Dvoretskaya, M. Ya., Vostrikova, O. A. Reference Image of Success

Abstract: In their article the authors provide the results of theoretical analysis of the social and psychological theories of the ‘success’ phenomenon. The authors give an insight into the development of the psychology of success by describing the following levels of human life activity: • hedonistic (vital) level (the priority of material values over social values is observed here); • pragmatical (social) level (desire of wealth, power and glory as sources of social pleasures dominate over spiritual values); and • altruistic (existentional) level (‘internal’ or moral level when spiritual values dominate over material wealth). The authors also describe an integrated model of the reference image of success including synthesis and the general concept of all described types and forms of success. Theoretical and methodological bases of research include philosophical, ethical and psychological researches of existential problems and concepts describing peculiarities of success as a psychological category. For the first time in scientific literature the authors develop a theoretical model of success as a reference image consisting of the following three levels: 1 – individual success (‘for my own benefit’), 2.collective success (‘cooperation’); 3. success in service «for the benefit of others». The authors note that the process of achievement of success depends on purposes that are set by a person based on one of three options of the reference image of success.

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