159 CH 4 Adler 2021

Chapter 4
Alfred Adler:
Individual Psychology
Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned,
copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Life of Adler
• 1870-1937
• Childhood
– Marked by illness,
awareness of death, and
intense jealousy of his
older brother
– Had feelings of inferiority
– Compensated for
weaknesses through persistence
Life of Adler (continued)
• Studied medicine
– First went into private practice as an
ophthalmologist but shifted to general
medicine
• Relationship with Freud
– Discussed ideas
– Was critical of Freud’s theory
– Had interpersonal conflicts
Inferiority Feelings
• Normal condition of people

• Source of human striving
• Compensation: Motivation to
overcome inferiority
– To strive for higher levels of
development
• Begins in infancy
– Due to complete dependency on adults
Complexes
Inferiority complex Superiority complex
Develops when a person is Develops when a person

unable to compensate for overcompensates for normal
normal inferiority feelings inferiority feelings
Characteristics - Have poor self- Characteristics - Boastful, self-

opinions, feel helpless, and find centered, and tend to denigrate
it difficult to cope with life others
demands
Causes of Inferiority
Complexes
Organic Spoiling or
inferiority pampering
Neglecting
Striving for Superiority
• Urge toward perfection or completion

that motivates each person
– Innate goal, which is future oriented
• Fictional finalism: Imagined or
potential fictional goals
– Goals guide behavior toward a complete
state of being
Style of Life
• Unique character structure or pattern

of behaviors
– Expression of striving is different and
unique for every person
• Influenced by social interactions
• Creative power of self: Ability to
create an appropriate style of life
Social Interest
• Innate potential to cooperate with
other people to achieve goals
• The mother either develops or
hinders social interest
Birth Order
• Sequence of sibling births is a major

social influence
– Shapes style of life
• Birth order situations
– First-born child
– Second-born child
– Youngest child
– Only child
First-Born Child
• Focus of attention
– Followed by dethronement and battle to
regain supremacy
• Characteristics
– Intellectually mature
– Organized, authoritarian, and
conscientious
– Insecure and hostile
Second-Born Child
• Views older sibling as pacesetter

• Competition spurs language and
motor development
• Characteristics
– Optimistic, competitive, and ambitious
• May turn to be an underachiever
Youngest Child
• Pet of the family

• Develops at a fast pace to surpass
others
• Characteristics
• High achievers
• May become dependent and helpless, if
pampered
Only Child
• Focus of attention
• Spends more time with adults
• Characteristics
– Matures early
– Disappointment follows, when not the
center of attention
Questions About Human
Nature
• Free will
• Primary influence is nurture
• Focus is on past and present
• Emphasis is placed on uniqueness
• Humans use childhood experiences
to create styles of life
• Optimistic
Assessment in Adler’s Theory
Early recollections Dream analysis
Technique uses the earliest Involves feelings regarding a

memories, real and fantasized current problem
Interpretation requires knowledge
Helps reveal the primary interest
about the person and his/her
of life
style of life
Assessment in Adler’s Theory
(continued)
• Adler criticized tests of personality

– Relied on therapist intuition
• Tests developed to measure concepts
of social interest and style of life
– Social Interest Scale (SIS)
– Social Interest Index (SII)
– Basic Adlerian Scales for Interpersonal
Success (BASIS-A)
Research on Social
Influences
Neglected children Pampered children
Tend to develop: Tend to:
– Depression – Have low self-esteem
– Anxiety – Lack empathy for
others
Social interest
People who score high tend
to:
– Score low on depression,
anxiety, and hostility
– Become happy and
agreeable
Research on Birth Order
First-borns Second-borns
Tend to be: Tend to be:
– Intelligent & hard- – Influenced by older
working siblings
– Low depression & – Take risks
anxiety
– High self-esteem Only-borns
Tend to be:
– High intelligence
– Industrious
Reflections on Adler’s Theory
• Contributions
– Influenced theorists in multiple areas of
psychology
• Gave a lead to Neo-Freudian ego
psychologists
– Disputed Freud’s views on women
• Believed in women equality
Reflections on Adler’s Theory
(continued)
• Criticisms
– Oversimplified
– Inconsistent and unsystematic
• Due to gaps and unanswered questions
– Disagreement on Adler’s position on

determinism and free will
– Lack of public recognition

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Chapter 4

• Normal condition of people

Inferiority complex Superiority complex

Develops when a person is Develops when a person

Characteristics - Have poor self- Characteristics - Boastful, self-

• Urge toward perfection or completion

• Unique character structure or pattern

• Sequence of sibling births is a major

• Views older sibling as pacesetter

• Pet of the family

Early recollections Dream analysis

Technique uses the earliest Involves feelings regarding a

• Adler criticized tests of personality

– Disagreement on Adler’s position on

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