Relationship Between Personal Constructs and Behavior

254 Words2 Pages
Explain the concept of personal constructs. What is a personal construct? How are personal constructs related to social perspectives? What is the relationship between personal constructs and behavior? Personal construct theory is a psychological theory that was developed in the 1950's by a psychologist by the name of George Kelly. The concept of Kelly's theory is detailed, but in this paper I will attempt to explain what the varying dimensions and/or categories of personal constructs. A personal construct is basically how one looks at their life, the surrounding world, and the people around them. It is mostly based on personal experiences, and from these personal experiences one builds a specific outlook based on their personal experiences, reactions and results in their life. From these experiences, it influences how one acts, speaks, thinks and lives their life. When it comes to social perspectives, personal constructs are ways of anticipating social experiences and the anticipation overall guides an individual's behavior and experience. The anticipation and predication are the conductors of the mind. For example, at a young age babies will learn that when they cry, their mother will come and from this repeated experience the child learns this and this will continue to refine their theories as they grow. Constructs are overall applied to most things that one puts their attention to, which includes yourself and the fixation of influence we apply our attention to. Resources: Hogan, R, Johnson, J, and Briggs, S. Handbook of personality psychology. San Diego, CA: Acidemic Press, 1997.
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