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Individual Psychology: Adler’s Theory of Personality PSY136 – Personality 1

Lesson 3 adler's individual psychology

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Page 1: Lesson 3   adler's individual psychology

Individual Psychology: Adler’s Theory of Personality

PSY136 – Personality 1

Page 2: Lesson 3   adler's individual psychology

Freud and Adler

• Man is motivated by Sex and Aggression.

• People have no choice in shaping their personality.

• Present behavior is caused by the past.

• Emphasis on the unconscious.

• Man is motivated by social influences & striving for superiority.

• People are largely responsible for who they are.

• Present behavior is shaped by the future.

• People are usually aware of what they are doing and why.

Page 3: Lesson 3   adler's individual psychology

Individual PsychologyIndividual Psychology

• Presents an optimistic view of people.

• People are born with weak, inferior bodies, that lead to dependence on other people.

• Social interest – feeling of oneness with humanity, is inherent in all individuals.

Page 4: Lesson 3   adler's individual psychology

Alfred Adler - Biography

• Born February 7, 1870• Sickly child, led to his ambition to be a doctor• Considered childhood as an unhappy experience.• Resented an older brother, Mother’s favorite.• Pursued medicine at the University of Vienna.• Opthalmology, General Practice, Psychiatry• 1902 – First Association with Freud

Page 5: Lesson 3   adler's individual psychology

Alfred Adler - Biography

• 1907 – Paper on Organ Inferiority and Compensation

• 1911 – Break from Freud, established SOCIETY FOR FREE PSYCHOANALYTIC RESEARCH

• Eventually led to Individual Psychology• Interest in Child Psychology and Guidance in

Schools.

Page 6: Lesson 3   adler's individual psychology

Alfred Adler - Biography

• Experience in WWI led to his ideas of social interest (Army Doctor)

• Went to the United States in 1934 to escape Nazi Persecution.

• Lectured in various parts of the US and abroad.

• Died of a heart attack while on a lecture tour in Aberdeen, Scotland in 1937.

Page 7: Lesson 3   adler's individual psychology

Individual Psychology

1. The one dynamic force behind people’s behavior is the striving for success or superiority.

2. People’s subjective perceptions shape their behavior & personality.

3. Personality is unified and self- consistent.4. The value of all human activity must be seen from the

viewpoint of social interest.5. The self- consistent personality structure develops into a

person’s style of life.6. Style of life is molded by people’s creative power.

Page 8: Lesson 3   adler's individual psychology

Striving for Success or Superiority

• Single drive of motivation• Physical deficiencies activate feelings of inferiority.• Psychologically unhealthy individuals strive for

personal superiority. (Superiority)• Psychologically healthy individuals seek success for all

humanity. (Success)• Guided by a Final Goal• Acts of Compensation

Page 9: Lesson 3   adler's individual psychology

The Final Goal

• Fictional• No objective existence• Unifies personality • Renders all behaviors

comprehensible• Unconscious for neglected or

pampered children.• Conscious for children who

experienced love and security.

Page 10: Lesson 3   adler's individual psychology

Subjective Perceptions

• Fictions – expectations of the future• Goal of superiority or success• Teleology – explanation of behavior in terms

of its final purpose or aim.• Physical deficiencies serve

an impetus toward perfectionor completion.

Page 11: Lesson 3   adler's individual psychology

Unity and Self- Consistency in Personality

• Each person is unique and indivisible.• Inconsistent behavior do not exist.• All actions are directed at a single goal

and serve a single purpose.– Organ Dialect – speaks a language– Harmony between Conscious and

Unconscious Actions – dichotomous nature

Page 12: Lesson 3   adler's individual psychology

Social Interest

• Membership in a social community of all people.

• Attitude of relatedness• Empathy for each member of the community.• For social advancement rather than personal

gain.• Fruits of early social environment• Sole criterion of human values

Page 13: Lesson 3   adler's individual psychology

Style of Life

• Flavor of a person’s life• Includes a person’s goal, self- concept, feelings for

others, and attitude towards the world.• Fairly established by age 4 or 5.• Unhealthy individuals = rigid Style Of Life• Healthy individuals = flexible Style Of Life• Problems: Neighbourly love, sexual

love, and Occupation• Means: cooperation, courage, and

willingness to contribute to another

Page 14: Lesson 3   adler's individual psychology

Creative Power

• Implies movement toward a goal, and direction.

• Enables people to be in control of their lives.• It makes each person a free individual.

Page 15: Lesson 3   adler's individual psychology

Abnormal Development

• Due to underdeveloped social interest.– Setting goals too high– Living in their own private world– Rigid and dogmatic style of life

Page 16: Lesson 3   adler's individual psychology

External Factors

• Exaggerated Physical Deficiencies– Exaggerated feelings of inferiority– Overcompensation for their

inadequacy– Results in narcissism and lack of

consideration for others.

Page 17: Lesson 3   adler's individual psychology

External Factors

• Pampered Style of Life– Weak social interest– Maintains parasitic

relationship with other people.– Feelings of being unloved

because their parents have done everything for them.

Page 18: Lesson 3   adler's individual psychology

External Factors

• Neglected Style of Life– Low self- confidence– Overestimating difficulties– Distrust– Refusal to cooperate– Strong sense of envy and

hostility

Page 19: Lesson 3   adler's individual psychology

Safeguarding Tendencies

• Compared to Freud’s Defense Mechanisms.• Largely conscious• Protects self- esteem from public disgrace• Includes Excuses, Aggression, & Withdrawal

Page 20: Lesson 3   adler's individual psychology

Excuses

• People state what they claim they would like to do, that others will like, then follow it up with an excuse.

• Protects a weak sense of self- worth and deceive people into believing they are more superior than they really are.

Page 21: Lesson 3   adler's individual psychology

Aggression

• Depreciation– Undervaluing other people’s achievement and

overvaluing one’s own.

• Accusation– Tendency to blame others and seek revenge.

• Self- accusation– Self- torture or guilt– People devalue themselves to inflict suffering on

others.

Page 22: Lesson 3   adler's individual psychology

Withdrawal

• Running away from difficulties• Safeguarding through distance– Moving backward (reverting to a secure period of

life– Standing still (avoiding responsibilities)– Hesitating (vaccillation, procrastinations)– Constructing obstacles (creating problems or

trials)

Page 23: Lesson 3   adler's individual psychology

Masculine Protest

• Overemphasis on the importance of being manly.

• Resulting from cultural and social influences.• Women want the same things that men have.

Page 24: Lesson 3   adler's individual psychology

Applications of Individual Psychology• Family Constellation– Birth order, gender of siblings, age spread

• Early Recollections– Consistent with a person’s style of life– reflects patterns of one’s life

• Dreams– May present inconsistencies

• Psychotherapy– Enhance courage, lessen feelings of inferiority, and

encourage social interest

Page 25: Lesson 3   adler's individual psychology

Birth Order – Oldest Child

Positive Traits• Nurturing and protective

Negative Traits• Highly anxious• Exaggerated feelings of

power• Unconscious hostility• Fights for acceptance• Must always be right• Highly critical of others• uncooperative

Page 26: Lesson 3   adler's individual psychology

Birth Order – Second Child

Positive Traits• Highly motivated• Cooperative• Moderately cooperatine

Negative Traits• Highly competitive• Easily discouraged

Page 27: Lesson 3   adler's individual psychology

Birth Order – Youngest Child

Positive Traits• Realistically ambitious

Negative Traits• Pampered• Dependent• Wants to excel in

everything• Unrealistically ambitious

Page 28: Lesson 3   adler's individual psychology

Birth Order – Only Child

Positive Traits• Socially mature

Negative Traits• Exaggerated superiority• Low cooperation• Inflated sense of self• Pampered style of life

Page 29: Lesson 3   adler's individual psychology

Critique

• Adler’s Theory Is –High on Generating Research,

Organizing Known Data, and Guiding Action–Moderate on Parsimony–Low on Verification, Falsification,

and Internal Consistency