BIOGRAPHYVIEW OF HUMAN NATURESTRUCTURE OF PERSONALITYSTAGES OF DEVELOPMENTTHREE ENTRANCE GATES TO MENT

AL LIFEPSYCHOLOGICAL TYPESPARENTING STYLESEVALUATIONSUMMARYSUMMARY OF DIFFERENCES BETWE

EN ADLER AND FREUD

Table of Content

BiographyBorn: February 7, 1870

Vienna, Austria Died: May 28, 1937 Aberdeen, Scotland Austrian psychiatrist

Best Known For:Individual PsychologyThe concept of the inferiority complex

President of the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society, 1910

In collaboration with Sigmund Freud  and a small group of Freud's colleagues, Adler was among the co-founders of the psychoanalytic movement as a core member of the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society. He was the first major figure to break away from psychoanalysis to form an independent school of psychotherapy and personality.

View of Human NatureFor Adler. Being unconscious is only a

temporary unawareness.He also argued that the people can create

their own personalities and lifestyle to achieve their highest goals.

Structure of PersonalityOrgan InferiorityFeelings of InferiorityStriving for SuperiorityStyle of LifeFictional FinalismSocial Interest

Organ InferiorityPeople are more vulnerable to

disease in organs that are less developed or “inferior” to other organs.

These inferior organs develop biological deficiencies because of stress from the environment. These inhibit the person from functioning normally.

Feelings of Inferiority

All children start life with feelings of inferiority because they are completely dependent on adults for survival. This feeling of being weak, inferior, and impotent stimulates an intense desire to seek power, thereby overcoming the feelings inferiority.

Adler did not consider feelings of inferiority bad. According to him, it is normal among human beings and therefore not a sign of weakness or abnormality. In fact, such feelings ate the primary motivating forces behind all personal accomplishments.

Striving for SuperiorityA fundamental fact of life, an innate need

from the time of birth. It is master motive that leads people to pursue a superior or perfect society.

Style of LifeWhich an individual

attempts to gain superiority. Determines which aspects of

life are focused on and how these give a person individual identity

Determines what is perceived and ignored.

Specifies a person’s future goals and how they are to be attained.

Unhealthy lifestyle is based on selfishness and is contrary to the views of society.

Fictional FinalismFictional future goal which a person

aspires for. Adler called this a “Guiding self ideal”. This gave Adler’s theory a strong teleological component, although it did not ignore the past altogether.

Social InterestThe innate need of all human

beings to live in harmony and friendship with others and to aspire for the development of the perfect society.

Social InterestSocial interest can be developed through

tasks:1. Occupational tasks or constructive

work can be a means for a person to hep advance society.

2. Societal tasks require cooperation with fellow humans.

3. Love and marriage tasks help to perpetuate society.

Stages of DevelopmentAdler did not propose stages of

development; instead emphasized the importance of family atmosphere and the family constellation.

The latter refers to one’s position within the family in terms of birth order:

Older childrenYounger childrenMiddle children

Stages of DevelopmentThe family

constellation becomes more complicated in the case of twins or an only brother among relations between children and parents frequently consists of a continuing aerations between

IndulgenceRejection

Three Entrance Gates to Mental

Life

Adler referred to birth order, first memories, and dream analysis as the three “entrance gates” to mental life. He studied them extensively to discern the origins of lifestyle and an individual’s approach to problem solving.

1. Birth Order

The first born children who later have younger siblings may have it the most. When the next child is born, suddenly, they are no longer the center of attention and fall into the shadows wondering why everything changed.

They often have the greatest number of problems as they get older.

The middle born/the second born children may have it the easiest. They are also more fortunate compared to their older siblings. These children are not pampered as their older sibling was, but are still afforded the attention.

They have a high need for superiority and are often able to seek it out through healthy competition.

The youngest children. Like the first born may be more likely to experience personality problems later in life.

He gets pampered and protected more than his siblings. That’s why he/she is usually spoiled and very dependent.

Sometimes he felt that he will always be inferior to others.

The only child is never dethroned by another sibling, but experiences shock upon learning that he or she cannot remain the center of attention. He or she is often very sweet and affectionate. An only child is not considered dangerous.

2. First MemoriesIs a research technique of asking a person to describe his or her earliest recollections. These recollections are evidence of the origins of one’s lifestyle.

Dream Analysis-is a method wherein

a person’s dreams are used to provide a way of dealing with

the person’s life problems.

By analyzing how problems are confronted

and future events planned through their dreams, a great deal

could be learned about a person’s lifestyle.

Psychological Types1. Ruling Type

They are, from childhood on, characterized by a tendency to be rather aggressive and dominant over others.

2. Leaning TypeThey are sensitive people who have

developed a shell around themselves which protects them but they must rely on others to carry them through life’s difficulties

3. Avoiding TypeThey have the lowest levels of energy

and only survive by essentially avoiding life—especially other people

4. The Socially Useful TypeThis is the healthy person, one who has

both social interest and energy. Note that without energy, you can’t really have social interest, since you wouldn’t be able to actually do anything for anyone.

PamperingReferring to a parent overprotecting a child,

giving him too much attention, and sheltering him from the negative realities of life.

Parenting Styles

NeglectA neglected

child is one who is not protected at all from the world and is forced to face life's struggles alone.

Parenting Styles

Evaluation

Strengths1. Adler’s greatest contribution psychology is his study of birth order and personality.

Adler’s theory culminated in his insistence in understanding an individual through his or her attitude towards the world.

Strengths2. Adler considered his theory

of the creative self as the climax of his studies.

3. Adler said that many of our guiding goals are fictional. However, his use of the word “fiction” did not necessarily mean ‘not true’.

Fictional FinalistsCannot be treated as

reality because these are not specific hypotheses that can be put to a crucial experiment. They are constructs or inventions of human psyche that arise as it encounters the world.

WEAKNESSES:1. Adler viewed behavior as

primary goal directed and consciously chosen rather than predetermined by the unconscious mind or biological drive.

WEAKNESSES:2. He took it for granted that everyone experiences some feelings of inferiority.3. The drive for aggression which he later substituted for striving for superiority was innately biological as that of sexual urge.

From the beginning, Adler’s theory of personality was open to growth and evolution. His theory became more comprehensive and conclusive as his work matured, without contradicting his earlier ideas.

Adler chose the term individual psychology for his conception of personality. Nevertheless, he realizes early in his theorizing that the individual could not be considered in isolation or apart from their context. His emphasis shifted from the intra psychic (within the psyche) which is basically Freudian, to the interpsychic (interpersonal relations).

Summary of Differences Between

Adler and Freud

-Emphasized the unconscious mind

-Future goals are unimportant

-Biological motives are primary

-Pessimistic about human existence

-Emphasized conscious mind.

-Future goals are important source of motivation

-Social motives are primary

-Optimistic about human existence

Freud: Adler:

Freud: Adler:

-Dreams are used to detect contents of the unconscious mind.

-Personality is completely determined by heredity and environmental factors

-Emphasized importance of sex

-Dreams are tools in solving problems.

-Personality is determined partly by the individual themselves.

-Minimize the importance of sex.

Summary of Differences Between

Adler and Freud

-Goal of therapy is to discover repressed early memories.

-Goal of therapy is to encourage a lifestyle that incorporates social interests.

Summary of Differences Between

Adler and FreudFreud: Adler:

The End