Rudolf Dreikurs

Rudolf Dreikurs (1897 - 1972) was a psychiatrist and educator who developed psychologist Alfred Adler's system of individual psychology into a method for understanding the purposes of misbehavior in children.  His practices stimulate cooperative behavior without punishment or reward.  He suggested that children misbehave in order to achieve one of four goals.  Understanding the goal motivating the behavior will help to eliminate the undesired conduct.



                           1.  Attention-getting

                           2.  Power

                           3.  Revenge

                           4.  Inadequacy



                       When Rudolf Dreikurs explained the Four Mistaken Goals, people often asked:

                                      "How can you keep putting children in these boxes?"

                                                              he would reply: 

                                "I don't keep putting them there, I keep finding them there."

                                                   Jan Nelson, Positive Discipline