Becky Cruzen
PSY/405
September 14, 2010
Thom Mote
Abstract
The point of this paper is to cover two theorists and analyze the strengths and limitations, underlying assumptions, deterministic versus freewill, and awareness of self. The two theorists in this paper are Harry Stack Sullivan, and Karen Horney, both are referred to by last name through out the paper. By the end of the paper the reader will understand key points in each theory, and have a clearer picture of the four topics that are listed above.
Personality Overview
There are many different theories that can be picked from; Freud’s theories are the one’s that are usually picked due to the fact that there is so much to research. Freud was the father of many different theories. The theorist in this paper are less known then Freud, they constantly had to work in his shadow doing their best to get out from under his shadow, what a hard thing to do.
Harry Stack Sullivan was raised by parents who were Irish immigrants and he was raised in an anti-catholic town. During his early years, Sullivan had only one friend of the same sex. It is talked about often if Sullivan was homosexual or not. Because of the way Sullivan was treated by others, he became social-isolated. This was not all that bad of a problem for him, because that is what motivated him to become a theorist and study the human mind and what motivates personalities (Feist, Feist. 2009).
Karen Horney was born to a father who was in his second marriage, 50, and had four already grown kids from the first marriage. Horney’s mother, who was 18 years younger then her father, and made it obvious that both parents favored the older children over Horney, which caused feelings of being unwanted and unloved. Those feelings cause Honey to have great hostility towards her father, who was over bearing. The marriage was not a happy one and Horney was constantly being protected from her father by her mother (Feist, Feist. 2009).
References: Feist, Jess., Feist, Gregory J. (2009) Horney: Psychoanalytic Social theory. Sullivan: Interpersonal Theory. Retrieved for University of Phoenix Library https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/content/eBookLibrary2/content