ALFRED ADLER

1870-1937

Man is a ___________ being.

Freud

Jung

Adler

___________ is the goal of life.

Freud

Jung

Adler

Alfred Adler, M.D.

Neo-Freudian: emphasis on conscious vs. unconscious

Split with Freud in 1911

Founder of Individual Psychology ~ 1912

We are self-determining, we are not passivewe are creative, active, “masters of

our own fate”soft determinism

A theory of hope, very positive We are motivated by social forces and

feelings of inferiority

Inferiority inferiority: our feelings of "less than" that

motivate us to strive toward identity and perfection by age 8, our personality is

"crystallized" and we are driven to overcome feelings of inferiority

perfection is the goalextreme inferiority can result in

neuroses, or complexes

Striving Striving: We are all motivated by social

forces and are striving toward goals.

Perfection, not pleasure, is the goal.

teleology: humans live by goals and purposes, they are moved by the anticipation of the future and they create meaning

Phenomenology phenomenology: one's subjective reality

people give their experiences meaning through their views, beliefs and perceptions

Adler was first theorist to stress the importance of perception

fictive notions: unconscious notions about inadequacies, sense of belonging, and comparison of self to others

Adler believed childhood experiences are not crucial, but our interpretations of those experiences is significant

Holism Holism: Adler's psychology is based on a

holistic view of the personthoughts, feelings, beliefs, attitudes,

goals the individual is an integral part of a

social system (family, humanity) more focus on interpersonal (between

people) than intrapersonal (within people)

Social Interest

Social Interest : an individual's attitudes in dealing with other people in the world, striving for a better future for humanity (Gemeinschaftsgefühl!!!!!!!!!!!)

our happiness and success are largely related to social connectedness - we are all motivated by a strong desire to belong

our sense of identification and empathy for others

social interest is a measure of mental health

To see with the eyes of another, to hear with the ears of another, to feel with the heart of another. For the time being, this seems to me an admissible definition of what we call social feeling.

-Alfred Adler

Life Tasks We must successfully master 3 life tasks

friends : healthy peer relationshipswork : healthy, goal-oriented, successes

at work (this includes school)love : healthy intimate and romantic

relationships, this includes family

Family Constellation family constellation: psychological and

social configuration of the family grouphow one's self-awareness develops

birth order roles (traditional or non) within family, values, patterns

child's position and role in the family influence later personality development

family atmosphere: climate of relationships among family members

Adlerian Life Chart Fictive notions: unconscious notions about

inadequacies, sense of belonging, and comparison of self to others

Conscious notions: conscious explanations for themselves and their behaviors

Inferiority Complex: “pathology” resulting from feelings of inferiority

Superiority Complex :“pathology” resulting from crippling state of superiority or isolation

Adlerian Therapy Adlerian therapy is a an educational

model emotional disorders are “failures in life”,

failures in the life tasks or an underdeveloped social interest