Psychology Atlas

How The Mind Works
Schools and Movements

Individual Psychology

Also Known As Adlerian Psychology

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Individual psychology is the school of psychology founded by the Austrian psychiatrist Alfred Adler, who broke with Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic circle in 1911 and founded the Society for Individual Psychology in 1912. It treats the person as a unified, goal-directed whole rather than a battleground of unconscious drives, holding that behavior is oriented toward overcoming feelings of inferiority and striving for significance and social belonging, organized around an individual's characteristic style of life.

Facts
Central Question
How does a person's unique, unified style of life, formed in response to early feelings of inferiority and a fundamental striving for significance, shape personality and behavior? 1
Founded Year
1912 1
Cross-Tradition Connections

Rejected Here

Psychoanalysis, Schools and Movements

Adler broke with Freud's psychoanalytic circle in 1911, rejecting its emphasis on sex and libido for social, vocational and holistic factors.

Founded By

In Branch

Sources
1. Wikipedia: Individual Psychology
Wikimedia FoundationLead section
Quote, Lead section
Individual psychology is a psychological method and school of thought founded by the Austrian psychiatrist Alfred Adler.
1. Wikipedia: Individual Psychology
Wikimedia FoundationStyle of life section
Quote, Style of life section
The style of life denotes the individual's characteristic pattern of goals, worldview, and strategies for achieving goals.
1. Wikipedia: Individual Psychology
Wikimedia FoundationFounded By: Alfred Adler, Individual psychology section, second paragraph
Quote, Founded By: Alfred Adler, Individual psychology section, second paragraph
Adler broke with Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic school and established an independent approach emphasizing social factors.
1. Wikipedia: Individual Psychology
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Psychoanalysis, Adler's psychology section
Quote, Associated With: Psychoanalysis, Adler's psychology section
Adler's model departs from Freudian emphasis on sex and libido and instead focuses on how individuals evaluate and respond to their world, particularly the social, vocational, and love-related demands they encounter.
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