CHAPTER 4: METHODOLOGY
4.6 Conducting the interviews
CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Objectives 3.0 Main content
3.1 4.0 Conclusion 5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment 7.0 References/Further Reading 1.0 INTRODUCTION
The term, "individual psychology," is commonly used to refer to the psychology of Alfred Adler. For the psychology of individual differences, body of theories of the Austrian psychiatrist Alfred Adler, who held that the main motives of human thought and behavior are individual man‘s striving for superiority and power, partly in compensation for his feeling of inferiority. Every individual, in this view, is unique, and his personality structure—including his unique goal and ways of striving for it—finds expression in his style of life, this life-style being the product
32
of his own creativity. Nevertheless, the individual cannot be considered apart from society; all important problems, including problems of general human relations, occupation, and love, are social.
This theory led to explanations of psychological normality and abnormality:
although the normal person with a well-developed social interest will compensate by striving on the useful side of life (that is, by contributing to the common welfare and thus helping to overcome common feelings of inferiority), the neurotically disposed person is characterized by increased inferiority feelings, underdeveloped social interest, and an exaggerated, uncooperative goal of superiority, these symptoms manifesting themselves as anxiety and more or less open aggression.
Accordingly, he solves his problems in a self-centered, private fashion (rather than a task-centered, common-sense fashion), leading to failure. All forms of maladjustment share this constellation. Therapy consists in providing the patient with insight into his mistaken life-style through material furnished by him in the psychiatric interview.
2.0 OBJECTIVES
At the end of this unit, you should be able to:
* Define the concept of individual psychology.
3.0 MAIN CONTENT 3.1 Individual Psychology
Individual psychology is so named to emphasize the understanding that a person is "indivisible," meaning that people should be treated holistically. It was developed by Alfred Adler after he separated from Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic circle. The approach has wide-ranging goals and visions, regarding people as individual beings in need of harmony within, as well as social beings seeking harmony in relationships with others in all aspects of their lives. The hope of individual psychology is that through encouraging people to strive for socially beneficial goals, they will not only make valuable contributions to society, but will also achieve happiness as individuals.
33
Adler's Individual psychology
Individual psychology, also known as Classical Adlerian psychology after its founder, Alfred Adler, is a value-based, fully-integrated theory of personality, a model of psychopathology, philosophy of living, strategy for preventative education, and technique of psychotherapy. Its mission is to encourage the development of psychologically healthy and cooperative individuals, couples, and families, in order to effectively pursue the ideals of social equality and democratic living. A vigorously optimistic and inspiring approach to psychotherapy, it balances the equally important needs for individual optimal development and social responsibility.
Adler was a pioneer in creating a holistic view of human psychology. He explained human development in the context of the whole—how the human being exists and interacts within the family, society, nation, and world. He defined mental health as a feeling of human connectedness, a desire to develop one fully, and a willingness to contribute to the welfare of others. When these qualities are underdeveloped, an individual experiences feelings of inferiority, or an attitude of superiority which may antagonize others. The perception of superiority leads to self-centered behavior and the individual may become emotionally or materially exploitive of other people. When the feelings of connectedness and the willingness to contribute are stronger, a feeling of equality emerges, and the individual becomes more public minded, self-transcending, and behaves more beneficially to others.
A former colleague of Sigmund Freud's, Adler originally called his work "free psychoanalysis" for a time after their separation. However, he later rejected the label of "psychoanalyst" and his work became known as "individual psychology."
Individual psychology also draws upon Abraham Maslow's concept of self-actualization as well as an adaptation of the Socratic Method.
History of the Founder of Individual Psychology
Alfred Adler, (born February 7, 1870, Penzing, Austria—died May 28, 1937, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland), psychiatrist whose influential system of
34
individual psychology introduced the term inferiority feeling, later widely and often inaccurately called inferiority complex. He developed a flexible, supportive psychotherapy to direct those emotionally disabled by inferiority feelings toward maturity, common sense, and social usefulness.
Throughout his life Adler maintained a strong awareness of social problems, and this served as a principal motivation in his work. From his earliest years as a physician (M.D., University of Vienna Medical School, 1895), he stressed consideration of the patient in relation to the total environment, and he began developing a humanistic, holistic approach to human problems.
About 1900 Adler began to explore psychopathology within the context of general medicine and in 1902 became closely associated with Sigmund Freud. Gradually, however, differences between the two became irreconcilable, notably after the appearance of Adler‘s Studie über Minderwertigkeit von Organen (1907; Study of Organ Inferiority and Its Psychical Compensation), in which he suggested that persons try to compensate psychologically for a physical disability and its attendant feeling of inferiority. Unsatisfactory compensation results in neurosis.
Adler increasingly downplayed Freud‘s basic contention that sexual conflicts in early childhood cause mental illness, and he further came to confine sexuality to a symbolic role in human strivings to overcome feelings of inadequacy. Outspokenly critical of Freud by 1911, Adler and a group of followers severed ties with Freud‘s circle and began developing what they called individual psychology, first outlined in Über den nervösen Charakter (1912; The Neurotic Constitution). The system was elaborated in later editions of this work and in other writings, such as Menschenkenntnis (1927; Understanding Human Nature).
In 1921 Adler established the first child-guidance clinic in Vienna, soon thereafter opening and maintaining about 30 more there under his direction. Adler first went to the United States in 1926 and became visiting professor at Columbia University in 1927. He was appointed visiting professor of the Long Island College of Medicine in New York in 1932. In 1934 the government in Austria closed his clinics. Many of his later writings, such as What Life Should Mean to You (1931), were directed to the general reader. Heinz L. and Rowena R. Ansbacher edited The
35
Individual Psychology of Alfred Adler (1956) and Superiority and Social Interest (1964).
SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 1 1. What is Individual psychology?
2. Who is the pioneer of individual psychology?
4.0 CONCLUSION
Individual psychology maintains that the overriding motivation in most people is a striving for what Adler somewhat misleadingly termed superiority (i.e., self realization, completeness, or perfection). This striving for superiority may be frustrated by feelings of inferiority, inadequacy, or incompleteness arising from physical defects, low social status, pampering or neglect during childhood, or other causes encountered in the course of life. Individuals can compensate for their feelings of inferiority by developing their skills and abilities, or, less healthily, they may develop an inferiority complex that comes to dominate their behavior.
Overcompensation for inferiority feelings can take the form of an egocentric striving for power and self-aggrandizing behavior at others‘ expense.
Each person develops his personality and strives for perfection in his own particular way, in what Adler termed a style of life, or lifestyle. The individual‘s lifestyle forms in early childhood and is partly determined by what particular inferiority affected him most deeply during his formative years. The striving for superiority coexists with another innate urge: to cooperate and work with other people for the common good, a drive that Adler termed the social interest. Mental health is characterized by reason, social interest, and self-transcendence; mental disorder by feelings of inferiority and self-centered concern for one‘s safety and superiority or power over others. The Adlerian psychotherapist directs the patient‘s attention to the unsuccessful, neurotic character of his attempts to cope with feelings of inferiority. Once the patient has become aware of these, the therapist builds up his self-esteem, helps him adopt more realistic goals, and encourages more useful behavior and a stronger social interest.
36
5.0 SUMMARY
You learnt in this unit that:-
i) Individual psychology is so named to emphasize the understanding that a person is "indivisible," meaning that people should be treated holistically. It was developed by Alfred Adler after he separated from Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic circle.
ii) Individual psychology, also known as Classical Adlerian psychology after its founder, Alfred Adler.
6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT 1. Define individual psychology
2. Briefly outlined the history of the founder of individual psychology 7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READING
https://www.brissstannica.com/biography/Alfred-Adler#ref276946,
https://www.britannica.com/science/individual-psychology, Retrieved on 10th July, 2019.
https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Individual_psychology, Retrieved on 13th June, 2019
37
UNIT 2 OTHER CONTRIBUTORS TO INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOLOGY