10: Kelly - The Covariation Model

Question 1

Kelly’s philosophy that, while there is only one true reality, reality is always experienced from a unique, alternative perspective (construction)

Answer 1

constructive alternativism

Question 2

Kelly’s idea that “ordinary people” are not unlike scientists - they have constructions of reality, expectations (like hypotheses), a desire to test expectations (like experiments), and an ability to adjust their understanding of reality based on results

Answer 2

fruitful metaphor

Question 3

Kelly’s claim that “a person’s processes are all psychologically channelized by the ways in which he anticipates events”

Answer 3

fundamental postulate

Question 4

1st corollary of Kelly’s theory - “a person anticipates events by construing their replications” - we construct our anticipations using our past experiences, we expect patterns/consistencies in our experiences

Answer 4

construction corollary

Question 5

2nd corollary of Kelly’s theory - “a person’s construction system varies as he successively construes the replication of events” - reconstructing (altering) our anticipations when things don’t occur the way they have previously

Answer 5

experience corollary

Question 6

3rd corollary of Kelly’s theory - “a person’s construction system is composed of a finite number of dichotomous constructs”

Answer 6

dichotomy corollary

Question 7

useful concepts, fictions, templates that we use to store our experiences and guide our perceptions/behaviors

Answer 7

constructs

Question 8

another term for constructs that emphasizes how they are unique to us, ours alone

Answer 8

personal constructs

Question 9

another term for constructs that emphasizes their dichotomous nature - they have two opposite ends or extremes (poles) - short/tall, thin/fat, etc.

Answer 9

bipolar constructs

Question 10

Kelly’s term for a pole of a construct that one has convinced themselves doesn’t truly exist or has no meaning - process similar to repression

Answer 10

submerged

Question 11

constructs pertaining to the wider world, others, and the self

Answer 11

peripheral constructs

Question 12

constructs that are most significant to an individual - “define” them

Answer 12

core constructs

Question 13

4th corollary of Kelly’s theory - “each person characteristically evolves, for his convenience in anticipating events, a construction system embracing ordinal relationships between constructs” - we relate constructs to each other to organize and process information

Answer 13

organization corollary

Question 14

a construct that is “under” another construct, relates to it but is more specific (living things -> plants -> trees) - taxonomy or constellation

Answer 14

subordinate construct

Question 15

a construct that includes many other subordinate constructs, is “above” them (ex. “animals”)

Answer 15

superordinate construct

Question 16

definitional kind of subordination - stacks of constructs with all of their poles aligned, poles all correlate to each other (basis for stereotypes - good, clean, smart, moral vs. bad, dirty, dumb, immoral)

Answer 16

constellation

Question 17

a close relationship between two constructs - one is consistently used to predict the other (can be good and realistic, like in scientific research, or overly rigid and problematic, like in prejudice or OCD)

Answer 17

tight construction

Question 18

a fairly weak relationship between two constructs - connection is flexible, not absolute or quite necessary (helps to avoid prejudice, but can make someone flaky, unreliable, impulsive if taken too far or used inappropriately)

Answer 18

loose construction

Question 19

loosening our constructions (fantasizing and brainstorming alternative constructions), finding a novel construct with potential, then tightening it to achieve a result (arts, therapy, problem solving)

Answer 19

creativity cycle

Question 20

5th corollary of Kelly’s theory - “a construct is convenient for the anticipation of a finite range of events only” - no construct is useful in every situation

Answer 20

range corollary

Question 21

the range for which applying a construct is useful or necessary

Answer 21

range of convenience

Question 22

a construct that can be applied broadly to almost anything (ex. good vs. bad)

Answer 22

comprehensive

Question 23

a construct that is applied narrowly and is useful in few situations (ex. fluorescent vs. incandescent, only relevant to light bulbs)

Answer 23

incidental

Question 24

6th corollary of Kelly’s theory - “the variation in a person’s construction system is limited by the permeability of the constructs within whose range of convenience the variants lie”

Answer 24

modulation corollary

Question 25

term for constructs that are open to increased range, can be newly applied to novel ideas and situations

Answer 25

permeable

Question 26

term for constructs that are likely not to have any variation or increased range moving forward

Answer 26

concrete (impermeable)

Question 27

broadening the range of your constructs significantly in response to new information/experiences (ex. encountering a ghost after firmly believing they weren't real)

Answer 27

dilation

Question 28

narrowing the range of your constructs significantly in response to new information/experiences (ex. going to war and losing your belief that humans are moral creatures)

Answer 28

constriction

Question 29

7th corollary of Kelly's theory - "a person chooses for himself that alternative in a dichotomized construct through which he anticipates the greater possibility for extension and definition of his system" - we choose to do what will most likely improve our ability to anticipate

Answer 29

choice corollary

Question 30

the choice that will improve our understanding by forcing us to directly confront uncertain things (ex. going to parties to understand socializing)

Answer 30

adventurous choice

Question 31

the choice that will improve our understanding by allowing us to safely ponder uncertain things (ex. staying more independent to understand self)

Answer 31

security choice

Question 32

8th corollary of Kelly's theory - "persons differ from each other in their construction of events" - everyone's constructs are different

Answer 32

individuality corollary

Question 33

9th corollary of Kelly's theory - "to the extent that one person employs a construction of experience which is similar to that employed by another, his psychological processes are similar to the other person" - we desire validation

Answer 33

commonality corollary

Question 34

10th corollary of Kelly's theory - "a person may successively employ a variety of construction subsystems which are inferentially incompatible with each other" - we can be inconsistent within ourselves, we are a "community of selves"

Answer 34

fragmentation corollary

Question 35

11th corollary of Kelly's theory - "to the extent that one person construes the construction processes of another, he may play a role in a social process involving the other person" - even if dissimilar to someone else, you can still relate to them

Answer 35

sociality corollary

Question 36

Kelly's term for "emotions" - refers to the experiences we have when we move from one way of looking at the world to another

Answer 36

constructs of transition

Question 37

in Kelly's theory, a state when you are "caught with your constructs down" - discomfort when you become suddenly aware that your constructs aren't functioning well

Answer 37

anxiety

Question 38

in Kelly's theory, a state of anxiety that involves anticipation of great changes coming to your core constructs (the most important ones)

Answer 38

threat

Question 39

in Kelly's theory, an emotional state caused by doing things which are not in keeping with your core constructs (your ideas of who you are and how you should behave)

Answer 39

guilt

Question 40

in Kelly's theory, attempting to force reality to match up with your constructs (violence, assertiveness, activism)

Answer 40

aggression

Question 41

in Kelly's theory, insisting that your constructs are valid, even if there is overwhelming evidence to the contrary (ex. an elderly boxer who still believes he can fight)

Answer 41

hostility

Question 42

in Kelly's theory, "any personal construction which is used repeatedly in spite of consistent invalidation" - neuroticism, addiction, violence, greed, etc.

Answer 42

psychological disorder

Question 43

correcting someone's poor/ineffective construction of their experiences through Kellian therapy

Answer 43

reconstruction

Question 44

the changing of one's constructs that is essential for progress in reconstruction

Answer 44

movement

Question 45

AKA enactment - having individuals play the part of other individuals to become more aware of their own constructions, understand new perspectives

Answer 45

role-playing

Question 46

a homework technique for Kellian therapy - a client develops a character sketch, then the therapist develops a fixed-role sketch with constructs that are independent of the client's but used similarly, which the client must role-play for 1-2 weeks

Answer 46

fixed-role therapy

Question 47

AKA character sketch - a multi-page description that a client writes of themselves in the third-person, used in Kellian therapy

Answer 47

self-characterization sketch

Question 48

AKA fixed-role sketch - a multi-page description of an imaginary person written by a therapist, based on a client's character sketch but explores constructs which are independent of the client's but used similarly ("at right angles")

Answer 48

enactment sketch

Question 49

AKA rep grid - Kelly's diagnostic, self-discovery, and research tool that involves naming elements and constructs

Answer 49

role construct repertory test

Question 50

a set of 10-20 people a client names on their rep grid in response to questions

Answer 50

elements

Question 51

one end of a construct defined in a rep grid - what makes people alike

Answer 51

similarity pole

Question 52

one end of a construct defined in a rep grid - what makes others differ from people on the similarity pole

Answer 52

contrast pole

Question 53

constructs based in infancy that are tied to survival and global in nature

Answer 53

dependency constructs

Question 54

cycle that explains how a person will typically act when they commit to making a decision - circumspection, preemption, control

Answer 54

CPC cycle

Question 55

first part of CPC cycle - considering several constructs which may fit the situation

Answer 55

circumspection

Question 56

an individual misses opportunities because they take too long to evaluate their options - occurs during circumspection

Answer 56

information constipation

Question 57

second part of CPC cycle - selecting a particular construct to fit the situation

Answer 57

preemption

Question 58

third part of CPC cycle - acting on the chosen construct, then either validating or invalidating our choice in a structured way

Answer 58

control

Question 59

unverbalized or unconscious anticipations - can be a cause for emotional disorders

Answer 59

preverbal constructs

Question 60

selecting, from two options, the one which extends your constructs

Answer 60

elaborative choice

Question 61

selecting, from two options, the "safer" one which is easier to handle emotionally - can be used to protect a person from change if change feels threatening

Answer 61

sedimentation

Question 62

moving between the likeness pole and the contrast pole under periods of stress

Answer 62

slot movement

Question 63

a construct that includes only its own elements - these elements cannot be applied to other constructs

Answer 63

preemptive construct

Question 64

a construct that allows its elements to belong to other constructs concurrently - once identified in a particular way, these elements are fixed

Answer 64

constellatory construct

Question 65

a construct that leaves all of its elements open to modification

Answer 65

propositional construct

Question 66

in Kelly's theory, an emotional state caused by a new "dominant" construct entering your system, causing damage

Answer 66

fear

Question 67

process in Kellian therapy in which clients are encouraged to clarify and think through their problems in consultation with a therapist, in an effort to revise and discard ineffective constructs / formulate new, healthier ones

Answer 67

controlled elaboration