George Kelly (Psychology)

Personal Construct Theory of George Kelly

1. GEORGE KELLY PERSONAL-CONSTRUCT THEORY

2. BIOGRAPHY George Kelly was born in Perth, Kansas, USA on April 28,1905

3. BIOGRAPHY George Kelly was born in Perth, Kansas, USA on April 28,1905

4. VIEW OF HUMAN NATURE All human beings can develop their own theory which allow them to anticipate in future events accurately. It is like making decisions and choosing alternative actions. More valid information about the person could be discovered if the person unravel himself. So, he devised Role Construct Repertory Test or Rep Test.

5. BASIC POSTULATE PERSONAL CONSRUCT -An intellectual hypothesis that we devise and use to interpret, explain, give meaning or predict life events. Constructive Alternatives -We are not controlled by our constructs but are free to revise or replace them with other alternatives. “A person’s processes are psychologically channelized by the ways in which he anticipates in events”.

6. THE ELEVEN COROLLARIES Construction Corollary Because repeated events are similar, we can predict or anticipate how we will experience such an event in the future. Individual Corollary People perceive events in different ways. Oganization Corollary We arrange our constructs in patterns, according to our view of their similarities and differences.

7. THE ELEVEN COROLLARIES 4. Dichotomy Corollary Constructs are bipolar and consist of pairs of opposite. Ex. Good - bad 5.Choice Corollary A person chooses for himself that alternative in a dichotomized construct through which he anticipates the greater possibility for extension and definition of his system.

8. THE ELEVEN COROLLARIES 6. Range Corollary A construct is convenient for the anticipation of a finite range of events only. 7. Experience Corollary We continually test our constructs against life’s experiences to make sure they remain useful.

9. THE ELEVEN COROLLARIES 8. Modulation Corollary We may modify our constructs as a function of new experiences. 9. Fragmentation Corollary A person may successively employ a variety of construction subsystems which are inferentially incompatible with each other.

10. THE ELEVEN COROLLARIES 10. Commonality Corollary A person may successively employ a variety of construction subsystems which are inferentially incompatible with each other. 11. Socially Corollary We try to understand how other people think and predict what they will do, and we modify our behavior accordingly.

11. INTERPRETATION OF TRADITIONAL PSYCHOLOGICAL CONCEPTS MOTIVATION -Humans are born motivated and every person is motivated for no other reason than that he or she is alive. ANXIETY -recognition that the events with which one is confronted lie outside the range of convenience of one’s construct system. WHEN WE CANNOT COSTRUE AN EVENT, WE EXPERIENCE ANXIETY.

12. INTERPRETATION OF TRADITIONAL PSYCHOLOGICAL CONCEPTS HOSTILITY -Continued effort to extort validation evidence in favor of a type of social prediction which has already proven itself a failure. AGGRESSION -The active elaboration of one’s perceptual field.

13. INTERPRETATION OF TRADITIONAL PSYCHOLOGICAL CONCEPTS GUILT -Perception of one’s apparent dislodgement from his core role structure. THREAT -Awareness of imminent comprehensive change in one’s core structures.

14. INTERPRETATION OF TRADITIONAL PSYCHOLOGICAL CONCEPTS FEAR -Results when a peripheral element of one’s construct system is invalidated. THE UNCONSCIOUS -Constructs with low cognitive awareness could be considered as unconscious.

15. INTERPRETATION OF TRADITIONAL PSYCHOLOGICAL CONCEPTS LEARNING -The constant alteration of one’s construct system with the goal of increasing its predictive efficiency. Any change in in one’s construct system.