Alfred Adler - Psychoanalytic Theory

Alfred Adler

Psychoanalytic Theorist

Major Points:

* Felt there was a single drive behind all behavior/experience

* Initially called it - Aggressive Drive;

Theory progressed and ending term - Striving for Perfection

* Social Interest/Social Feeling - second in importance to Single Drive

* Lack of social concern - very definition of mental illness

* People self-interested because of Inferiority:

1. Organ (body) inferiority

2. Psychological (beliefs) inferiority

4 Types of People related to Neurosis:

1. Ruling type -

2. Leaning type

3. Avoiding type

4. Socially useful-healthy -

* Masculine protest b/c boys encouraged to be assertive; girls discouraged from these behaviors

* Took concept of Holism to heart; called his approach Individual Psychology

* Lifestyle (how live life) & Interpersonal Relations (how handle problems - Tend to be fixed by age 5

Contributions to Faulty Lifestyle:

*Organ inferiorities, pampering, and neglect