September 16th 1885 ~ December 4th 1952

*Karen Horney

*Background Information

* Suffered from depression throughout life (Langenderfer, 1999)

* Entered medical school in 1906 (Langenderfer, 1999)

* Married Oskar Horney in 1909 (Langenderfer, 1999)

* Began exploring psychoanalysis in 1911 (Langenderfer, 1999)

* Followed Freudian analysis alongside Karl Abraham (Langenderfer, 1999)

* Began taking patients for analysis in 1919 (Langenderfer, 1999)

* Worked at Berlin Psychoanalytic Clinic and Institute until 1932 (Langenderfer, 1999)

* Moved to U.S. with daughters in 1930 (Langenderfer, 1999)

*Neurosis

*a relatively mild personality disorder typified by excessive anxiety or indecision and a degree of social or interpersonal maladjustment.(Dictionary.com, 2014, Neurosis)

*Theory of Neurosis

* Related to her personal life and how she dealt with problems throughout her life (Boeree, 2006)

* Neurosis is the idea of how people cope and overcome interpersonal conflicts and problems that occur on a day to day basis (Boeree, 2006)

* Environmental stressors can result in problems within (Boeree, 2006)

* The way one lives determines neurotic feelings and attitudes (Boeree, 2006)

* Neurosis is a "psychic disturbance brought by fears and defenses against these fears, and by attempts to find compromise solutions for conflicting tendencies" (The Neurotic Personality Of Our Time, 28-29).

* Viewed neurosis as a way to try and make life bearable and a way of interpersonal control and coping (Boeree, 2006)

*Horney and Freud(Langenderfer, 1999)

Horney*Neurotics real self is

determined by ego (Langenderfer, 1999)

*Neuroses is largely a part of a normal life (Langenderfer, 1999)

Freud*Neurotic feelings

determined by the way someone lives (Langenderfer, 1999)

*Neurotic feelings driven by emotions and lives (Langenderfer, 1999)

*Horney and Freud

Strengths*Looks closely at how

men differ from women

*Looks at cultural, environmental, and social factors

*Viewed neurosis as more continuous with normal life

Weakness*Doesn’t look as closely at

natural instinct

*Strengths & Weaknesses

*Connection to Adolescence

*Because Horney viewed neuroses as a coping mechanism, and a large part of normal life, neurotic actions in teens can be viewed as coping mechanisms for the tough time they're going through

*Mild neurotic feelings and actions can be viewed as an attempt at growth in difficult times.

Turner, 2014, Neurosis at work.

Neurosis and Society

*Horney’s theory of neurosis is relevant to society, because she views it as largely part of a normal life. Which means that people in society can use it as a coping mechanism for tough times in their lives.

*Discussion Questions

*Is it important to look at environmental factors as well as natural human instincts?

*Do you agree that neurosis can be looked at as part of a normal life? Why or why not?

*Do you think that Karen Horney’s theory of neurosis can adequately describe adolescence? Why or why not?

*Bibliography

* Boeree, D. C. (2006). Karen Horney. Retrieved 10 30, 2014, from Personality Theories: http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/horney.html

* Britannica, E. (2012, 01 03). Horney, Karen. Retrieved 10 30, 2014, from EbscoHost: http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=9&sid=d5f8a721- 0aef-4981-9b44-08fa9f88ff01%40sessionmgr112&hid=101&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=khh&AN=32413233

* Dictionary.com. (2014). Neurosis. Retrieved 11 03, 2014, from Dictionary.com: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/neurosis?s=t

* KAREN HORNEY LECTURE NOTES. (n.d.). Retrieved 11 03, 2014, from Sonoma State University: http://www.sonoma.edu/users/d/daniels/horneylect.html

* Langenderfer, G. (1999, 05). Karen Horney. Retrieved 10 29, 2014, from Psychology History: http://www.muskingum.edu/~psych/psycweb/history/horney.htm

* Turner, C. (2014). Neuroticism at Work. Retrieved 11 03, 2014, from Organizational Psychology and Adult Learning:

http://psychlearningjournal.wordpress.com/2012/07/16/in-the-workplac/