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Name:
Alfred Adler
Dates:
Born: February 7, 1870 in Rudolfsheim, Austria
Died: May 28, 1937 in Aberdeen, Scotland (heart failure)
M.D. from the University of Vienna: 1895
Major Works:
Inferiority and Its Psychical Compensation (1907)
The Neurotic Constitution (1912)
Practice and Theory of Individual Psychology (1920)
Understanding Human Nature (1927)
Specializations:
Neo-Freudian Psychoanalysis
Childhood Development
Dream Analysis
Social Psychology
Biography:
Alfred Adler was an Austrian psychologist who was an early supporter of Sigmund Freud and the
nascent field of psychoanalysis. He actually developed this interest in part because he was part
of the original group of scholars and doctors who met at Freud's home to discuss psychoanalysis.
However, it was not long before he left behind "orthodox" psychoanalysis and founded his own,
neo-Freudian school which he called "Individual Psychology".
The principle difference between Adler and Freud was the Adler rejected the idea that sexual feelings and sexual repression were the primary motivations of human behavior. Instead, Adler believed that feelings of inferiority, mostly subconscious, combined with compensatory defense mechanisms (like overcompensation) played the largest role in determining behavior, particularly behavior of the pathological sort. Adler's theory of individual psychology stressed the need for superiority and the development of a strong ego.
Thus, the role of a psychologist is to discover the root cause of feelings of inferiority and help the patient eliminate the defense mechanisms. Adler is responsible for the coining and popularity of the phrase "inferiority complex," referring to the combination of feelings of inferiority and accompanying defense mechanisms.
Adler's final break with Freud came in 1911 when Feud's supporters attacked his theories and his followers at a meeting of the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society. After this incident, Adler resigned as president of the organization and, in 1912, he founded the Society for Individual Psychology.
Also Known As: none
Alternate Spellings: none
Common Misspellings: none
Related Resources:
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