Alfred Adler: Individual Psychology

1. Alfred Adler: Individual Psychology The Individual is the Artist of the Personality J. Thompson-Wilda, Copywrite, 02/2002

2. Alfred Adler: 1870-1937 • Born in suburb of Vienna • Second son of family of 4 boys, 2 girls • Was unhealthy as a child • Decided to become a doctor “in order to overcome death and the fear of death” • Eventually overcame physical difficulties • Married and had four children J. Thompson-Wilda, Copywrite, 02/2002

3. Alfred Adler: 1870-1937 • Received his medical degree • Became interested in psychological factors related to illness • Associated with Freud in early 1900s • 1911—Freud broke with Adler over differences in theoretical beliefs • Established the Society for Individual Psychology in 1911 J. Thompson-Wilda, Copywrite, 02/2002

4. Alfred Adler: 1870-1937 • Particularly interested in problems with children • Set up child guidance clinics in Vienna • Consulted, wrote and lectured extensively • Moved to the U.S. in 1935 • At 67 died of cardiac problems J. Thompson-Wilda, Copywrite, 02/2002

5. Adler’s Theory—Striving from Inferiority to Superiority • From infancy people strive to move from felt minus to felt plus situation • Infants feel inferior, helpless because survival depends on others • As person develops, so does image of what would be more positive • Perfection striving is an inherent growth process that is realistic J. Thompson-Wilda, Copywrite, 02/2002

6. Inferiority to Superiority, cont. • When growth stagnates, person may experience inferiority complex • Repressing inferior feelings can result in superiority complex • Each person is a creative self, “the artist of his own personality” • Person’s fictional finalism is the desirable future state, the imagined goal J. Thompson-Wilda, Copywrite, 02/2002

7. Adler’s Theory—The Unity of Personality • The personality is held together by the fictional finalism and unique style of life • Mistaken styles of life—ruling type, getting type, avoiding type • Healthy style of life—socially useful type J. Thompson-Wilda, Copywrite, 02/2002

8. Adler’s Theory—The Development of Personality • Family is important influence in developing healthy lifestyle • Societal and family factors can impede the development of healthy lifestyle • Parental behavior and family constellation are important influences on development J. Thompson-Wilda, Copywrite, 02/2002

9. Adler’s Theory—Psychological Health • Emphasized having healthy relationships with other people • Greater social interest results in shared social tasks which lead to greater psychological health • Social interest is the innate potential to live cooperatively with others • Social connections with others and individual development enhance each other J. Thompson-Wilda, Copywrite, 02/2002

10. Psychological Health cont. • There are three fundamental tasks in life • Work—having an occupation, earning a living by some socially useful job • Love—sexual relationships and marriage, including the decision to have children • Social Interaction—” the problems of communal life”; i.e., social relationships with others, including friendship J. Thompson-Wilda, Copywrite, 02/2002