Adlerian Theory

VIEW OF HUMAN NATURE
Behaviour is purposeful and goal oriented
Consciousness more than Unconsciousness
Choice and Responsibility
Meaning in life
Striving or success, completion and perfection
Drive to overcome our sense of inferiority
Motivates us to strive for mastery, success (superiority) and completion
Life Goal: unifies the personality and becomes the source of human motivation
Humans have the capacity to interpret, influence and create events
Genetics and heredity are not as import
Important is what we choose to do with the abilities and limitations we possess
Recognize that biological and environmental conditions limit our capacity to choose and to create
Focus on:
Reeducation and reshaping of society
Internal determinants of behaviour (values, beliefs, attitudes, goals, interests and individual perception of reality)
It is essential to understand people within the systems that they live

SUBJECTIVE PERCEPTION OF REALITY
View the world from the subjective frame of reference- Basic factor explaining behaviour
Phenomenology: The individuals way in which people perceive their world
Subjective Reality: Individuals perceptions, thoughts, feelings, values, beliefs, convection and conclusions
Objective reality is less important than how we interpret reality and the meanings we attach to what we experience

UNITY AND PATTERNS OF HUMAN PERSONALITY
Individual Psychology: Understanding of the whole-individual
How all the dimensions of a person are interconnected components
How all of these components are unified by the individuals movement toward a life goal
Emphasized unity of the person and understanding the whole person in the context of his/her life
Family, culture, school and work
Holistic Concept: we cannot be understood in parts, but all aspects of ourselves must be understood
We are social, creative, decision-making beings who act with purpose
Human personality becomes unified through development of a life goal
An individuals thoughts, feelings, beliefs,