Child Development Theories

Child Development Theories A Comparison of Theories: Freud, Adler, and Jung The following paper will obtain information based upon three influential men; Sigmund Freud, Alfred Adler, and Carl Jung. All three with their own theories of being and mental health will be explored. In addition to the basic theories of all three men, a comparison will be conducted based on each individual theory. Sigmund Freud was a man that believed in the unconscious mind and sexual impulses.

Alfred Adler was a man that believed in the individual’s ability to be psycho analyzed as well as social relationships among people. Carl Jung was a man that believed in the individual’s past experiences as well as the individual’s religious beliefs. ‘Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, and Alfred Adler; these three figures loom large in the history of modern psychology, casting long shadows that have, in the course of one century, forever changed the way we use the first-person pronoun, “I. ” Among these giants, Freud is indisputably the most towering monolith.

It was Freud’s pioneering use of the term the “I” (“das Ich” in his native German, which was then translated into the Latin “ego”) that brought “ego” into common parlance and popular interest to the process of self-consciousness. ’ (Nystul, M. S. 2005) (Enlightenment Magazine 2008) Sigmund Freud was the founder of psychoanalysis and he also believed that religion was of universal importance. Sigmund Freud felt that sexual impulses are the main motivation for men. He also felt that any mental activity was due to the unconscious mind.

Alfred Adler was well known for his belief in individual psychology. He believed that motivational influence was due to social behavior and upbringing. This is not an uncommon belief today. The author of this paper happens to believe that it is our experience that makes us who we are. A child that grows up in a rich, non-threatening home is far more likely to have a better adult hood than that of a child that grows up in a poor, full of abuse ridden home. Not saying that someone that grows up poor and abused can make it because they could.

Anyone can be anything they want if they put their mind to it. It is just that there would be a better chance of success than that of the opposite upbringing. All three men had their own interpretation. Adler believed in individual psychology. His belief that the human being should be viewed as a whole was a big find. He also believed that human beings accomplish goals because they want to not because anything is forcing them or helping them along. Adler also believed that only we have control over how our lives turn out and what we do with them.

All three men were also professional about what they did and how they perceived one another. Each respecting each other, while understanding that their each individual way may not be the exact way everyone is going to view their concepts. “Individual Psychology breaks through the theory of determinism,” he writes. “No experience is a cause of success or failure. We do not suffer from the shock of our experiences—the so-called trauma—but we make out of them just what suits our purposes. We are self-determined by the meaning we give to our experiences. Adler’s emphasis on the wholeness of the person and the fact that our values inevitably shape our experience led to his conviction that, in the end, there is only one true meaning to human life: care and love for our fellowmen. ’ (Nystul, M. S. 2005) (Enlightenment Magazine 2008) Carl Jung didn’t think that the individual past of a person was of any importance. He believed that religion was the main basis for any and all aspects of a human beings life. All three men were captivated by one another and their individual thoughts on the matter at hand.

Religion was a big deal to Carl Jung and it is the experience of the author of this paper that religion is of importance to so many today. Religion is of values and beliefs that most everyone has whether they are Christian, Catholic, Buddhist, or any other religion that exists. Tradition shows that most religions have a set of beliefs and values that are followed by each member of that religion. Meeting every week on a certain day- Christians on Wednesdays and Sundays. It is following the values and beliefs provided by the church that Carl Jung believed in so much.

If one is to be true to the church that would in fact have an effect on the way that individual would carry him or herself. In conclusion, Freud, Alder, and Jung have three very different outlooks on psychological theories. ‘All three of these remarkable men knew and worked with each other. In their day, these three men were on the cutting edge of the newest science of western civilization. If not for Freud, Alder, and Jung psychology would not have evolved into the field that it is today. ’ Life is full of surprises and one may never know what is going to happen next.

Without theories or experiments, the knowledge of psychology would not have evolved into what it is today. Learning is the key to life and there is no such thing as too much knowledge. (Douglas C. 2005)

References Enlightenment Magazine (2008) what is “Dis Ich” retrieved from: http://www. enlightenmentmagazine. com Nystul, M. S. (2005) Introduction to Counseling: an Art and Science Perspective (3rd edition) New York: Pearson Douglas, C. (2005). Current psychotherapies. (7th Edition) (pgs. 96-129) Itasca, Ill. F. E. Peacock