MODULE 2.

Alfred Adler

The main focus of Adler is the attempt to view the world from the other person’s subjective
reality, this includes the individual’s perceptions , thoughts , feelings , values, beliefs ,
convictions , and conclusions. Behavior is understood from the vantage point of this subjective
perspective. With this, Alfred Adler came up with individual psychology which means that
personality can only be understood holistically and systematically. The individual is seen as an
invisible whole, born , reared , and living in specific familial , social and cultural contexts.

Adler’s viewpoint can be rather quickly sketched under a few general rubrics, These are:
1. fictional finalism
2. striving for superiority
3. inferiority feelings and compensation
4. social interest
5. style of life
6. creative self

Fictional finalism refers to an imagined central goal that guides a person’s behavior. Adler was
influenced by philosopher Hans Vaihinger’s view that people live by fictions or views of how the
world should be, and when applied to human motivation , it can be expressed as “only when I
am important can I be accepted”

Striving for Superiority refers to power and will to make the inferior changed to better. This is
not to consider one person superior of other people but to become the better version of one’s
self. The striving for superiority is innate , it is a part of life, in fact it is life itself. From birth to
death , the striving for superiority carries the person from one stage of development to the
next higher stage.

Inferiority feelings are not a sign of abnormality; they are the cause of all improvement in the
human lot. The feeling of inferiority or a sense of incompleteness is the great driving force of
mankind. In other words, humans are pushed by the need to overcome their inferiority and
pulled by the desire to be superior.
Social interest is inborn; humans are social creatures by nature , not by habit, this innate
predisposition does not appear spontaneously but has to be bought to fruition by guidance and
training.

Style of life is the system principle by which the individual personality functions; it is the whole
that commands the parts. Style of life is Adler’s chief idiographic principle, it explains the
uniqueness of the person. Everyone has a style of life, but no two people develop a sense of
style. The style of life determines how a person confronts the three life problems of adulthood:
social relations , occupation , and love and marriage.

The creative power of the self is hard to describe. We can see its effects, but we cannot see it.
The creative self gives meaning to life; it creates the goal as well as the means to the goal. The
creative self is the active principle of human life , and it is not unlike the older concept of the
soul.

Adler stressed that striving for perfection and coping with inferiority by seeking mastery are
innate. The second we experience inferiority , we are pulled by the striving for superiority.
Superiority does not necessarily mean being superior to others but from a position of improving
ones self.

Social Interest and community feeling (Geimeinschaftsgefül) are probably Adler’s most
significant and distinctive concepts. These refers to individual’s awareness of being part of the
human community to individual attitudes in dealing with the social world. Because we are part
of a society , we can not be understood in isolation from the social context.

Mosak contends that we must face and master five life tasks
1. relating to others (friendship)
2. making a contribution (work)
3. achieving intimacy (love and family relationships)
4. getting along with ourselves (self-acceptance)
5. developing our spiritual dimensions (verse or cosmos)

Adler’s greatest contribution is the birth order theory , the personality of a child is greatly
influenced based on birth order. Sibling rivalry is also normal as this arises because of birth
order.

1. The oldest child – when he was the only child , he receives a good deal of attention , he
was once spoiled and center of attention. He tends to be dependable and hardworking
and strives to keep ahead. When a new sibling is born , he feels ousted from the
position, making him feel no longer special . Making him feel that the new sibling will
steal away the attention that he was used of.
2. The second or middle child is characterized by being ambitious. It constantly tries to
surpass its older sibling. It also tends to be rebellious and envious but by and large is
better adjusted than either the older or younger sibling.
 3. The youngest child is the spoiled child. Next to the oldest child , it is most likely to
become a problem child and a neurotic maladjusted adult.

Adler was highly interested in the kinds of childhood experiences that leads to a faulty style of
life. He discovered three important factors:
1. children with inferiorities
2. spoiled children
3. neglected children

REVIEW

1. _______________________ is the main focus of Adler, it is the attempt to view

the world from the other person’s.
2. _______________________ means that personality can only be understood holistically
and systematically.
3. ______________________ is an imagined central goal that guides a person’s behavior.
4. Alfred Adler’s theory was influenced by _______________________.
5. ____________________________ refers to individual’s awareness of being part of the
human community to individual attitudes in dealing with the social world.
6. ________________ came up with theory of mastery of five life task.
7. ________________ arises because of birth order.
8. ________________ is the greatest influence of a child’s personality according to Alfred
Adler.
9. ________________ is most likely to become a problem child and a neurotic maladjusted
adult.
10. There are ___ important factors that leads to a faulty style of life.
 MODULE 2.4

KAREN HORNEY

Horney criticized Freud and proposed her own feminine psychology. This is because according
to the theory of personality proposed by freud, woman are only supposed to be at the house
doing house hold activities. She aspired to eliminate the fallacies in Freud’s thinking – in order
for psychoanalysis to realize its full potentials as a science. She believed the there was an
overemphasis on sexual motivation and conflict. Instead , Horney transformed Freud’s
instinctual focus to a cultural focus. People have concerns that leads people to have a
protective structure , in an attempt to provide what is doomed to be a false sense of security.
Because of this process of strivings to cope up with fears , helplessness and isolation from
people develop neurotic trends.

As a child , it is natural to experience anxiety , helplessness and vulnerability. In general, Horney

proposed that anything that disturbs the security of the child in relation to his or her parents
produces basic anxiety. However, children repress these hostility because of three reasons:

1. I have to repress my hostility because I need you

2. I have to repress my hostility because I am afraid of you
3. I have to repress my hostility for fear of losing love

Regardless of the cause , the repression makes conflicts worst. Anxiety produces an excessive
need for affection and when those need are not met , the child feels rejected and the anxiety
intensifies. The child then develops strategies of coping with the situation , such as:
1. become hostile and seek to avenge itself against the people who did the action
2. The child may become overly submissive in order to win back the love that it feels it has
lost
3. Develop an unrealistic , idealized picture of itself in order to compensate for its feelings
of inferiority.
4. The child may try to bribe others into the use of self-pity to gain sympathy.
5. If the child cannot get love , it may seek power over others to compensate for
helplessness, the child then finds an outlet by exploiting people.
6. The child can also turn its aggression inward ending up belittling itself.

NEUROTIC NEEDS
- these are irrational solutions of the disturbed human relationships
 1. The neurotic need for affection and approval
2. The neurotic need for a partner who will take over one’s life
3. The neurotic need to restrict one’s life within narrow borders
4. The neurotic need for power
5. The neurotic need for prestige
6. The neurotic need to exploit others
7. The neurotic need for personal admiration
8. The neurotic ambition for personal achievement
9. The neurotic needs for self-sufficiency and independence
10. The neurotic need for perfection and unassailability

These ten needs are the sources from which inner conflicts develop, and are classified under
three categories:
1. moving toward people
2. moving away from people
3. moving against people

REVIEW

1. according to ____________________, woman are only supposed to be at the

house doing house hold activities.
2. ________________ transformed Freud’s instinctual focus to a cultural focus.
3. The process of strivings to cope up with fears , helplessness and isolation from people
develop _________ trends.
4. Anxiety is naturally experienced as a ___________.
5. _______________ makes conflicts worst.
6. _________________________ are irrational solutions of the disturbed human
relationships.