Ch. 5 The Psychoanalytic Approach: Neo-Freudian
• Freudian/Neo-Freudian agreement
• Neo-Freudians
– Alfred Adler
– Carl Jung
– Erik Erikson
– Karen Horney
– Henry Stack Sullivan
Freudian/Neo-Freudian Agreement
• Unconscious = key determinant of behavior
• Importance of early childhood experiences on personality development
• But – also emphasized later development
• Acceptance of defense mechanisms and dream interpretation
Alfred Adler (1870 – 1937)
• Background
• All humans are frail and weak
• Develop feelings of inferiority
• Strive for superiority
– Well adjusted vs poorly adjusted
• Can develop inferiority complex
• First few years of life = most important for adult personality formation
Adler cont.
Parenting Styles
• Can lead to personality problems
• Pampering – too much attention/protection
• As adults – ?
• Neglect – not enough attention
• As adults – ?
Adler cont.
Birth Order
• 1st borns = initial attention from parents
• Pampering = short-lived
• Very strong feelings of inferiority
• Problem child
• Middle = more positive assessment
• Never really pampered
• Strong drive for superiority
• Most well adjusted
• Last = pampering throughout life
• Strong feelings of inferiority
Adler – Freud Difference
• Underlying drive for behavior
• Adler – strive for superiority because of feelings of inferiority
• Freud – behave because of unconscious desires
Carl Jung (1875 – 1961)
• Background
• Analytical Psychology
• Like Freud, emphasized role of unconscious in determining human behavior
• Two distinct levels of the unconscious (personal & collective)
Jung cont.
Levels of the Unconscious
• Personal – contains repressed thoughts, forgotten experiences & undeveloped ideas
– Can rise to consciousness if triggered
– Similar to Freud’s unconscious
• Collective – contains memories & behavior patterns inherited from past generations
– Thought forms/collective memories = archetypes
– Examples
Jung cont.
Archetypes
• Anima – feminine archetype in the male
