A social psychological theory of personality is presented which examines the crucial relationship between self and other as perceived by the individual and communicated by topological configurations of the self in relation to significant others. The inadequacies of self and social guidance mechanisms for social adaption are assumed to be associated with the concept of alienation. The alienation syndrome is defined as low self-esteem, low social interest, and high self-centrality. This triadic pattern is shown to describe behavior problem children, neuropsychiatric patients, and to some extent, persons over 40 years of age, and American Negro children. It is suggested that the processes leading from exclusion to the alienation syndrome may be a self-fulfilling prophecy mediated by reduced social reinforcement. (Author)