Chapter 11

Question 1

Life of George Kelly

Answer 1

1905-1967

• born in Kansas
• Parents fundamentalists
• only child

_adopted an intellectual attitude in the counseling process
-major force in clinical psychology

Question 2

Kelly: Personal Construct Theory

Answer 2

Construct

• intellectual hypothesis we use to interpret life events
• bipolar in nature

Construct Alternativism
-we are free to revise or replace our constructs as needed

Question 3

Kelly: Ways of Anticipating Life events

Answer 3

Fundamental Postulate:

• psychological processes are directed by how we anticipate events
• we use constructs to predict future

Question 4

Kelly: Corollaries

Answer 4

1. construction
2. individuality
3. Organization
4. dichotomoy
5. choice
6. range
7. experience
8. modulation
9. fragmentation
10. commonality
11. sociality

Question 5

Kelly: 1. Construction Corollary

Answer 5

• similarities among repeated events

- since repeated events are similar, we can predict or anticipate how we will experience such an event in the future

Question 6

2. Individuality Corollary

Answer 6

• individual differences in interpreting events

- people perceive events in different ways

Question 7

3. Organization Corollary

Answer 7

• relationships among constructs

- we arrange our constructs in patterns, according to our view of their similarities and differences

Question 8

4. Dichotomoy Corollary

Answer 8

• 2 mutually exclusive alternatives
• constructs are bipolar
• -eg. honestly vs. dishonestly

Question 9

5. choice corollary

Answer 9

• freedom of choice
• we choose the alternative for each construct that works best for us
• choose the one that allows us to predicts the outcome of anticipated events

Question 10

6. Range Corollary

Answer 10

• the range of convenience

- our constructs may apply to many situations or people, or they may be limited to a single person or situation

Question 11

7.Experience Corollary

Answer 11

• exposure to new experiences

- we continually test out constructs against life’s experiences to make sure they remain useful

Question 12

8. Modulation Corollary

Answer 12

• adapting to new experiences

- our constructs may apply to many situations or people, or limited to a single person or situation

Question 13

9. Fragmentation Corollary

Answer 13

• competition among constructs

- we may have contradictory or inconsistent subordinate constructs within our overall construct system

Question 14

10. Commonality Corollary

Answer 14

• similarities among people in interpreting events
• Although our individual constructs are unique to us, people in compatible groups or cultures may hold similar constructs

Question 15

11. Sociality Corollary

Answer 15

• interpersonal relationships

- we try to understand how other people think and predict what they will do, and we modify our behaviour accordingly

Question 16

Kelly: Questions about Human Nature

Answer 16

• free will
• Nature and Nurture influence
• present focus
• uniqueness and universality
• growth process
• optimistic

Question 17

Kelly: Assessment

Answer 17

• interview
• self characterization sketch
• role construct repertory test (REP)
• -constructs we apply to important people in our lives

Fixed role therapy: client acts out constructs of a fictitious person

Question 18

Kelly: Research

Answer 18

REP studies

cognitive complexity:
-ability to perceive differences

Cognitive simplicity
-inability to perceive differences

Question 19

Kelly: Contributions

Answer 19

• unique theory
• a very personal view
• broad support in europe, canada, and asia

Question 20

Kelly: Criticisms

Answer 20

• theory focuses too much on the intellectual and rational, exclusion of the emotional
• based on midwestern young adults
• leaves many unanswered questions
• too difficult from prevailing ideas
• his writing is too scholarly