How do the theories of the neo-Freudian psychodynamic theorists differ from Freud's pioneering views? Identify two neo-Freudians and describe some of their major contributions to psychology.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Students' answers may vary.

The answer should include the following elements:

The neo-Freudian theorists placed less emphasis on the id and on sex than did Freud; instead, they emphasized the ego and the sociocultural environment to a greater extent than did Freud.

Carl Jung was a neo-Freudian theorist who provided a positive interpretation of unconscious urges, suggesting that they represented a positive life force, an urge toward creativity. He posited a universal collective unconscious, a common set of ideas, images, and feelings that people inherit from their ancestors. The collective unconscious is revealed in universal experiences and behaviors. The collective unconscious contains archetypes, universal symbols of broadly shared experiences. Personality types derived from Jung's personality approach form the basis for the Myers-Briggs personality test, which is widely used in business and industry.

Karen Horney was a neo-Freudian theorist who is sometimes called the first feminist psychologist. She suggested that personality develops in familial and social contexts. She rejected Freud's suggestion that women have penis envy, asserting that what women envy most in men is not their anatomy but the independence, success, and freedom that women often are denied. She was also one of the first to stress the importance of cultural factors in the determination of personality.