PSY 351 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Inferiority Complex, Dream Interpretation, Parenting Styles
Document Summary
Importance of early childhood experiences on personality development. First few years of life = most important for adult personality formation. As adults; difficult with their own problems, can"t make decisions, entitled. As adults; cold, suspicious, incapable of loving/forming relationships. Problem child but not as much as 1st borns. Adler - strive for superiority because of feelings of inferiority. Like freud, emphasized role of unconscious in determining human behavior. Two distinct levels of the unconscious (personal and collective) Personal - contains repressed thoughts, forgotten experiences, and undeveloped ideas. Collective - contains memories and behavior patterns inherited from past generations. Introverted - concerned with own private world; unsociable; lack confidence. Extraverted - concerned with the external world, joiners; interested in events and people. Personality continues to grow and develop throughout life. Eight stages - at each stage, a conflict/crisis has to be resolved. How we resolve these conflicts shapes our personality. Environmental factors are the most important influence in shaping personality.
