Kelly's Personal Construct theory including his background, 11 Corollaries and Interpretation of Traditional Psychological Concept

1. Personal Construct Theory

2. George Kelly was born
in
Perth, Kansas, USA
on
April 28,1905 His early education
was in one-room
schoolhouse and was
tutored by his parents.

3. Engineer
Finished college with a degree
in Physics and Mathematics
Social Problems

4. 1929, exchange
scholar at the
University of
Edinburg, Scotland
Enrolled in University of Kansas’ MA program in
educational Sociology and labor relations
1930, degree in
education from
the university
Work closely with Sir Godfrey Thomson

5. 1930, studied Psychology in Iowa State University
Clinical Psychology and Traveling clinics
2 observations:
 accept and usually improves
 way of viewing of situation
World War II – joined navy as Psychologist

6. With Julian B. Rotter, they developed a
clinical psychology program
Professor of Psychology
and Director of Clinical
Psychology at
Ohio State University

7. In his 19 years at Ohio State, his theory of
personality was refined and tested
He died on March 6, 1967

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

9. Personal Construct
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”.

10. Circumspection phase - possible interpretations
that can be labeled cognitive trial and error are
tried
Preemption phase - no. of constructs that
seems especially relevant to the situation are
chosen
Control phase - the choice is made and a course
of action is established.

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

12. 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.
1 Subject
Teacher 1
Past
Secure Choice
Teacher 2
New
Adventurous choice

13. 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.

14. 9. Fragmentation Corollary
A person may successively employ a variety of
construction subsystems which are inferentially
incompatible with each other.
8. Modulation Corollary
We may modify our constructs as a function of
new experiences.
friend versus enemy.
Psychology Major
Same interest with his
A sorority member
Opposite on his views

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

17. Motivation
Humans are born
motivated and every
person is motivated for no
other reason than that he
or she is alive.

18. 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.

19. Hostility
Continued effort to extort
validation evidence in favor
of a type of social prediction
which has already proven
itself a failure.

20. Aggression
The active elaboration of one’s
perceptual field.

21. Guilt
Perception of one’s apparent
dislodgement from his core
role structure.

22. Threat
Awareness of imminent
comprehensive change in
one’s core structures

23. Fear
Results when a peripheral
element of one’s construct
system is invalidated

24. The Unconscious
Constructs with low cognitive
awareness could be considered
as unconscious.

25. 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.

26. Primary goal of life is to
reduce uncertainty.
We do not seek
reinforcement of
avoidance of pain
instead we seek
validation of our
construct system.
Cognitive –
emphasizes mental
event
Humanistic – gives
importance on
creative power and
determining
personality

27. END
Prepared by:
Ana Angelica Aldemita
Theories of Personality