Personal Construct Theory

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.
Finished college with a degree
in Physics and Mathematics

Engineer Social Problems

 Enrolled in University of Kansas’ MA program in
educational Sociology and labor relations

1929, exchange 1930, degree in

scholar at the education from
University of the university
Edinburg, Scotland

Work closely with Sir Godfrey Thomson

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

Professor of Psychology
and Director of Clinical
Psychology at
Ohio State University

With Julian B. Rotter, they developed a

clinical psychology program
In his 19 years at Ohio State, his theory of
personality was refined and tested

He died on March 6, 1967

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
 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”.
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.
1. Construction Corollary 2. Individual
Because repeated events Corollary
are similar, we can predict People perceive
or anticipate how we will
experience such an event events in
in the future. different ways.

3. Organization Corollary
We arrange our constructs in patterns, according
to our view of their similarities and differences.
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.

Teacher 1 Teacher 2
Past 1 Subject New
Secure Choice Adventurous choice
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.
8. Modulation Corollary
We may modify our constructs as a function of
new experiences.
Psychology Major A sorority member
Same interest with his Opposite on his views

friend versus enemy.

9. Fragmentation Corollary
A person may successively employ a variety of
construction subsystems which are inferentially
incompatible with each other.
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.
 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.
 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.
 Guilt
Perception of one’s apparent
dislodgement from his core
role structure.
 Threat
Awareness of imminent
comprehensive change in
one’s core structures
 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.
 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.
Primary goal of life is to
Cognitive –
reduce uncertainty.
emphasizes mental
event
We do not seek
reinforcement of
Humanistic – gives
avoidance of pain
importance on
instead we seek
creative power and
validation of our
determining
construct system.
personality
 END
Prepared by:
Ana Angelica Aldemita
Theories of Personality