GEORGE KELLY The 11 supporting corollaries can all be inferred

from this basic postulate: 

I. Overview of Kelly's Personal Construct (1) Although no two events are exactly alike,
Theory we construe similar events as if they were the
Kelly's theory of personal constructs can be same, and this is Kelly's construction corollary.
seen as a metatheory, or a theory about (2) The individuality corollary states that
theories. It holds that people anticipate events because people have different experiences, they
by the meanings or interpretations that they can construe the same event in different ways.
place on those events. Kelly called these (3) The organization corollary assumes that
interpretations personal constructs. His people organize their personal constructs in a
philosophical position, called constructive hierarchical system, with some constructs in a
alternativism, assumes that alternative superordinate position and others subordinate
interpretations are always available to people. to them. (4) The dichotomy corollary assumes
that people construe events in an either/or
manner, e.g., good or bad. (5) Kelly's choice
II. Biography of George Kelly corollary assumes that people tend to choose
George Kelly was born on a farm in Kansas in the alternative in a dichotomized construct that
1905. During his school years and his early they see as extending the range of their future
professional career, he dabbled in a wide choices. (6) The range corollary states that
variety of jobs, but he eventually received a constructs are limited to a particular range of
Ph.D. in psychology from the State University of convenience; that is, they are not relevant to all
Iowa. He began his academic career at Fort situations. (7) Kelly's experience corollary
Hays State College in Kansas, then after World suggests that people continually revise their
War II, he took a position at Ohio State. He personal constructs as the result of their
remained there until 1965 when he joined the experiences. (8) The modulation corollary
faculty at Brandeis. He died two years later at assumes that only permeable constructs lead to
age 61. change; concrete constructs resist modification
through experience. (9) The fragmentation
III. Kelly's Philosophical Position corollary states that people's behavior can be
Kelly believed that people construe events inconsistent because their construct systems
according to their personal constructs rather can readily admit incompatible elements. (10)
than reality.  The commonality corollary suggests that our
A. Person as Scientist personal constructs tend to be similar to the
People generally attempt to solve everyday construction systems of other people to the
problems in much the same fashion as extent that we share experiences with them.
scientists; that is, they observe, ask questions, (11) The sociality corollary states that people
formulate hypotheses, infer conclusions, and are able to communicate with other people
predict future events. because they can construe those people's
B. Scientist as Person constructions. With the sociality corollary, Kelly
Because scientists are people, their introduced the concept of role, which refers to a
pronouncements should be regarded with the pattern of behavior that stems from people's
same skepticism as any other data. Every understanding of the constructs of others. Each
scientific theory can be viewed from an of us has a core role and numerous peripheral
alternate angle, and every competent scientist roles. A core role gives us a sense of identity
should be open to changing his or her theory. whereas peripheral roles are less central to our
C. Constructive Alternativism self-concept.
Kelly believed that all our interpretations of the
world are subject to revision or replacement, an V. Applications of Personal Construct
assumption he called constructive alternativism. Theory
He further stressed that, because people can Kelly's many years of clinical experience
construe their world from different angles, enabled him to evolve concepts of abnormal
observations that are valid at one time may be development and psychotherapy, and to
false at a later time. develop a Role Construct Repertory (Rep) Test.
A. Abnormal Development
IV. Personal Constructs  Kelly saw normal people as analogous to
Kelly believed that people look at their world competent scientists who test reasonable
through templates that they create and then hypotheses, objectively view the results, and
attempt to fit over the realities of the world. He willingly change their theories when the data
called these templates or transparent patterns warrant it. Similarly, unhealthy people are like
personal constructs, which he believed shape incompetent scientists who test unreasonable
behavior. hypotheses, reject or distort legitimate results,
A. Basic Postulate and refuse to amend outdated theories. Kelly
Kelly expressed his theory in one basic identified four common elements in most
postulate and 11 supporting corollaries. The human disturbances: (1) threat, or the
basic postulate assumes that human behavior is perception that one's basic constructs may be
shaped by the way people anticipate the future. drastically changed; (2) fear, which requires an
B. Supporting Corollaries incidental rather than a comprehensive
restructuring of one's construct system; (3) VIII. Concept of Humanity
anxiety, or the recognition that one cannot Kelly saw people as anticipating the future and
adequately deal with a new situation; and (4) living their lives in accordance with those
guilt, defined as "the sense of having lost one's anticipations. His concept of elaborative choice
core role structure." suggests that people increase their range of
B. Psychotherapy future choices by the present choices they
Kelly insisted that clients should set their own freely make. Thus, Kelly's theory rates very
goals for therapy and that they should be active high in teleology and high in choice and
participants in the therapeutic process. He optimism. In addition, it receives high ratings
sometimes used a procedure called fixed-role for conscious influences and for its emphasis on
therapy in which clients act out a predetermined the uniqueness of the individual. Finally,
role for several weeks. By playing the part of a personal construct theory is about average on
psychologically healthy person, clients may social influences.
discover previously hidden aspects of
themselves.
C. The Rep Test
The purpose of the Rep test is to discover ways
in which clients construe significant people in
their lives. Clients place names of people they
know on 
a repertory grid in order to identify both
similarities and differences among 
these people.

VI. Related Research

Kelly's personal construct theory and his Rep
test have generated a substantial amount of
empirical research in both the United States and
the United Kingdom.
A. The Rep Test and Children
Use of the Rep test with children reveals that
the self-constructs of depressed adolescents are
marked by low self-esteem, pessimism, and an
external locus of control. Other research with
children and the Rep test shows that
preadolescents construe themselves and others
in ways consistent with the Big Five personality
factors (extraversion, agreeableness,
conscientiousness, emotional stability, and
intelligence), thus demonstrating that the Big
Five factors can come from instruments other
than standard personality tests.
B. The Rep Test and the Real Self Versus the
Ideal Self
Other research has found that the Rep test was
useful in (1) predicting adherence to a physical
activity program, (2) detecting differences
between the real self and the ideal self, and (3)
measuring neuroticism.
C. The Rep Test and the Pain Patient
A number of studies, including the Large and
Strong (1997) study, have found that the Rep
test can be a reliable and valid instrument for
measuring pain.

VII. Critique of Kelly

Kelly's theory probably is most applicable to
relatively normal, intelligent people.
Unfortunately, it pays scant attention to
problems of motivation, development, and
cultural influences. On the six criteria of a
useful theory, it rates very high on parsimony
and internal consistency and about average on
its ability to generate research. However, it
rates low on its ability to be falsified, to guide
the practitioner, and to organize knowledge.