Karen Horney Case Study

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This same pattern of behavior continued in college, with Shimin excelling academically, despite the fact that he was an international student in the United States from Hong Kong whose second language was English. One professor who did begin to get to know Shimin suggested that he needed to contribute more to class discussion. This was a disturbing concept to Shimin, who until then had used his academic success to discourage interaction with others. He thought that if one doesn't have any questions, one didn't need to talk in class. Shimin dismissed this idea of talking in class as being an idiosyncrasy of the professor. Certainly, independence and self-sufficiency were much better and would earn him the respect of others, or so he believed.

By his own choosing, Shimin has not had much of a social life. He rarely dates. Although he says that this is because he is too busy, it is actually because he hates the process of getting to know someone. He is reluctant to talk about himself and finds it difficult to answer questions about himself on first dates. He did not get to know many other students in college or graduate school because he did not live in the dorms. He preferred to rent an apartment so that he could live on his own. In both college and graduate school, Shimin joined various clubs and organizations, but again, he rarely made it to the meetings because he was "too busy."

Application Questions

1. How does Shimin combat basic anxiety, according to Horney’s theory?

According to Horney’s theory, Shimin combated basic anxiety with the neurotic trend of moving against people. For example, his students felt that he was unapproachable and reported that when they asked questions, he would talk down to them, making them feel stupid.

2. Which of Horney’s neurotic needs does Shimin display?

Shimin displays the neurotic need for social recognition and prestige in the way that he believes that he was more interested and enthusiastic, worked harder and longer, and was more persistent in school than his students were. He also shows the neurotic need for ambition and personal achievement because he is very intelligent, independent and self-sufficient.

3. Which of Horney's secondary defenses is go on dates? Explain.

When talking about going on a date, he uses secondary defenses and claims that it is because he is too busy. In reality, he does not enjoy talking about himself or taking the time to get to know another person.

4. If Shimin were to participate in psychotherapy with someone working from an Object Relations perspective, what early developmental matters would be explored. Use the text and two posted documents – demonstrating an initial employment of Object Relations concepts and terms.

An object relations theorist might say that investigate into Shimin’s first three years of life. He may not have created a symbiotic relationship with his parents causing him avoid the idea of connecting with others. He may have had trouble with finding his core identity.