Individual Psychology: Alfred Adler’s Theory of Personality Prepared by: Joshua David V.

Ignacio

Individual 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.

Alfred Adler – Biography

1. Born February 7, 1870 10. Eventually led to Individual Psychology

2. Sickly child, led to his ambition to be a doctor
3. Considered childhood as an unhappy
experience.
4. Resented an older brother, Mother’s favorite.
5. Pursued medicine at the University of Vienna.
6. Ophthalmology, General Practice, Psychiatry
7. 1902 – First Association with Freud
8. 1907– Paper on Organ Inferiority and
Compensation
9. 1911– Break from Freud, established SOCIETY
FOR FREE PSYCHOANALYTIC RESEARCH
11. Interest in Child Psychology and Guidance in
Schools.
12. Experience in WWI led to his ideas of social
interest (Army Doctor)
13. Went to the United States in 1934 to escape
Nazi Persecution.
14. Lectured in various parts of the US and abroad.
15. Died of a heart attack while on a lecture tour in
Aberdeen, Scotland in 1937.

FREUD AND ADLER

SIGMUND FREUD ALFRED 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.

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.

Individual Psychology: Alfred Adler’s Theory of Personality Prepared by: Joshua David V. Ignacio

Striving for Success or Superiority • Psychologically unhealthy individuals strive for

personal superiority. (Superiority)
• Single drive of motivation
• Psychologically healthy individuals seek success
• Physical deficiencies activate feelings of for all humanity. (Success)
inferiority.
• Guided by a Final Goal Acts of Compensation

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

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 perfection or completion.

Unity and Self- Consistency in Personality

• Each person is unique and indivisible.

• Inconsistent behavior does 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

Social Interest Style of Life

• Membership in a social community of all • Flavor of a person’s life

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
• 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: Neighborly love, sexual love, and
Occupation
– Means: cooperation, courage, and willingness
to contribute to another

Creative Power • Implies movement toward a goal, and direction.

Individual Psychology: Alfred Adler’s Theory of Personality
• Enables people to be in control of their lives.
Abnormal Development
• Due to underdeveloped social interest.
– Setting goals too high
– Living in their own private world
– Rigid and dogmatic style of life
EXTERNAL FACTORS
• Exaggerated Physical Deficiencies
– Exaggerated feelings of inferiority
– Overcompensation for their
inadequacy
– Results in narcissism and lack of
consideration for others.
• 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.
• Neglected Style of Life
– Low self- confidence
– Overestimating difficulties
– Distrust
– Refusal to cooperate
– Strong sense of envy and hostility
SAFEGUARDING TENDENCIES
Compared to Freud’s Defense Mechanisms.
APPLICATIONS OF INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOLOGY
• Family Constellation
Prepared by: Joshua David V. Ignacio
• It makes each person a free individual.
• Largely conscious
• Protects self- esteem from public disgrace
• Includes Excuses, Aggression, & Withdrawal
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.
Aggression
• Depreciation
o Undervaluing other people’s
achievement and overvaluing one’s
own.
• Accusation
o Tendency to blame others and seek
revenge.
• Self- accusation
o Self- torture or guilt
o People devalue themselves to inflict
suffering on others.
Withdrawal
• Running away from difficulties
• Safeguarding through distance
o Moving backward (reverting to a secure
period of life
o Standing still (avoiding responsibilities)
o Hesitating (vacillation, procrastinations)
o Constructing obstacles (creating
problems or trials)
Masculine Protest
• Overemphasis on the importance of being
manly.
• Resulting from cultural and social
influences.
• Women want the same things that men
have
Individual Psychology: Alfred Adler’s Theory of Personality Prepared by: Joshua David V. Ignacio

In therapy, Adler almost always asked patients about their family constellation, that is, their birth order, Adler did form
some hypotheses about birth order

Firstborn are likely to have intensified feelings of power and superiority, high anxiety and overprotective tendencies

Middle or Secondborn, the personalities of second born are shaped by their perception of the older childs attitude
towards them, If this attitude is one of extreme hostility and vengeance the second child may become highly competitive
or overly discouraged. The typical secondchild however does not develop instead the second born matures towards
moderate competitiveness

Youngest Children are often the most pampered and consequently run a high risk of being the problem children, they
are likely to have strong feelings of inferiority and dependent-ness NEVERTHELESS They are often highly motivated to
exceed older siblings and become the fastest runner , the best musician and best athlete

Only children are in a unique position of competing not against siblings but against the parents, they develop over
exaggerated sense of superiority and inflated self concept

• Early Recollections
o Consistent with a person’s style of life
o reflects patterns of one’s life
• Dreams
- May present inconsistencies
-Although dreams cannot foretell the future they can provide clues for solving future problems
• Psychotherapy
o Enhance courage, lessen feelings of inferiority, and encourage social interest

OLDEST CHILD POSITIVE TRAITS NEGATIVE TRAITS

• Realistically • Pampered
POSITIVE TRAITS NEGATIVE TRAITS ambitious Dependent
• Nurturing and • Highly anxious • Wants to excel in
protective • Exaggerated feelings everything
of power • Unrealistically
• Unconscious hostility ambitious
Fights for acceptance
Must always be right
Highly critical of
others uncooperative ONLY CHILD

SECOND/MIDDLE CHILD

POSITIVE TRAITS NEGATIVE TRAITS

• Highly • Highly competitive
motivated • Easily discouraged
• Cooperative
• Moderately
cooperative

YOUNGEST CHILD
Individual Psychology: Alfred Adler’s Theory of Personality Prepared by: Joshua David V. Ignacio

POSITIVE TRAITS NEGATIVE TRAITS

• Socially mature • Exaggerated
superiority
• Low cooperation
• Inflated sense of self
• Pampered style of
life

CRITIQUE OF ADLER - Adler’s Theory is:  –

Moderate on Parsimony
 –
Low on Verification, Falsification, and Internal
 –
High on Generating Research, Organizing Consistency
Known Data, and Guiding Action

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