Lance Armstrong is not your average Tour de France winner. He is a gifted athlete, a cancer survivor and a philanthropist. Despite his story and the obstacles he has overcome, Armstrong’s behaviors are understood when viewed through a psychological lens of cognitive theories, developmental theories and personality theories. When we analyze Armstrong using psychological theories, one begins to realize that what appears to be conflicting behaviors are an example of the cognitive dissonance theory, that his understanding of right and wrong has evolved in line with Kohlberg’s Theory of Morality, and his struggle to be superior are attempts to offset the feelings of inferiority that accompany what Adler defines as the Inferiority Complex Theory.
Lance Armstrong, the Back Story
On September 18, 1971, one of the world’s most famous and controversialist cyclist, Lance Armstrong, entered the world. He was an only child born to his seventeen year old mother, Linda, and his father, Edward. When Lance was two years old his mother, Linda, and Father, Edward, divorced. Shortly after Lance turned three years old, his mother married Terry Armstrong, who later adopted him. However, Linda and Terry were unable to make their marriage work and eventually divorced. (notablebiographies.com, …show more content…
A year after receiving his cancer diagnosis and while battling for his life, Armstrong founded the LiveStrong Foundation with the goal of helping and supporting others who were battling cancer (The LiveStrong Foundation, "Who We Are"). After successfully beating cancer, Armstrong returned to cycling and went on to claim seven consecutive Tour de France victories from 1999 through 2005. After his seventh Tour de France victory, Armstrong retired from cycling only to return to professional cycling in 2008. (CNN Library, "Lance Armstrong Fast Facts -
Lance Armstrong, the Back Story
On September 18, 1971, one of the world’s most famous and controversialist cyclist, Lance Armstrong, entered the world. He was an only child born to his seventeen year old mother, Linda, and his father, Edward. When Lance was two years old his mother, Linda, and Father, Edward, divorced. Shortly after Lance turned three years old, his mother married Terry Armstrong, who later adopted him. However, Linda and Terry were unable to make their marriage work and eventually divorced. (notablebiographies.com, …show more content…
A year after receiving his cancer diagnosis and while battling for his life, Armstrong founded the LiveStrong Foundation with the goal of helping and supporting others who were battling cancer (The LiveStrong Foundation, "Who We Are"). After successfully beating cancer, Armstrong returned to cycling and went on to claim seven consecutive Tour de France victories from 1999 through 2005. After his seventh Tour de France victory, Armstrong retired from cycling only to return to professional cycling in 2008. (CNN Library, "Lance Armstrong Fast Facts -