PSY405 Notes Lecture 24

George Kelly’s Cognitive Theory of Personality

1. Overview

Kelly’s theory is phenomenological: focuses on the internal frame of reference – how a person experiences life from their own perspective. Cognitive: studies mental processes (thinking, predicting, interpreting). Existential: emphasizes freedom of choice and looking toward the future. Humanistic: optimistic, focuses on creative powers and problem-solving ability.

Key idea:

Behavior and thoughts are guided by personal constructs, which are mental templates people use to predict future events. Our actions are shaped by how we anticipate reality. Example: If you see someone frowning, you might predict they are upset (construct: “friendly vs hostile”), and your behavior adjusts accordingly.

2. The Psychology of Personal Constructs

Humans are thinking animals. Kelly emphasized cognition as central to personality. We are like scientists, trying to understand, predict, and control our

Unlike older theories that saw humans as passive reactors, Kelly said we actively interpret events. Example: You meet a new person and guess if they are trustworthy. Your brain tests hypotheses based on previous experiences.

3. Biographical Sketch

Born: 1905, Perth, Kansas, only child. Family: religious, hardworking, strict. Education: limited early schooling, later moved to Wichita. Career: professor at Fort Hays Kansas State College, later University of Maryland. Military: naval aviation psychologist, training pilots in WWII. Contributions: President of American Psychological Association divisions, promoted professional psychology. Focus: rejected Freud, emphasized real-life practical problems, not unconscious sexual drives.

4. Cornerstones of Cognitive Theory

i. Constructive Alternativism

Meaning: Reality can be interpreted in many ways. People can choose how to construe events. Constructs are flexible mental templates that can be revised. Once chosen, we often stick to them, but we can change them intentionally. Example: You thought “I fail at exams” → new experience → “I can improve by studying differently.”

ii. People as Scientists

Humans actively form hypotheses about life events and test them. We try to predict and control our environment, just like scientists. Example: You assume “If I smile, people will be friendly.” You test it and see if it works.

5. Personal Construct Theory

i. Constructs: Templates for Reality

Constructs = categories we use to interpret life. We notice similarities and differences in events and organize them mentally. Freedom to create constructs = constructive alternativism.

Examples of constructs:

Excitable vs calm Good vs bad Intelligent vs stupid Friendly vs hostile These constructs guide behavior, predict outcomes, and shape personality.

ii. Formal Properties of Constructs

Each construct has a range of convenience: how broadly it applies. Example: “Good vs bad” applies to most situations; “virginity vs prostitution” applies very narrowly. Constructs work best within their intended range.

iii. Types of Constructs

Preemptive constructs: rigid, pigeonhole thinking. Example: Labeling someone as “Chicano” and ignoring other qualities. Preemptive constructs limit flexibility, while more open constructs allow reinterpretation.

6. Personality in Kelly’s Theory

Kelly did not define personality as a fixed entity. Personality = a person’s construct system. To understand someone, we need to know:

1. Which constructs they use