France Alexander American psychoanalyst. One of the creators of psychosomatics Country: USA

1. Biography of Franz Alexander
2. Vector Theory of Conflict Impulses
3. Functional Theory of Personality
4. Contributions to Psychosomatic Medicine

Biography of Franz Alexander

Franz Alexander was an American psychoanalyst and one of the creators of psychosomatics. He extensively researched and described conflict models of diseases, which manifest in different personality types.

Vector Theory of Conflict Impulses

Franz Alexander formulated the vector theory of conflict impulses in diseases. He identified three vectors of these impulses:
1) The desire to unite, receive, and accept.
2) The desire to exclude, remove, give away, and expend energy for the accomplishment of something, including aggression and causing harm.
3) The desire to preserve and accumulate.

Functional Theory of Personality

Alexander developed the functional theory of personality, within which he established four main functions of the individual:
1) Perception of subjective needs (internal perception).
2) Perception of information from the surrounding world (external perception or "sense of reality").
3) Integration of external and internal perceptions (leading to planning actions to satisfy subjective needs).
4) Control of voluntary motor behavior (executive function of the "ego").

Contributions to Psychosomatic Medicine

Franz Alexander gained significant recognition and influence through his series of works on the emotional causes of hypertension and stomach ulcers. He provided valuable insights into the interplay between emotions and physical health, highlighting the importance of understanding psychological factors in the development and treatment of physical illnesses.