Strengths and Weaknesses

An evaluation of individual psychology must necessarily include some enumeration
of its weaknesses as well as its strengths. The positives are obvious:
The theory is easy to comprehend, optimistic about human nature, and applicable
to the understanding of a wide variety of issues. The weaknesses
would be the other side of those very strengths. If a theory is so easy to comprehend,
is it not then simplistic or merely a reformulation of common
sense? This may explain why so many other theorists “rediscovered” Adler’s
ideas throughout the twentieth century. If a theory is so optimistic about human
potential, can it present a balanced view of human nature? If a theory is
flexible and broad enough as to be able to explain so much, can it be precise
enough to explain anything with any depth? Although everything in individual
psychology fits together as a unified whole, it is not always clear what the
lines of reasoning are. Does excessive inferiority feeling preclude the formulation
of social interest, or does social interest assuage inferiority feeling?
Does inferiority feeling engender private logic, or does private logic sustain
inferiority feeling? At different times, Adler and Adlerians seem to argue
both sides of these questions. The Achilles heel of individual psychology
(and of psychoanalysis) is prediction. If a given child is in a situation that
heightens feelings of inferiority, will that child overcompensate effectively
and develop social interest as an adult, or will private logic take over? If it
does, will it be in the form of self-brooding or masculine protest?
Although the fuzziness of Adlerian concepts will preclude individual psychology
from being a major force in academic psychology, it is safe to predict
that future theorists will again rediscover many of Alfred Adler’s concepts.
Sources for Further Study
Adler, Alfred. The Practice and Theory of Individual Psychology. New York: Routledge,
1999. One in Routledge’s International Library of Psychology series,
reprinting classic, milestone works on psychology. Adler’s own introduction
to his work.
Bottome, Phyllis. Alfred Adler: A Biography. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons,
1939. This classic biography was written only two years after Adler’s
death. It gives much insight into the man and his theory, but the book is a
bit too laudatory.
Dreikurs, Rudolf. Fundamentals of Adlerian Psychology. 1950. Reprint. Chicago:
Alfred Adler Institute, 1989. The author was an Adlerian disciple
who became the leader of the Adlerian movement in the United States afterWorldWar
II. His simple style and straightforward advice are in keeping with the style of Adler himself. Dreikurs’s expertise was in the area of
child development.
Ganz, Madelaine. The Psychology of Alfred Adler and the Development of the Child.
New York: Routledge, 1999. Another in Routledge’s International Library
of Psychology series. A well-organized introduction to Adler’s theories.
Mozak, Harold, and Michael Maniacci. A Primer of Adlerian Psychology: The
Analytic-Behavioral-Cognitive-Psychology of Alfred Adler. New York: Brunner/
Mazel, 1999. An introduction aimed at students, with summary and review
questions at the end of each chapter.
Sweeney, Thomas. Adlerian Counseling: A Practitioner’s Approach. 4th ed. Philadelphia:
Taylor & Francis, 1998. Provides a practical overview of Adler’s
individual psychology. Written for practicing mental health professionals.
T. L. Brink
See also: Cognitive Psychology; Ego Psychology: Erik Erikson; Psychoanalytic
Psychology; Psychoanalytic Psychology and Personality: Sigmund Freud.