Chapter 3 Notes Flashcards
The one dynamic force behind people’s behavior is
striving for success or superiority (early work referred to it as the will to power)
role of subjective perceptions
shape behavior and personality
personality is
unified and self-consistent
style of life
A person’s individuality that
expresses itself in any circumstance or environment; the
“flavor” of a person’s life.
Style of life is molded by
people’s creative power
Distinguish between striving for superiority and striving for success
psychologically unhealthy people strive for superiority whereas healthy people strive for success
Final Goal
Each individual is guided by
is fictional has no objective existence
It unifies personality and renders all behaviour comprehensible
6 tenets of Adlerian theory
1) striving for success or superiority
2) subjective perception shapes behavior and personality
3) personality is unified and self-consistent
4) the value of human activity must be seen from the view 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
Organ Dialect
Organ’s speak a language that is usually more expressive than words
Stomach anxiety
Conscious and Unconscious
Defined
unconscious as “ the part of the goal that is neither clearly formulated nor completely understood by the individual “
Conscious thoughts are helpful and unconscious ones are not helpful
The conscious becomes unconscious when we fail to understand it and the unconscious becomes conscious when we understand it
personality structure develops into a person’s style of life i.e the flavor of a person’s life, which includes
Goal’s
self-concept
Feelings towards others and attitude towards the world
Healthy ones actively struggle to solve 3 main problems of life:
Neighborly love
Sexual love and
Occupation
Creative power reflects how people put to use what is
given to them on genetic and nurturing levels
maladjustments come from
1 - set their goals too high
2 - live in their own private world
3 - have a rigid and dogmatic life style
External Factors in Maladjustment
Exaggerated physical deficiencies
Pampered style of life
Neglected style of life
his version of defence mechanisms
Safeguarding Tendencies
4 safeguarding tendencies
excuses
aggression
withdrawal
masculine protest
Excuses
yes but’ and ‘if only’
Aggression
Depreciation which is the tendency to undervalue other people’s achievements and overvalue your own
Belittle another so you look superior
Accusation blame other’s for one’s failures and seek revenge
Self accusation self torture and guilt, masochism, depression, suicide
4 elements of Withdrawal
Moving backward
Standing Still
Hesitating
Constructing Obstacles
4 Applications of Individual Psychology
Family constellation
Early recollections
Dreams
Psychotherapy
Psychopathology results from
Lack of courage
Exaggerated feelings of inferiority
And underdeveloped social interests
So his aim is to
Enhance courage
Lessen feelings of inferiority
Encourage social interests
Explain how seemingly contradictory behaviors may reflect a single goal of striving for superiority
Although behaviors may appear inconsistent, when they are viewed from the perspective of a final goal, they appear as clever but probably unconscious attempts to confuse and subordinate other people. This confusing and seemingly inconsistent behavior gives the erratic person the upper hand in an interpersonal relationship. Although erratic people are often successful in their attempt to gain superiority over others, they usually remain unaware of their underlying motive and may stubbornly reject any suggestion that they desire superiority over other people
I may appear helpless but in this way I make you my slave to help me then become superior to you
social interest (Adler)
Translation of the German
Gemeinschaftsgefühl, meaning a community feeling or a
sense of feeling at one with all human beings
Discuss Adler’s ideas on birth order
In therapy, Adler almost always asked patients about their family constellation, that is, their birth order, the gender of their siblings, and the age spread between them.
Although people’s perception of the situation into which they were born is more important than numerical rank, Adler did form some general hypotheses about birth Order:
1st born are square
2nd take chances
Summarize recent research on early recollections
The general direction of a participant’s career path could be identified from themes seen in early recollections. These vignettes are consistent with Alder’s view of early recollections and demonstrate how style of
life may relate to occupational choice.
Name four differences between the theories of Adler and Freud.
Tele nor deterministic - About how we deal with goals as opposed to early stages
Optimistic
More around conscious than un - The conscious becomes unconscious when we fail to understand it and the unconscious becomes conscious when we understand it
Roots of psychopathology
Lack of courage
Exaggerated feelings of inferiority
And underdeveloped social interests
