Alfred Adler's Individual Psychology and Theories of Personality

Alfred Adler

Austrian psychologist, broke with Freud, focused on individual psychology

Individual Psychology

Emphasizes uniqueness of each person, whole entity, not conflicts

Social Interest

Innate need for harmony with others, key to proper personality development

Ego Psychology

Focuses on ego managing individual's problems, shift from id to ego

Humanistic Psychology

Rooted in Adler's ideas, emphasizes individual's potential and growth

Life Goals and Teleology

Belief in self-created goals, subjective pursuit of objectives

Inferiority

Innate sense of weakness, drives individual to overcome and master environment

Striving for Superiority

Response to inferiority, should incorporate social interest for healthy growth

Fictional Finalism

End goal resulting from inferiority and superiority striving, shapes lifestyle

Superiority Complex

Neurotic belief of superiority over others; feeling athletically or intellectually superior

Organ Inferiority

Compensation for weakness leading to strength

Aggressive Drive

Manifested as fighting or competition

Masculine Protest

Seeking privileges linked to the male gender role

Character Type

Individual's chosen life striving style for achieving set goals

Early Recollections

Revealing fundamental life views; e.g., separation from family or childhood conflicts

Mistaken Styles of Life

Include Ruling, Getting, and Avoiding Types

Socially Useful Type

Healthy style of life according to Adler

Parental Behavior

Influences on child development; includes Pampered, Neglected, and Training Programs

Family Constellation

Influence of sibling number, age, and sex on personality development

Firstborn Child

Typically faces 'dethronement' and may become exhausted

Second-born Child

Often seen as the peacemaker in the family

Youngest Child

May risk being pampered and becoming problem children

Only Child

At risk of developing a 'Mother Complex' and shares traits with firstborns

Research on Birth Order

Shows inconsistent effects influenced by culture

The Three Tasks of Life

Work, Love, and Social Interaction; crucial for mental well-being

Interventions Based on Adler's Theory

Therapeutic approaches including humor, avoiding transference, and encouraging self-reflection