Personal construct theory

Personal construct theory is a concept in the psychology of the personality. It is considered the original clinical constructivist theory and was part of the cognitive theory movement of its time. It continues to be studied by academics and practiced by clinicians in the twenty-first century. It is the basis for numerous postmodern approaches in constructivism, social constructivism, and narrative therapy approaches, each of which draw on personal construct theory’s emphasis on the individual construction of personal identity and meaning.

Background

Personal construct theory was introduced by American psychologist George Kelly in the 1950s. The theory provides a framework for the individual ways people construct meaning to make sense of the world around them. Kelly suggested that people create “personal construct,” which serve as mental representations that help them to interpret events and attempt to determine what will happen next. Personal construct theory’s emphasis on the individual’s conscious role in constructing meaning differed from the two psychological theories that dominated the first half of the twentieth century: behaviorism and psychoanalysis.

According to personal construct theory, even though the world is objectively the same for everyone, each individual experiences it differently, based on their personal constructs. Kelly envisioned people as scientists, continually theorizing, testing, and making assumptions about future events. However, because these assumptions undergo continuous refinement, they can change over time. People continually perform “experiments” that test their beliefs and perceptions. Some experiments are successful, reinforcing prior beliefs, and others fail, causing people to change how they perceive the world. Personal construct theory therefore emphasizes individual agency in the development of meaning.

Overview

Kelly formally introduced his theory of personal construct theory in 1955, in his seminal two-volume work, Psychology of Personal Constructs. He formed his theory around one fundamental postulate and eleven corollaries. The fundamental postulate is “a person’s processes are psychologically channelized by the ways in which he anticipates events.” In other words, what a person anticipates determines their experience (behavior). Other important concepts are contained in corollaries.

The Construction corollary states, “A person anticipates events by construing their replication.” In other words, people expect a certain behavior or event based on their past experience of similar behavior or events.

The Experience corollary states, “A person’s construct system varies as they successively construe the replication of events.” People’s assumptions of events or behavior are not set in stone. They can change as their experiences change. For example, someone bitten by a dog as a child may fear all dogs. However, they find that their friend’s dog is sweet and friendly. Their assumption may change to believing that not all dogs are dangerous.

The Individual corollary states, “People differ from each other in their construction of events.” Individuals experience life in unique ways, so that the same event is uniquely interpreted through each person’s personal constructs. Whereas one person may perceive a situation (for example, skydiving) as frightening, another person may consider it thrilling and fun.

The Choice corollary states, “People choose for themselves that alternative in a dichotomised construct through which they anticipate the greater possibility for the elaboration of their system.” Personal construct theory considers choice to be a dichotomy—a choice between two alternatives. People must choose the alternative that either reinforces their prior beliefs or challenges those beliefs.

The Sociality corollary states, “To the extent that one person construes the construction process of another, they may play a role in a social process involving the other person.” Personal construct theory addresses the interaction between individuals. This interaction is not based on similarity but on understanding. Understanding may be bilateral (mutual), such as between two friends, or unilateral, such as between a parent and a child or a therapist and a client. The better we can comprehend how another person constructs meaning, the better we can interact with them in a meaningful way.

The Commonality corollary states, “To the extent that one person employs a construction of experience which is similar to that employed by another, their processes are psychologically similar to those of the other person.” Although personal construct theory emphasizes the individual’s role in creating meaning, it makes room for the power of commonalities to connect people. If people’s systems of constructs are similar, so too will be their understandings of the world.

The Organizational corollary states, “Each person characteristically evolves, for their convenience in anticipating events, a construction system embracing ordinal relationships between constructs.” Although some constructs are independent of each other, many are interconnected and ordered in a hierarchy. Core constructs often have subordinate constructs, which are less important but support core constructs. However, organizing these relationships too tightly can lead to problematic constructs such as prejudice and stereotyping.

The Dichotomy corollary states, “A person’s construction system is composed of a finite number of dichotomous constructs.” Kelly understood personal constructs as bipolar constructs—having two opposing poles. If there is dark, there must be light. If everything was dark, light would have no meaning.

The Range corollary states, “A construct is convenient for the anticipation of a finite range of events only.” Some constructs can apply to a broad range of events, conceptions, and behaviors, while others are narrower and help only in specific situations.

The Modulation corollary states, “The variation in a person’s construction system is limited by the permeability of the constructs within whose range of convenience the variants lie.” Some constructs are nearly unchangeable. Others, however, are more permeable, meaning they can be changed if needed.

The Fragmentation corollary states, “A person may successively employ a variety of construction systems which are inferentially incompatible with each other.” This corollary allows for inconsistency within an individual. For instance, one person may have many roles at the same time, such as a student, a worker, a child, and a parent.

Bibliography

Cherry, Kendra. “Personal Construct Theory Overview.” Verywell Mind, 20 Sept. 2020, www.verywellmind.com/what-is-personal-construct-theory-2795957#. Accessed 13 Apr. 2023.

Fisher, John M. “An Introduction to Personal Construct Psychology.” C2D, www.c2d.co.uk/personal-construct-theory/. Accessed 13 Apr. 2023.

“George Kelly Biography.” Practical Psychology, 21 Mar. 2022, practicalpie.com/george-kelly/. Accessed 13 Apr. 2023.

Harryman, William. “George Kelly’s Personal Construct Theory.” Integral Options Cafe, 17 Apr. 2010, integral-options.blogspot.com/2010/04/george-kellys-personal-construct-theory.html. Accessed 13 Apr. 2023.

Rashid, Razia. “Kelly’s Personal Construct Theory and the 11 Corollaries.” PyschologyToSafety, 24 Jan. 2021, psychologytosafety.com/kellys-personal-construct-theory-and-the-11-corollaries/. Accessed 13 Apr. 2023.