PsychologistSigmund Freudproposed many ideas that were highly controversial, but he also attracted a number of followers.
Many of these thinkers agreed with Freud’s concept of theunconscious mindand the importance of early childhood.
There were, however, a number of points that other scholars disagreed with or directly rejected.
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Because of this, these individuals went on to propose their own unique theories of personality and cognition.
Neo-Freudian Disagreements
There are a few different reasons why these neo-Freudian thinkers disagreed with Freud.
Some of these individuals were initially part of Freud’s inner circle, includingCarl Jungand Alfred Adler.
Jung referred to his theory of personality as analytical psychology and introduced the concept of thecollective unconscious.
Like many other neo-Freudians, Jung also focused less on sex than Freud did in his work.
He played an essential role in establishing psychoanalysis but eventually broke away from Freud’s ideas.
Adler believed that Freud’s theories focused too heavily on sex as the primary motivator for human behavior.
He also believed that not all conflicts were unconscious.
He thought many were conscious and resulted from the developmental process itself.
At each stage, people face a crisis that must be resolved to develop certain psychological strengths.
Horney objected to Freud’s portrayal of women as suffering from “penis envy.”
Instead, she suggested that men experience “womb envy” because they are unable to bear children.
Her theory focuses on how behavior was influenced by a number of differentneurotic needs.
Instead, many of the neo-Freudian thinkers believed that social and cultural influences significantly shaped human behavior and personality.
Many took a highly philosophical approach and lacked empirical, scientific support.
Other neo-Freudians, including Karen Horney, helped inspire theperson-centered therapyof Carl Rogers.
In this non-directive form of therapy, individuals take an active role in the therapy process.
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