Parental Influence on Personality Development (Adler)

Synonyms

Child-rearing; Nurture; Training; Upbringing

Definition

According to Alfred Adler, parents influence the development of their children’s personality depending on how they raise and train them. Adler argued that both the mother and the father equally influence the personality development of their children, although the role of the mother is particularly important early in childhood. He emphasized the dangers of pampering children, which he saw as the most significant cause of problem behavior. Adler was, however, opposed to punishment, authoritarianism, and neglect by parents, and believed that children require just the right amount of tenderness.

Introduction

Alfred Adler believed that parents play an important role in the development of personality, and that a child’s early experience of the family shapes their entire life. The child’s early life at home, particularly in the first five years, provides a model for their world (Way 1956). Adler argued that a child’s upbringing...