Introduction. In the process of ontogenesis, a person appropriates a wide range of human knowledge. Some of them help a person to master the basic means of communication with other people, to identify the main types of interaction with the environment, while others are aimed at cognition of oneself as a social individual, creating an adequate representation of one's own body, appearance, individual image, etc. It is here that the self-image collides with the cultural norm and is embodied not only in the external attributes of the image, but also in the internal attitude, manners, etc. We are interested in how, in the process of ontogenesis, a person develops an orientation in the sphere of his or her own individual image, body and appearance, how and where such knowledge is acquired, by what means, as well as the main psychological patterns of individual image formation. Such generalisations are not specifically identified in culture (or if they are, they are rarely in an accessible causal form), but are syncretic know how, a kind of tacit knowledge (according to M. Polanyi), scattered patterns, partial artefacts or random recommendations. The purpose is analysis of the formation of a system of actions and concepts that ensures the creation of an individual image as a special type of orientation of a person in himself, in his own personal space, in the cultural environment with the help of various external and internal means. Methods – content analysis, comparison, systematisation, classification. Originality. Today, we can observe a special state of psychology based on an almost physical feeling of the need to develop the problem of personality in accordance with the image it acquires, ignores or builds with difficulty. A number of recent studies also strongly suggest that people live in the space of a personality that is being formed in multiple ways, for which the external image and its internal content are certain coordinates of development. Conclusion. The article analyses the formation of a system of actions and concepts that ensures the formation of an image as a social phenomenon representing a special type of orientation of a person in himself, in his own personal space, in the cultural environment with the help of various external and internal means of social perception and social cognition. In particular, it is noted that the interpretation of personality from the point of view of developmental psychology allows us to consider an individual image as a moment of a social situation of development created by the individual himself or herself in accordance with his or her own capabilities. In this case, the process of forming an individual image becomes a transitional moment in personal development, important for solving immediate and long-term personal tasks.

У статті здійснено аналіз формування системи дій і понять, що забезпечує формування іміджу як соціального феномену, що представляє особливий вид орієнтування людини у собі, у власному особистісному просторі, у культурному оточенні за допомогою різноманітних зовнішніх і внутрішніх засобів соціальної перцепції і соціального пізнання. Зокрема, зазначається, що трактування особистості з погляду психології розвитку дозволяє розглядати індивідуальний імідж як момент соціальної ситуації розвитку, створюваний самою особистістю відповідно до власних можливостей. У цьому разі процес формування індивідуального іміджу стає перехідним моментом в особистісному розвитку, важливим для розв'язання найближчих і віддалених особистісних завдань.