Karen Horney Essay

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Psychology of Personality Reflection Paper Horney In this paper the theorist I decided to reflect on is Karen Horney. My first topic of discussion will be on the concept of the three basic orientations toward the self and others. Horney explained the three basic orientations as behaviors a person tends to resort to when dealing with a conflict. The second topic of discussion will be on Horney’s womb envy theory. This theory explained how a male feels jealously toward a female because she can bear children and he cannot (Schultz & Schultz 2012). In my paper I will inform you on how I disagree with the idea and reasoning of this concept. Thirdly, I will elaborate on Horney’s theory of feminine psychology and the significant impact she had on women rights. Feminine psychology is defined as a revision of psychoanalysis to encompass the psychological conflicts inherent in the traditional ideal of womanhood and women’s roles (Schultz & Schultz 2012). The first strategy of basic orientation is known as moving-towards. Moving-towards people recognizes others as potential resources who can support and help reduce anxiety. In other words when a conflict presents itself an individual would prefer to comply and talk through their problems. Moving-toward individuals are more likely to seek affection and approval through others. The second basic orientation described by Horney is called moving-against. In this concept the response is anger or hostility (Schultz & Schultz 2012). While seeking approval and help from others, the person might tend to feel the need to control them and reduce the threat others present. In other words the person would prefer to talk through the conflict in a more argumentative way. The third strategy is known as moving-away. When neither aggression nor compliance eliminate the parental indifference, Horney recognized that children
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