People then use these constructs to make sense of their observations and experiences.
Kelly’s personal construct theory was the first example of an approach that is today referred to as constructivism.
These construct are deeply personal and unique to each individual, since they form though our individual life experiences.
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What Is Personal Construct Theory?
We all live in the same world, but everyone experiences the world differently.
You immediately see a graceful and adorable animal you would like to pet.
Your friend, on the other hand, sees a threatening animal that she wants to avoid.
How can two people have such a different interpretation of the same event?
Kelly believed that we are all essentially scientists.
It is our personal constructs, he believed, that allow us to do this.
We make our own theories about the situations we encounter in life.
These constructs are based on our experiences and observations.
During the early 1950s, thebehavioralandpsychoanalyticperspectives were still quite dominant inpsychology.
Kelly proposed his personal construct theory as an alternative view that departed from these two prominent schools of thought.
Behavior is not the answer to the psychologists question; it is the question, he suggested.
If our experiments work, they strengthen our current beliefs.
When they don’t, we are then able to change our views.
Why Personal Constructs Are Important
What makes these constructs so important?
It’s because we experience the world through the “lens” of our constructs.
For example, when something stressful happens, you might first see it as a trial or obstacle.
First, we begin by hypothesizing that a particular construct will apply to a particular event.
We then test this hypothesis by applying the construct and predicting the outcome.
But what happens if our predictions don’t come true?
Recurrences play an important role in personal construct theory.
Constructs emerge because they reflect things that frequently recur in our experience.
Kelly also believed that constructs tend to be organized in a hierarchical fashion.
The side that a person applies to an event is known as the emergent pole.
The side that is not being actively applied is the implicit pole.
It is essential to remember the emphasis on individuality in personal construct theory.
Constructs are inherently personal because they are based on each person’s life experiences.
We are different from one another because of our unique systems of constructs.
Personal Constructs and Mental Health
Personal construct theory also has important mental health applications.
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