One of the first theorists to propose that birth order influences personality was Alfred Adler (1870–1937), an Austrian psychiatrist who was a contemporary of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. He maintained that an individual’s manner of life, which is their habitual approach to the responsibilities of work, love, and friendship, can be permanently influenced by…
The Reality Principle vs the Pleasure Principle
Though both the reality principle and the pleasure principle seek personal gratification, their main differences are that the pleasure principle ignores everything except for the immediate fulfillment of its needs, while the reality principle is more centred on aggressive desires and is more goal and long-term oriented. The pleasure principle is a fundamental concept in…
Object Relations Theory: Melanie Klein
Object relations theory emerged from psychoanalytic traditions, building on and diverging from Freudian concepts. It focuses on how early relationships shape psychological development and adult interpersonal patterns. The Austrian-British author and psychoanalyst Melanie Klein (1882-1960) played a pivotal role in developing object relations theory. She extended Freudian ideas about infant sexuality and aggression, emphasizing the…
Partner’s Happiness Linked to Lower Stress Hormone Levels in Older Couples
According to recent University of California, Davis, research1, having happy intimate partners not only improves our mood but also helps us control stress, particularly as we get older. Researchers observed that older couples exhibit lower levels of the stress hormone when their partners experience positive emotions when comparing their self-reported emotional states and relationship satisfaction…
Death Drive Meaning in Psychology: Freud & Thanatos
The death drive concept emerged from Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theories in the early 20th century. It represented a significant shift in understanding human motivation and behavior, challenging previous notions of the pleasure principle as the primary driving force. Freud introduced the death drive concept in his 1920 work Beyond the Pleasure Principle. This groundbreaking text…
Your Brain Processes Linguistic Structures in Milliseconds
Contemporary digital media transmit rapid messages, such as phone notifications and text overlays on videos, to our brains at a remarkable velocity, significantly exceeding the pace of spoken language. Can we analyze these sentences as swiftly as we can assess the composition of the pictures that constitute our screen experience? The answer seems to be…
What Happens After Narcissistic Injury – Narcissist Experiences
Narcissistic injury, also referred to as narcissistic wound, occurs when an individual with narcissistic traits faces criticism, rejection, perceived abandonment, or failure that challenges their inflated self-image and overwhelms their defense mechanisms. This experience can trigger intense emotional reactions, often manifesting as anger, shame, or anxiety. Narcissistic rage may follow as a defensive response to perceived attacks on the person’s…
Brain Volume Genetic Links to Parkinson’s and ADHD Found
Researchers have identified 254 genetic variants that influence critical structures in the “deep brain,” such as those that regulate memory, motor skills, and addictive behaviors, in one of the most extensive ever studies of DNA and brain volume. The study1 is powered by the Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) consortium, an international effort…
Childhood Attentional Variability May Predict Psychosis Risk
Your risk of developing psychotic-like experiences may be influenced by both childhood attention problems and genetic makeup, researchers at UCLA have found. The findings1 build upon a long-studied association between childhood attention problems and the likelihood of later developing schizophrenia. UCLA researchers led by Dr. Carrie Bearden used data from around 10,000 children over a…