Alfred Alder's Birth Order Theory

Alfred alder’s birth order has the object of much criticism over the years with arguments such as he did not take social class, age and gender into his theory, while all this is true, one must consider that research for the birth order theory was conducted on one group of people from a particular social class and cultural background. Therefore, it is almost impossible to apply this theory to Caribbean cultures or people of different socio-economic backgrounds because his birth order theory was not designed to explain these circumstances. However when the theory is applied to the correct social class and economic background his theory truly shines.

From research gathered on birth order and personal interpretation, it is in my view that

Adler was once a student of Sigmund Freud, therefore, ome of Freud work may have a place in alders work for example when the first born is replaced the child behaves in a very volatile manner to seek attention from parents this behaviour according to Sigmund Freud could be called an ID impulse. Freud described the id as an entity “that behaves according to the pleasure principle, seeking immediate gratification of wishes and a reduction of pain and tension. Since the id is infantile and primitive by nature, it attempts to satisfy its desires by what Freud termed primary process. This means that the id is illogical, a social, impulsive, and demanding. Primary process means that there is action or discharge without thought or delay. There is no consideration of reality or the needs of others” Hedgespeth, J. (2014). Therefore, stubbornness and destructive behaviour may be expected. As mentioned earlier if the birth order theory was to viewed as a cause and effect theory such volatile behaviour may be thought of as an effect with the cause being the removal of undivided attention an love to understand why this may become such a problem for the child could be explained by operant conditioning developed by B.F Skinner in his theory he says that In operant conditioning we learn behaviours based on rewards or consequences this could in the case of the first-born from a young age because of how the child was conditioned to enjoy the love and attention of the parents when taken away from the child he or she reacts in a corrosive manner because of the ID and its primal attributes. This same principle may also explain why only children also display similar behaviour when they are not the centre of attention it maybe because just like the first born they were conditioned to enjoy such