Which statement best captures Adler's view of the motivating force behind human action?

Which statement best captures Adler's view of the motivating force behind human action?

• A. A drive for power
• B. Desire for safety
• C. Need for affection
• D. Striving toward a better situation

Answer: (D)

Adler saw people as driven by a proactive effort to overcome feelings of inferiority and to improve themselves and their place in the world. This striving for a better situation encompasses not just personal competence but also contributing to others and society, reflecting his emphasis on social interest and growth. So the statement that best fits is the one about striving toward a better situation, because it captures that forward-looking, improvement-oriented motivation at the heart of his theory. The other ideas focus on narrower aims: a drive for power can be one expression of striving, but Adler’s framework centers on overall growth and usefulness rather than domination. Desire for safety or need for affection are important human concerns, but they don’t fully describe the central, overarching motive Adler proposed—the continual push to rise above feelings of inferiority and achieve a better, more capable self within a social context.

Adler saw people as driven by a proactive effort to overcome feelings of inferiority and to improve themselves and their place in the world. This striving for a better situation encompasses not just personal competence but also contributing to others and society, reflecting his emphasis on social interest and growth. So the statement that best fits is the one about striving toward a better situation, because it captures that forward-looking, improvement-oriented motivation at the heart of his theory.

The other ideas focus on narrower aims: a drive for power can be one expression of striving, but Adler’s framework centers on overall growth and usefulness rather than domination. Desire for safety or need for affection are important human concerns, but they don’t fully describe the central, overarching motive Adler proposed—the continual push to rise above feelings of inferiority and achieve a better, more capable self within a social context.