Adler’s Individual Psychology: The Original Positive Psychology
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33898/rdp.v26i102.70Keywords:
Alfred Adler, Adlerian Psychology, Individual Psychology, Humanistic Psychology, Positive PsychologyAbstract
In addressing foundational perspectives, proponents of the current positive psychology movement typically identify Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, and Gordon Allport as precursors and ancestors. This article demonstrates that the Individual Psychology of Alfred Adler preceded the aforementioned ancestors of positive psychology and could be viewed as the original positive psychology. Following a brief overview of key ideas from Adler’s Individual Psychology, the authors specifically address two foundational tenets of Adler’s theory that particularly resonate with those from positive psychology and then address more broadly the remarkable common ground between Adler’s mature theoretical ideas and the positive psychology movement.Downloads
References
Adler, A. (2012). On the origin of striving for superiority and social interest. J. Carlson y M. Maniacci (Eds.), Alfred Adler revisited (pp. 47-56). Nueva York, NY: Routledge. (Original work published 1933)
Adler, A. (1956). The Individual Psychology of Alfred Adler. H. L. Ansbacher y R. R. Ansbacher (Eds.). Nueva York, NY: Harper Torchbooks.
Ansbacher, H. L. (1990). Alfred Adler’s influence on the three leading cofounders of humanistic psychology. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 30, 45-53.
Barlow, P. J., Tobin, D. J. y Schmidt, M. M. (2009). Social interest and positive psychology: Positively aligned. Journal of Individual Psychology, 65, 191-202.
Carlson, J., Watts, R.E. y Maniacci, M. (2006). Adlerian therapy: Theory and practice. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Corey, G. (1996). Theory of counseling and psychotherapy (5th ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Corey, G. (2005). Theory of counseling and psychotherapy (7th ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Cowen, E. L. y Kilmer, R. P. (2002). “Positive psychology”: Some plusses and some open issues. Journal of Community Psychology, 30, 449-460.
Dreikurs, R. (1967). Psychodynamics, psychotherapy, and counseling. Chicago, IL: Alfred Adler Institute of Chicago.
Ellenberger, H. (1970). The discovery of the unconscious: The history and evolution of dynamic psychiatry. Nueva York: Basic Books.
Ellis, A. (1970). Humanism, values, rationality. Journal of Individual Psychology, 26, 11.
Hoffman, E. (1994). The drive for self: Alfred Adler and the founding of Individual Psychology. Reading, MS: Addison-Wesley.
Jorgensen, I. S. y Nafstad, H. E. (2004). Positive psychology: Historical, philosophical, and epistemological perspectives. In S. Joseph y P. A. Linley (Eds.), Positive psychology in practice (pp. 15-34). Nueva York, NY: Wiley.
Leak, G. K. y Leak, K. C. (2006). Adlerian social interest and positive psychology: A conceptual and empirical investigation. Journal of Individual Psychology, 62, 207-223.
Linley, P. A. y Joseph, S. (Eds.). (2004). Positive psychology in practice. Nueva York, NY: Wiley.
Mahoney, M. J. (2003). Constructive psychotherapy: A practical guide. Nueva York, NY: Guilford.
Manaster, G. J. y Corsini, R. J. (1982). Individual psychology: Theory and practice. Itasca, IL: Peacock.
Mosak, H. H. y Maniacci, M. (1999). A primer of Adlerian psychology: The analytic-behavioral-cognitive psychology of Alfred Adler. Philadelphia, PA: Accelerated Development/Taylor and Francis.
Oberst, U. E. y Stewart, A. E. (2003). Adlerian psychotherapy: An advanced approach to Individual Psychology. Londres, UK: Brunner-Routledge.
Prochaska, J. O. y Norcross, J. C. (2010). Systems of psychotherapy: A transtheoretical analysis (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Rasmussen, P. R. (2010). The quest to feel good. Nueva York, NY: Routledge/Taylor y Francis.
Ryan, R. M. y Deci, E. L. (2001). On happiness and human potentials: A review of research on hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Annual Review of Psychology, 52, 141-166.
Seligman, M. E. P. (2002). Positive psychology, positive prevention, and positive therapy. In C. R. Snyder y S. J. Lopez (Eds.), Handbook of positive psychology (pp. 3-9). Nueva York, NY: Oxford.
Seligman, M. E. P., Steen, T. A., Park, N. y Peterson, C. (2005). Positive psychology progress: Empirical validation of interventions. American Psychologist, 60, 410-421.
Snyder, C. R. y Lopez, S. J. (2002). Preface. En C. R. Snyder y S. J. Lopez (Eds.), Handbook of positive psychology (pp. ix-x). Nueva York, NY: Oxford.
Snyder, C. R., Lopez, S. J. y Pedrotti, J. T. (2011). Positive psychology: The scientific and practical explorations of human strengths (2nd ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Sage.
Watts, R. E. (1998). The remarkable similarity between Rogers’s core conditions and Adler’s social interest. Journal of Individual Psychology, 54, 4-9.
Watts, R. E. (1999). The vision of Adler: An introduction. In R. E. Watts y J. Carlson (Eds.), Interventions and strategies in counseling and psychotherapy (pp. 1-13). Philadelphia, PA: Accelerated Development/Taylor y Francis.
Watts, R. E. (2003). Adlerian therapy as a relational constructivist approach. The Family Journal: Counseling and Therapy for Couples and Families, 11, 139-147.
Watts, R. E. (2012). Introduction to “On the origin of striving for superiority and social interest.” J. Carlson y M. Maniacci (Eds.), Alfred Adler revisited (pp. 41-47). Nueva York, NY: Routledge.
Watts, R. E. y Critelli, J. (1997). Roots of contemporary cognitive theories and the Individual Psychology of Alfred Adler: A review. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 11, 147-156.
Watts, R. E. y Eckstein, D. (2009). Individual Psychology. In American Counseling Association (Ed.), The ACA encyclopedia of counseling (pp. 281-283). Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.
Watts, R. E. y Pietrzak, D. (2000). Adlerian “encouragement” and the therapeutic process of solution-focused brief therapy. Journal of Counseling and Development, 78, 442-447.
Watts, R. E. y Shulman, B, H. (2003). Adlerian and constructive therapies: An Adlerian perspective. In R. E. Watts (Ed.), Adlerian, cognitive, and constructivist therapies: An integrative dialogue (pp. 9- 37). Nueva York, NY: Springer Publishing.
Watts, R. E., Williamson, J. y Williamson, D. (2004). Adlerian psychology: A relational constructivist approach. Adlerian Yearbook: 2004 (pp. 7-31). Londres: Adlerian Society (UK) and Institute for Individual Psychology.
