Alfred Adler (1870-1937) Individual Psychology Why learn this theory?

Alfred Adler's contributions to the field of personality are numerous. His writing on the relationship between birth order and personality development is often cited as one of his most important contributions but his guide to parenting is also very significant and more encompassing. Adler observed the importance of both the mother and the father in the development of a healthy personality in children and noted the significance of the early social environment. Specifically, Adler advised parents to neither neglect nor overindulge their children because this type of interaction would result in low social interest. A middle ground that balances the needs of the child with the needs of the parents is necessary. This cautionary warning is especially important today as parents become increasingly involved in their children's lives: home schooling them, driving them to multiple extracurricular activities, and intervening when their children make mistakes. It is not these activities per se that interfere with the emergence of a high level of social interest. Rather, it is a message that children receive when parents ignore their own needs completely in order to accommodate those of their children. When parents invest all their energy into their children's lives and none into their own, the child never learns that other people have needs also, thereby resulting in low social interest, which Adler viewed as being the cause of maladjustment. Although most experts would disagree with that causal view, it is likely that a lack of social interest (i.e., a primary concern for oneself only) is a symptom of maladjustment, and certainly encouraging a concern for others and discouraging self-centered behavior are valuable goals. Adler's belief in the value and uniqueness of the individual, including the fact that people have subjective perceptions, is likewise an important observation and contributed to humanistic thought. Adler's other noteworthy contributions include his observation that human beings compensate for feelings of inferiority. He also observed, contrary to the suggestion of Freud, that although maladjusted people are unconsciously motivated, well-adjusted people were conscious of their behavior, that they were aware of what they were doing and why. Additionally, his teleological view (i.e., that we are motivated by our perceptions of the future) is a notable contribution to the field and definitely a departure from Freud's causal view. Finally, Adler's style of life is a concept that has made its way into mainstream societal terminology: The general public widely uses the term "lifestyle" to reflect a concept similar to what Adler meant by "style of life."

Case Study 8 Alfred Adler

Toshimi is a ballet dancer and teacher. She has her own ballet school in Detroit and teaches dozens of children, mostly girls, how to pli, the correct positions for their arms and legs, and how to go endpoint. Looking at her now, anyone would think that she is the epitome of health. She is thin, with an athletic build, strong yet graceful, and very coordinated. Her school is the best in the city, and a few of her students have gone on to train and dance with prestigious dance companies. Toshimi was not always athletic or graceful, though. As a child she was very sickly, and because of a variety of health problems, she was not able to play physical games such as tag and baseball very well with other children. She was born prematurely and almost died a few days later from a respiratory infection. Later in child- hood, she developed a severe case of tuberculosis from which she gradually recovered. As she was an only child, her parents became overprotective of Toshimi and for years encouraged her to "take it easy," not run around very much, and not become too excited. Essentially, they encouraged Toshimi to become fragile. Her inactivity left her awkward and out of shape which, in turn, resulted in an ineptitude for childhood games. She felt as though her friends were better than she was, at least in terms of physical activity, and unfortunately she was right. In fact, one of her earliest memories was of not being chosen to be on anyone's baseball team. The other children chose other friends to be on the two teams but both team captains, although they liked Toshimi, refused to let her on their team because she was too clumsy and slow. Toshimi, feeling very embarrassed, returned home alone and turned on the television. As she flipped through the channels, a program on PBS caught her eye. She saw women and men in beautiful costumes perform incredible physical feats. The women were able to stand on their toes, and both the men and women were able to perform graceful leaps. As she watched the Swan Lake ballet, Toshimi became determined. Rather than leading to depression, thinking about this painful experience of not being chosen for a team made Toshimi very determined to become healthy and physically fit. More than anything, she wanted to be good at some kind of physical activity and to have others respect her athleticism. Toshimi nagged her overprotective parents into letting her take ballet les- sons. They reluctantly gave in, thinking (incorrectly) that dance was not very strenuous. They loved their daughter and did not want to deny her anything. At first, Toshimi was incredibly incompetent and clumsy in dance class, but she had a patient and understanding teacher who discouraged the other children from snickering. Toshimi gradually became stronger and more coordinated. Eventually, she started to show some talent for the ballet, especially for choreography. Her teacher also noted her determination and talent and discussed the possibility of training for a career in dance. After discussion with her parents, Toshimi was allowed to take extra dance classes at a summer camp for dancers and did so for a number of years. At first, the camp dance teacher was reluctant to take Toshimi as a student because she was older than most of the girls, but she was convinced to work with Toshimi for a short time and then determine whether Toshimi should stay on. Soon, it was very clear that Toshimi had talent. She stood out in a performance, and she was a gifted choreographer. Toshimi's life changed dramatically when she moved to live with the dancers at the camp. She found that her every whim was no longer satisfied and that she had to wait her turn for various thingsfrom brushing her teeth, to getting food, to talking and working with her teacher. Although she found it difficult, Toshimi eventually adjusted to this lifestyle and in the process found herself caring for some of the younger girls. She was the oldest and found herself in the role of a big sister. She comforted the younger girls and gave them advice as they needed it. They looked up to her, especially when they needed comfort. This was quite a change for Toshimi. When she had lived with her parents, it was she who needed comforting, for example at the time when no one wanted her on their baseball team. Now her role was reversed. Although Toshimi showed determination and talent, her delay in taking dance lessons put her at a disadvantage. Furthermore, because of discriminatory practices at that time, it was very difficult for a woman of Asian descent (or any other minority) to begin a career as a professional dancer. Although disappointed, Toshimi would not be stopped from pursuing her dream. She continued to take dance lessons, and in college she majored in dance and minored in business. When she completed her degree, she opened her own dance studio with a loan from her parents and began giving dance lessons to children. Her reputation as an experienced, talented, and patient ballet teacher grew and her enrollment enlarged. Today there is a waiting list to begin lessons at her school. She is also beginning to get a reputation regionally and even nationally because a few of her students have been accepted to train with such prestigious ballet companies as the Cleveland Ballet and American Ballet Theater.

APPLICATION QUESTIONS

Using Adler's theory of individual psychology, analyze Toshimi's life by answering the following questions.

1. What is the motivation behind Toshimi's career choice, according to Adler's theory?

2. According to Adler's theory, what was Toshimi's goal? What was Toshimi's unique style of life that could be used to achieve this goal? Provide evidence for your answer. 3. Does Toshimi have a high or low level of social interest? What does this imply about her personality and adjustment? What is the cause of this level of social interest? 4. What did Adler say about birth order that would apply to Toshimi's life?