An introduction to PCP
by Peggy Dalton
It is unusual for a theory of personality to begin
in the realm of philosophy, but we believe this is quite
essential. Unless there is some understanding of the
world in which the individual operates psychologically,
it is very easy to make assumptions about that world.
Indeed, most psychological theories make philosophical
assumptions about the world in which they operate, but
generally they do not do so explicitly.
George Kelly, on the other hand, quite explicitly
brought up this issue at the outset, defining his philosophy
as that of constructive alternativism. This imposing
title is rather daunting but it is not really difficult
to understand.
Essentially, he proposes that there is a real world
out there. It exists, is interconnected and is in continual
motion. As individuals we are continually trying to
grasp that real world by constructing our own version
of it. Kelly continually emphasised the importance of
anticipation, saying 'it is both the push and pull of
the psychology of personal constructs'. A person is
trying to anticipate real events. 'It is the future
that tantalises us, not the past. Always we reach out
to the future through the window of the present'.
The constructions we make are infinitely variable
and there are a huge range of alternative ways of construing
and making sense of the same event. However, to the
individual, whatever construction we make is real to
us.
In one of his most often quoted paragraphs, Kelly
wrote:
We take the stand that there are always some
alternative constructions available to choose among
in dealing with the world. No one needs to paint themselves
into a corner; no one needs to be completely hemmed
in by circumstances; no one needs to be the victim
of their biography.
For all of us there are alternative ways of making
sense of our experience, only bound by the rules we
impose on ourselves. Those rules, being created personally,
can be altered by personal choice also.
Person-the-scientist
Scientists examine phenomena and come up with theories
about what might be going on. They make predictions
based on their theories and carry out experiments to
test them. Positive responses are regarded as validating
all or part of the theory, whereas a negative response
is regarded as invalidation, and the theory has to be
re-examined to try to explain the problem.
Kelly thought that, essentially, this was the type
of activity in which we are all engaged. Everyone is
making their own theories about the real world out there.
We are doing this in order to anticipate our future.
Our behaviour in the world becomes our experiment, through
which we discover how our theories are working in practice.
Behaviour which is validated is considered successful,
and we incorporate those findings and understandings
into our personal psychological system. Invalidation
of our behavioural experiments leads to re-evaluation
and reorganisation.
For example, a young person who has always been shy
is invited to a party for the first time. From listening
to her sister's stories and seeing them on television,
she has a picture in her mind of a noisy crowded room,
full of people talking brightly and ignoring her because
she is quiet and dull. She is terrified but she goes.
If what she has anticipated matches her experience,
her theory will be proved, and she may not want to try
again. If, however, she finds that it is not a noisy
affair, that several people talk to her and seem to
find her interesting, she will probably reconstrue and
her anticipations of parties will be modified in future.
Construing and the nature of constructs
When we construe we are actively trying to interpret
something. In order to make sense of any event, action
or situation, we attempt to construe it, to give it
shape and meaning.
It is important to emphasise from the beginning that
construing is not the same as thinking. We do construe
by thinking, but also construe as we look, listen, touch,
taste, feel and move. As we perceive something visually
or auditorily, we are interpreting what we see and hear.
Some of our constructions of events remain as feelings,
or as sensations we scarcely notice. Action is very
much part of the construing process. If we reach out
to pick something up, we are, in a sense, testing out
a theory about what it will be like when we hold it.
If we approach another person with certain feelings,
we are again checking out our expectations of that person.
If construing is the process by means of which we
try to make sense of our world, a construct is one piece
of that sense-making structure. By comparing and contrasting
aspects of our world we create bipolar constructs. We
understand light by contrasting it with dark, hard with
soft.
Many of us may accept those constructs in general,
but our personal constructs are often quite individual
and may be unique to each of us. A contrast that one
person finds meaningful may not be so for another. For
example, one may have a construct of ‘strong v
weak’, whereas another may have a construct of
‘strong v gentle’. If we really want to
understand another person, we need to listen for the
meanings those constructs have for that individual rather
than try to impose our own.
Constructs are psychological entities. We often use
words to symbolise them but the words we use merely
represent the construct: they are not the construct
itself. |
