bad me.” relations in both phantasy and reality.
o Phantasy of taking into one’s own body the o Splitting can be beneficial to both children and o The baby’s first object relation (the breast)
images that one has of an external object, adults, because it allows them to like becomes the prototype, not only for the ego’s
especially the mother’s breast. themselves while still recognizing some future development, but for the individual’s
o Babies usually introject good objects as a unlikeable qualities. later interpersonal relations.
protection against anxiety, but they also o On the other hand, it can be destructive and
introject bad objects to gain control of them. can lead to pathological repression. For
o A unified ego emerges only after first splitting her babies, but in most cases, the female o Rapproachment crisis – condition where
itself into the two parts—the life instinct and the Oedipus complex is resolved without any children fight dramatically with their
death instinct. jealousy toward the mother. mother.
B. Superego o Libidinal object constancy (final subphase) –
o Klein’s picture of superego differs from Freud’s Later Views of Object Relations children develop a constant inner
in at least three important respects: it emerges A. Margaret Mahler’s View representation of their mother so that
much earlier in life, it is not an outgrowth of the o From careful observations of infants as they they can tolerate being physically
Oedipus complex, and third, it is much harsher bonded with their mothers during their first years separated from her.
and crueler. of life. B. Heinz Kohut’s View
o Early superego produces terror, and not guilt. o Three major developmental stages: o Emphasize the development of the self, selfobjects.
C. Oedipus Complex o Normal autism (first 3-4 weeks of life) – a time o In caring for their physical and psychological needs,
o Begins during the first few months of life, then when babies satisfy their needs within the adults treat babies as if they had a sense of self.
reaches its peak during the genital stage, at all-powerful protective orbit of their o The parents’ behaviors and attitudes eventually
about 3 or 4 years of age. mother’s care (objectless). help children form a sense of self that gives unity
o Based on children's fear that their parents will o Normal symbiosis – when babies behave and consistency to their experiences.
seek revenge against them for their phantasy of as if they and their mother were an all- C. John Bowlby’s Attachment Theory
emptying the parent's body. powerful, interdependent unit o Three stages of separation anxiety:
o For healthy development, children should retain (preobjects). o Protest (when caregiver is first out of
positive feelings for each parent. o Separation-individuation (4 months until about sight, babies will cry, resist soothing by
o The little boy adopts a "feminine" position very 3 years) – when children are becoming other people and search for their
early in life and adopts a passive homosexual psychologically separated from their caregiver)
attitude towards his father. Next, heterosexual mothers and achieving individuation, or a o Apathy and despair (as separation
relationship with his mother yet has no fear of sense of personal identity. continues, infants become quiet, sad,
being castrated as punishment for his sexual o Differentiation (subphase – 5 months to 10 passive, listless, and apathetic)
feelings toward his mother. Later, he projects months) – bodily breaking away from the o Emotional detachment from people,
his destructive drive onto his father, whom he mother symbiotic orbit. including the primary caregiver. Children
fears will bite off his penis or murder him (oral- o Practicing (subphase – 10 to 16 month) – who reach the third stage lack warmth
sadistic impulses). It is resolved when the boy children easily distinguish their body from and emotion in their later relationships.
establishes good relations with both parents. their mother’s and begin to develop an D. Mary Ainsworth and the Strange Situation
o The little girl also adopts a "feminine" position autonomous ego. Yet, they still do not like o Developed a technique called Strange Situation
toward both parents quite early in life. She has to lose sight of their mother. for measuring one of three types of attachment
a positive feeling for both her mother's breast o Rapproachment (subphase – 16 to 25 months) – styles – secure attachment, anxious-resistance
and her father's penis, which she believes will desire to bring their mother and attachment, and anxious-avoidant attachment.
feed her with babies. Sometimes the girl themselves back together, both physically
develops hostility toward her mother, whom she and psychologically.
fears will retaliate against her and rob her of
Horney: Psychoanalytic Social Theory o See love and affection as the solution to heavy breathing. The anxiety resulted from a
problems. seeming inappropriate (neurotic impulse) but
Biography of Karen Horney
➢ born in Germany in 1885, only daughter of her o Emphasizes cultural influences as the primary conscious impulse to push the young woman over

parents and she has an older brother. bases for both neurotic and normal personality the edge of the mountain pass.

➢ Her mother is 18 years younger than her father (he development, and both personalities experience ➢ Horney identified four ways that people protect

had other children from his previous marriage). intrapsychic conflicts because of their themselves against the feeling of being alone in a

➢ She is mad at her devoutly religious father and desperate attempts to find love. potentially hostile world, or basic anxiety (does not

regarded him as a religious hypocrite. Meanwhile, C. The Important of Childhood Experiences necessarily indicate neurosis):

she idolized her mother. o Traumatic events, such as sexual abuse, o Affection – strategy that does not lead to real
➢ She was not a happy child = superficially beatings, open rejection, or pervasive neglect, love; while in the search for affection, some

independent but dependent to men inside. may leave impressions on a child’s future people may try to reach for it with self-effacing

➢ She married Oskar Horney and had 3 daughters. development. compliance, material goods, or sexual favors.

She had several love affairs (Erich Fromm). o Childhood experiences (lack of genuine love) is o Submissiveness – people who submit to
➢ Horney was one of the first women in Germany responsible for neurotic needs, and the needs another person to gain affection.

admitted to medical school, where she specialized become powerful because they are the child’s o Power/prestige/possession – to dominate, to
in psychiatry. only means of gaining feelings of safety. humiliate, and to deprive others.

➢ Horney died in 1952 at age 65 (uremia) o Withdrawal – emotionally detached from

Basic Hostility and Basic Anxiety people; by withdrawing, they feel that they
Introduction to Psychoanalytic Social ➢ If parents do not satisfy the child’s need for safety cannot be hurt by other people.
Theory and satisfaction, the child develops feelings of basic ➢ Normal people have the flexibility to use any or all
Her theories are also appropriate to normal hostility – seldom expressed as rage. these approaches, but neurotics are compelled to
development. She agreed with Freud that early childhood ➢ Repressed hostility leads to profound feelings of rely rigidly on only one.
traumas are important, but she placed far more insecurity and vague sense of apprehension which
emphasis on social factors. is called basic anxiety – feelings of isolated and Compulsive Drives
A. Horney and Freud Comparison helplessness conceived as hostile. Neurotics frequently are trapped in a vicious
o Neuroses are not instincts, but a person’s ➢ Hostile impulses are source of basic anxiety, but circle in which their compulsive need to reduce basic
attempt to find their paths in society. basic anxiety also contributes to feelings of anxiety leads to a variety of self-defeating behaviors;
o Criticism to Freudian theory: it’s inability to hostility. these behaviors produce more basic anxiety, and the
accept new ideas, its skewed view of feminine ➢ For example, a young man with repressed hostility circle continues.
psychology and its overemphasis on biology (repressed rage) went on a hiking trip with a
(sex) and the pleasure principle. woman with whom he was deeply in love. His Neurotic individuals have the same problems
B. The Impact of Culture repressed hostility, however, led him to become that affect normal people, except neurotic experience to
o competitiveness and hostility -> feelings of jealous of the women (insecurity due to basic a greater degree. Everyone uses various protective
isolation -> needs for affection -> overvalue love anxiety). While walking on a dangerous mountain devices to guard against the hostility, rejection, and
-> desperate need for love -> neuroses. pass, the young man suddenly suffered a severe competitiveness of others. But neurotics compulsively
“anxiety attack” in the form of rapid heart rate and repeat the same strategy in an unproductive manner.
A. Neurotic Needs (a single person may use more than one) – use B. Neurotic Trends (applies to normal individual; neurotics are Intrapsychic Conflicts
to combat basic anxiety. limited to a single trend): People experience inner tensions (intrapersonal
i. The neurotic need for affection and approval – i. Moving Toward People conflicts); and they become part of people’s belief system
they indiscriminately please others, live up to o For normal defenses: friendly, loving and take on a life of their own, separate from the
expectations of others, uncomfortable with the personality. For neurotic defense: compliant interpersonal conflicts that created them.
hostility of others as well as the hostile feelings personality. A. The Idealized Self-Image
within themselves. o undue compliance to others’ wishes to ➢ The attempt to solve conflicts by painting a
ii. The neurotic need for a powerful partner – they protect against the feeling of helplessness. godlike picture of oneself that exists only in

lack self-confidence, so they attach themselves o strives for affection, seek a powerful partner. one’s mind.

to a powerful partner; this need includes o They see themselves as loving, generous, ➢ No love and affection during childhood →

overvaluation of love and dread of being alone. humble, unselfish, and sensitive to feelings. blocked self-realization and stable sense of
iii. The neurotic need to restrict one’s life within ii. Moving Against People identity.
narrow borders – they strive to take second o For normal defense: a survivor in a ➢ Neurotics glorify and worship themselves in
place and to be content with very little; they competitive society. For neurotic defenses: different ways. Compliant people see
downgrade their own abilities. aggressive personality. themselves as good and saintly; aggressive
iv. The neurotic need for power – power and o Assumes that everyone is hostile and people build an idealized image as strong and
affection are perhaps the two greatest neurotic therefore, should be aggressive and exploits heroic; and detached neurotics paint their self-
needs; they strive to dominate. others for their own benefit. portraits as wise, self-sufficient, and
v. The neurotic need to exploit others – they o They don’t admit their mistakes and need to independent.
evaluate others on how they can be used or be appear perfect, powerful, and superior. They Horney recognized three aspects of the idealized self-
exploited; at the same time, they fear being play to win than to enjoy. image:
exploited by others. iii. Moving Away from People 1. The Neurotic Search for Glory
vi. The neurotic need for social recognition or o For normal defense: they are autonomous o Comprehensive drive to actualize the idealized

prestige – attracting attention to themselves. and have serene personalities. For neurotic self-image—in their goals, self-concept, and

vii. The neurotic need for personal admiration – their defenses: they are detached. relationship with others.

inflated self-esteem must be continually fed by o They feel isolated from others and insist on o Tyranny of the should – drive of perfection by
admiration and approval of others. privacy, independence, and self-sufficiency. erecting a complex set of “should” and “should
viii. The neurotic need for ambition and personal o Their greatest need is to need other people. nots.” Example, they tell themselves: “Forget
achievement – the drive to be the best; they about the disgraceful creature you actually are,
must defeat others to confirm superiority. Basic Hostility – results from childhood feelings of this is how you should be .”
ix. The neurotic need for self-sufficiency and rejection or neglect by parents or from a defense against o Neurotic ambition – compulsive drive toward
independence – strong need to move away from basic anxiety. superiority. For example, a girl may direct her
people, proving that they can survive without Basic Anxiety – results from parental threats or form a neurotic ambition toward being the best
others. defense against hostility. student in school. Later, she may be driven to
x. The neurotic need for perfection and excel in business or to raise the very best show
unassailability – strive for perfection. dogs. Neurotic ambition may also take a less
materialistic form, such as being the saintliest Fromm: Humanistic Psychoanalysis ➢ Human ability to reason permits people to survive,
or most charitable person in the community. but on the other hand, it forces them to attempt to
Biography of Erich Fromm
o Drive toward a vindictive triumph – the most ➢ Born in Frankfurt, Germany, in 1900, the only child of solve basic unresolvable dichotomies.
destructive element of all. The need for orthodox Jewish (neurotic) parents. ➢ Three existential dichotomies :
vindictive triumph may be disguised as a drive ➢ His humanistic philosophy grew out of an early o Life and death. We are aware that we will die,
for achievement or success, but its aim is to put reading of the biblical prophets and an association but we try to deny this dichotomy by saying
others to shame or defeat them through one’s with several Talmudic scholars. there is still life after death.
very success by humiliating others. ➢ Fromm's first wife was Frieda Fromm-Reichmann o Goal of complete self-realization and shortness
2. Neurotic Claims but divorced. of life to reach the goal. We can complete self-
o They believe that they are entitled to special ➢ Fromm moved to the United States and began a realization, but we are also aware that life is too
privileges and make neurotic claims on other psychoanalytic practice in New York, where he short to reach that goal.
people that are consistent with their idealized resumed his friendship with Karen Horney and o Alone but cannot tolerate isolation. We are
view of themselves; they feel no guilt or remorse became lovers and then separated. aware that we are separate individuals, at the
in moving ahead of others. ➢ He then married Henny Gurland, two years younger same time, we believe that happiness depends
o Example is when one expects people to always than him but died. on uniting with a partner or a person.
include them in conversations or listen ➢ He met Annis Freeman and got married again.
attentively to what they say, because if she/he ➢ Fromm began his professional career as a Human Needs (existential needs)
does not receive that treatment, they become Our human dilemma cannot be solved by
psychotherapist using orthodox psychoanalytic
resentful and withdraw from others satisfying our animal needs, but it can only be addressed
technique, but after 10 years, he became “bored”
3. Neurotic Pride by fulfilling our human needs, which would move us
with the Freudian approach, and developed his own
o A false pride based not on reality but on a toward a reunification with the natural world.
more active and confrontational methods.
distorted and idealized view of self, to protect ➢ He died in Switzerland in 1980 (heart failure).
and support their glorified view of oneself. These existential needs have emerged during the

o In social situation, someone with neurotic pride evolution of human culture, growing out of their attempts
Fromm’s Basic Assumptions
may constantly boast about their ➢ Human personality can only be understood in the to find an answer to their existence and to avoid

accomplishments, interrupt others to ensure light of history – the philosophical concept of human becoming insane.
they are the center of attention or belittle others existence. A. Relatedness – the drive for union with another
to make them feel superior. ➢ Belief that humans have been torn away from their person/s.
B. Self-Hatred prehistoric union with nature and left with no o Fromm postulated three basic ways in which a
o Happens when reality falls short (always) of powerful instincts to adapt to a changing world. person may relate to the world.
their idealized view of self. ➢ Instead, they have acquired the ability to reason, o Submission – one can submit himself to a group
o Forms of self-hatred are: relentless demands on which means they can think about their isolated or a person to become part of somebody or
self, merciless self-accusation, self-contempt, condition. Fromm called this situation the human something bigger than himself to become one
self-frustration, self-torment or self-torture, and dilemma. with the world.
self-destructive actions and impulses. o Whereas submissive people search for a
relationship with domineering people, power
seekers welcome submissive powers, and C. Rootedness – the need to establish roots or to feel at E. Frame of Orientation – a roadmap in which we make
establish a symbiotic relationship, one that is home again in the world. our way through the world.
satisfying to both partners. o Like the other existential needs, rootedness can o Refers to our goals and destinations to
o They are drawn to one another not by love but take either a productive or a non-productive connect with the world.
by a desperate need for relatedness, which can mode. o Expressed nonproductive as striving for
never be completely satisfied in such a o With the productive strategy, we grow beyond irrational goals. For productive strategy,
relationship. the security of our mother and establish ties move toward rational goals.
o Fromm believed that love (basic elements: care, with the outside world. o A roadmap without a goal is worthless. To
responsibility, respect, and knowledge) is the o With the nonproductive strategy, we become keep from going insane, they need a final goal
only way which can a person become united fixated and afraid to move beyond the security or “object of devotion.”
with the world and achieve individuality and and safety of our mother or a mother o If I don’t know where I am going, then I am
integrity; the solution to human dilemma. substitute. lonely and isolated.
o Knowledge is connected to care, responsibility, o Mother represented our comfort zone/home. F. Summary of Human Needs
and respect. If you don’t have any knowledge o Fixation – a tenacious reluctance to move People are highly motivated to satisfy the five existential, or
on how to care for your partner, how to be beyond the protective security provided by human, needs because if they are unsatisfied with these
responsible partner, and respect your partner, one’s mother (refusal to get away from comfort needs, they are driven to insanity. Each of the needs has a
then might as well not enter a relationship. zone). both positive and a negative component, but only the
o If I cannot relate or connect with a person, then o If we don’t feel belong, then I am lonely and satisfaction of positive needs leads to psychological health.
I am lonely and isolated. isolated.
B. Transcendence – urge to rise above a passive and D. Sense of Identity – awareness of ourselves as a The Burden of Freedom
accidental existence, and into “the realm of separate person. o As the only animal possessing self-awareness,
purposefulness and freedom.” o We need to have our own concept of imagination, and reason, Fromm believed that
o To transcend their nature by destroying or ourselves to be able to say, “I am I,” “I am humans are the freaks of the universe.

creating people or things. me,” “I am the subject of my actions.” o High freedom leads to high isolation from others. For

o Elton’s term: Your ability to reach the highest o Without a sense of identity, people could not example, during the Middle Ages people had little

peak of all humanity and feel free. retain their sanity, and this threat provides a personal freedom. They were anchored to roles in
o However, freedom cannot be exercised fully powerful motivation to do almost anything to society – which provided them security, dependability,
because it might lead to malignant acquire a sense of identity. and certainty. But as they acquired freedom to move
aggression – killing for reasons other than o Neurotics try to attach themselves to both socially and geographically, they found that they
survival, not common to all humans. powerful people or to social or political were free from the security of a fixed position in
o But they can also create art, religion, ideas, institutions. Healthy people, however, have society. They were no longer tied to one geographic
laws, material production, and love, and care less need to surrender their freedom and region, one social order, or one occupation. They
about these creations. individuality to fit into society because they became separated from their roots and isolated from
o If we cannot express freely, we feel isolated possess an authentic sense of identity. one another.
and lonely. o If I cannot understand myself, then I am o Freedom also leads to basic anxiety because of the
lonely and isolated. burden of being alone.
o Another example, as children grow up and become iii. Conformity o The only way they can relate to the world is to
more independent of their mothers, they gain more o Surrendering one’s individuality to escape from receive things passively, including love,
freedom to express themselves, to move unsupervised, a sense of isolation and becoming what other knowledge, and material objects.
to choose friends, and so on. At the same time, they people want them to be. o They are more concerned with receiving than
experience the burden of freedom; that is, they are o They become robots, reacting to whatever with giving.
free from the security of being one with the mother. others desire. o The negative qualities of receptive people
Which results in basic anxiety , feelings of being alone o People can break this conformity only by include passivity, submissiveness, and lack of
in the world. achieving self-realization or positive freedom. self-confidence. Their positive traits are loyalty,
B. Positive Freedom acceptance, and trust.
A. Mechanisms of Escape – to give up independence to o It is the successful solution to the human dilemma of ii. Exploitative
reduce the frightening sense of isolation and being part of the natural world and yet separate from o Aggressively take what they want rather than
aloneness. it. passively receiving it, taking things through
i. Authoritarianism o They can attain personal freedom by a spontaneous force.
o The tendency to give up one’s independence and full expression of both their rational and their o Examples are those people who are in the
and to unite with a powerful partner. emotional potentialities. Spontaneous activity can be realm of ideas, they prefer to steal or plagiarize
o Take the form of either masochism or sadism. frequently seen in children who have little or no rather than create their own idea. Another
o Masochism stems from feelings of tendency to conform to others and act according to example is those who force to take someone
powerlessness and can be disguised as love their wants. else’s spouse or property.
or loyalty, but they can never contribute o Positive qualities include pride and self-
positively to independence and authenticity. Character Orientations confidence, while negative ones are arrogance
o Sadism involves attempts to achieve unity People relate to the world by assimilation and conceit.
through dominating, exploiting, or hurting (acquiring and using things) and by socialization iii. Hoarding
others – it is more neurotic and socially (relating to self and others) and they can do so either o Try to save what they have already obtained,
harmful. nonproductively or productively. including their opinions, feelings, and material
ii. Destructiveness possessions.
o Rooted in the feelings of aloneness, isolation, Character orientation – a person’s relatively o Example in a love relationship, they are
and powerlessness. permanent way of relating to people and things. possessive to their loved on and preserve the
o It does not depend on a relationship with Character – “the relatively permanent system of all relationship rather than allowing it to change
another person; rather, it seeks to do away with noninstinctual strivings through which man relates and grow.
other people. himself to the human and natural world” – the most o Positive qualities include orderliness,
o By destroying people, a person attempts to important acquired qualities of personality according to cleanliness, and punctuality while negative ones
restore lost feelings of power. However, by Fromm. are obsessiveness, possessiveness, and rigidity.
destroying people, destructive people eliminate iv.Marketing
the outside world, and thus acquire a type of A. Nonproductive Orientations – those that fail to move o They see themselves as commodities, with their
perverted isolation. people closer to positive freedom and self-realization. personal value dependent on their exchange
i. Receptive value, which is their ability to sell themselves.
o Exchanging personalities see themselves as B. Malignant Narcissism o Some individuals possess all three personality
being constant demand; they must make others o Convinced that everything belonging to them is disorders – they are attracted to death, they take
believe that they are skillful and salable. of great value and anything belonging to others pleasure in destroying people, and they possess
o Their personal security rests on shaky ground is worthless. a neurotic symbiotic relationship with their
because they must adjust their personality to o Fromm discussed that narcissistic people often mother or mother substitute. Fromm called this
which is currently the trend. suffer from moral hypochondriasis – condition syndrome of decay.
o They have fewer positive qualities because they preoccupation with guilt about previous o Syndrome of growth – people who possess
are basically empty vessels waiting to be filled transgressions. People who are fixated on opposite qualities: namely, biophilia, love, and
with whatever characteristics is most themselves are likely to question one’s ethical positive freedom.
marketable. decisions or feel profound sense of guilt over
perceived moral standing, even if they are not Fromm’s Psychotherapy
B. The Productive Orientation important. The goal of his psychotherapy is to establish a
o Work toward positive freedom through o Example, a person who always analyzes every union with patients and make their patients understand
productive work, love, and thoughts. action they take, fearing that they may have themselves so that they can become reunited with the
o Productive love necessitates a passionate love inadvertently caused harm or acted immorally. world.
of all life and all that is alive – biophilia. They may excessively seek validation from others
about their moral behavior, constantly seeking
Erikson: Post-Freudian Theory
Personality Disorders approval to alleviate their anxieties about being
Biography of Erik Erikson
Unhealthy personalities are marked by perceived as “bad.”
➢ Born in Germany in 1902, June 15: Erik Salomonsen.
problems in areas of work, love, and thinking. They fail to o Narcissistic people possess what Horney (see
➢ He himself has struggled identity crisis, because he
love productively, work productively, and think Horney part) called neurotic claims.
spent nearly a lifetime trying to determine who he
productively. C. Incestuous Symbiosis
was, especially who his father is, and what
o Extreme dependence on one’s mother or mother
nationality does he really belong to (his mother’s
A. Necrophilia surrogate to the extent that they are inseparable
Jewish family is trying to hard to act Danish).
o The term necrophilia means love of death and from the host person with personalities blended
➢ During his school days, his Scandinavian features
usually refers to a sexual perversion in which a and individual identity is lost.
contributed to his identity confusion. His blue eyes
person desires sexual contact with a corpse. o Men with a mother fixation need a woman to
and blond hair made him appear to be an outsider.
o In Fromm’s term, necrophiliac people love death care for them, dote on them, and admire them;
➢ After his mother married Theodor Homberger, Erik
and hate all humanity; they love bloodshed, they feel anxious and depressed when their
eventually took his stepfather's name.
destruction, terror, and torture. needs are not fulfilled. They believe that they
➢ At age 18 he left home to pursue the life of a
o They do not simply behave in a destructive cannot live without their mother substitute
wandering artist and to search for self-identity.
manner, rather destructiveness is their basic (which is not necessarily a human – can be a
After nearly 7 years of drifting and searching, he
character. family, business, church, or a nation).
returned home confused, exhausted, depressed,
o This prevents people from achieving
and unable to sketch or paint.
independence and integrity.
➢ At that time, he received a letter from his friend The Ego in Post-Freudian Theory B. Epigenetic Principle
inviting him to teach in a new school in Vienna. One ➢ In contrast to Freud who believed that id is stronger - A term borrowed from embryology.
of the founders of that school was Anna Freud, who than the ego. Erikson emphasized that ego is the - Erikson believed that ego grows according to a
became not only Erikson’s employer, but his positive force that create and responsible for our genetically established rate and in a fixed
psychoanalyst as well. self-identity, our sense of “I.” sequence – a step-by-step growth.
➢ Freud told Erikson that he should stop fantasizing ➢ Ego is the person’s ability to unify experiences and - One stage emerges from and is built upon a
and search for his absent father. Although he actions in an adoptive manner. previous stage, but it does not replace the
obeyed his psychoanalyst, he could not take her ➢ During child = ego is weak, pliable, and fragile; but it earlier stage.
advice to stop trying to learn his father’s name. should begin to take form and gain strength during - Example, when children are still crawling, they
➢ Married Joan Serson and they had 4 children; one adolescence. are developing the potential to walk, run, and
had down syndrome whom they sent to a facility. ➢ Erikson identified three interrelated aspects of ego: jump; and after they are mature enough to
➢ In mid -life, Erik Homberger moved to the United ➢ Body ego – way of seeing our physical self as jump, they still retain their ability to run, walk,
States, changed his name to Erikson, and took a different from other people; emphasized our and crawl.
position at the Harvard Medical School. experiences with our body.

➢ Erikson’s search for identity took him through some ➢ Ego-Ideal – image of ourselves vs an established Stages of Psychosocial Development
difficult experiences during his adult developmental ideal; responsible for our being satisfied or ➢ Understanding eight stages of psychosocial

stage. According to Erikson, this stage requires a dissatisfied not only with our physical self but with development requires understanding basic points:

person to take care of children and ideas. Yet, he our entire personal identity. First, growth takes place according to the epigenetic

failed to take good care of his son Neil, who was ➢ Ego Identity – image of ourselves in the social roles principle.

born with Down syndrome. we play; conscious sense of self that we develop ➢ Second, every stage of life is marked by an interaction

➢ When Joan was still under sedation, Erik placed through social interaction, which is constantly of opposites – conflict between symbiotic

Neil in an institution, and told his other children changing due to new experiences and information (harmonious) element and a dystonic (disruptive)

that their brother had died at birth. He lied to them we acquire in our daily interactions with others. element, which produces a basic strength or ego

like how his mother had lied to him about the quality ( must have both experiences ).

identity of his biological father. A. Society’s Influence ➢ For example, trust as symbiotic element and mistrust

➢ Lacking any academic credentials, he had no - Society (cultural environment) shapes the ego. as dystonic element. And hope as its ego quality or

specific professional identity and was variously - Influenced by child-rearing practices and other basic strength.
known as an artist, a psychologist, a cultural customs. ➢ But too little basic strength at any one stage results in

psychoanalyst, a clinician, a professor, a cultural - For example, people of the Yurok nation has a core pathology for that stage. For example, a child

anthropologist, an existentialist, a strict regulations concerning elimination of who does not acquire sufficient hope during infancy

psychobiographer, and a public intellectual. urine and feces, practices that tend to develop will develop the antithesis or opposite of hope, namely,

➢ Later, he taught at Yale, the University of California anality or compulsive neatness, stubbornness, withdrawal. Each stage has a potential core pathology.

at Berkeley, and several other universities such as and miserliness. ➢ Events in earlier stages do not cause later personality

Harvard. He died in 1994, a month short of his 92nd - Pseudospecies – fictional idea that they are development. Ego identity is shaped by a multiplicity of

birthday. superior to other cultures; all tribes, or nations, conflicts and events – past, present, and anticipated.
including US experienced this.
➢ Also, from adolescence on, each stage is characterized o Oedipus complex as an early model of lifelong F. Young Adulthood: Intimacy versus Isolation
by an identity crisis or turning point which may playfulness and a drama played out in children’s o Will I be loved, or will I be alone?
produce either adaptive (positive) or maladaptive minds as they attempt to understand the basic o (18 to 30 years) psychosexual mode: genitality –
(negative) adjustment. facts of life. expressed as mutual trust between partners in a
o Psychosexual mode: genital-locomotor – children stable sexual relationship.
A. Infancy: Trust versus Mistrust have both an interest in genital civility and an o Intimacy: ability to fuse one’s identity with that of
o Can I trust the people around me? increasing ability to move around. another person without fear of losing it. Isolation:
o Was like Freud’s concept of the oral stage; include o Initiative: to act with purpose and set goals. Guilt: fear or losing one’s identity in an intimate
sense organs such as the eyes and ears. too little purpose. relationship.
o Psychosexual mode: oral-sensory – characterized o Basic strength: Purpose. Core pathology: o Basic strength: Capacity to Love. Core pathology:
by both receiving and accepting. Inhibition. Exclusivity.
o As they take in food and sensory information, D. School age: Industry versus Inferiority G. Adulthood: Generativity versus Stagnation
infants learn to either trust or mistrust the outside o How can I be good? o How can I contribute to the world?
world, a situation that gives them realistic hope. o (6 to about 13 years) a time of psychosexual o (31 to 60 years) a time when people make
o Trust: the mother provides food regularly. latency but it is also a time of psychosocial growth significant contributions to society.
Mistrust: if the environment (mother, etc.) does beyond the family. o Psychosexual mode: Procreativity – the caring for
not meet the needs of the infant. o Learn the customs of their culture, including both one’s children, the children of others, and the
o Core pathology: Withdrawal. Basic strength: formal and informal education. material products of one’s society.
Hope. o Industry: work hard & finish the job. Inferiority: o Generativity: guiding the next generation.
B. Early Childhood: Autonomy versus Shame & Doubt work is not sufficient to achieve goals. Stagnation: too self-indulgent, too much self-
o Can I do things myself (independence) or am I o Basic strength: Competence. Core pathology: absorption.
reliant on the help of others (dependence)? Inertia. o Basic Strength: Care. Core pathology: Rejectivity
nd rd
o (2 to 3 year) a period that compares to Freud’s E. Adolescence: Identity versus identity confusion of certain individuals.
anal stage. o Who am I? H. Old Age: Integrity versus Despair
o Includes mastery of other body functions such as o (Puberty) a time of psychosexual growth & o Did I live a meaningful life?
walking, urinating, and holding. psychosocial latency. o (age 60 until death) psychosexual mode:
o Psychosexual mode: anal-urethral-muscular, o Psychosexual mode: genital maturation. Generalized Sensuality – taking pleasure in a
children behave both impulsively and o Identity emerges from a) childhood identifications variety of sensations and an appreciation of the
compulsively. and b) historical and social context. Important traditional lifestyle of people of the other gender.
o Autonomy: faith in themselves in doing things. event during this stage is exploring social o Integrity: the maintenance of ego-identity (social
Shame & Doubt: self-consciousness, uncertainty. relationships. roles). Despair: the surrender of hope (originated
o Basic Strength: Will. Core pathology: Compulsion. o Identity: having a sense of who they are. Identity from infancy).
C. Play Age: Initiative versus Guilt confusion: divided self-image. o Basic strength: Wisdom. Core pathology: Disdain
o Am I good or bad? o Basic strength: Fidelity. Core pathology: Role (feelings of being finished or helpless).
rd th
o (3 year to 5 year) a period that parallels Denial.
Freud’s phallic phase.
As Erikson himself aged, he and his wife began to cousin did not fight back when he kissed him, and I. Holistic approach motivation: the whole organism
describe a ninth stage – a period of very old age when from that time, his life transformed and became is motivated at any one time.
physical and mental infirmities rob people of their meaningful. II. Motivation is Complex, and unconscious motives
generative abilities and reduce them to waiting for death. ➢ After 2 or 3 mediocre years as a college student, often underlie behavior.
Maslow's academic work improved at about the time III. People are continually motivated by one need or
he was married. another.
Maslow: Holistic-Dynamic Theory
➢ He received both a bachelor's degree and a PhD from IV. All people everywhere are motivated by the same
Biography of Abraham H. Maslow
the University of Wisconsin, where he worked with basic needs.
➢ Abraham Harold (Abe) Maslow in New York City on
Harry Harlow conducting animal studies (monkeys). V. Needs can be arranged on a hierarchy.
April 1, 1908; the oldest of seven children of Russian
➢ He also experienced medical school, but like law
Jewish immigrants. Hierarchy of Needs
school, he was bothered by the unemotional and
➢ Had the most lonely and miserable childhood (intense ➢ Lower-level needs have prepotency over higher
negative view of people. Moreover, he was bored with
feelings of shy, inferior, depressed). level needs; that is, lower needs must be satisfied
his experiences in medical school.
➢ Maslow was not close to either parent, but he before higher needs become motivator.
➢ Poor health forced him to move to California, where
tolerated his always absent father who made a living ➢ Called Conative Needs – have a striving or
he died in 1970 at age 62 (heart attack).
preparing barrels. Toward his mother, Maslow felt motivational character.
➢ In his last journal entry, a month before his death, he
hatred and animosity, up until the day she died. ➢ As long as the need is not yet satisfied, the person
complained about people expecting him to be a
➢ He never overcame the intense hatred he had will continue to strive to satisfy it (almost doing
courageous leader and spokesperson, despite him
towards his mother. He refused to attend her funeral. anything to obtain it).
having deteriorating health.
➢ Maslow’s mother was a religious woman who often
threatened young Maslow with punishment from Overview of Holistic-Dynamic Theory A. Psychological needs
God. As a young boy, Maslow decided to test that ➢ His theory has been called humanistic theory, - Oxygen, food, water.
threat by intentionally misbehaving but no divide transpersonal theory, and the 3 rd force in psychology - The only needs that can be completely satisfied
retribution befell him. Maslow learned to hate and st
(1 force was Freud’s psychoanalysis, and 2 nd
force was or even overly satisfied.
behaviorism).
mistrust religion and become committed atheist. - Recurring nature; they constantly need to
➢ He preferred to call it holistic-dynamic theory wherein
➢ He is a brilliant student. Although his performance in replenish their food, water, oxygen supply.
he postulated that the whole person is constantly
school is reasonable and scored 195 in his IQ test, B. Safety needs
being motivated by one need or another, and that
something’s amiss. - Physical security, stability, dependence,
people have the potential to grow toward
➢ He went to law school but eventually quit because he protection, and freedom from danger.
psychological health, that is self-actualization .
felt that the law dealt too much with evil people and - Safety needs cannot be overly satiated, people
➢ Maslow accepted some tenets of psychoanalysis and
was not concerned about the good at all. can never be completely protected.
st behaviorism; however, he believed it to be limited
➢ This man was in love with his 1 cousin Bertha - Children are motivated by their safety needs
and/or inadequate in understanding a psychologically
Goodman (which he eventually married and had 2 daughters). because they live with threats such as animals,
healthy person.
Visiting his aunt seemed the only way he could see strangers, punishments.
Bertha. While visiting his aunt, his cousin’s older sister - Adults feel unsafe because they retain fears
Maslow’s View of Motivation
ordered him to kiss Bertha and to his surprise, his from childhood.
C. Love and belongingness needs - People who do not embrace these values are - Our facial expression, gestures, coping
- Desire for friendship, the wish for a partner and frustrated in their self-actualization needs even behaviors, securing food, shelter, making
children, and the need to belong. though they have satisfied each of their basic friends – all have a goal or aim.
st
- 1 category of people: need fully satisfied; feels needs. - Deal with a person’s attempt to cope with the
accepted and will not feel devastated if environment.
rejected. In addition to these five conative needs, Maslow D. Deprivation of Needs
- 2nd category of people: never experienced love; identified three other categories of needs: - Being deprived of our needs will lead to
thus, incapable of giving love. A. Aesthetic Needs pathology such as malnutrition, fear, socially
rd
- 3 group: received the need in small doses; - need for beauty and aesthetically pleasing timid, self-doubt, and;
strongest motivation to seek love. experiences. - Metapathology – the absence of values, the lack
- Children’s love needs: straightforward and B. Cognitive Needs of fulfillment, and the loss of meaning in life.
direct love. - Desire to know, to solve mysteries, to E. Instinctoid Nature of Needs
- Adults also need love, but their attempts to understand, and to be curious. Knowledge is - Innately determined that can be modified by
attain it are sometimes disguised and engage in necessary in satisfying the 5 conative needs. learning (definition sa book).
self-defeating behaviors, such as pretending to C. Neurotic Needs - Basically, instinctoid needs are those for the
be aloof from other people or adopting a cold - It is nonproductive and is usually reactive; most basic of things: food, water, shelter. These
manner in their interpersonal relationships, meaning, they serve as compensation for are almost completely physical, generally
when in reality, they just want to be accepted unsatisfied basic needs. Example, Safety needs devoid of emotional attachment and less
and loved. vs. Hoarding. instinct-driven, determined by genetic
D. Esteem needs Deprivation of these 2 needs leads to pathology except programming.
- Satisfaction love needs and which include self- for neurotic needs. - Criterions for separating instinctoid needs from
respect, confidence, competence, knowledge, noninstinctoid needs:
and self-esteem, and the recognition that we General Discussion of Needs 1. Level of pathology upon frustration –
have a positive reputation. A. Reversed Order Needs instinctoid needs produces pathology,
- R eputation – the perception of the prestige, - For some people, the drive for creativity (a self- whereas the frustration of noninstinctoid
recognition, or fame a person has achieved in actualization need) may take precedence over needs does not. For example, when
the eyes of others. safety and physiological needs. people are denied of sufficient love, they
- Self-esteem – a person’s own feelings of worth - For example, an artist may risk safety and become sick and are blocked from
and confidence. health just to complete an important work. achieving psychological health. On the
E. Self-Actualization needs B. Unmotivated Behavior other hand, the need to speak one’s
- Self-fulfillment, realization of one’s own - Some behaviors are not motivated even though native tongue is learned, and the
potential. all behaviors have a cause. frustration of that need does not ordinarily
- They become independent of the lower needs. - Causes like conditioned reflexes, maturation, or produce illness.
- Should embrace the B-values such as truth, drugs. 2. Persistent vs. temporal satisfaction –
beauty, oneness, justice, etc. that become self- C. Expressive and Coping Behavior Instinctoid needs are persistent and their
actualizing after their esteem needs are met. satisfaction leads to psychological health.
Noninstinctoid needs, in contrast, are - Maslow termed B-values “metaneeds ” to of transcendence and feelings of awe, wonder,
usually temporary and their satisfaction is indicate that they are the ultimate level of ecstasy, reverence, and humility.
not needed for health. needs. 9. Gemeinschaftsgefühl, that is, social interest or a
3. Species-specific – An animal instinct B. Characteristics of Self-Actualizing People deep feeling of oneness with all humanity.
cannot be used as a model for studying Not all self-actualizers possess each of these 10. Profound interpersonal relations but with no
human motivation because only humans characteristics to the same extent. desperate need to have a multitude of friends.
can be motivated by esteem and self- 1. More efficient perception of reality ; they often They are fine with a few friends that are deep
actualization. have an almost uncanny ability to detect and genuine.
4. Even though instinctoid needs are basic fakeness in others, they are comfortable with 11. The democratic character structure ; or the
and unlearned, they can be changed and the unknown, and they are not fooled by ability to disregard superficial differences (race,
even destroyed by the more powerful ambiguity. class, color, age, gender) between people.
forces of the environment and civilization. 2. Acceptance of self, others, and nature; they are 12. Discrimination between means and ends ,
Example, the perception of love being not overly critical of their shortcomings and are meaning that self-actualizing people have a
destroyed because of the aggression in not burdened by undue anxiety or shame. They clear sense of right and wrong, and they
the form of crime or war happening in a realize that people suffer, grow old, and die. experience little conflict about basic values.
country. 3. Spontaneity, simplicity, and naturalness ; they 13. A Philosophical sense of humor ; or humor that
F. Comparison of Higher and Lower Needs have no need to appear complex or is spontaneous, unplanned, and intrinsic
- Higher level needs (love, esteem, and self- sophisticated, they are highly ethical but may (appropriate) to the situation.
actualization) are later on the evolutionary appear unethical or nonconforming on the 14. Creativeness; they possess a keen perception of
scale than lower-level needs and they produce outside. truth, beauty, and reality. Not all self-
more genuine happiness and more peak 4. Problem-centered; They view age-old problems actualizers are talented or creative in the arts,
experiences. from a solid philosophical position. Their but all are creative in their own way.
occupation is not merely a means to earning a 15. R esistance to enculturation; they could set
Self-Actualization living, rather it is a calling. personal standards and have a sense of
➢ An ultimate level of psychological health is called 5. The need for privacy , or a detachment that detachment from surroundings to resist the
self-actualization. allows them to be alone without being lonely. roles or standards set by a particular culture.
➢ Criterion for self-actualization: 6. Autonomy; They have grown beyond C. Love, Sex, and Self-Actualization
➢ (1) Free from psychopathology. (2) Satisfaction of dependency on other people for their self- - Maslow compared D-love (deficiency love) to B-
each of the four lower-level needs. (3) Embracement esteem. This independence gives them inner love (love for the being or essence of another
of the B-values. (4) Fulfilled their needs to grow, to peace and serenity not enjoyed by those who person).
develop, and the full realization of one’s potentials. live for the approval of others. - Self-actualizing people are capable of B-love;
7. Continued freshness of Appreciation and the that is, they could love without expecting
A. Values of Self-Actualizers ability to view everyday things with a fresh something in return.
- Self-actualizing people are motivated by B- vision and appreciation. - B-love is mutually felt and shared and not
values such as truth, goodness, beauty, justice, 8. Frequent reports of peak experiences , or those based on deficiencies within the lovers.
and simplicity. mystical experiences that give a person a sense
• Uniqueness (idiosyncrasy; individuality; non-
The Jonah Complex comparability; novelty);
➢ This is the fear of being or doing one’s best, a • Effortlessness (ease; lack of strain, striving or
condition that all of us have to some extent. difficulty; grace; perfect, beautiful functioning);
➢ It is characterized by attempts to run away from • Playfulness (fun; joy; amusement; gaiety; humor;
one’s destiny just as biblical Jonah tried to escape exuberance; effortlessness);
from his faith. • Truth (honesty; reality; nakedness; simplicity;
➢ Maslow’s own life story demonstrated his Jonah richness; oughtness; beauty; pure, clean and
unadulterated; completeness; essentiality).
complex. Despite an IQ of 195, he was only an
average student, and as a world-famous
• Self-sufficiency (autonomy; independence; not-
needing-other-than-itself-in-order-to-be-itself; self-
psychologist, he frequently experienced panic when
determining; environment-transcendence;
called to deliver a talk. separateness; living by its own laws).
➢ Discussed b ehavior: Tendency to make a lot of
excuses to escape.

14 -Values (from wiki)

• Wholeness (unity; integration; tendency to one-ness;
interconnectedness; simplicity; organization;
structure; dichotomy-transcendence; order);
• Perfection (necessity; just-right-ness; just-so-ness;
inevitability; suitability; justice; completeness;
"oughtness");
• Completion (ending; finality; justice; "it's finished";
fulfillment; finis and telos; destiny; fate);
• Justice (fairness; orderliness; lawfulness;
"oughtness");
• Aliveness (process; non-deadness; spontaneity; self-
regulation; full-functioning);
• Richness (differentiation, complexity; intricacy);
• Simplicity (honesty; nakedness; essentiality; abstract,
essential, skeletal structure);
• Beauty (rightness; form; aliveness; simplicity;
richness; wholeness; perfection; completion;
uniqueness; honesty);
• Goodness (rightness; desirability; oughtness; justice;
benevolence; honesty);