Intro To Personality Theories

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accusation

Back 1

form of neurotic aggression that involves blaming other people for for ones shortcomings and seeking revenge against those people

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aggression

Back 2

as a safeguarding strategy, aggression can take three forms:depreciation, accusation, and self-accusation.

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avoiding type person

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person exhibiting the mistaken lifestyle of avoiding the attempt to solve lifes problems, thereby escaping possible defeat. such a person lacks adequate social interest

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birth order

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one of the topics adler studied in order to understand pers. he believed that diff. birth orders created diff. situations to which children must adjust and that this adjustment may have an influence on personality development

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compensation

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making up for a weakness, such as organ inferiority, by emphasizing fxns that substitute for the weakness

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creative self

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free element of the personality that allows the person to choose btw. .alternative fictional goals and lifestyles. It is the differential exercise of this creative power that is mainly responsible for individual differences

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depreciation

Back 7

neurotic safeguarding strategy where one's accomplishments are over valued and the accomps of others are undervalued. It can take form of idealization, whereby standards used to judge people are so high that no real person could live up with them and is thus depreciated. another form is solicitude whereby neurotics act as if other people could not get along with them

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distancing

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safeguarding strat. used by neurotics that involves creating barriers btw. themselves and their problems in life. according to adler distancing can take forms of moving backward or the use of childlike behavior in order to gain attention and control; standing still or the avoidance of failure by not attempting to do anything hesitating or becoming involved in diversions until it is too late to confront a problem: constructing obstacles or the creation of minor obstacles so that they can be overcome, thereby increasing the neurotic feeling of worth: experiencing anxiety caused by neurotic's inability to solve life's problems; the greater the ineptitude, the greater the need for distancing; and using the exclusion tendency or the neurotics tendency to confine their lives to the few areas in which they can dominate

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dream analysis

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adler believed the primary purpose of dreams was to create emotions that could be used by dreamers to support their mistaken lifestyles. dreams then were analyzed to learn about lifestyles of the dreamers

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excuses

Back 10

safeguarding strategy whereby neurotics use their symptoms as excuses for their shortcomings

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feelings of inferiority

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feelings that one has of being inferior whether or not these feelings are justified by real circumstances. such feelings according to adler could lead to positive accomplishments or to an inferior complex

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fictional finalism

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aka guiding self ideal and guiding fiction. fictional future goal to which a person aspires. this goal is the end to which the person is aspiring and his or her lifestyles is the means to that end

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first born child

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this child is the focus of attention until the birth of the 2nd dethrones him. the loss felt by this often creates bitterness that causes problems later in life. adler considered this to be the most troublesome of the birth positions

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first memories

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persons earliest recollections which provide the basis for a persons worldview fictional final goal and lifestyle. adler believed that as ones personality changes so do the first memories

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fundamental fact of life

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adler replaced his earlier contention that people seek power to overcoming feelings of inferiority with the contention that they aspire to become superior or perfect. adler referred to the latter contention that as the fundamental fact of life. adler's final position was that healthy persons aspire toward social rather than individual perfection.

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getting-learning type person

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person exhibiting the mistaken lifestyle that expects everything to be given to him or her by others. such a person lacks adequate social interest

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individual psychology

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adlers term to describe his theory. the term individual was used to stress his belief that each person is an integrated whole striving to attain future goals and attempting to find meaning while working harmoniously with others

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inferiority complex

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psychological condition that exists when a person is overwhelmed by feelings of inferiority to the point at which nothing can be accomplished

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lifestyle

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the primary means by which one attempts to attain his or her self crossed fictional goals in life

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masculine ptroest

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attempting to become more powerful by being more masculine and thereby less feminine. according to adlers earliest theorizing both men and women attempt to gain power by becoming more like cultural ideal of the man

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mistaken lifestyle

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any lifestyle that is aimed at socially useful goals. in other any lifestyle that minimizes social interest

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neglecting

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condition that causes teh child to feel worthless and angry and to be distrustful of everyone

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only child

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like first born who was never dethroned. only children according to adler are often sweet affectionate and charming in order to appeal to others. adler didn't consider this position as dangerous as the first one

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organ inferiority

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exists when some organ of the body doesn't develop normally. this can stimulate compensation or overcomp. which is healthy or can result in an inferiority complex which is unhealthy

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overcompensation

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process by which through considerable effort a previous weakness is converted into a strength. ex. frail child works hard to become an athlete

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physical inferiority

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actual physical weakness

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ruling dominant type person

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person exhibiting the mistaken lifestyle that dominates and rules people. such a person lacks adequate social interest.

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safeguaring strategies

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mechs. neurotics use to preserve what life self esteem and illusions of superiority a mistaken lifestyle can provide

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2nd born child

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child is very ambitious b/c he or she is constantly attempting to catch up and surpass the older sibling. of all the birth orders, adler believed that the 2nd born was the best

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self-accusation

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form of neurotic aggression that involves wallowing in self torture guilt the ultimate purpose of which is to hurt other people

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social interest

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innate potential to live in harmony and friendship with others and to spire to the development of a perfect society

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socially useful type person

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person exhibiting a lifestyle containing a healthy amount of social interest. such a lifestyle is not mistaken

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spoiling or pampering

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conditions that cause a child to believe it is the responsibility of others to satisfy his or her needs

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striving for superiority

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adler called the fundamental fact of life. according to adler's final theoretical position it is not the search for the power necessary to overcome feelings of inferiority that motivates humans; rather, it is the constant search for perfection or superiority. however, adler stressed the perfection of society rather than individual perfection

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superiority complex

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psychological condition that exists when a person concentrates too much on his or her own need to succeed while ignoring the needs of others. such a person tends to be vain, domineering, and arrogant

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youngest child

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according to adler the 2nd worst birth position after first born. this one is often spoiled and therefore loses courage to succeed by his or her own efforts.