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NEO-FREUDIANS: Alfred Adler

B.A. IST (Honors), Lecture Series-1

(Paper-IVth : Systems in )

By Dr. Masaud Ansari Department of Psychology, A.P.S.M. College, Barauni L. N. M. Univ ersity, Darbhanga 21ST OCTOBER 2020 2

Neo-Freudian’s view

Freud’s writings were controversial, but they soon attracted followers, mostly young, ambitious physicians who formed an inner circle around their strong minded leader. These pioneering psychoanalysts, whom we often call neo-Freudians, accepted ’s basic ideas: the structures of id, ego, and superego; the importance of the unconscious; the of personality in childhood; and the dynamics of anxiety and the defense mechanisms. But they broke off from Freud in two important ways. First, they placed more emphasis on the conscious mind’s role in interpreting experience and in coping with the environment. And second, they doubted that sex and were all -consuming motivations. Instead, they tended to emphasize motives and social interactions. 3

Neo-Freudian

Neo-Freudian referring to modifications, extensions, or revisions of Freud’s original , most commonly to those that emphasize social, cultural and interpersonal elements rather than innate biological instincts such as sexuality and aggression.

Major theorists described as neo-Freudian are

1. Alfred Adler (1870-1937) 2. (1900-1980) 3. (1885-1952) 4. Harry Stack-Sullivan (1892-1943) 4

Neo-Freudian’s major Disagreements with Freud

1. Socio-cultural factors determine conflicts, not instincts. 2. Infantile sexuality is of little importance compared to socio-cultural factors. Societal factors cause anxiety, not a defense. 3. have no latent content: could be metaphorical (symbolic) expressions of the patient’s real concern or reflect struggles to achieve self-awareness and responsibility. 4. Oedipal complex has no sexual component, is due to interpersonal/social factors. 5. Techniques of treatment: normally emphasize ‘here and now’, de-emphasis on past, gaining insight etc. 5

Neo-Freudian’s views

1. The social and cultural, rather than biological factors are basic to the understanding of the human nature. 2. The Oedipus complex, the formation of superego and assumed inferiorities are cultural though there may be a biological foundation for oral and , it can be modified by cultural factors. 3. Emphasis is placed on ‘interpersonal relationship’ in the formation of character and the production of anxiety. 4. It is not the sexual behaviour that determines character but the character determines the sexual behaviour. 6

Contribution of Neo-Freudians

There are four major contributors of neo-Freudian period of psychology:

1. Alfred Adler 2. Erich Fromm 3. Karen Horney 4. Harry Stack-Sullivan

Here we will discuss only one i.e. Alfred Adler’s contribution while rest of the psychologists will be discussed later… 7

1. Alfred Adler’s Life (1870-1937)

Adler was born to wealthy parents in a suburb of , . His childhood was marked by illness, jealousy of an older brother, and rejection by his mother. He thought of himself as puny (weak) and unattractive. Adler felt closer to his father than to his mother. The young Adler worked intently to become popular with his peers and eventually achieved the self-esteem and acceptance he had not found within his family. Initially Adler was a poor student, so inept that a teacher told his father that the only job the boy was fit for was shoemaker’s apprentice. Through persistence and dedication Adler rose from the bottom to the top of his class. He strove academically and socially to overcome his weaknesses and inferiorities, thus becoming an early example of his later theory of the necessity of compensating for one’s weaknesses. Inferiorit y feelings, at the core of his system, are a direct reflection of his childhood, a debt Adler acknowledged. “Those who are familiar with my life work,” he wrote, “will clearly see the accord existing between the facts of my childhood and the views I expressed” (quoted in Bottome,1939, p. 9). 8

Conti...

Adler recalled that at age four, recovering from a near-fatal attack of pneumonia, he resolved to become a physician. He pursued this goal, and in 1895 he received his medical degree from the . He specialized in ophthalmology and practiced general medicine. When he became interested in in 1902, he joined ’s weekly discussion group on , one of four charter members. Although he worked closely with Freud, their relationship was not personal. (Freud once said Adler bored him).

Over the next several years Adler developed a personality theory that differed in several ways from Freud’s, especially with regard to Freud’s emphasis on sexual factors. In 1910, Freud named Adler president of the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society in an attempt to reconcile their growing rift, but by 1911 the inevitable split was complete. Their parting was bitter. Adler described Freud as a swindler (Fraud) and psychoanalysis as “filth” (Roazen, 1975, p. 210). 9

Contribution of Alfred Adler

Adler emphasized on the following aspects:

i. ii. Inferiority Feelings iii. Style of Life iv. The Creative Power of the Self v. 10 i. Individual Psychology (Social interest)

Adler believed that human behavior is determined largely by social forces, not biological instincts. He proposed the concept of social interest, defined as an innate potential to cooperate with others to achieve personal and societal goals. Our social interest develops in infancy through learning experiences. In contrast to Freud, Adler minimized the influence of sex in the shaping of one’s personality. Also, Adler focused on conscious rather than unconscious determinants of behavior. Whereas Freud associated present behavior with past experiences, Adler believed we are more strongly affected by our plans for the future. Striving for goals or anticipating coming events can influence present behavior. For example, a person who fears eternal (endless) damnation (Hell) after death is likely to behave differently from a person with a different expectation. 11 ii. Inferiority Feelings

Adler proposed a generalized feeling of inferiority as a motivating force in behavior, as it was in his own life. Initially Adler related this feeling of inferiority to physical defects. The child with a hereditary organic weakness will attempt to compensate, to overemphasize the deficient function. A child who stutters (Stammering) may, through conscientious speech therapy, become a great orator; a child with weak limbs may, through intensive exercise, excel as an athlete or dancer. Adler later broadened this concept to include any physical, mental, or social handicap, real or imagined.

In infancy, the child’s helplessness and dependence on other people awaken this sense of inferiorit y. Thus, it is a feeling experienced by everyone. Consciously aware of the need to overcome it, the child at the same time is driven by the innate striving for the betterment of the self. This pushing and pulling process continues throughout life, propelling (pushing) us toward greater accomplishments. Failure to compensate adequately for inferiority feelings can lead to the development of an inferiorit y complex, which renders the person incapable of coping with life’s problems. 12 iii. Style of life

According to Adler, the drive for superiority or perfection is universal, but each of us behaves in a different way to try to reach that goal. We demonstrate our striving in a unique or characteristic mode of responding by developing a style of life. This style of life involves the behaviors by which we compensate for real or imagined inferiority. In the example of the physically weak child, the style of life may include exercise or sports that will increase stamina and strength. The style of life is fixed at the age of four or five and becomes difficult to change thereafter. It provides the framework within which all later experiences are dealt with. Again we see that Adler recognized the importance of the early years of life, but he differed from Freud in believ ing that we can consciously create a for ourselves. 13 iv. The Creative Power of the Self

Adler’s concept of the creative power of the self suggests that we have the capacity to determine our own personality in accordance with our unique style of life. This active, creative human power may be likened to the theological notion of the soul. Certain abilities and experiences come to us through heredity and environment, but the way we actively use and interpret these experiences provides the basis for our personality, our attitude toward life. Adler meant that each of us is consciously involved in shaping our personality and destiny. We can determine our fate rather than have it determined by past experience and by unconscious forces. 14 v. Birth Order

In examining his patients’ childhood years, Adler became interested in the relationship between personality and birth order. He found that the oldest, middle, and youngest children, because of their positions in the family, have varying social experiences that result in different attitudes toward life and different ways of coping.

The oldest child receives a great deal of attention until dethroned by the birth of the second child. The first-born may then become insecure and hostile, authoritarian and conservative, manifesting a strong interest in maintaining order. Adler suggested that criminals, neurotics, and perverts are often first-born children.

Adler found the second child to be ambitious, rebellious, and jealous, constantly striving to surpass the first-born. Nevertheless, Adler believed that the second-born child is better adjusted than the first-born or the youngest child. He said that the youngest child in the family was likely to be spoiled and predisposed toward behavioral problems in childhood and adulthood. In addition, an only child may experience difficulties in adjusting tothe world outside the family, where he or she is not the center of attention. 15

How inferiority feeling and compensation processed?

Psychological/social disabilities/body weakness

Feeling of inferiority-unmanliness/feminity

Compensatory-masculine protest

Inferiority feelings- exaggerated: Pampering/rejection

Abnormal manifestation- Compensatory 16

Contrast between Adler and Freud

Alfred Adler Sigmund Freud Humans are primarily motivated by Human behaviour is motivated by inborn social urges instinct Concept of creative self-subjective A group of psychological process serv ing system that interprets and makes the ends of inborn instincts meaningful the experiences of the organism is the center of Consciousness is a nonentity- a mere personality froth floating on the great sea of unconsciousness 17

Working fields of Adler and Freud

Sigmund Freud Alfred Adler

Unconscious mind Conscious mind

Pleasure principle Strive for superiority

Psychoanalysis Individual Psychology

Determined by id, ego, superego Birth order, organ inferiority

Directed towards past Governed by what he wants in future 18