ALFRED ADLER
1870-1937
Man is a ___________ being.
Freud
Jung
Adler
___________ is the goal of life.
Freud
Jung
Adler
Alfred Adler, M.D.
Neo-Freudian: emphasis on conscious
vs. unconscious
 Split with Freud in 1911

Founder of Individual
Psychology ~ 1912
We are self-determining, we are not
passive
 we are creative, active, “masters of
our own fate”
 soft determinism
 A theory of hope, very positive
 We are motivated by social forces and
feelings of inferiority

Inferiority

inferiority: our feelings of "less than" that
motivate us to strive toward identity and
perfection
 by age 8, our personality is
"crystallized" and we are driven to
overcome feelings of inferiority
 perfection is the goal
 extreme inferiority can result in
neuroses, or complexes
Striving

Striving: We are all motivated by social
forces and are striving toward goals.

Perfection, not pleasure, is the goal.

teleology: humans live by goals and
purposes, they are moved by the
anticipation of the future and they
create meaning
Phenomenology

phenomenology: one's subjective reality
 people give their experiences meaning through their
views, beliefs and perceptions

Adler was first theorist to stress the importance of
perception

fictive notions: unconscious notions about
inadequacies, sense of belonging, and comparison
of self to others

Adler believed childhood experiences are not crucial,
but our interpretations of those experiences is
significant
Holism
Holism: Adler's psychology is based on a
holistic view of the person
 thoughts, feelings, beliefs, attitudes,
goals
 the individual is an integral part of a
social system (family, humanity)
 more focus on interpersonal (between
people) than intrapersonal (within people)

Social Interest

Social Interest : an individual's attitudes in
dealing with other people in the world,
striving for a better future for humanity

(Gemeinschaftsgefühl!!!!!!!!!!!)
our happiness and success are largely
related to social connectedness - we are all
motivated by a strong desire to belong
 our sense of identification and empathy for
others
 social interest is a measure of mental health


To see with the eyes of another,
to hear with the ears of another,
to feel with the heart of another.
For the time being, this seems to
me an admissible definition of
what we call social feeling.
-Alfred Adler
Life Tasks

We must successfully master 3 life tasks
 friends
: healthy peer relationships
 work : healthy, goal-oriented, successes
at work (this includes school)
 love : healthy intimate and romantic
relationships, this includes family
Family Constellation

family constellation: psychological and
social configuration of the family group

how one's self-awareness develops
birth order roles (traditional or non) within
family, values, patterns
 child's position and role in the family
influence later personality development
 family atmosphere: climate of relationships
among family members

Adlerian Life Chart




Fictive notions: unconscious notions about
inadequacies, sense of belonging, and comparison
of self to others
Conscious notions: conscious explanations for
themselves and their behaviors
Inferiority Complex: “pathology” resulting from
feelings of inferiority
Superiority Complex :“pathology” resulting from
crippling state of superiority or isolation
Adlerian Therapy
Adlerian therapy is a an educational
model
 emotional disorders are “failures in life”,
failures in the life tasks or an
underdeveloped social interest
