Final answer:
Freud focused on the sexual and aggressive drives, unconscious mind, and psychosexual stages of development, while Adler emphasized overcoming feelings of inferiority, social motives, and conscious awareness. Both agreed on the importance of childhood experiences but diverged in their theories on motivation and the role of the unconscious.
Step-by-step explanation:
How did Freud and Adler's Views Compare and Contrast?
Sigmund Freud and Alfred Adler were both pioneers in psychology, but their views on human behavior and motivation differed significantly. Freud presented the first comprehensive theory of personality, focusing largely on the sexual and aggressive urges and the unconscious mind. He proposed the id, ego, and superego as the three components of our personality and believed that personality develops through a series of psychosexual stages.
In contrast, Adler, who initially worked with Freud, later broke away and founded the school of individual psychology. Adler's theory is defined by the striving to overcome feelings of inferiority, which he described as an inferiority complex. He emphasized social motives over sexual ones, believing that the drive to compensate for feelings of inferiority plays a critical role in shaping personality.
Both theorists agreed that childhood experiences profoundly impact adult life. However, Adler diverged from Freud by suggesting that social cooperation and striving for superiority are more significant than sexual urges in determining behavior. He placed more emphasis on conscious awareness and minimized the role of the unconscious, whereas Freud considered the unconscious to be a key player in human psychology.
Adler's views on the importance of social connections, his birth order theory, and his focus on societal tasks reflect his belief in the inter-relatedness of humanity and the importance of communal welfare.