PERSONOLOGY – PYC4804 Chapter 5
The Individual Psychology of Alfred Adler
Background
Developed his own theory individual psychology
He stressed the uniqueness of the individuals behavior which is shaped by interaction with the
social environment rather than ascribing behavior to unconscious universal biological drives
whose satisfaction is in a consistent conflict with the norms of society
Central concepts are feelings of inferiority and compensation
Freud: individuals themselves have the ability to decide on their own goals and organize their
lives
Psychology should rather focus on the study of the individual rather than on establishing the
general laws which govern human behavior
Wanted to move away from the name psychoanalysis – has a connotation that human behavior
is blindly determined by unconscious factors by the psyche
Individual psychology emphasizes the uniqueness of each person and the holistic nature of
human functioning
Historical development of his history:
o Stuck to psychoanalytical conceptual framework, helped expand it
o He starting breaking away from psychoanalysis , he didn’t agree with Freud view on
sexual drive
o He broke away from psychoanalytical framework and developed a theory which is more
person-orientated
he pays attention to the unconscious memories and motives and his emphasis on the influence
of early childhood experiences on later development
The view of the person underlying the theory
The view of the person is holistic
He believes that the individual functions as a whole
Implications of the holistic view is that it does not draw clear distinction between structural,
dynamic and developmental concepts
Concepts describe human functioning as a whole
He adheres to a teleological point as he sees the persons functioning as striving toward a goal in
a purposeful way
Striving for superiority is the overriding goal of all human functioning
Each person determines own lifestyle
Fictional finalism: the individuals goal are fictions, they don’t really exist because they are
created by the individual – implies that human beings have considerable freedom in
determining their own destinies
Hans Vaihinger: philosophy of “as if” – people’s total lives are determined by their fictions –
some live their lives believing that some fictional ideas are real
Such fictions are concepts of God, heaven and hell
Another idea is the view of goal-directedness of behavior – the individual is naturally geared
towards attaining superiority – each creates their own goals
Page 1 of 9
, PERSONOLOGY – PYC4804 Chapter 5
Rogers: actualizing tendency as the individuals striving to fulfill the genetically determined
potential
Striving toward s superiority is a tendency to compensate for one’s own weakness – to become
more than ones potential determines
The structure of the personality
Constitutional
attributes
Social
environment
The structure
of personality
The creative
self
The lifestyle
Doesn’t use structural components in his explanation of human functioning
Adler sees the personality simply sees a whole that functions to achieve self-determined goals
1. Constitutional attributes
Individual is born with a set of genetically determined attributes
It is a potential which, in interaction with environmental factors and the creative self,
play a role in human development
Aspects of peoples constitutions are the physical or organic weakness they are born
with or which they acquire
2. Social environment
General feeling of inferiority develops because of a child’s first social interaction
Is present throughout life
Is not genetically determined
Function of the infants small constitution in interaction with the social environment
Characterized by the infants inferior feelings of helplessness and dependency on the
parents as grownups
Page 2 of 9
The Individual Psychology of Alfred Adler
Background
Developed his own theory individual psychology
He stressed the uniqueness of the individuals behavior which is shaped by interaction with the
social environment rather than ascribing behavior to unconscious universal biological drives
whose satisfaction is in a consistent conflict with the norms of society
Central concepts are feelings of inferiority and compensation
Freud: individuals themselves have the ability to decide on their own goals and organize their
lives
Psychology should rather focus on the study of the individual rather than on establishing the
general laws which govern human behavior
Wanted to move away from the name psychoanalysis – has a connotation that human behavior
is blindly determined by unconscious factors by the psyche
Individual psychology emphasizes the uniqueness of each person and the holistic nature of
human functioning
Historical development of his history:
o Stuck to psychoanalytical conceptual framework, helped expand it
o He starting breaking away from psychoanalysis , he didn’t agree with Freud view on
sexual drive
o He broke away from psychoanalytical framework and developed a theory which is more
person-orientated
he pays attention to the unconscious memories and motives and his emphasis on the influence
of early childhood experiences on later development
The view of the person underlying the theory
The view of the person is holistic
He believes that the individual functions as a whole
Implications of the holistic view is that it does not draw clear distinction between structural,
dynamic and developmental concepts
Concepts describe human functioning as a whole
He adheres to a teleological point as he sees the persons functioning as striving toward a goal in
a purposeful way
Striving for superiority is the overriding goal of all human functioning
Each person determines own lifestyle
Fictional finalism: the individuals goal are fictions, they don’t really exist because they are
created by the individual – implies that human beings have considerable freedom in
determining their own destinies
Hans Vaihinger: philosophy of “as if” – people’s total lives are determined by their fictions –
some live their lives believing that some fictional ideas are real
Such fictions are concepts of God, heaven and hell
Another idea is the view of goal-directedness of behavior – the individual is naturally geared
towards attaining superiority – each creates their own goals
Page 1 of 9
, PERSONOLOGY – PYC4804 Chapter 5
Rogers: actualizing tendency as the individuals striving to fulfill the genetically determined
potential
Striving toward s superiority is a tendency to compensate for one’s own weakness – to become
more than ones potential determines
The structure of the personality
Constitutional
attributes
Social
environment
The structure
of personality
The creative
self
The lifestyle
Doesn’t use structural components in his explanation of human functioning
Adler sees the personality simply sees a whole that functions to achieve self-determined goals
1. Constitutional attributes
Individual is born with a set of genetically determined attributes
It is a potential which, in interaction with environmental factors and the creative self,
play a role in human development
Aspects of peoples constitutions are the physical or organic weakness they are born
with or which they acquire
2. Social environment
General feeling of inferiority develops because of a child’s first social interaction
Is present throughout life
Is not genetically determined
Function of the infants small constitution in interaction with the social environment
Characterized by the infants inferior feelings of helplessness and dependency on the
parents as grownups
Page 2 of 9
