Which term is defined as the ideal image one sees oneself becoming, i.e., one's ultimate goal?

• A. Paradoxical Intention
• B. Motivational Modification
• C. Fictional Finalism
• D. Life Tasks

Answer: (C)

In Adlerian theory, the motivating force behind behavior is a fictional finalism—a constructed, ideal image of the person one wants to become. This imagined end state functions as the ultimate goal that guides present actions, choices, and striving. The term “fictional” means the image is a personal construction, not a guaranteed or proven outcome, while “finalism” signals that it serves as the endpoint toward which behavior aims. When a question describes the ideal image one sees oneself becoming, or the ultimate goal, it’s pointing to this concept of a guiding, imagined future self. Paradoxical Intent is about using humor or deliberate exaggeration to reduce anxiety; Life Tasks refer to major life domains to address, and Motivational Modification isn’t a standard term in this context, so they don’t capture the sense of an imagined final goal.