George Kelly

Question 1

What does the “Jackass” Theory focus on?

Answer 1

Individuals personality, emphasizing the individuals thoughts (but not to the exclusion of people’s emotions)

• not a big focus on influence of environment that push/pull individual

Question 2

What does the metaphor of “Mean the Scientist” mean?

Answer 2

Help explain the personal construct theory’s view of the person as actively formulating hypotheses about the world, themselves, and others; testing them; and in case revising them in the light of the outcomes

Question 3

What helps people predict events (based on situation, people present, etc)?

Answer 3

Personal Constructs

Question 4

What is constructive alternativism?

Answer 4

The assumption that people can interpret the world in a variety of ways (interpretations can be revised)

Question 5

Kelly’s theorys consists of 12 statements. One is the Fundamental Postulate. What is that?

Answer 5

“a person’s process are psychologically channelized by the ways in which he anticipates events”

• ie. we prepare for events that we anticipate like getting a good/bad grade on an exam

Question 6

What happens if you accurately or inaccurately anticipate an event?

Answer 6

Accurately: validation

Inaccurately: invalidation (revision of constructs?)

Question 7

Name the 5 stages in the experience cycle

Answer 7

1. Anticipation
2. Investment
3. Encounter
4. Confirmation/Disconfirmation
5. Constructive Revision

Question 8

Why are the “normal” human not scientists

Answer 8

1. People are biased (we think of our capacities more highly than we should)
2. People tend to view/seek confirmation (scientist seek evidence that counters)

Question 9

There are 11 corollaries. The first 4 relate to ____.

Answer 9

The process of construing (to give the meaning or intention of)

Question 10

What is the construction corollary

Answer 10

People anticipate confirmation of their constructs based on past

• can be preverbal construct (aka nonverbal anticipation like butterflies)

Question 11

What is the experience corollary?

Answer 11

People change with experience; their constructs change

ie. child learns over time school bus isn’t that bad

Question 12

What is the choice corollary?

Answer 12

When faced with a decision, a person will choose the option that best allows them to extend and define their own self view

• too large of a step = threat and can lead to sedimentation

Question 13

What is the modulation corollary?

Answer 13

The variation in a person’s construction system is limited by the permeability of the constructs within whose ranges of convenience the variants lie

Question 14

What is permeable vs concrete construct? (both within Modulation Corollary)

Answer 14

Permeable: flexible constructs that can readily adapt to new information or situations

Concrete: less likely to be altered by new experiences

Question 15

4 of the corollaries describe the relationship among constructs. What is the dichotomy corollary?

Answer 15

A persons construction system is composed of a finite number of dichotomous constructs

Question 16

What are the typical and unusual end called in the dichotomy corollary

Answer 16

Likeness end and contrast end

Question 17

What does it mean when a person’s construct changes in response to stress?

Answer 17

Slot movement

ie. nice –> mean

Question 18

What is the organization corollary?

Answer 18

idea that constructs are arranged hierarchically

• superordinate and subordinate constructs

Question 19

What are superordinate constructs and subordinate constructs?

Answer 19

Superordinate: constructs that apply broadly to lower-order constructs (ie. vegetables which consist of carrot, mushrooms, etc)

Subordinate: Break down larger concept to have better anticipation (ie. poisonous vs edible mushrooms)

Question 20

What is the fragmentation corollary?

Answer 20

People act differently in different situations

ie. funeral vs party

Question 21

What is the range corollary?

Answer 21

A construct is convenient for the anticipation of a finite range of events

ie. constructs related to getting a pet would be irrelevant if we are choosing an insurance policy

Question 22

There are 3 people corollaries. What is the individuality corollary?

Answer 22

People differ from one another in their construction of events

Question 23

What is the commonality corollary?

Answer 23

To the degree that people construct experience the same way, they are similar (shared cognitive process)

Question 24

What is the sociality corollary?

Answer 24

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

Question 25

What is bilateral vs unilateral in the sociality corollary?

Answer 25

Bilateral: Understanding between 2 friends

Unilateral: Therapist-client relationship

Question 26

What is the role construct repertory test (REP)?

Answer 26

Instrument for measuring a person’s constructs

Question 27

What does cognitive complexity mean?

Answer 27

The number of different constructs used

• the greater the number, the more flexibility the person has

Question 28

What test can be used to see how individuals change over time?

Answer 28

REP Test

• personality change can occur quickly or slowly
• can be threatening

Question 29

What is “Constructivist” Therapy?

Answer 29

1. Understand the client’s constructs
2. Exploring constructs
3. Changing constructs by “tightening” them (time or word binding)

Question 30

What is fixed role therapy?

Answer 30

Client experiments with new self-construct via role-playing (or therapist play the new client)

• want to increase cognitive complexity