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TASKS OF PERSONAL PSYCHOLOGY

“Alfred Adler's Individual Psychology”

Submitted to fulfill an assignment for a personality psychology course

Supporting lecturer:

Syafira Putri Ekayani, M.Psi., Psychologist

Arranged by:

1. Faridathul Putri Nur Annisa (147320123029)

2. Radhitya Croos Joey Wijaksono (147320123016)
3. Yuliana Yulianti (147320123008)
4. Yulita Beatrix Nadia Laitera (147320123005)

FACULTY OF BUSINESS ECONOMICS AND HUMANITIES

PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDIES PROGRAM

SORONG MUHAMMADIYAH EDUCATIONAL UNIVERSITY 2023

 FOREWORD

Alhamdulillah, we would like to express our gratitude for the presence of the Almighty God
who has bestowed His blessings and guidance, so that we can complete the Personality
Psychology Paper on time. We would also like to thank the Lecturer in the personality
psychology course, Mrs. Syafira Putri Ekayani, M.Psi., Psychology for the assignments given
to us with different themes.

We wrote this paper with the aim of fulfilling the value of the personality psychology
assignment. Not only that, we also hope that this paper can be useful for writers in
particular and readers in general. However, we realize that in preparing this paper there
are still many shortcomings. Therefore, we really hope for criticism and suggestions for the
perfection of this paper.

Finally, we hope that this personality psychology paper can provide useful information
and knowledge for all of us. We also express our thanks to the readers who have read
this paper to the end
 PIG

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

Alfred Adler was born in Vienna on February 7, 1870 as the third child. His father is a
businessman. As a child, Adler was a sickly child. When he was 5 years old he almost
died from pneumonia. It was this unpleasant experience related to health that
prompted him to become a doctor. Adler graduated as a doctor from the University of
Vienna in 1895. Adler began his career as an ophthalmologist, but then moved to
general practice in a lower-class area of Vienna, a place that mixed playgrounds and
circuses, so many of his patients worked as circus performers. It was these strengths
and weaknesses of circus performers that inspired him to develop the concepts of
inferiority and compensation.

Adler argued that humans are first motivated by social drives. According to Adler,
humans are basically social creatures. they connect themselves with other people,
participate in social cooperation activities, place social welfare above their own
interests and develop a lifestyle that prioritizes social orientation

In this theory, Adler has the goals of individual psychology that Adler put forward and also
theories in counseling in individual psychology theory.
1.2 Problem Formulation

From the background above, we can formulate the problem formulation

are as follows :

1. What is Alfred Adler's theory of individual psychology?

2. What is the purpose of Alfred Adler's theory of individual psychology?

1.3 Objectives

The goals we hope for include:

1. To be able to understand and know Alfred Adler's theory of individual psychology.

2. To be able to understand and know the purpose of Alfred Adler's theory of individual psychology.

1.4 Benefits of writing

So that readers or prospective counselors will know and understand Alfred Adler's
theory of individual psychology
 CHAPTER II

DISCUSSION

1.5 Alfred Adler's Individual Psychology

According to Adler, humans are born with a weak body. This condition of helplessness gives rise to
feelings of inferiority (feeling weak or incapable) and dependence on other people. Humans,
according to Adler, are socially interdependent creatures. The feeling of unity with other people
has existed since humans were born and is the main condition for mental health. Based on this
paradigm, Adler then developed his theory which is briefly presented in the following description:

1. Individuality as the main issue

Adler chose the name Individual psychology in the hope of emphasizing his belief that each
person is unique and cannot be divided. Individual psychology emphasizes the unity of
personality. According to Adler, each person is a unique configuration of motives, traits and
values, and each behavior shows a unique pattern of individual life style, which is directed
towards certain goals.

2. Consciousness and Unconsciousness

Adler viewed personality unity as also occurring between consciousness and the unconscious.
According to Adler, unconscious behavior is part of a final goal that has not been formulated and is not
yet clearly understood. Adler rejected the view that consciousness and unconsciousness are parts that
work together in a unified system. Conscious thoughts, according to Adler, are anything that an
individual understands and accepts and can help the struggle to achieve success. while anything that
does not help this will be pushed into the unconscious, whether the mind is aware of it or not, the goal
is to become super or achieve success. If Freud uses an iceberg as an illustration to illustrate the
relationship and comparison between the conscious and unconscious worlds, Adler uses the illustration
of a tree crown and roots, both of which develop in different directions to achieve the same life.

3. Two Basic Impulses

Within each individual there are two main drives, which drive and underlie all his behavior,
namely:

a. Social drive, which encourages humans to act in the interests of others

b. Selfish drive, which encourages humans to act in their own interests.

4. Struggle towards Superiority

Individuals begin their lives with physical weaknesses that give rise to feelings of inferiority. This
feeling then becomes the driving force for him to be successful and not give in to his inferiority.
Adler argued that humans begin life with a basic fighting force activated by neonatal physical
weakness. Physical weakness creates feelings of inferiority. Individuals who are mentally unhealthy
develop excessive feelings of inferiority and try to compensate by making their goal personal
superiority. In contrast, mentally healthy people are motivated by normal feelings of self-
incompleteness and high social interests. They strive to be successful, referring to anyone's
perfection and happiness.

5. Lifestyle (Style of Life)

According to Adler, every person has a goal, feels inferior, strives to be superior. However, everyone tries
to make this wish come true with a different lifestyle. Adaler stated that lifestyle is the unique way each
person strives to achieve specific goals that have been determined by the person concerned in the
particular life in which he or she lives. Lifestyle, according to Adler, is formed at the age of 4-5 years. A
person's lifestyle is not only determined by intrinsic abilities (heredity) and objective environment, but is
shaped by the person concerned through their observations and interpretations of both. For Adler, this
lifestyle is not easy to change. The actual expression of the lifestyle may change but the basis of the style
remains the same, unless the individual realizes his mistakes and deliberately changes the direction of
his goals.

6. Social Interest

Adler argued that social interest is part of human nature in that different quantities appear
in each person's behavior. Social interest makes individuals able to strive for superiority in a
healthy way and not stray into wrongdoing. That all failures, neurotics, psychotics, criminals,
drunkards, problem children, etc., according to Adler, occur because sufferers lack social
interest.

7. Self's Creative Power

The creative self is Adler's peak achievement as a personality theorist. According to Adler, the
creative self or creative power is the third force that most determines behavior (the first and
second forces are heredity and environment). The creative self, according to Adler, is unified,
consistent and sovereign in the personality structure. Heredity gives certain abilities, the
environment gives certain impressions. The creative self is a means of processing world facts and
transforming these facts into a personality that is subjective, dynamic, unified, personal and
unique. The creative self gives meaning to life, creates goals and the means to achieve them.
8. Family Constellation

Constellations influence personality formation. According to Adler, the personalities of first children, middle
children, last children and only children are different, because the treatment they receive from parents and siblings
is different.

9. Sleeping Position and Personality

Psychological life is a unity between aspects of the soul and body and is reflected in states of sleep
and sleep. From observations made on his patients, Adler concluded that there was a relationship
between a person's sleeping position and his personality, namely:

- Sleeping on your back shows that the person concerned has a brave nature and has high aspirations.

- Sleeping in circles (mlungker), shows cowardice and weakness in making decisions. Sleep
- looks chaotic, indicating that the person concerned has a disorganized, careless character,
etc.
- Sleeping with your feet on a pillow shows that this person likes adventure.
- Sleeping is done easily, meaning the adjustment process is good.

10. Inferiority Complex and Neurosis

An inferiority complex is an excessive feeling that one is an inadequate person. Adler

stated that these symptoms were caused by at least three things, namely:

a. Having a physical disability,

b. Pampered, and

c. educated with violence

Signs that a child has an inferiority complex are stuttering and urinating while sleeping
(bedwetting). In Adler's view, an inferiority complex is not a small problem, but is classified as a
neurosis or mental disorder, meaning that the problem is as big as the problem of life itself.
People who show themselves to be timid, shy, insecure, indecisive, etc. is a person who suffers
from an inferiority complex

11. Abnormal Development

Adler was a figure who paid attention to the abnormal development of individuals. Adler's
ideas about abnormal development are as follows. Undeveloped social interest is the
underlying factor of all kinds of maladjustment. In addition to poor social interest, neurosis
sufferers tend to set too high goals, adopt a rigid lifestyle, and live in his own world. These
three characteristics accompany poor social interest. People with neurosis set high goals to
compensate for excessive feelings of inferiority. Adler identified that there are three factors
that make individuals malformed, namely severe physical disabilities, a pampered lifestyle, and
a neglected lifestyle.
a. Severe physical disability

Severe physical defects, whether congenital or the result of accidents, and disease, are not sufficient to
constitute maladjustment. If this defect is followed by excessive feelings of inferiority then symptoms of
maladjustment occur.

b. Spoiled lifestyle

A spoiled lifestyle is the main source of some neuroses. Pampered children have little social
interest and low activity levels. He enjoys being pampered and tries to stay pampered, and
develops a parasitic relationship with his mother towards others. He expects others to pay
attention to him, protect him, and satisfy all his selfish desires. A person's spoiled lifestyle is
easily recognized by the characteristics: very easily discouraged, always doubtful, very
sensitive, impatient and emotional.

c. Lifestyle ignored

Children who feel unloved and unwanted will develop a lifestyle of neglect. Ignored,
according to Adler, is a relative concept, no one feels absolutely ignored. The characteristics
of neglected children have many similarities with pampered children, but in general
neglected children are more suspicious and dangerous to others.

12. Security Tendencies

Adler's view of neurosis is also put forward regarding the security tendency. All neurosis
sufferers try to create security for their self-esteem.

1. Difference between security tendencies and self-defense mechanisms. Adler's concept of security
tendencies is similar to the concept of self-defense mechanisms put forward by Freud. Both are
symptoms that are formed as protection against the self or ego. However, there are several differences
between the two. Among them are

- Defense mechanisms protect the ego from instinctive anxiety, while protective
tendencies protect the self from external demands.
- The ego defense mechanism is a general symptom that can be experienced by every
individual, while the protective tendency is one of the symptoms of neurosis, although it is
possible that every individual, normal or abnormal, uses this tendency to maintain self-
esteem.
- Ego defense mechanisms operate at an unconscious level, whereas protective tendencies
operate at both conscious and unconscious levels.
2. Forms of security tendencies. Individual psychology analyzes that neurosis sufferers are afraid
that the personal goals they pursue will be revealed as mistakes and will then be followed by a loss
of respect from society. To compensate for this delusion, individuals develop protective tendencies,
which can take the form of regret, aggression, and withdrawal;

A. Regret

Regret "yes, but" (yes, but), is used to reduce the danger of falling self-esteem due to doing
things differently from other people. The real regret is that “(if, only) is used to protect weak
feelings of self-worth, and deceive others into believing that they are actually superior to
the current reality.

B. Aggression

Neurosis sufferers use aggression to secure an excessive superior complex, protecting vulnerable self-
esteem. Adler differentiates aggression into three types, namely depreciation, accusation, and self-
accusation.

1) Depreciation (putting it down), is the tendency to assess other people's achievements low and evaluate
one's own achievements highly.
2) Accusation (accusation), is the tendency to blame others for one's own failures, and
the tendency to seek revenge, thus protecting the weakness of one's self-esteem.

3) Self-accusation (self-accusation), characterized by attempts to torture oneself and

feelings of sin.

C. Withdraw

Witdrawl is the tendency to escape from difficulties in the form of withdrawing from activities and the
social environment. There are 4 types of witdrawl, namely: moving backward, sitting still, hesitating, and
constructing obstacles.

1. Moving backward, is a symptom similar to the regression proposed by Freud, namely

returning to a previous stage of development.
2. Standing-still (staying in place), similar to Freud's concept, fixation. To avoid anxiety
due to failure, individuals make decisions not to take certain actions.
3. Hesitating (doubtful), closely related to staying in place. There are people who hesitate when
facing problems that are considered difficult. Buying time is used as a way to overcome the
problems faced.
4. Constructing obstacle, is a mild form of withdrawal, similar to "if, only" regret. In
facing problems, individuals create fantasies about obstacles and success in
overcoming these problems.
1.6 THERAPY TECHNIQUES

Like Freud and Jung, in carrying out psychotherapy, Adler also explored the past and
analyzed the patient's dreams to gain a deep understanding of the patient's personality.

a. Digging up the past (early recollection)

Adler argued that a person's past memories are always consistent with his current lifestyle,
and his subjective view of his past experiences is a clue to understanding his final goals and
lifestyle. Therefore, Adler tried to uncover the factors that cause mental disorders by studying
the patient's past, especially children.

b. Dream analysis

According to Adler, a person's lifestyle is also expressed in dreams. Adler rejected Freud's view that dreams
were expressions of childhood desires. According to Adler, dreams are not the satisfaction of desires that are
not accepted by the ego, but are part of the dreamer's efforts to solve problems that he does not like or
problems that he cannot control when he is conscious. Dreams, according to Adler, are an attempt by the
unconscious to create a mood or emotional state after waking up, which can force the dreamer to carry out
activities that were not previously carried out.

1.7 THERAPY PROCESS

Therapeutic Goals

Adlerian counselors educate clients in new ways of viewing themselves, others, and life. Through the
process of providing clients with a new “cognitive map,” a fundamental understanding of the goals of
their behavior, counselors assist them in changing their perceptions. Mosak and Maniacci (2008) list
these goals for the therapeutic education process:

• Cultivate social interest

• Help clients overcome feelings of discouragement and low self-esteem

• Modify clients' views and goals — that is, change their lifestyle

• Change wrong motivations

• Encourage individuals to recognize equality among people

• Help people to become contributing members of society

Functions and Roles of Therapists

The primary function of the therapist is to make a comprehensive assessment of the client's functioning.
Therapists often collect information about an individual's lifestyle by means of questionnaires on the client's
family constellation, which includes parents, siblings, and others living in the home, life tasks, and early
memories.

Client Experiences in Therapy

In therapy, clients explore what Adlerians call personal logic, concepts about self, others, and life that form
the philosophy on which the individual's lifestyle is based. Clients' problems arise because conclusions based
on their personal logic often do not correspond to the requirements of social life. The essence of the
therapeutic experience consists of the client discovering the goals of the behavior or symptoms and the
underlying errors associated with their coping. Learning how to correct false assumptions and conclusions is
at the heart of therapy.

Relationship Between Therapist and Client

Adlerians consider a good client-therapist relationship to be one based on cooperation, mutual trust,
respect, self-confidence, and alignment of goals. From the beginning of therapy, this relationship is a
collaborative one, characterized by two people working together for specific, agreed-upon goals.
Adlerians strive to establish and maintain egalitarian therapeutic alliances and “person-to-person”
relationships with their clients. Developing a strong therapeutic relationship is critical to a successful
outcome

At the beginning of counseling clients should formulate a plan, how they plan to achieve their
goals, what prevents them from successfully achieving their goals, how they can change non-
productive behavior into constructive behavior, and how they can make full use of their assets in
achieving their goals . This therapy contract establishes the goals of the counseling process and
defines the responsibilities of the therapist and client.
1.8 Applications: Therapeutic Techniques and Procedures

4 Phases of the therapeutic process

1. Build Relationships

Therapeutic progress is only possible when there is clear alignment of goals between therapist and
client. For the counseling process to be effective, it must deal with significant personal problems and be
willing to explore and change. Adlerians strive to make man-to-man contact with clients rather than
starting with “the problem.”

2. Explore Individual Psychological Dynamics

The goal of the second phase of Adlerian counseling is to gain a deeper understanding of the
individual's lifestyle. During this assessment phase, the focus is on the individual's social and cultural
context.

3. Encourage self-understanding and insight

During this third stage, Adlerian therapists interpret assessment findings as a means of
advancing self-understanding and insight.

4. Reorientation and Re-Education

The final stage of the therapeutic process is the action-oriented phase known as
reorientation and re-education: putting insights into practice. The focus of this phase is to
help people find new, more functional perspectives. Clients are encouraged and challenged
to develop the courage to take risks and make changes in their lives.

1.9 APPLICATION OF ADLER'S THEORY

❖ APPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATION

❖ APPLICATION FOR PARENT EDUCATION

❖ APPLICATION FOR COUPLES COUNSELING

❖ APPLICATION FOR FAMILY COUNSELING

❖ APPLICATION FOR GROUP COACHING

2.1 LIMITATIONS AND CRITICISMS

Adlerian counseling is considered a fundamental approach and is written for both professionals and
laypeople, some researchers and professionals often fault the theory for its shallowness. This book was
criticized for being superficial and lacking a strong basis for addressing the various psychological
difficulties that individuals bring to counseling. This makes assumptions that are seen as giving undue
weight to concepts that are not typically specific to human development, such as birth order and early
memory. Adler's theory has several more general weaknesses, such as being overwhelmed by many
concepts, considering these concepts difficult to explain, losing true meaning, and only concentrating
on individuals as agents of change. The lack of actual data and comparative analysis is one of the most
frequently cited objections to Adler's thesis. Adler's theory includes several ideas that have been
assessed, and managed care organizations mandate that counselors use procedures that can be
measured. Consequently, physical or behavioral factors that serve as causation are necessary for
experimental focus. Feelings of inadequacy, the desire to be accepted by others, or the pursuit of
perfection are just a few examples of intangible phenomena in Adler's conception that are far from
behavioral and physical. or causally acting behavioral factors are necessary for experimental focus.
Feelings of inadequacy, the desire to be accepted by others, or the pursuit of perfection are just a few
examples of intangible phenomena in Adler's conception that are far from behavioral and physical. or
causally acting behavioral factors are necessary for experimental focus. Feelings of inadequacy, the
desire to be accepted by others, or the pursuit of perfection are just a few examples of intangible
phenomena in Adler's conception that are far from behavioral and physical.

Most experts agree that the main benefits of truth therapy come from how it leads clients
toward solutions to their problems. Real-world therapists prefer to address current issues
rather than focusing excessively on a client's history or internal issues. Additionally, some
experts believe that focusing on the outcomes of life decisions can make patients feel blamed
for their own problems, which may be counterproductive. Truth therapy is generally about
identifying the problem, creating a strategy to solve it, and then doing what is necessary to
keep the client focused on implementing the plan. In this case, it is a valuable method that
focuses on alternatives, not causes. There may be some focus on the underlying problem a
person is facing, but only so much is needed to find a workable solution.

Another criticism of this technique is that it is easy to practice poorly, and because of its loose
approach, it may be easy to get off track. In fact, everyone will argue that talking and
discussing is better to overcome the negative aspects. All this may not always be an ideal
option for those who prefer not to chat. This method will not work if the client is not willing to
actively participate in changing other beliefs. This can be a less effective tactic if the client is
already very adept at self-reflection.
 CHAPTER III

CLOSING

2.2 CONCLUSION

According to Adler, humans are social-psychological and non-deterministic. Adler also argued that
humans are first motivated by social drives. So it is very different from what Freud said. From
Adler's perspective, humans are not simply determined by heredity and environment, but by their
ability to interpret, influence and create events. The main construct of individual psychology is that
human behavior is seen as a compensation for feelings of inferiority. The purpose of life is seen to
overcome the feeling of inferiority (FOI) towards the feeling of superiority (FOS). The objectives of
this counseling include changing wrong lifestyles, reducing the client's intensity of inferiority,
increasing the client's social interest and confronting superiority mechanisms. The concepts
contained in Adler's Individual Psychology theory include: feelings of inferiority, superiority,
lifestyle, creative self, conscious self, false goals and social interests.

The Adlerian school considers a good relationship between the client and the therapist to be that both are
equal, based on cooperation, mutual trust, mutual respect, mutual confidentiality and alignment of goals.