Alfred Adler

The history of psychology is in infancy at the present time. Many philosophers can be credited to the development of this science. Starting in the early 18th and 19th centuries philosophers such as Rene’ Descartes and John Locke opened the world of what we know as psychology today. The British empiricists also contributed to psychology. Some of these men include David Hume and David Hartley.

In the texts “That That Elusive Birth Order and What it Means for You,” and “How Birth Order Affects Your Personality,” the authors give their interpretation on the importance of birth order in siblings. The author of the first text, Susan Whitbourne, stresses the unimportance of birth order. Conversely, Joshua Hartshorne, the author of the second text, says that birth order is significant to personality, but there just has not been enough evidence until recent studies.

Alfred Adler was born in 1870 in Austria and developed his own theory on Individual Psychology in 1912. Adler’s theory is closely related to Humanistic Psychology. Influenced by Freud, Smuts and Vaihinger, Adler based his theory on the client’s ability to live as a fully functioning adult in society. Adler’s holistic theory views each person as unified. Adler discussed birth order personality traits. Adler’s theory also discussed the roles therapists should take and the techniques that should be used in Individual Psychology therapy sessions.

According to Alfred Adler, the birth order of the children in a family will largely affect how they age and the personalities which they will form. First borns enter the family as the only child. They revel in the love and full attention from their parents, that is, until the second baby comes along. Suddenly, first borns are dethroned and lose the undivided attention they are used to receiving. As a result, they tend to develop a strong sense of responsibility and protectiveness over their siblings at an early age, which often leads to them becoming authoritative adults. Moreover, when there are multiple children in the family, parents will set high

Adlerian theory, also known as individual psychology, was developed by Alfred Adler in the twentieth century (Hess, Magnuson, & Beeler, 2012). He had been conceptualizing and finalizing his theory until about 1931 (Dunn, 1971). This was approximately around the same time Freud was working and becoming popular (Dunn, 1971). Adler is known as the father of the humanistic movement and created his theory in resistance to psychoanalysis and Freudian thinking (Dunn, 1971). Individual psychology asserts that the “whole is greater than the sum of its parts” (Dunn, 1971). More specifically, people cannot be understood without understanding them in a social context (Dunn, 1971; Hess, Magnuson, & Beeler, 2012). Further, behavior cannot be understood in fragments, but needs to be understood in context of the whole person (who is understood within their social

Alfred Adler the founder of Adlerian psychology/psychotherapy believed that it was of the upmost importance to become closely associated with a person’s birth order parents background upbringing and education not to mention their lifestyle. This theory also focusses on a person need to be or feel accepted and to flourish in life. Adler was big on exploring early childhood because he believed that “everyone develops a life by the age 5 or 6.the pan which Adler calls it the lifestyle guides individuals’ enter lives” Murdock, N. L. (2009, pg111). Theories of counseling and psychotherapy: a case approach. Boston: Pearson”.

The belief in Adlerian theory fits with my philosophy of life that individual past can help us understand why people attempt to behave a certain way and that people new decisions or goals are influenced by their past decisions. I believe that if I integrate the Adlerian theory into my work, this will give me the opportunity to have a better understanding of my student’s culture, background and past family information which will help me

Almost all of us are familiar of the Birth Order theory that Alfred Adler presented almost a century ago. Adler theorized that our personalities are hugely influenced by our chronological place in the family because

Alfred Adler was the founder of Adlerian Counseling. He was born in 1870 in the country of Austria. who gave his theory the name Individual Psychology, because he wanted people to see that his theory and methods were designed to help clients help themselves. He believed that everyone had and internal need to be a part of society, and a desire to contribute to that society. That everyone strives for perfection, and everyone initially feels inferior to everyone else. He believed that when that feeling is not overcome, inferiority complexes develop, and if a person tries to overcompensate for inferiority, the develop superiority complex.

Alfred Alder’s experiences as a child with feelings of inferiority and weak physique drove his theories of organ inferiority and idea that humans strive for superiority (Engler, 2014). Alder met many obstacles in his childhood because of his health including a bone disease called rickets, pneumonia at the age of four, and he was ran over twice (Engler, 2014).. Alder insisted that his childhood was difficult and unhappy considering that his bone disease made him clumsy and awkward (Engler, 2014). Adler’s school teacher suggested he should be taken out of school, but he later became a superior academic (Engler, 2014). In his adulthood he established himself as a practicing neurologist and psychiatrist (Engler, 2014. Examining Adler’s life experiences, one can conclude the basis of his theories, because he excelled in academic world despite his setbacks. His other theories also collaborated with his childhood, which includes position of birth order, family constellation, social interest, goal of superiority, creative self and styles of life.

In 1902, Alfred Adler was invited by Freud to become his group to discuss new ideas in psychology after seeing him publicly defend some of his own ideas. Adler was an active member as well as vocal using this group as a forum to develop and debate his emerging ideas of the human condition (Fall, Holden, & Marquis, 2004). Five years later, he developed his first theoretical work entitled, Organic Inferiority and Its Psychical Compensation. In the following years, Adler became the president of the International Psycho-analytic Society and began to openly disagree with Freud’s perspectives of

Freud and Jung (despite several disagreements) believed that behavior is governed by instinct and archetypes. Horney disagreed with Freud and Jung in their assumption/belief that conflict is inevitable. Rather, if a child is raised in a comforting and socially safe environment (i.e. trust, tolerance, acceptance, love etc.), conflict can be avoided and resolved (Hall & Lindzey, 1957). Adler’s concept states man is driven by social urges, activities, interest and life styles according to the environment in which a person is born into (Hall & Lindzey, 1957). Erich Fromm also supported the theory that man has a distinct need for a connection with society and nature, freedom and bondage both come from societal pressures that man encounters (Hall & Lindzey, 1957). Society expects individuals to censor their emotions, to avoid or repress feelings that may be socially unacceptable. Skinner points out that the stress associated with social norms can cause repressed aggression which eventually surfaces in other ways, hence the term “Freudian Slip” (Overskeid, 2007), when repressed emotional secrets come out unintentionally. The biggest supporter of psychology and its connection to society was Harry Stack Sullivan, an innovator in the field of psychology (Hall & Lindzey, 1957). Sullivan taught that to look at an individual on a case study alone is only beneficial to understanding an observed personality, the

Both Sigmund Freud and Alfred Adler were pioneers and both had a phenomenal impact on the world of psychology. However, while they were raised in the same era, came from the same city and were educated at the same university, they had decidedly different views regarding personality theories (Schultz, 1990, p. 120). Freud and Adler were both colleagues in the psychoanalytic movement that Freud started. However, because of personality differences and vastly contrasting views about personality theories (Mosak & Maniacci, 1999, p.6) Adler left to begin his own faction, which he called Individual Psychology. It is my intention to briefly describe the main areas of their theories, compare and contrast their ideas of personality development, explore what types of experiences contributes to unhealthy development and what types of interventions they would have each prescribed to patients experiencing difficulties in their lives. However, while both Freud and Adler continue to influence many areas of contemporary personality psychology, only one of them can truly be called a humanitarian.

Compared to psychoanalysts of Victorian Era, Alfred Adler looked at psychology from a more holistic, humanistic and positive perspective. He was convinced that the main focus should be shifted from biological needs, drives and instincts to individual differences, experience, interaction and social environment. Adler placed great emphasis on sibling and peer group relationships, social interest and achieving perfection. He also introduced the terms inferiority and superiority complex, so commonly used nowadays, to the world.

Sigmund Freud and Alfred Adler are well-known and respected men in the world of psychology. Both their theories involved the study of the human mind. Freud believed that much of the human instinct was sexually based and that many problems they suffered were due to this instinct. Freud concluded that his patients' memories reached back to childhood and that many of the repressed experiences they recalled concerned sexual issues. Adler believed there was more to the individual but also knew that biology had an influence. He also believed that one’s birth order and socially affected the development of the human personality.