1. Personality Development
Lap 4
Personality and
Cognitive Development
Part I

2. Alfred Adler Individual Psychology- study and treat the whole
Conscious and unconscious work together
Unity of the individual personality
Worked with Freud until 1911
Not biological instincts or conflicting forces
Not sex
Not fragments of personality system—id/ ego/ superego
Impact of childhood and social relationships on personality
Social relationships (birth order, neglect, and pampering) shape how people see themselves now
No development theory

3. Alfred Adler
Factors of personality
Sense of self – goal of human nature is to feel significant, valued, competent, and to belong
Fictions: idea of the perfect self
A story of yourself that guides and governs life choices

4. Adler Structure of personality development
Inferiority- initial state of inadequacy
People want control of their lives/ power in their lives
Without control, they feel inferior or inadequate
Inferiority complex: drive without success due to humiliation or defect/ a fixation that produces emotional stagnation
Superiority- self-actualization
Primary motivating force: Driving force behind all behavior is to escape inferiority and achieve superiority
This most basic, self-perfecting drive to superiority shapes personality

5. Alfred Adler Goal of therapy: Therapy methods:
Identify patterns of behavior (inferiority complexes) that began in childhood
Emphasis is on addressing personality dysfunction (false fictions)
Acceptance of shortcomings impels positive striving towards realistic goals, perfection, and success
To develop a new self-image
Therapy methods:
Socratic Dialogue, patients help create solutions