Lecture 3. Adlerian Theory Flashcards
Alfred Adler Birth Order and Nationality
2nd among 7 children of middle-class Jewish family
Adler Health Status
weak and sickly compared to his older brother, and at age 5, almost died of Pneumonia; his poor health and the death of a younger brother motivated him to become a physician.
Death of Adler’s brother
His younger brother died in bed next to Adler, but he was neither terrified or guilty, but was challenged to overcome death.
Relationship with Older Brother
Had sibling rivalry and unhappy competition with Sigmund, the older brother who became very successful even in adult life, but lesser famous compared to him.
Relationship with Parents and Siblings
was more engaged in social relationships with other siblings rather than close attachment to parents.
What Society did Adler became a president? And what did he presented?
As the president of Vienna Psychoanalytic Society (1911) he presented his opposition to the strong sexual proclivities of psychoanalysis and insisted the drive for superiority was more of a basic motive than of sexuality.
After leaving Freud’s circle what did he form?
Formed Society for Free Psychoanalytic Study, then changed to Society for Individual Psychology
In individual psychology, what it conveys about each person?
Each person is an integrated whole, striving to attain future goals and attempting to find meaning in life while working harmoniously with others.
What does Indiv Psychology presents?
presents an optimistic view of people while resting heavily on the notion of social interest
Social Interest— feeling of oneness with all humankind.
Individual Psych believed that
believed that people are motivated mostly by social influences and by their striving for superiority or success and that people are largely responsible for who they are.
Present behavior is shaped by and that means?
present behavior is shaped by people’s view of the future
thus psychologically healthy people are usually aware of what they are doing and why they are doing it.
6 main tenets of individual psychology
Striving for success or superiority as one dynamic force behind people’s behavior
Subjective perceptions shape behaviors and personality
Personality is unified and self-consistent
Social interest embody the value of all human activity
Style of life shows the self-consistent personality
Creative power results to the style of life
What does it mean when people strive for success or superiority?
People strive for success or superiority as a means of compensation for feelings of inferiority or weakness. (inferiority = insecurities)
Striving force?
innate but its nature and direction are due both to feelings of inferiority and to the goal of superiority.
Without innate movement toward perfection
Without innate movement toward perfection = children would never feel inferior
Without feelings of inferiority?
Without feelings of inferiority, they would never set a goal of superiority or success.
Goal in Individual Psychology
provides guidelines for motivation, shaping psychological development and giving it an aim.
Success in Individual Psychology
individualized concept and all people formulate their own definition of it.
Psychologically healthy person?
seeks success for all humanity
Psychologically unhealthy person?
Seeks personal superiority
Fictional Finalism
the fictional future goal which a person aspires to or the ‘Guiding self-ideal’.
How fictional finalism guides our life?
guides our style of life, gives unity to our personality and motivates us to our final goal.
In fictional finalism, people are motivated by?
Thus, people are motivated not by what is true but by their subjective perceptions of what is true
Similar to self-prophecy — acts acc. to what other people say
Physical Inferiorities
people develop a fiction or belief system about how to overcome these physical deficiencies and become big, strong and superior.; but even after conquering all these inferiorities, they still act as if they are still small, weak and inferior.
