Katiyana B. answered • 6d
Psychology Tutor: B.A. from SNHU & Current Counseling Student|
Hello! I saw this intriguing question from 2017 regarding how the Family Constellation and Family Atmosphere shape personality, and I wanted to provide you with the answer based on Alfred Adler's theory.
The founder of Individual Psychology, Alfred Adler, believed our personality is shaped by two core family factors:
- Family Constellation (The Structure)
This is the make-up of the family, specifically the child's psychological position (birth order). This position defines the basic challenges and attention dynamics the child faces.
- Example: The firstborn must cope with being "dethroned," often leading to traits like responsibility or perfectionism.
- Family Atmosphere (The Climate)
This is the emotional tone and quality of life in the home (e.g., cooperative, critical). It determines how the child responds to their birth order challenges.
- Cooperative Atmosphere: Fosters healthy personality traits and social interest.
- Critical Atmosphere: Fosters feelings of inferiority, leading to competitive or destructive personality goals.
The Constellation sets the problem, and the Atmosphere guides the solution. Understanding both gives powerful insight into a person's adult personality. If you want to dive deeper into Adler, let's book a trial session!