Alfred Adler

Biography:
Born: February 7, 1870, Rudolfsheim-Funfhaus, Vienna, Austria.

Education:University of Vienna.

Known for: Individual psychology, Superiority complex, Inferiority complex, Style of

life.
Spouse: Raissa Epstein.

Children: Alexander Adler, Kurt Adler, Valentine Adler.

Died: May 28, 1937, Aberdeen, United Kingdom.

Theory:
Adler's personality theory was created by Alfred Adler.Adler called his theory Individual
psychology because he believed that people were unique and that no theory created before
his applied to all people. His theory Also contains the effects of the order of the family.

Inferiority Feelings:
• Normal condition of people.
• Source of human striving.
Compensation:
o Motivation to overcome inferiority.
o To strive for higher levels of development.
o Begins in infancy
o Due to complete dependency on adults.

Complexes:
Inferiority complex: Develops when a person is unable to compensate for normal inferiority
Feelings.
Characteristics:- have poor self-opinion, feel helpless, and find it difficult to cope with
life demands.
Causes:- Organic inferiority, spoiling or pampering and neglecting.

Superiority complex:

Develops when a person overcompensates for normal inferiority Feelings.

Characteristics:- Boastful, self-centered, and tend to denigrate others.

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Style of life:-
According to Adler, the drive for superiority is universal, but each of us behaves differently in
trying to reach that goals. Adler believed that individual can consciously create a lifestyle for
himself. The style of life is fixed at the age of 4 or 5 and becomes difficult to change thereafter.
Style of life (According to Adler):

• Dominant : Attacking
• Avoiding : Ignore problems
• Getting : Dependent
• Socially Useful : Cooperate.

The Creative Power of the Self:-

Adler's concept of the creative power of the self suggests that we have the capacity to
determine our own personality in accordance with our own style of life. Adler meant that
each of us is consciously involves in shaping our personality and destiny.

Social interest:
• Innate potential to cooperate with other people to achieve goals.
• The mothers either develops or hinders social interest.

Stages of Development:
Adler studied the relationship between personality and birth order.He found that the
oldest,second, youngest,and only children.because of their position in the family,have varying
social experiences.And these experiences,result in different attitudes toward life and
different way of coping.
There are four different orders of children birth. These are as follows.

• First-Child
• Second -Child
• Youngest-Child
• Only-Child
❖ First -Born Child:

The first born may then become increase hostile ,authoritarian and
converservative.Adler suggested that criminals,neurotics are often first born children.
❖ Second-Born Child:

• Views older sibling as pacesetter .

• Competition spurs language and motor development.
Chacteristics:

• Optimistic ,Competitive,and ambitious.

• May turn to be an underachiever.

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 ❖ Youngest-Child:

• Pet of the family .

• Develop at a fast pace to surpass others.
Chacteristics:
• High achievers.
• May become dependent and helpless, if pampered.
❖ Only-Child:

• Focus of attention.
• Spend more time with adults.
Chacteristics:

• Maturity early.
• Disappointment follows, when not the center of attention.

Evaluation:
❖ Alder's theory was also criticized.Many psychologist Claim that Adler's theory is
superficial and rely on commonsense Observations from everyday life.Some
consider his ideas shrewd and insightful.
❖ Freud said that Adler system was too simple. Experimental psychologist put
objection to the Adler's work,as his observation of patients cannot be repeated
or verified ,nor they obtained in controlled and systematic fashion.
❖ Adler did not attempt to confirm the accuracy of his patients reports and did not
explain the procedures by which he analyzed his date and reached the conclusions.
❖ Davidow and Bruhn (1990) and Watkins (1992) suggested after research studies
that childhood memories give some indication of our adult style of life.
❖ Adler's focus on social variable's can be seen in the work of social learning the
theorist Jullian Rotter,impressed by Adler's insight into human nature.

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