Chapter 4: neo-analytic and ego aspects of personality: identity



Yüklə 55,77 Kb.
tarix02.10.2017
ölçüsü55,77 Kb.
#2717

CHAPTER 4: NEO-ANALYTIC AND EGO ASPECTS OF PERSONALITY: IDENTITY

This chapter presents the traditional neo-analytic evolution of Freudian theory (Jung, Adler, Horney, Erikson), but does so with an eye toward modern developments concerning the self. Jung’s main ideas are presented in this chapter, but are so wide-ranging that they also pop up elsewhere in this book.

Horney’s work is given significant attention in keeping with this book’s desire to embrace a broader perspective. Neo-analysts and object-relations theorists (Anna Freud, Heinz Hartman, Margaret Mahler, Heinz Kohut, and Melanie Klein) are used as a bridge to more modern notions, so students can appreciate that this work is not some historical curiosity, but rather has led to concepts that are common in our society (competence, attachment/bonding, self-esteem, etc.). Many modern theories of selfhood and life-span development derive from the neo-analytic writings.

Possible Lecture Outline



  1. Carl Jung and Selfhood

    1. Two themes were prominent in Jung’s childhood belief and influential in his later theories.

      1. He believed he possessed two different personalities.

      2. He believed his dreams and visions were communications from beyond.

    2. Jung divided the psyche into three parts.

      1. Conscious ego: the conscious part of personality that embodies sense of self

      2. Personal unconscious: any personal thoughts not currently a part of conscious awareness

      3. Collective unconscious: a deeper level of the unconscious shared with the rest of humanity, and containing archetypes (emotional symbols); the following are just a few archetypes:

        1. Animus and anima

        2. Persona and shadow

        3. Mother

        4. Hero and demon

    3. Jung contributed the idea of “complexes” (groups of emotionally charged, thematic thoughts and feelings) to the field, and developed word association tests to study them.

    4. Jung believed personality was comprised of opposing forces constantly struggling for dominance and, ideally, resulting in equilibrium.

      1. Jung suggested that the mind has four functions—sensing, thinking, feeling, and intuiting.

      2. Jung suggested that there are two major attitudes: introversion and extroversion.

        1. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a modern personality inventory that is based on Jung’s typology.

  2. Alfred Adler, Inferiority Complex, and the Importance of Society

    1. Adler believed strongly in the vast complexity of human motivation, as well as the importance of social conditions, as influences on personality.

    2. Striving for superiority seen as a central theme of personality—pervasive feelings of helplessness and inferiority were seen to lead to an “inferiority complex”; in defense, one might develop a “superiority complex.”

    3. Adler’s theory developed with the following components:

      1. Organ inferiority: everyone is born with a physical weakness; our reactions to these inferiorities motivate life choices

      2. Aggression drive: reaction to perceived inferiority

      3. Masculine protest: striving for independence and competence seen in both boys and girls

      4. Perfection striving: a striving to meet fictional goals, which goes on indefinitely

    4. Adler believed the following were fundamental social issues every individual must address for him- or herself:

      1. Occupational tasks: choosing/pursuing fulfilling career

      2. Societal tasks: creating friendships and social networks

      3. Love tasks: finding a suitable life partner

    5. Adler also described personality characteristics typical of first-, second-, and last-born as well as only children.

      1. Brought about by the unique social situation into which each is born

      2. Modern research suggests that birth order and rearing order are distinct influences.

    6. Adler’s typology combines the four Greek humors with varying levels of social interest and activity level.

      1. Ruling-dominant

      2. Getting-leaning

      3. Avoiding

      4. Socially useful

  3. Karen Horney, Culture, and Feminism

    1. Horney rejected Freud’s idea of “penis envy,” believing instead that envy was based on the independence and power of men’s social position.

    2. Horney’s “basic anxiety” describes a child’s fear of being helpless and alone in the world; this internal anxiety could be focused inward or outward. To cope, people adopt one of the following “coping styles”:

      1. Passive (cope by complying)

      2. Aggressive (cope by fighting)

      3. Withdrawn (cope by disengaging)

    3. Horney’s three aspects of “self”

      1. Real self: inner core of personality

      2. Despised self: feelings of inferiority and shortcomings

      3. Ideal self: what one hopes to become

    4. Horney modified her three coping styles in response to the ways in which she saw people alienating their real selves and serving their neurotic needs.

      1. “Moving toward” describes those who over-identify with the despised self and strive to please others to get love, affection, and approval.

      2. “Moving against” describes those who over-identify with the ideal self and are striving for power and control because they feel they deserve it.

      3. “Moving away” describes those who want to overcome the despised self, but have no hope of achieving the ideal; they withdraw because they feel unworthy of love and don’t believe they can become worthy.

  4. Other Neo-Analysts

    1. Anna Freud: worked with children as patients and adapted psychoanalytic techniques for them

      1. Emphasized social influence on the ego

    2. Heinz Hartmann: “founder of ego psychology”; saw ego as somewhat (but not totally) autonomous—id and ego were viewed as compensatory




  1. Object-relations theories: focus on the importance of relations with others for defining self; the term “object relations” is used in this context to refer to the mental representation of significant others.

    1. Margaret Mahler: her theory of symbiosis described patterns of emotional attachment.

      1. Normal symbiotic kids formed normal ties.

      2. Symbiotic psychotic kids formed abnormally strong ties—and thus no autonomous self.

      3. Autistic kids were unable to form ties.

    2. Melanie Klein: worked with and observed children to discover how they conceptualize others

      1. Her ideas have been developed by modern theorists and are referred to as the “relational perspective” in psychoanalysis.

      2. This perspective attempts to discover how the initial patterns and representations of self-other relations that we construct as infants and children go on to influence our self-concepts and social relations throughout various challenges of later life.

    3. Heinz Kohut: worked with those with narcissistic personality disorder, which he thought grew from a lack of parental acceptance; therapist takes role of accepting parent

  2. Erik Erikson and Life Span Identity

    1. Erikson believed that personality development (identity) was not completed in childhood/adolescence. He posited the following developmental stages (ego crises):

      1. Trust vs. mistrust

      2. Autonomy vs. shame and doubt

      3. Initiative vs. guilt

      4. Industry vs. inferiority

      5. Identity vs. role confusion

      6. Intimacy vs. isolation

      7. Generativity vs. stagnation

      8. Ego-integrity vs. despair

  3. Modern Approaches to Identity

    1. Modern ego psychologists focus on present identity and future aims, with less emphasis on tracing adult motivations to childhood trauma; they also recognize at least two dimensions of the self: personal and social.

    2. They are trying to understand what a self-concept is and how it changes (e.g., Cheek, Snyder, Little, Emmons, Cantor, and Baumeister).

Classroom Activities, Discussion Topics, and Projects



        1. On a piece of paper, write a brief paragraph that describes who you are. Now write another paragraph that describes one of your friends. Compare these two paragraphs. What do your descriptions tell you about the differences between how we view self and others?

        2. Have each student identify his or her position in the birth order of his or her family. Discuss Adler’s beliefs about birth order and predictions about eventual outcomes for individuals who are first-, second-, or last-born, or only children. Do the students match these profiles? If not, why? What are some prominent examples (e.g., celebrities, political figures, historical icons) of people who do fit the profiles?

        3. Have students list their various roles (son or daughter, student, cashier, friend, etc.) on a piece of paper. Discuss how these roles influence their self-perceptions—their identities. Which are most important in defining who they are? Which are least important? How has what they view as important for defining self been influenced by family, culture, and their peers? How would taking away one of those roles affect the importance of the other roles? How would it impact identity? Discuss situations in which people have roles removed (for instance, a woman who loses her husband and thus is no longer a “wife”; a man who loses his job and thus is no longer a “provider”; an athlete who becomes paralyzed and thus is no longer a “star”; etc.).

        4. Have students take a typology test in class, such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (Myers, I.B. [1962]. Manual: Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press). Discuss the types that emerge. Do the types match students’ interests? Career ambitions? Weaknesses? (Instructors should be wary of student reluctance to participate in this given the public revelation involved.)

        5. To illustrate Jung’s concept of the shadow (the dark and unacceptable side of personality—the unacceptable desires and motives that we would rather not admit), have students talk about the characters from films or novels that they personally find most troubling or scary.

        6. To help students understand Horney’s different coping styles, take a minute to artificially induce stress in your students (perhaps hand out a term-paper assignment that is exceptionally difficult and time-consuming and tell them that it is due two weeks from today; it is important students believe you are serious). Then, either ask them to write down how they are feeling, or encourage them to express their feelings out loud (they may already be doing this). Then, tell them that this is not a real assignment, but that your purpose in handing it out was to allow them to see themselves “moving toward,” “moving against,” and “moving away” from the source of stress. See if they can agree as a group on at least one person who was visibly “moving away,” one who was “moving against,” and one who was “moving toward.”

  1. Ask students to form small groups and discuss at least one example of how they might have actively attempted to develop their own identity during adolescence (e.g., wearing trendy clothes, listening to certain kinds of music). How do their behaviors represent Erikson’s notion of identity vs. role confusion? To expand upon this discussion, introduce James Marcia’s four identity statuses: identity diffusion, foreclosure, moratorium, and identity achievement (see Marcia, 1980). Do students exhibit different identity statuses? Does college allow for an extended period of moratorium (“identity crisis”) with built-in opportunities to explore different life paths?

  2. Ask students to list their five most salient goals on a piece of paper. Have them trade lists with another student in the class whom they do not know well. Ask students to analyze their peers’ goals. What do they say about their peer’s personality, and what is important to him or her? Are the goals focused or broad, present- or future-oriented? Discuss how this approach to understanding people parallels work done by Little, Emmons, and Cantor.

  3. Discuss the concept of self-monitoring in detail with the class (for additional information see Snyder, 1974 JPSP or Snyder & Gangested, 1986 JPSP). Have students complete Mark Snyder’s self-monitoring measure (on the following page) to determine whether they are high or low self-monitors.

  4. Ask students to keep a diary for a week (if they don’t already). The diary should remain confidential so it can be most beneficial, but after the week has passed, ask students to discuss how writing about their daily behaviors, thoughts, and emotions made them feel. Use this exercise as a lead into discussing James Pennebaker’s idea that the formation of a narrative which organizes complex emotional experiences is critical in resolving inner emotional conflict.

  5. Starting with the points made in the “Sharpen Your Thinking” box in this chapter, have students debate the pros and cons of knowing biographical information about the theorist while considering his or her theory. Issues of privacy, understanding the historical context of the theory, and the risks of over-interpretation of theory in terms of biography should be included.

Self-Monitoring Measure

from Snyder (1974)

The statements on this page and the next concern your personal reactions to a number of different situations. No two statements are exactly alike, so consider each statement carefully before answering. If a statement is TRUE or MOSTLY TRUE as applies to you, then circle the T. If a statement is FALSE or MOSTLY FALSE as applies to you, circle the F.





  1. I find it hard to imitate the behavior of other people. T F




  1. My behavior is usually an expression of my true inner feelings, attitudes, and beliefs. T F




  1. parties and social gatherings, I do not attempt to do or say things that others will like. T F




  1. I can only argue for ideas that I already believe. T F




  1. I can make impromptu speeches even on topics about which I have almost no information. T F




  1. I guess I put on a show to impress or entertain people. T F




  1. When I am uncertain how to act in social situations, I look to the behavior of others for cues. T F




  1. I would probably make a good actor. T F




  1. I rarely need the advice of my friends to choose movies, books, or music. T F




  1. I sometimes appear to others to be experiencing deeper emotions than I really am. T F




  1. I laugh more when I watch a comedy with others than when alone. T F




  1. In a group of people, I am rarely the center of attention. T F




  1. In different situations, and with different people, I often act like very different persons. T F




  1. I am not particularly good at making people like me. T F




  1. Even if I am not enjoying myself, I often pretend to be having a good time. T F




  1. I’m not always the person I appear to be. T F




  1. I would not change my opinions (or the way I do things) in order to please someone else or win their favor. T F




  1. I have considered being an entertainer. T F




  1. In order to get along and be liked, I tend to be what people expect me to be rather than anything else. T F




  1. I have never been good at games like charades or improvisational acting. T F




  1. I have trouble changing my behaviors to suit different people and different situations. T F




  1. At a party, I let others keep the jokes and stories going. T F




  1. I feel a bit awkward n company and do not show up quite so well as I should. T F




  1. I can look anyone in the eye and tell a lie with a straight face (if for a right end). T F




  1. I may deceive people by being friendly when I really dislike them. T F



Scoring

Give one point for items # 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 12, 14, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23 if they are False.

Give one point for items # 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 16, 18, 19, 24, 25 if they are True.

The greater the number of points earned, the higher in self-monitoring a person is.

A score of 12–14 is average for a sample of college students.

Measure reprinted with permission.

Recommended Outside Readings

Adler, A. (1959). The practice and theory of individual psychology. Totowa, NJ: Littlefield Adams.

Bottome, P. (1957). Alfred Adler: A portrait from life. New York: Vanguard.

Brome, V. (1981). Jung: Man and myth. New York: Atheneum Books.

Coles, R. (1970). Erik Erikson: The growth of his work. Boston: Little Brown.

Erikson, E. (1963). Childhood and society. New York: W. W. Norton.

Erikson, E. (1993). Gandhi’s truth: On the origins of militant nonviolence. NY: W. W. Norton.

Horney, K. (1980). The adolescent diaries of Karen Horney. New York: Basic Books.

Horney, K. (1950). Neurosis and human growth. New York: W. W. Norton.

Jung, C. G. (1968). Analytical psychology: Its theory and practice. New York: Pantheon.

Jung, C. G. (1961). Memories, dreams, reflections (Aniela Jaffe, Ed.). New York: Pantheon.

Levinson, D. J., et al. (1978). The seasons of a man’s life. New York: Knopf.

Quinn, S. (1987). A mind of her own: The life of Karen Horney. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Snyder, M. (1987). Public appearances, private realities: The psychology of self-monitoring. New York: Freeman.

Young-Bruehl, E. (1988). Anna Freud: A biography. New York: Summit.

Films / Videos

67,000 Dreams. (1997). 31 minutes. BBC Production. Films for the Humanities and Sciences: 800-257-5126; www.films.com. Good focus on Jung’s symbols and myths.

Anna Freud—Under Analysis. (2003). 54 minutes. http://amzn.com/B00375LBHG. Libraries holding this title can be found at http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/181368316. A biography of Anna Freud, combining perspectives on her life and her work.


Discussion with Dr. Carl Jung: Introversion-Extroversion and Other Contributions. (1968). 36 minutes. http://mediasales.psu.edu/Details.aspx?itemNo=33809. Libraries holding this title can be found at http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/75387693. Jung talks about his relationship with Freud and some of his own theories, including a discussion of archetypes.

Dr. Carl Jung. (2004). http://mediasales.psu.edu/Details.aspx?itemNo=04039. Libraries holding this title can be found at http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/61708265. This DVD-ROM features discussions between Jung and Richard Evans filmed at the psychologist’s home in Zurich in the 1950s. It includes never-before-released material and introductions from Evans and Alan Elms taped many years after the original interview.

Erik Erikson: A Life’s Work. (1992). 38 minutes. Insight Media: 800-233-9910; www.insight-media.com. Includes personal information about Erikson, as well as addressing his eight stages of development.

In Search of the Soul. (Part of the series The Story of Carl Gustav Jung.) 31 minutes. http://ffh.films.com/ecTitleDetail.aspx?TitleID=9370. Libraries holding this title can be found at http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/61197407. Describes Jung’s attempts to reconcile science and religion in understanding human nature. Covers the collective unconscious and Jung’s break with Freud.



“An Introduction to Carl Jung.” (2000). 43 minutes. Insight Media, 800-233-9910; www.insight-media.com. Using both theoretical and biographical material, examines the significance of Jung’s contributions.

The World Within. (1990). 60 minutes. http://amzn.com/B001GOEY9M. Libraries holding this title can be found at http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/288591929. Covers quite a bit of Jungian theory, much of it in Jung’s own words (has a portion of an actual interview with Jung). Gives a good sense of his personal life, as well as his line of philosophical thought.
Yüklə 55,77 Kb.

Dostları ilə paylaş:




Verilənlər bazası müəlliflik hüququ ilə müdafiə olunur ©genderi.org 2024
rəhbərliyinə müraciət

    Ana səhifə