Проблеми сучасної психології (Jan 2017)
Internal and external orientation as an expression of human life position (retrospective analysis of Western theories)
Abstract
This article is devoted to the analysis of the concept of «life position» in historical aspect. The structural characteristics of the position of the individual as one of the fundamental categories of personality psychology in Western researches are traced. The results of the analysis of the concept of «life position» as the structural formation of a personality have shown that although the set of basic attitudes to the world, to people, to oneself is traditionally considered as an expression of personal position, they are conditional on various structural components and integrated personality characteristics. Retrospective analysis of the concept made possible to reveal peculiarities of interpretation and use of «position of the individual», «life position» in various foreign theories and concepts. In Adler’s works the concept of «position» was firstly discovered. The author also introduces such definitions as «lifestyle», «life plan». It was determined that one of the earliest fundamental psychological Young’s theories in its essence is directly related to the vital position – the location of the individual on introversionextroversion continuum. In subsequent psychological theories human position was considered concerning external or internal world. The authors describe it with different terms and definitions: Julian Rotter’s concept of locus of control (internal and external locus of control), the author’s concept of Charles Rogers (personal responsibility for active and passive positions), the existential approach and sense psychology of Viktor Frankl and Alfred Langley (existential position), the modern theory of self-determination of Edward Dicey and Richard Ryan (three types of causal orientations of the personality in life position). The article states that the main source of life position is a person’s world-view, a system of values, experience, knowledge gained but personal position is the basis for human potentialities in personal and social plans. It is proved that one of the fundamental questions of life position is whether a person is able to make free choice actively and independently or his / her behavior is determined by external personal factors.
