Personal Construct Theory Overview

Personal construct theory suggests that people develop personal constructs, or mental frameworks, about how the world works. People then use these constructs to make sense of their observations and experiences.

If you've ever wondered why two people can see the same situation so differently, welcome to the world of personal construct. We all have unique histories, lived experiences, and knowledge that shape how we interpret the world around us. According to psychologist George Kelly, it is our individualized cognitive frameworks that shape who we are, how we perceive the world, and how we relate to one another.

Kelly's personal construct theory was the first example of an approach that is today referred to as constructivism.

What Is Personal Construct Theory?

We all live in the same world, but everyone experiences the world differently. Personal construct theory suggests that these differing experiences can be explained by the unique mental frameworks each person uses to interpret information.

For example, imagine you and your friend going for a walk in the park and you spot a large brown dog. 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?

Constructs and Personality

According to psychologist George Kelly, our personalities are made up of the various mental constructs through which we view reality.

Kelly believed that we are all essentially scientists. Like scientists, we want to understand the world around us, predict what will happen next, and create theories to explain events. 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. We come up with ideas about what we think will happen, test our ideas, and then adjust our frameworks based on what we have learned.

How Personal Construct Theory Works

Kelly believed that we start by first developing a set of personal constructs, which are essentially mental representations that we use to interpret events. These constructs are based on our experiences and observations.

During the early 1950s, the behavioral and psychoanalytic perspectives were still quite dominant in psychology. Kelly proposed his personal construct theory as an alternative view that departed from these two prominent schools of thought.

Rather than viewing human beings as passive subjects who were at the whims of the associations, reinforcements, and punishments they encountered in their environments (behaviorism) or their unconscious wishes and childhood experiences (psychoanalysis), Kelly believed that people take an active role in how they collect and interpret knowledge.

“Behavior is not the answer to the psychologist’s question; it is the question,” he suggested.

Why Personal Constructs Are Important

What makes these constructs so important? It's because we experience the world through the "lens" of our constructs. These constructs are used to predict and anticipate events, which in turn determine our behaviors, feelings, and thoughts.

When trying to make sense of an event or situation, we can also choose which construct we want to use. This sometimes happens as an event unfolds, but we can also reflect on our experiences and then view them in different ways.

For example, when something stressful happens, you might first see it as a trial or obstacle. As time passes, you may look back and see it in a different light, perhaps interpreting it as a learning experience that helps make you more resilient.

How We Use Personal Constructs

Kelly believed that the process of using constructs works in much the same way that a scientist utilizes a theory. First, we begin by hypothesizing that a particular construct will apply to a particular event.

But what happens if our predictions don't come true? We might reconsider how and when we apply the construct, we might alter the construct, or we might decide to abandon the construct altogether.

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. For example, more basic constructs might lie and the base of the hierarchy, while more complex and abstract constructs lie can be found at higher levels.

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. When looking at mental health problems, it can be helpful to consider how a person's constructs might influence and distort their perceptions.

Negative thinking is often related to such constructs, which is why certain types of therapy, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), focus on helping people identify these negative perceptions and replace them with more realistic ones.

Our personal constructs can influence mental well-being in a variety of ways, such as shaping our self-concept, influencing personal identity, and affecting how we cope with stressful situations.

In therapy, mental health professionals work to better understand a person's constructs to see where they are coming from. Culturally sensitive therapists, for example, consider how a person's cultural background can influence their perceptions and experiences of the world.

By understanding each client's unique personal constructs, therapists can tailor their approach, treatments, and interactions to ensure they fully address each individual's unique needs.