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Related Concept Videos

Avoidance Learning and Learned Helplessness01:14

Avoidance Learning and Learned Helplessness

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Avoidance learning and learned helplessness are critical concepts in understanding behavioral responses to negative stimuli.
Avoidance learning occurs when an organism learns that a specific behavior can prevent an unpleasant outcome. For example, a student who receives a bad grade may start studying harder to avoid future poor grades. This behavior persists even when the negative outcome is no longer present. Avoidance learning is powerful because it maintains behavior in the absence of the...
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Horney's Sociocultural Approach01:27

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Karen Horney's psychoanalytic theories emphasize the potential for self-realization and the importance of addressing social and cultural, rather than biological, factors in personality development. She challenged traditional Freudian views, particularly Freud's concept of "penis envy," which she argued stemmed from cultural influences rather than inherent biological differences. Horney believed that any sense of inferiority in women was a result of societal conditioning, such as...
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Adler's Individual Psychology01:28

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Alfred Adler, a prominent figure in psychology, founded the school of individual psychology. In contrast to Freud's emphasis on sexual or aggressive motives, Adler suggested that individuals are primarily motivated by their purposes and goals. He believed that people strive for perfection rather than pleasure. Adler argued that individuals could creatively act upon their genetic inheritance and environmental experiences to shape their own lives, emphasizing conscious motivation over...
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Fundamental Attribution Error01:14

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According to some social psychologists, people tend to overemphasize internal factors as explanations—or attributions—for the behavior of other people. They tend to assume that the behavior of another person is a trait of that person, and to underestimate the power of the situation on the behavior of others. They tend to fail to recognize when the behavior of another is due to situational variables, and thus to the person’s state. This erroneous assumption is...
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Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping02:05

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People can go to great lengths to protect their self-image and present themselves in ways that they want others to see them. Sociologist Erving Goffman presented the idea that a person is like an actor on a stage. Calling his theory dramaturgy, Goffman believed that we use “impression management” to present ourselves to others as we hope to be perceived. Each situation is a new scene, and individuals perform different roles depending on who is present (Goffman, 1959). Think about...
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Beck's Cognitive Therapy01:25

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Cognitive therapy is a psychological approach designed to address distortions in thinking, which can lead to negative emotions and unrealistic beliefs. These cognitive distortions often influence how individuals interpret and respond to situations, exacerbating emotional distress. Below are some prevalent cognitive distortions, their characteristics, and examples of how they manifest in thought processes.
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PSYCHOANALYSIS AS A TWO-PERSON MEDITATION: FREE ASSOCIATION, MEDITATION AND BION.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 25, 2026

Virtual Hand with Ambiguous Movement between the Self and Other Origin: Sense of Ownership and 'Other-Produced' Agency
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HELPLESSNESS AND THE ANALYST'S WAR AGAINST FEELING IT.

Axel Hoffer, Dan H Buie

    American Journal of Psychoanalysis
    |February 26, 2016
    PubMed
    Summary

    Psychiatrists and patients grapple with intense feelings of helplessness, often leading to defensive "wars." Analysts must manage their own emotional stability to better support patients through these difficult experiences.

    Area of Science:

    • Psychology
    • Psychoanalysis

    Background:

    • Helplessness is a fundamental and distressing emotion.
    • It intensifies other difficult feelings for both patients and analysts.
    • The struggle to avoid helplessness can escalate into intense defensive behaviors.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To explore the dynamics of helplessness in the analytic setting.
    • To examine the defensive strategies employed by analysts and patients.
    • To understand how analysts can better manage their responses to patient helplessness.

    Main Methods:

    • Exploration of the analyst's internal experience.
    • Analysis of transference and countertransference dynamics.
    • Focus on the development of emotional stability and self-awareness in analysts.

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    Main Results:

    • Analysts may engage in defensive "wars" (distancing, anger, intellectualizing) against helplessness.
    • These defenses can leave patients feeling abandoned and alone.
    • Analysts can increase their capacity to tolerate helplessness through self-analysis and developing new awareness.

    Conclusions:

    • Analysts must manage their own emotional responses to helplessness to avoid detrimental defenses.
    • Developing emotional stability and empathy allows analysts to be a more effective resource for patients.
    • Transforming the experience of helplessness leads to deeper patient-analyst connection and therapeutic progress.