Chapter 4, Problem 1RQ

Summary Introduction

To explain:

The ways in which Alder’s own childhood history  gets reflected.

Introduction:

Alder has experienced with lot of illness at his childhood which made feel jealous with Freud and inferior to him physically and this experience helped him to develop a theory at his later age giving importance to the role of inferiority and birth order.

Explanation of Solution

Alder formulated a theory on base that inferiority is a feeling possessed by everyone right from birth due to the dependence experienced by them at each stage and they strive for superiority. Alder experienced inferiority at this childhood due to his physical illness. He also had a jealous feeling at his brother when he sees him healthy and playing and he took it in a positive way and strived for superiority by showing excellence at academics. Based on birth order also he formulated that middle child will always try to beat first child, competitive which is same thing he experienced at his childhood, when it comes to Freud (his elder brother). Adler, when he was under Freud, he believes lust for power, need for dominance lies as a drive force, once he got recognition for his own work, he believes apart from needs social interest lie as a major driving force.

Conclusion

His theory cannot be measured and less scientific are short comings of his theory. Apart from this his childhood experience played a major role of outcome of his formulation of theory. The attention he got from his mother also got reduced after the arrival of next new born baby and that also has its influence in his theory of personality.