Adler Flashcards
In what ways did Adler’s life seem to impact his theories?
Adler’s theory was based on inferiorities and our focus on striving for perfection
- When Adler was a child he suffered from low self esteem because he had rickets, which caused him to not be strong like his older brother
- As a result he often felt inferior to his older brother
Why is Adler’s theory referred to as “individual psychology”?
It is referred to this way to because his theory argues that each person is unique and indivisible.
- Also emphasized the importance of an individual’s goals, growth, and free will
Why is our original inferiority important?
It is important because it can lead people to strive from inferiority to superiority
- Adler viewed this as a tendency towards betterment and that it is a natural human cognition
Explain the main “drive”s behind personality. What does it look like if it is healthy? Unhealthy?
The main drives are either striving for success or superiority.
- Striving for superiority : consists of people who strive for personal superiority over others
- Striving for success : consists of people who are motivated by a highly developed social interest
Psychologically unhealthy individuals strive for personal superiority
Psychologically healthy people seek success for all humanity
What is social interest? Where does it come from?
Can be defined as an attitude of relatedness with humanity and an empathy for each member of the human community.
- It manifests itself as cooperation with others for social advancement rather than for personal gain
- It is what binds a society together
It originates from the mother-child relationship during the early months of infancy
- Infants survived this period of their lives because they were being kept alive by a maternal figure who possessed some amount of social interest
What does Adler mean by a “fiction?”
Fictions : are an individual’s subjective perceptions of reality, or rather their expectations about their future, which shape whether they strive for superiority or success
- Adler believed that fictions guide behavior because people act as if these fictions are true
What is a fictional goal or final goal?
Fictional final goal : a goal that consists of a person’s ultimate fulfillment/desires (e.g., money, admiration, health, etc)
- Can be influenced by hereditary and cultural factors
- It stems from the a person’s creative power or rather ability to create their own personality
Describe the origins and outcomes of the inferiority complex and superiority complex.
Inferiority complex : occurs when a person has an exaggerated sense of inferiority which leads to inability to cope
Superiority complex : occurs when a person represses their feelings of inferiority
- This causes them to develop an exaggerated feeling of superiority and arrogance
Explain what Adler meant when he said that we have unity of personality.
The unity of personality suggests that each person is unique and indivisible and that the notion of inconsistent behavior does not exist.
- Adler believed that behaviors are directed toward a single purpose.
What are Adler’s ideas about the importance of birth order? What is “dethronement?”
- First born, second, youngest & only child
Adler believed that birth order shapes a person’s personality and behavior
First born Child - they are dethroned when a new baby is born and tend to long for the past when they didn’t need to be responsible for their younger sibling
- Dethronement : when the first born has to share the attention with the new baby
Second born Child - they might position themselves in competition with towards the first born, be envious of them and become a rebel as a result
Youngest Child - they might be pampered and lack the desire to become independent
Only Child - they are likely pampered and have an exaggerated sense of superiority because they live in the adult world
Why are early recollections important?
Adler believed that a person’s early recollections during childhood are always consistent with that person’s present style of life during adulthood
- He also believed that a person’s subjective account of these experiences yields clues to understanding their final goal
