V. Alfred Adler

1. the one dynamic force behind people’s behavior is the striving for success or superiority

2. people’s subjective perceptions shape their behavior and 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

enumerate the basic tenets or assumptions of adlerian theory

compensation

a motivation to overcome inferiority

inferiority complex

a condition developed when we are unable to compensate for normal inferiority feelings

1. organic inferiority

2. spoiling (pampering)

3. neglect

enumerate possible root causes of inferiority complex

organic inferiority

defective parts or organs of the body that shape personality through the person’s effort to compensate for the defect or weakness

aggressive drive

refers to the struggle toward the felt that can take the form of fighting and cruelty or striving for dominance

masculine protest

assertion of manliness that implies greater competence, superiority, and control

superiority striving

pertains to efforts to improve oneself and not to be better as compared with others

superiority complex

repression of feelings of inferiority that consequently leads to arrogance, exaggerated idea of achievement

creative self

the person strives to discover or create experiences that lead to fulfillment

fictional finalism

notion of perfection is to finish or to make us whole; such goal is imagined

image or direction of the goal of man’s striving (vision). health people see this goal as modifiable while those who are maladaptive see this as inflexible