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George Kelly
Cognitive Theory of Personality/Humanistic-Personal Constructs
63
Psychology
Undergraduate 2
12/09/2010

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Term
aggression
Definition
effort to expand one's construct system so it is capable of assimilating a greater range of experiences
Term
anxiety
Definition
feeling one has when one realizes that an experience lies outside one;s construct system
Term
choice corollary
Definition
states that people will choose a construct that will either further define or extend their construct system
Term
circumspection phase
Definition
that phase of the CPC cycle in which a person ponders several constructs that might be useful in construing a novel situation
Term
cognitive theory
Definition
any theory that focuses on the study of mental events
Term
cognitively complex person
Definition
person with many well-differentiated constructs in his or her construct system
Term
cognitively simple person
Definition
person with only a few poorly differentiated constructs in his or her construct system
Term
commonality corollary
Definition
states that people can be considered similar not because of similar physical experiences but because they construe their experiences in a similar fashion
Term
construct
Definition
idea or thought that a person uses when construing personal experience
Term
construct system
Definition
collection of constructs used by a person at any given time to construe the events in his or her life
Term
construction corollary
Definition
states that constructs are formed on the basis of the recurring themes in one's experience
Term
constructive alternativism
Definition
term that reflects Kelly's belief that there are numerous ways of construing one's experience and therefore one is free to choose from a number of construct systems
Term
construe
Definition
one's active effort to interpret, explain, and give meaning to experiences
Term
control phase
Definition
the phase of the CPC cycle in the which people choose a pole of the construct chosen in the preemption phase of the cycle and act in accordance with that pole
Term
core role structure
Definition
roles we play while interacting with the important people and groups in our lives
Term
core structures
Definition
those constructs on which we rely most heavily when construing experience--that is, those that have been most consistently validated
Term
CPC cycle
Definition
series of activities engaged in by a person confronted with a novel situation
(circumspection phase, control phase, and preemption phase)
Term
creativity cycle
Definition
Three-phase cycle in which innovative ideas are sought.
Phase 1 involves loosening one's construct system to allow realignments of elements and constructs.
Phase 2 involves retightening one's construct system after an innovative idea has been found.
Phase 3 involves testing the idea and retaining it if it is found useful and discarding it if not.
Term
credulous attitude
Definition
assumption that the information provided by clients about themselves can be trusted as accurate and valid
Term
definition of a construct system
Definition
Choice of a construct in construing a situation that has already been successful in construing similar situations.
Such a choice has the effect of further validating one's construct system.
Term
dichotomy corollary
Definition
States that each construct has two poles, one of which describes what characteristics the events to which the construct is relevant have in common, the other of which describes events without those characteristics.
For example, of the one pole of a construct describes beautiful things, the other pole may describe things without beauty, or ugly things.
Term
existential theory
Definition
any theory that focuses on the nature of, or the problems related to, human existence
Term
experience corollary
Definition
States that mere passive experience in unimportant.
It is the active construing of experience that ultimately results in a more effective construct system.
Term
extension of a construct system
Definition
Choice of a construct, in construing a situation, that has never been tried.
Such a choice has the potential effect of extending one's construct system so that it is capable of assimilating a greater range of experience.
Term
fear
Definition
feeling one has when a relatively unimportant construct is about to be invalidated, thus requiring a minor change in one's construct system
Term
fixed-role therapy
Definition
Clinical technique that asks clients to act as if they were other people.
Thus clients become actors, and the therapist becomes a supporting actor.
The idea is to have the clients try different ways of construing their experiences in a nonthreatening situation as the therapist provides validating information about their new construct systems.
Term
focus of convenience
Definition
events within the range of convenience of a construct to which that construct is maximally significant
Term
fragmentation corollary
Definition
states that as a construct system is being tested, revised, or extended, certain inconsistencies in behavior may result
Term
guilt
Definition
feeling one has when one acts contrary to a role one has assumed while interacting with a significant person or group in one's life
Term
hostility
Definition
attempt to force the validation of a prediction that has already proved to be erroneous
Term
humanistic theory
Definition
any theory that assumes that humans are basically good and rational and their behavior is purposive
Term
individuality corollary
Definition
states that each person is unique in his or her manner of construing experience
Term
jackass theory of motivation
Definition
Kelly's description of his own theory because it claimed that motivation is inherent to human nature.
Therefore, there is no need to postulate events that push or pull humans into action.
Term
learning
Definition
any change in one's construct system
Term
modulation corollary
Definition
states that a construct system is more likely to change if the constructs contained in it are permeable
Term
motivation
Definition
for Kelly, a synonym for life
Term
organization corollary
Definition
states that constructs are arranged in a hierarchy from most general to most specific
Term
permeable construct
Definition
construct that easily assimilates new experiences
Term
personal construct
Definition
idea or thought that a person uses when construing personal experience
Term
personality
Definition
for Kelly, the term personality refers to a person's construct system
Term
phenomenologist
Definition
one who studies intact, conscious experience
Term
preemption phase
Definition
that phase of the CPC cycle in which people decide which construct to use to construe a novel situation
Term
preverbal construct
Definition
Construct formulated early in one's life, before language was adequately developed.
Although such a construct cannot be labeled verbally, it can still be used to construe one's experiences.
Term
propositional construct
Definition
construct that is cognitively tested as one that might be useful in construing a situation
Term
psychotherapy
Definition
because Kelly equated people suffering emotional problems with bad scientists, therapy was regarded as a setting in which the client could learn to be a better scientist--that is, learn to develop a more effective construct system
Term
pull theories of motivation
Definition
Those theories that emphasize terms such a purpose, value, or need.
Kelly also called these carrot theories.
Term
push theories of motivation
Definition
Those theories that emphasize terms such as drive, motive, and stimulus.
Kelly also called these pitchfork theories.
Term
range corollary
Definition
states that a construct is relevant to only a finite range of events
Term
range of convenience
Definition
finite range of events to which a particular construct is relevant
Term
role
Definition
for Kelly, a role is acting in accordance with another person's expectations of how one will act
Term
role
Definition
for Kelly, a role is acting in accordance with another person's expectations of how one will act
Term
role construct
Definition
Awareness of another person's expectations.
In a sense, a role construct involves seeing the world through someone else's eyes.
Term
role construct repertory test (REP test)
Definition
test developed by Kelly to identify the constructs clients use to construe the relevant people in their lives
Term
self-characterization
Definition
sketch that Kelly sometimes had his clients write about themselves (in the third person) in order to learn what constructs they used to construe themselves and other people
Term
slot movements
Definition
the abrupt shifting form the use of one pole of a construct to its opposite that is often precipitated by stress
Term
sociality corollary
Definition
States that to engage in constructive social interaction with another person, one must first understand how that person construes his or her experiences.
Only then can one play a role in that person's life.
Term
submergence
Definition
Situation in which one pole of a construct is used, but the other pole tends not to be.
The unused pole is said to be submerged or unconscious.
Term
subordinate constructs
Definition
constructs that are subsumed under a more general construct
Term
superordinate construct
Definition
general construct that subsumes other constructs
Term
suspension
Definition
Situation in which an experience has low cognitive awareness because it is incompatible with one's current construct system.
If one's construct system is changed so it can assimilate the experience, it (the experience) will enter full awareness; that is, it will not longer be suspended.
Term
threat
Definition
awareness that one or more important constructs will be invalidated, thus requiring a major change in one's construct system
Term
unconscious
Definition
constructs with low cognitive awareness
Term
validation
Definition
results when a construct or a construct system successfully anticipates an experence
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