Personality Theories: Psyc 356

Front 1

Distinguish between striving for superiority and striving for success.

Back 1

The sole dynamic force behind people's actions.

The final goal of ______ toward which all people strive unifies personality and makes all behavior meaningful.

people who strive for ________ over others. with little or no concern for others. Their goals are personal ones, and their strivings are motivated by exaggerated feelings of personal inferiority, or the presence of an inferiority complex.
Ex. murderer, thief, professor.
Clever disguise. Self-centered

____ are actions of people who are motivated by highly developed social interest. Psychologically healthy. People who are motivated by the success of all humankind.
Are concerned with goals beyond themselves. are capable of helping people without demanding or expecting a personal payoff. are able to see others not as opponents but as people with whom they can cooperate for social benefit.
THeir own success is not gained at the expense of others but it is a natural tendency to move toward completion or perfection. Maintain a sense of self. See daily problems from the view of society’s development rather than on own personal vantage point.
Sense of personal worth is tied closely to their contributions to human society.

Front 2

Describe the role of subjective perceptions in Adler's theory of personality.

Back 2

Shape their behavior and personality. People strive for superiority or success to compensate for feelings of inferiority but the manner they strive is shaped by their subjective perceptions of reality. That is their fictions or expectations of the future.

Fictionalism: The subjective, fictional final goal we set for our self guides our style of life, gives unity to our personality.
Believe that fictions are ideas that have no real existence, yet they influence people as if they really exist.

Physical inferiorities: alone don’t cause particular style of life; they simply provide present motivation for reaching future goals.

Front 3

Explain how seemingly contradictory behaviors may reflect a single goal of striving for superiority.

Back 3

Because people are born with small, inferior bodies, they feel inferior and attempt to overcome these feelings through their natural tendency to move toward completion. The striving force can take one of two courses—personal gain (superiority) or community benefit (success).

SEE CHART:

Front 4

Define social interest and give examples of what it is and what it is not.

Back 4

Feeling of oneness with humanity. It implies membership in the social community of all people. Strives not for personal superiority by for all people in an ideal community. Attitude of relatedness with humanity in general as well as an empathy for each member of the human community. It manifests itself as cooperation with others for social advancement rather than for personal gain.
Natural condition of the human race... the adhesive that binds society together.
Yardstick for measuring psychological health and is the sole criterion of human values. Barometer for humanity. It is the standard to be used in determining the usefulness of a life.

Ex. mom feeding infant and protecting child. Rooted luv of child. a love that is centered on the child’s well being not their own needs or wants.

Not synonymous with charity or unselfishness. Acts of philanthropy and kindness may or may not be motivated by social interest.

Not. Rich woman donating money to poor. Allows her to show the distinction between her and the poor.

Front 5

Define causality and teleology and discuss Adler's teleological approach to personality.

Back 5

_____: Behavior as springing from a specific cause.Deals with past experiences that produce some present effect. (Freud’s view). People driven by past experiences that activate present behaviour

_____: behaviour in terms of its final purpose or aim. concerned with future goals or ends. . (Adler’s view). people motivated by present perceptions of the future.