CYC 401 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Individual Psychology, Inferiority Complex, Egocentrism

• School: Ryerson University
• Department: Child and Youth Care
• Course: CYC 401
• Professor: Lisa Pena- Sabanal

Document Summary

Individual psychology originated from the german word individual psychology, meaning psychology of the whole that cannot be divided. Basically, it is a psychology that is concerned both with individuals as they are in themselves and in their relationships with others. According to adler, people are responsible, creative, connected, social beings who behave with purpose toward a goal. Adler believed that all people develop some sense of inferiority because they are born completely helpless and remain that way for a rather long childhood. Such feelings of inferiority may be exaggerated by body or organ defects (real or imaginary), by having older and more powerful siblings, or by parental neglect, rejection, or pampering. One way to cope with feelings of inferiority is compensation or gaining power to handle the sense of weakness. This innate drive adler called striving for superiority, a motivation that lasts throughout life.