Psychology of Personality Exam 3-5: Personal Construct Theory (Kelly)

Constructive alternativism

"...Present interpretations of the world are subject to revision."

Pitchfork theories

Influence of environment that push the individual.

1 Fundamental Postulate

"A person's processes are psychologically channelized by the way in which he anticipates events." - i.e. we prepare for the events that we anticipate - Following an exam: - Anticipating a good grade - Anticipating a bad grade (Accurate (validation) or Inaccurate (revision of constructs?))

Word binding

"That exploitation, not love."

Time binding

"That happened long ago, not recently."

Modulation Corollary

"The variation in a person's construction system is limited by the permeability of the constructs within whose ranges of convenience the variants lie." - Permeable Construct - Concrete Construct

11 Corollaries

- Construction - Experience - Choice - Modulation - Dichotomy - Organization - Fragmentation - Range - Individuality - Commonality - Sociality

Role Construct Repertory (REP) Test

- List people the person (client) knows including, perhaps, the person himself - 3 people are identified by the researcher/therapist - Subject is instructed to identify 1 way in which 1 person is different from the other 2 • Can be cognitive ("intelligent" vs "not intelligent") or emotional ("empathic" vs "insensitive") - The words used are termed "constructs," with dichotomous poles (rational or not) - All people are then rated on all constructs

Hypothesis Testing...

- Observations - Question - Hypothesis - Prediction

Organization Corollary

- Superordinate constructs - Subordinate constructs

Subordinate constructs

- e.g., break down larger concept to have better anticipation - Have horns (H); (introverted, extroverted)

Superordinate constructs

-e.g., if a person is "happy," they MUST also be X, Y, and Z (nice, giving, and empathetic) - If mammal (X), must have hair (Y) and mammary glands (Z)

Like a scientist:

1: Anticipation 2: Investment 3: Encounter 4: Confirmation or Disconfirmation 5: Constructive Revision

Range Corollary

A construct is convenient for the anticipation of a finite range of events. - Do constructs help if we learn the world will end in 1 hour? - How will Eddie behave on the front lines of a war? (extreme examples, but the point is the same)

The Dichotomy Corollary

A person's construction system is made out of a finite number of dichotomous constructs. People differ on constructs (may be logical (happy vs. sad) or illogical (ambitious vs. happy) Likeness end, contrast end Slot movement

Likenesss end

A typical end in the dichotomy corollary

Contrast end

An unusual end in the dichotomy corollary

Permeable Construct

Are Disney characters real? "Good news Daddy..."

Personality Chage

Can occur quickly (i.e. PTSD) or more slowly (i.e. development or therapy) Use REP Test to see how individuals change over time (looking at "real self" and "ideal self") - Change can be THREATENING, even if the change is desirable (e.g., a prisoner's self constructs could change dramatically upon release)

Concrete Construct

Can pools be indoors? No!

Preverbal construct

Confirmation of people's constructs don't need to be conscious or cognitive. i.e., people may have "butterflies" in a certain situation (anxiety) and the outcome can either confirm their constructs or, perhaps, their constructs may require adaptation.

Jackass Theory

Focusses on the individual's personality by empathizing the individual's thoughts, as well as their emotions. - Concerns the "nature of the animal" itself. Doesn't focus on influence of environment that push or pull the individual.

Personal Constructs

Help people predict what will happen based on the situation, the people who are present, etc. - Constructive alternativism

Carrot theories

Influence of environment that pull the individual.

Fragmentation Corollary

People act differently in different situations. (i.e., fierce competitor vs. loving friend, at funeral vs. at party) Observers may err if they sample from a limited number of situations.

Constructive Corollary

People anticipate confirmation of their constructs. - Preverbal construct

Unlike a scientist:

People are biased (optimists versus pessimists; we tend to think of our capacities more highly than we should!) - People tend to view/seek confirmation (UNLIKE scientists, who are sensitive to counter-factual data!)

Experience Corollary

People change with experience because their constructs change. (is the school bus really that bad?) But AREN'T any universal stages of development (Freud, Erikson)!

Individuality Corollary

People differ from one another in their construction of events (important individual difference research): - Different constructs are important to them - They assume different perspectives (Like the BIS/BAS influence on movies).

Slot movement

People's constructs often change in response to stress. (i.e. Nice -> mean!)

Cognitive Complexity

The number of different constructs used; the greater the number, the more flexibility the person has...s/he can see more dimensions in a person. - e.g., freshmen with greater cognitive complexity adjust to school more easily

Fixed Role Therapy

Therapy where the client uses role-playing to experiment with new self-constructs. Sometimes, the roles are reversed, with the therapist playing the "new," experimental client. - Often, this is not just about changing poles on the current constructs, but by identifying constructs (i.e., increasing cognitive complexity).

Sociality Corollary

To the degree that one person understands the construction processes of another, he/she may play a role in the social processes of that person - Bilateral: Understanding between two friends - Unilateral: e.g., therapist-client relationship

Commonality Corollary

To the degree that people construct experience the same way, they are similar Wow! - Use the same constructs - View people/situations similarly - Have the same hypotheses... - ...and therefore act similarly!

"Constructivist" Therapy

Understand the client's constructs ("understand the client in the client's own terms") Exporing constructs (identify superordinate and subordinate constructs) Changing constructs by "tightening" them: - Time binding - Word binding

Sedimentation

When a person goes back to the way they previously acted before an overly large threat (step) that gets too great.

Choice Corollary

When you dare to do something when wondering who you are. People try to extend themselves in ways that are mostly consistent with their own self-view. These steps to extension aren't too large, or else the person feels "threatened". - Sendimentation