Individual Approach Alfred Adler ICSP254 Theories of Personality

Agenda Psychoanalytic NeoFreudian Object Relations Individual Trait Social Humanistic Biological

Inferior feelings Inferiority feelings – normal condition of all people; motivating force in behavior Begin at infancy (small, dependent on adults) Not related to genetic. Rather it’s the environment. Compensation – our attempts to overcome our real or imagined inferiorities and to strive for higher level of development.

Team Hoyt Rick Hoyt was born with severe cerebral palsy Ironman is the toughest triathlon with 3 endurance events 2.4 miles ocean swim 112 miles bike ride 26.3 miles marathon Dick Hoyt had a heart attach earlier in 2002. “Dad, when I’m running, it feels like I’m not handicapped

Inferiority Complex What happens when child unable to compensate for feelings of inferiority? An inability to overcome inferiority feelings intensifies them, leading to development of an inferiority complex Poor opinion of themselves, feeling helpless, unable to cope with demands of life

3 Sources that created Inferiority Complex Organic inferiority – physical disability/weakness. Adler observed circus performers who had special skills that were developed as a result of hard work to overcome childhood disabilities Spoiling – learned at home that they are the most important children, then get disappointed at school and never learned to wait, and often get socially rejected Neglected – childhood characterized by lack of love and security lead to feeling worthlessness

Superiority Complex Superiority Complex – a condition that develops when a person overcompensates for normal inferiority feelings Involves exaggerating one’s abilities and accomplishments, boastful, self-centered, vanity, tendency to look down on others

Beyond Compensation Striving for Superiority – urge toward perfection of completion that motivates each of us Fictional Finalism – idea that there is an imagined or potential goal that guides our behavior (ex. God) Style of Life – unique pattern of personal behaviors and characteristics by which each of strives for perfection. Basic styles of life include the dominant, getting, avoid, and socially useful type

Style of Life How did style of life develop? From inferiority and compensation Ex. A sick child may strive to increase physical prowless by running or lifting weights. These behaviors then become part of the style of life, a pattern of behaviors designed to compensate for inferiority Determines when aspect of environment we attend to or ignore and what attitude we hold. Learned from social interactions that occur in early years (firmly set by age 4/5)

4 Basic Styles of Life Dominant Type Getting Type Avoiding Type Little social awareness Extreme: sadists, sociopaths Less: alcoholics, addicts, suicides Getting Type Most common Expects to receive satisfaction from others, so become dependent on them Avoiding Type Avoid all life problems Person avoids possibility of failure Socially Useful Type Cooperative Social interest framework to solve problems

Social Interest Adler believed that getting along with others is the first task we encounter in life. People re motivated by social interest Social interest or Gemeinschaftsgefuhl (“community feeling) Our innate potential to cooperate with others to achieve personal and societal goals Mother-child relationship is the first that child learns about cooperation People with no social interest may become neurotics or even criminals War, racism, public drunkenness stem from lack of community feeling

Birth Order One of Adler’s most enduring contribution is idea that birth order is major social influence in childhood, from which we create our style of life. Even though siblings have the same parents and live in the same house, they do not have identical social environments – exposed to different parental attitudes and treatment. First-born child, the second-born child, youngest child, and the only child

The First-Born * These are all from your textbook

* These are all from your textbook

The Second-Born * These are all from your textbook

Second-Born (2) * These are all from your textbook

The Youngest Child * These are all from your textbook

The Only Child * These are all from your textbook

Questions about Human Nature Past Present Nurture Determinism Nature Free Will Past or Present? Compensation is Present/future oriented Free Will or Determinism? Conscious (not the unconscious) at core of personality rather than driven by forces we cannot control. We create ourselves and direct our future. Nature or Nurture? Personalities shaped by unique social environment, not biological

Questions about Human Nature Uniqueness Universality Pessimism Growth Optimism Equilibrium Unique or Universal? Uniqueness of each person, deny biological motives and goals Equilibrium or Growth? Growth (from inferior to perfection) Optimism or Pessimism? Optimism