Personality theory ppt ch04 adler individual psychology

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• Alfred Adler

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Alfred Adler (1870-1937)
• Experienced childhood illness and several
injuries; developed fear of death
• Average student but rose to superior position
especially in mathematics
• Studied medicine at the University of Vienna
• Was President of the International
Psychoanalytic Association, but disagreed with
Freud’s perspective

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Adler’s Basic Concepts
Emphasized the importance of human culture and
society in the development of individual
personality
• Social Interest – urge in human nature to adapt
oneself to the conditions of the social
environment
• Finalism – individuals are oriented towards goals
that guide their behavior, many of which cannot
be proven and are judged by their usefulness

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Adler’s Basic Concepts
• Striving for superiority – the drive for
competence and effectiveness in whatever one
strives to do
– Inferiority feelings arise from childhood dependence
and lead us to strive for superiority
– Initially associated inferiority with femininity but later
realized that society played a role in perpetuating
male dominance
– Suggested that exaggerated masculinity had
negative impact on men and women

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Adler’s Basic Concepts
• Style of life – unique way each individual seeks
to cope with environment and develop
superiority. Influenced by
– Family constellation (birth order)
– Family atmosphere (quality of emotional
relationships in the family)

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Adler’s Basic Concepts
• Creative self – interprets experiences of the
organism and establishes a person’s style of life.
– Individual’s create their own personalities
– Consciousness central to personality – we can
understand our motives through self-examination
– This view opposite of Freud’s emphasis on
unconsciousness

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Thinking Critically
• Birth Order and Personality
– Read through List A and B from your text and check
those that apply to you in comparison with your
brothers and sisters. If you are an only child, check
those that apply to you in comparison to your peers.
– Add up totals on each list.
• First born – more items in List A apply to you
• Later born – more items in List B apply to you
• Youngest in large family – pattern similar to first born
• Middle – show a combination of both lists

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Adlerian Psychotherapy
• Neuroses = unrealistic life goals (fictional
finalisms)
• Goals
– Establish contact and win confidence of patient
– Disclose errors in patient’s lifestyle and provide
insight into present condition
• Aims to restore patient’s sense of reality,
examine and disclose errors in goals and style of
life, cultivate social interest

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Assessment and
Research in Adler’s Theory
• Adler’s theory stems from clinical observations
• Primary tools of assessment include study of
– Birth order
– Early memories
– Dreams

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Philosophy, Science,
and Art: Adler’s Theory
• Emphasized philosophical point of view rather
than attempt to study personality empirically
• Added criteria of usefulness to philosophical
assumptions
• Contributions to counseling and education