Adler's Individual Psychology

THEORIES OF PERSONALITY Psychodynamic Theories of Personality PSYCH 212 – 0510C BS Psychology 2 – 1st Sem ALFRED ADLER’S INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOLOGY (1939) BIOGRAPHY  February 7, 1870 in Vienna  Studied medicine at University of Vienna  originally pursuing ophthalmology & switching to neurology and psychiatry  His younger brother died on the bed next to his  Developed rickets and pneumonia as a young boy DYNAMICS OF PERSONALITY  Individual Psychology o Broke away from the teachings of Sigmund Freud o Focused on a holistic assessment of the person o People are born weak and feeling inferior, and it’s their eternal goal to feel superior o Can be divided into six tenets: 1. Striving for Success or Superiority  One dynamic force behind people’s behavior is the striving for success or superiority  Motivation is centered on our striving for superiority, influenced by his failing health  Final goal – either personal superiority or global success for all humankind, while reducing suffering and inferiority  Personal capabilities are determined by heredity & environment; final goal is determined by neither, but by our creative power (ability to freely shape our behavior & create our own personality)  Children’s final goal – influenced by how they are reared (neglected – unconscious; loved – well-understood)  Driven by compensation for feelings of inferiority  Striving for superiority - Overcoming feelings of inferiority or inferiority complex; maladaptive way of trying to overcome inferiority  Striving for success – overcoming inferiority by aiming for goals that will be of positive impact for self and others 2. Subjective Perceptions  Shape behavior & personality  Fictions – people’s expectation of the future, shapes our subjective perceptions of reality  Current behavior using future goals (teleology)  Physical inferiorities not as obstacles but as blessing; sparks feelings of inferiority, serves as an impetus for seeking out superiority/success 3. Unity & Self-consistency of Personality  Personality is unified and self-consistent  Human beings are individually unique & their personalities and behaviors are unified, which are directed to the final goal  Organ Dialect (organ jargon) – the expression of a deficient organ  Conscious and the unconscious (not dichotomized) are cooperating aspects of the mind; conscious – thoughts that are well understood; unconscious – are not clearly understood 4. Social Interest  Value of all human activity must be seen from the viewpoint of social interest  Gemeinschaftsgefuhl – the feeling of oneness with all humanity; being able to relate with others as well as a feeling of general empathy for human  Strives for success and perfection for all humanity, through cooperation with others for human advancement   5.         6.      Originates from the mother-infant relationship, wherein a mother rears a child not for her own gain but the welfare and development of the child “yardstick” for measuring psychological health & the likelihood that one would strive for superiority/success Style of Life Self-consistent personality structure develops into a person’s style of life Refers to a person’s unique, unconscious, & repetitive manner of responding to the three main tasks of life: friendship, love, work Psychologically unhealthy people – narrow & rigid styles of life; lack of ability to choose new ways to respond to the environment Mistaken Styles of Life Ruling type – dominate others, “delinquents, tyrants, sadists”; some are high achievers & belittle others (deprecation complex) Getting type – lean on others and tend to be dependent; passive attitude towards life Avoiding type – try not to deal with problems, tends to be isolated and may strike as cold Psychologically healthy people – flexible, diverse; enact social interest through action & actively solve the main tasks of life; healthy style of life & social useful type Creative Power Style of life is molded by people’s creative power Allows then to take control of their lives Implies movement, an important aspect towards reaching one’s goal People are responsible for who they are and how they behave “the law of the low doorway”  Abnormal Development o Exaggerated physical deficiencies – do not cause maladjustment, must be combined with punctuated feelings of inferiority; over concern for oneself which leads to a lack for consideration for others o Pampered style of life – leads to weak social interests & a style of life that continues the parasitic relationship; constantly expect others to take care & look after them o Neglected style of life – lacks love and leads to little social interest  Safeguarding Tendencies o Excuses – make an excuse to inflate their perceived sense of competence (which was never there to begin with) o Aggression – used to protect one’s fragile self-esteem; deprecation – undervalues other people’s achievements; self-accusation – self-torture & guilt o Withdrawal – through distance, escaping undesirable life events; moving backward/reverting to a more secure period of one’s life, standing still/refusing to move, hesitating/undecisive when faced with a problem, overcoming obstacles/creating problems to show that they can solve it  Masculine protest o male-dominated society is unnatural and artificial, a byproduct of social and cultural influences o Society’s overemphasis on manliness, for both men and women  Birth Order o Firstborn - likely to have an inflated sense of power and superiority, more anxious & overprotective; new sibling can be traumatic o a firstborn is 3 years old or older when a new sibling is born, they will incorporate this experience with what style of life they already have; sibling. If they are less than 3 years old when the new sibling is born, the hostility arising from the dethronement will largely be unconscious in nature o o o o Second-born - hostility by the older sibling, results to becoming overly competitive or overly discouraged; most typically develop into moderately competitive people with a healthy desire to overtake their older sibling. Middle - feeling of not belonging, feel ignored, tend to have fewer pictures, insecure, prone to loneliness, natural mediators, loyal to peers. Youngest - the most pampered lives; probably have the strongest feelings of inferiority as well as a lack of sense of independence; might also become driven to overtake all of the siblings before them. Only Child - not have sibling to compete with but has competition in the form of their parents; risk of having an inflated sense of superiority and self-concept; maladaptive - weak social interest, parasitic relationships, and pampered lifestyles. INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOLOGY AS APPLIED TO FILIPINO CULTURE  “Tagasalo” syndrome of the eldest child