Class 5: Adlerian Flashcards
1
Q
Alfred Adler
(About him)
(organ inferiority)
A
- 2nd of seven children
- Organ inferiority
- if inferiority in organ…will do something to compensate for that infiority…will compensate
- eventually expanded this to a feeling of inferiroity
- Freud’s professional associate and (initially) friend
2
Q
Adler’s Individual Psychology
(A phenomenological approach)
(Social interest)
(ordinal position)
A
-
A phenomenological approach
- understanding that everything is subjective
-
Social interest
- one of his key contributions is that man is a social being and social interest is a critical component to the way our psychology develops
- also interest for community
-
Ordinal position (birth order and sibling relationships)
- 1st to break away from freud and others of time to talk about more than parent/child relationship..child doesnt grow up in vacume
- brought idea of sibling relations and family constillations
- Therapy as teaching, informing and encouraging
- believed that psychopathology is a manifestation of discouragment
- Basic mistakes in the client’s private logic
- sounds cognitive
- The therapeutic relationship as a collaborative partnership
3
Q
Fundamentals of individual psychology
A
1.Individual as a whole
- Life style: a person’s long term orientation over his/her life span
- what the whole individual experinces at a physical, emotional, and mental level
2.Human behavior is purposive
- Teleological: goal oriented
- we have goals…parts work together to achieve them and every behavior has a purpose
3.Humans are social
- Gemeinschaftsgefuhl: social interest
- the more meaningful contributions you can make to society and those around you, the less psychopathology youll have
4
Q
The Phenomenological Approach
A
-
Subjective frame of reference
- Reality is less important than how the individual perceives and believes life to be
- It is not the childhood experiences that are crucial ~ It is our current interpretation of these events
-
Behavior is not determined by:
- Unconscious instincts or sexual urges
- genes
- environment
- genes and environment
- BUT by how we choose to respond to our genes and environment
- it may be conscious or unconsicous
- …are you aware you are responding in this way
- it may be conscious or unconsicous
5
Q
Feelings of Inferiority
(motivating force)
(Pursuit of mistaken goals)
A
-
Motivating force in behavior
- b/c we are all striving to feel capable (not superior)
- Growth results from compensation: attempts to overcome inferior feelings
- Pursuit of Mistaken Goals of:
-
Attention: If you notice me, I belong
- I have value if you see me
- ex. child who acts out in class for attention
-
Power: I belong if I am the boss (call the shots)
- a little more pathological than attention
- someone has to be below for me to belong
- ex. bully
- not feeling connected..
-
Revenge: I know I don’t belong so I will make others feel the way I feel
- have not felt sense of belonging for so long, they feel so inferior…M.O. to make others feel how they feel
-
Display of inadequacy/ inferiority complex: I know I don’t belong, so I will convince others not to expect anything from me
- gone from feelings of inferiority to inferiority complex
- distachment/they withdrawl
- im helpless (excape piece), dont expect anything from me
-
Attention: If you notice me, I belong
6
Q
Social Interest - Gemeinschaftsgefuhl
A
- Adler’s most significant and distinctive concept
- Gemeischaft – community; gefuhl – a feeling; a feeling for the community
- Refers to an individual’s attitude toward and awareness of being a part of the human community
- awareness that you hold agency in impacting community around you and vice vesa
- the higher level of social interest you have, the more healthy you will be in your psych
- Connection: Feeling of belonging
- Contribution: process by which one can recognize their true human potential
- Capability: striving neither for superiority or being bogged down by inferiority
- Mental health is measured by the degree to which we successfully share with others and are concerned with their welfare
7
Q
Life style
(1. what is it)
(2. what is it made up of)
A
- Life style: mode of relating to the world
- Made up of:
-
A basic self concept
- who am I
-
A life goal
- what do I want to accomplish in this life
-
A fundamental mode of dealing with life situations
- how do you deal with those around you..when issues and problems are presented
-
A basic self concept
- Early recollections and information about family constellation are fundamental to understanding Life Style
8
Q
Private logic, common sense & mistaken goals
A
-
Human nature is biased
- Everything is filtered through one’s perceptions and biases
-
Most of us have private goals that we are unaware of
- Think three C’s: connection, capability or contribution
- However, we try to operate in the realm of common sense
9
Q
Birth order: Ordinal position
(basics)
A
- Ordinal position vs psychological position
- Why this matters:
- Experiences change based on where your place of belonging is in the family
- It is informative but not predictive
- The family constellation as a whole is important
- Contrast from Freud & others who focused solely on parent-child interactions
10
Q
Birth order: Ordinal position
(Only Child)
A
- Greatest need for achievement
- Highest achievers except for oldest children
- Most likely to attend college
- Highest rate of behavior problems
- Lowest general need for affiliation.
- Most selfish.
11
Q
Birth order: Ordinal position
(Oldest Child)
A
- Oldest Child:
- Highest rate of academic success
- High achievers
- High in motivation
- Most likely to be leaders
- Overrepresentation among learned groups
12
Q
Birth order: Ordinal position
(Middle Child)
A
- Greatest feelings of not belonging
- Sociable nature
- Fewest acting-out problems
- Highest rate of success in team sports
- High levels of relating well to older and younger people
- Tend to be competitive in areas not attempted by oldest children
- More likely to be faithful within monogamous relationships
13
Q
Birth order: Ordinal position
(Youngest Child)
A
- Highest social interest and agreeableness
- Most rebellious
- Most empathic
- Most likely to abuse alcohol
- Overrepresentation among psychiatric populations.
- More artistic, less scientific; highest representation among writers
14
Q
Early recollections
A
- Early recollections:
- “an encapsulated, specific event with a beginning and an end” (p. 21)
15
Q
Adler’s view of psychopathology
(Pic)
A
