individual psychology

in·di·vid·u·al psychology (nd-vj-l)

n.

A theory of human behavior emphasizing the drive to overcome feelings of inferiority by compensation and the need to achieve personal goals that have value for society.

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individual psychology,

a modified system of psychoanalysis, developed by Alfred Adler, that views maladaptive behavior and personality disorders as resulting from a conflict between the desire to dominate and feelings of inferiority. See also adlerian psychology, inferiority complex.

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psychology [si-kol´o-je]

the science dealing with the mind and mental processes, especially in relation to human and animal behavior. adj., adj psycholog´ic, psycholog´ical.

analytic psychology (analytical psychology) the system of psychology founded by Carl Gustav Jung, based on the concepts of the collective unconscious and the complex.

clinical psychology the use of psychologic knowledge and techniques in the treatment of persons with emotional difficulties.

community psychology the application of psychological principles to the study and support of the mental health of individuals in their social sphere.

criminal psychology the study of the mentality, the motivation, and the social behavior of criminals.

depth psychology the study of unconscious mental processes.

developmental psychology the study of changes in behavior that occur with age.

dynamic psychology psychology stressing the causes and motivations for behavior.

environmental psychology study of the effects of the physical and social environment on behavior.

experimental psychology the study of the mind and mental operations by the use of experimental methods.

forensic psychology psychology dealing with the legal aspects of behavior and mental disorders.

gestalt psychology gestaltism; the theory that the objects of mind, as immediately presented to direct experience, come as complete unanalyzable wholes or forms that cannot be split into parts.

individual psychology the psychiatric theory of Alfred adler, stressing compensation and overcompensation for feelings of inferiority and the interpersonal nature of a person's problems.

physiologic psychology (physiological psychology) the branch of psychology that studies the relationship between physiologic and psychologic processes.

social psychology psychology that focuses on social interaction, on the ways in which actions of others influence the behavior of an individual.

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individual psychology

Psychiatry A system of psychiatric theory, research, and therapy that stresses compensation and overcompensation for inferiority feelings. See Complex.