Adler and Cattell and Personally Identifying
Michell Belisle
Metropolitan State University
Adler and Cattell and Personally Identifying Many psychologists have elaborated on theories of personality. For example, Alfred Adler and Raymond Cattell, have different yet impactful views on what creates a successful and healthy person. After an in depth study of the two theorists’ ideas on personality, I identify more strongly with Adler’s theories of individual psychology, including: inferiority, superiority, and individual uniqueness. Where Cattell’s ideas are appealing in some ways, such as the development of the 16 Personality Factor Analysis, Cattell’s factor analysis approach is difficult for me to identifying with.
Alfred
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Adler argued that a persons personality is developed by their self ideal and unique style of life and felt that a person’s consistent way of striving, whether good or bad was their way of compensating for their inferiorities and could be considered both motivating and maladaptive. Adler believed to be a adjusted healthy individual one must act in ways of social interest that would benefit others and not just the individual. (Adler, …show more content…
I’ve experienced both inferiority and superiority complexes in my personal life, which makes me see the truth in Adler’s argument, and how he elaborated on his personal struggles to derive these ideas. In identifying with Adler’s theory of inferiority throughout my life, I have had many moments of inferiority and had to focus on the end goal to strive to improve. Using coming back to college after twenty years as an example; I have had feelings of inferiority throughout the process. Adler would agree that my “felt minus” in this experience is I felt less than others because my life and life choices did not allow for me to continue my education at a time in life that some of my student peers have been allotted. As Mitchell discusses in his article (Alfred Adler & Adlerian, n.d.) “the healthy person makes his deepest goals conscious while integrating them into activities that improve family and community.” (Mitchel, n.d. p.5) With this I agree, as in my experience the deeper goal of continuing my education had to be conscious and to improve for my family and community the goal of achieving my degree would allow for this
Does personality determine behavior? Phelps (2015) dived into this discussion in his article by reviewing the perspectives of personality, how psychology relates to behavior and the idea of self, and further, how behaviorists define personality and all of its components. Phelps (2015) compares and contrasts the common beliefs of personality and the view of self as attributed to personality theorists with those characterized by behavioral theorists. A typical understanding of personality is one that defines it as an internal substance that drives behavior, and therefore, by seeking to understand a person's personality we can almost assume their actions (Phelps, 2015). Behavioral theorists, on the other hand, do not lean on vague internal conditions to explain behavior, but rather they evaluate a person's past and present settings to define behavior, according to Phelps (2015). The conclusion is that behaviorists' perspectives on these topics are far more parsimonious in nature and most popular views of personality speak to a more internal and far-reaching position rather than the behavior itself (Phelps, 2015). Likewise, Phelps (2015) addresses the issue of meeting specific criteria for discerning whether a theoretical viewpoint is valid in helping us understand people. He continued to remark that behaviorists' stances meet a large portion of the criteria as presented by Gordon Allport (Phelps, 2015). For example, they have less assumptions, they are consistent, and not to mention, they are testable and falsifiable, Phelps (2015) supports. In my opinion and critical review, this article is useful because it provides an unbiased assessment of a variety of personality theories and definitions of personality and the self. Likewise, it is simple and easy to understand, thus qualifying it as parsimonious. Overall, I think the article did its ultimate job of evaluating different perspectives and
Alfred Adler was born in 1870. He published his first major psychology book, Understanding Human Nature, in 1959. Alder has a passionate concern for the common person and he was very outspoken about child-rearing practices, school reforms, and prejudices that resulted in conflict. Alder created 32 child guidance clinics in the Vienna public schools and began training teachers, social workers, physicians, and other professionals. Alder believes that where we are striving to go is more important than where we have come from. He saw humans as both the c...
This essay will explore one of the possible combinations of theories on personality and explain how it can be applied in practical therapy.
Alfred Adler was the founder of Adlerian Counseling. He was born in 1870 in the country of Austria. who gave his theory the name Individual Psychology, because he wanted people to see that his theory and methods were designed to help clients help themselves. He believed that everyone had and internal need to be a part of society, and a desire to contribute to that society. That everyone strives for perfection, and everyone initially feels inferior to everyone else. He believed that when that feeling is not overcome, inferiority complexes develop, and if a person tries to overcompensate for inferiority, the develop superiority complex.
Cervone, D., Pervin, L. A. (2008). Personality: Theory and research (10th Ed.). New York: Wiley.
The purpose of factor analysis is to find simple relationship patterns among mathematically examined variables (Buchanan, 2011). However, Freud approached understanding personality with an ever so fascinating perspective. A perspective that remains controversial even after his death. Freud did not use measurable scientific approaches to reach his conclusions; he us...
Later research attempted to reduce Cattell’s sixteen “source traits” to five universal personality dimensions resulting in what is now known as “The Big Five Personality Factors.” (Costa & McCrae, 2006; Noftle & Fleeson, 2010)
Massey, R. F. (1986). Erik Erikson: New-Adlerian. Individual Psychology: The Journal of Adlerian Theory, Research & Practice, 42(1), 65. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Magnavita, J. J. (2002). Theories of personality: Contemporary approaches to the science of personality. New York: Wiley.
The scrutinizing of personality traits is profitable in identifying the many variables that exist from person to person. Hence, the merger of variables will help us with a true level of individuality. According to Roberts, (2009), “personality traits are defined as relatively enduring patterns of behavior, thought, and feeling that are relatively consistent across a wide variety of situations and contexts” (P. 3). However, to test the concept of traits, theorists are using different approaches to them. We can classify traits into wide- ranging structures, also called the trait approach. Hence, a trait theory a key to comprehending one’s behavior. However, personality traits are unchanging throughout one’s life span. The traits are what makes
Personality can be defined as an individual’s characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling and acting. Many personality theorists have put forward claims as to where personality is derived from and how it develops throughout an individual’s life. The two main personality theories this essay will be focusing on is the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) (Bandura, 1986) and the Trait Theory – Five Factor Theory (FFT) (McCrae and Costa, 1995). The SCT allocates a central role to cognitive, observational learning and self-regulatory processes (Bandura, 1986). An individual’s personality develops through experiences with their sociocultural environment. Whereas the Trait Theory proposes that all individuals are predisposed with five traits (Extraversion, Openness, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness and Neuroticism) which determines our personality. This theory also puts forward that personality is stable and cannot change as it’s biologically determined.
The Five-Factor Model of Personality gives an insight to psychologists when dealing with patients and test subjects. Due to this theory, research psychologist are able to research personality more accurately and uphold a better understanding when discussing the reasoning behind certain pre-disposed tendencies. Also, counselors which practice different types of therapy are enabled to learn details concerning their patient that can assist in the treatment of that specific patient. There have been multiple disputes in regards to the validity of the Five-Factor Model of Personality theory. Many skeptics believe that there are too many variations that come into play when dealing with personality in order to accurately depict and diagnose a 100% accurate declaration of ones’ characteristics (McCrae, 1991). The issue with relying on the model in order to declare one’s characteristics is that there is often overlap between the degrees of high and low (Popkins, 1998). Although this is a valid statement, the model is a significant role in sorting through the variations to achieve a probable consensus. Therefore, the model cannot achieve a result without any probable cause for doubt but generally will provide a clear depiction of ones’ traits and
Adler believed “it is the feeling of inferiority, inadequacy, insecurity, which determines the goal of an individual’s existence.” His theory applies to every individual because in childhood everyone has felt sense of inferiority in them. The only difference is that some are able to overcome it some do not. To Adler, healthy individual drive toward superiority as a way to compensate for the inferiorities felt during childhood. However, superiority according to Adler does not specify to be superior to others but signifies moving from a perceived lower position to perceived higher position. Not only this, Adler also took into account individual life style and birth order. His approach to give emphasis to the relationship between siblings and psychological birth position is exclusive. It is obvious for people to think why children from the same family are different even though they come from same environment. Even though sharing some aspects of the family pattern, each child becomes different due to birth order. If we look in our own family, we can easily understand what Adler mean by this behavioral distinction by birth order. I am eldest child in my family, thus more pampered and looked upon until my brother was born. When my parents were more into taking care of my brother, I automatically became their helping hand to help raise my brother. Now, he is totally dependent on me for every decision he makes and looks upon me as his mentor or role-model. As we pass from one stage to the next, often with some difficult periods of transition, we learn and mature in the process. Throughout the life span, the importance of roles may change, varying with the stages. Every individual pass through these stages of life thus should prepare them...
Adler’s theory holds that conscious aspects of behavior are central to the development of personality. A major tenet of the theory is that individuals strive to become successful, the best that they can be. This theory places a lot of emphasis on the birth order. It is believed that birth order is not just the simple biological ordinal position; born first, second, third. To the contrary it is a second system of birth order of youngest child, oldest child, middle child, determining an individual’s psychological position. He believed
The Second Phase of Individual Psychology's Belonging and Human Striving. (n.d.). Adlerian Theory. Retrieved March 25, 2014, from http://www.carterandevans.com/portal/index.php/adlerian-theory/69-adlerian-theory