Your readings in Allen (2016) this week introduced you to three more prominent neo-Freudians who have contributed to our understanding of personality development in different ways. Each of these theorists, Horney, Sullivan and Erickson further extended the work of Freud but in different ways. Horney addresses the role of anxiety in development as well as the role of culture as a developmental influence. Sullivan focuses on interpersonal relations a a driving force in personality. It was his belief that our interactions with others determine our sense of security and self leading to dynamisms that motivate us to behave in particular ways. Lastly, Eric Erickson provides a psychosocial developmental model of personality that allows for personality development across the lifespan: a unique concept in contrast to the Freudian tradition.
Your Task
1. Main Entry: Start a new thread, and update the topic title, identifying the post as uniquely yours (e.g., Joes thoughts on …; Research gone wild…). Within the body of your post, clearly identify each segment of the required response in order to facilitate discussion development.
a. Both Horney and Erickson consider the influence of culture on personality development. In what ways does each theorist acknowledge this influence according to Allen (2016)?
b. Sullivan discusses “personifications” as a core concept in his interpersonal theory of personality. What are personifications and what role do they serve in personality development?
c. Discuss any point in your readings that captured your interest. Explain.
2. Post Constructive Peer Feedback: In addition to posting your Main Entry, respond to at least TWO (2) of your classmates’ entries. In four (4) or more sentences, provide constructive feedback. Do you agree with the points presented? Why? Do you have some additional thoughts to share? Share them. When providing your feedback present the logic behind it.
Classmate 1:
Both Horney and Erickson consider the influence of culture on personality development. In what ways does each theorist acknowledge this influence according to Allen (2016)?
Karen Horney and Erik Erikson both used Freud’s ideas and theories as a starting point to build off of and go beyond what Freud concluded influenced personalities. Horney believed that personality was largely influenced by culture and social experience. She believed Freud ignorant for not acknowledging the difference in cultures and how they play a part in influencing a person. She believed that the motives behind a person’s actions and attitudes came down to “dependency, cooperation, interpersonal anxiety, hostility, love, jealousy, greed, competitiveness, and inferiority.” (Allen, 2016, p. 110). These experiences came from social interactions within the culture based on exchanges with family, friends, and peers. At the core, Horney believed that culture influenced personality through socialization and the need to be part of and immersed in one’s culture to pass to generations to come (Allen, 2016). Erikson, though considered a Neo-Freudian, did have his own ideas on the development of personality. He looked at the the reason behind the development of the personality. Looking at what he called the “mission” of life and how that grew over time. Erikson further broke it down to explain it as the mastering of life’s stages. How a person mastered different tasks in each developmental stage in life and the interactions they experienced around that time, was paramount to the building of personality and ideals (Allen, 2016, p. 152).
b. Sullivan discusses “personifications” as a core concept in his interpersonal theory of personality. What are personifications and what role do they serve in personality development?
Personifications are the placement of an intrinsic ideal on a person or object that doesn’t actually possess those traits to the degree of which they are given. Sullivan believed that these personifications start at infancy and are the building blocks to personality. He gives the example of an infants interaction with a mothering figure. If the needs of the infant are met with positive execution such as feeding when hungry, soothing when tired, the infant makes a personification of “good mother”. If the infant is presented with the same figure and is treated on the other end of the spectrum, they form the personification of “bad mother” (Allen, 2016, p. 136).
The infant then learns cues that allow them to distinguished between the personifications that they have made. This carries on through life with different experiences and interactions.
c. Discuss any point in your readings that captured your interest. Explain.
What interests me in this week’s readings is Horney’s perception on a neurotic personality. By her definition and criteria, I am a neurotic person. My childhood experience is what lead to the foundation of this trait in my personality. What caught my attention is where she says “Neurotic people lack flexibility in reacting to different situations” (Allen, 2016, p. 113). I don’t disagree that that can be a trait of a neurotic person, but I also don’t believe that is a permanent parameter that a person is stuck with for life. I believe that things can influence our foundation of personality, especially our experiences during a critical time in our lives such as childhood. However, I feel that neurosis can actually promote inconsistent reactions to situations depending on what and who it involves.
References:
Allen, B. P. (2016). Personality theories: Development, growth, and diversity (5th ed.). Psychology Press.
Classmate 2:
a1. Erikson was very accomplished in the scientific community, despite the fact that he never graduated from a university. He has a very popular and researched idea called “identity crisis.” This explores the idea that personality traits, or identifying one’s own personality, does not stop developing at adolescence (Allen, 2016, pg. 149). His explorations and understanding of this concept led to the foundation that people grow and change throughout their entire life. This contrasted the Freudian emphasis of childhood experiences influencing personality (Allen, 2016, pg. 153). This build of personality took place in eight stages that transcended through childhood through adulthood and within these stages are the evolution of how an individual interacts with their psychosocial relationships between autonomy and connection to others (Allen, 2016, pg. 156).
a2. Horney was said to be straightforward or brutally honest. The contributions made by Horney, to new discoveries, championed the idea of socially oriented concepts. She stated that “the real forces motivating human attitudes and actions were social: dependency, cooperation, interpersonal anxiety, hostility, love, jealousy, greed, competitiveness, and inferiority (Allen, 2016, pg. 104).” Horney made a crucial statement by simply explaining that learning one’s particular culture, not just identification, is derived from an individual’s interaction with their surrounding family.
b. Sullivan’s theory is tethered to the idea that an individual’s needs and desires are part of “two-person relationship.” Starting with a “mothering” relationship and developing a sexual relationship or partner (Allen, 2016, pg. 131). He describes personifications to be investments of human attributes and that they do not correlate in how each person applies them (Allen, 2016, pg. 136). He wrote about different contributions to socialization of the child and the relationships a person has with another, develop a single personification which can result in a “good” or “bad” belief about the other person (Allen, 2016, pg. 134). Personality development has several culminating factors, but the cultivation of behavior is directly impacted by socially desirable or undesirable behaviors.
Allen, B. (2016). Personality Theories : Development, Growth, and Diversity: Vol. Fifth edition. Psychology Press.
Order an Essay Now & Get These Features For Free:
Turnitin Report
Formatting
Title Page
Citation
Outline
