(134) Paper on George Kelly cognitive psychology based on a prompt of questions from a personality class at CSULB

Paper I wrote in class regarding George Kelly Cognitive Psychology

P-1 Kelly’s theory of personality portrays people as truth seekers, and that they use different constructs (discriminations) to perceive and understand stimuli as a way to make binary decisions that is an outcome of behaviors and how they view the world. Each person has a construct by which they view the world. Kelly defines construction as a hierarchy of constructs shaped like a pyramid the top holds the supraordinate (most important first used), while the bottom holds the subordinate (less important) needs. When presented with stimuli people do not make associations randomly, for example, Perrin finds honest—not honest, positive—negative, and empathy—not empathic as supra constructs that are of a high importance range of convenience, and these constructs can be used as a guide of how to act and perceive others. It is important because in understanding and predicting certain stimulus we are able to control responses and this is a way personality is configured, developed and acted out. The supra are the first constructs (discriminations)The higher number of constructs a person has the more complex they are the wider range of convenience one has as a resource to be able to predict and control events, circumstance, the way one feels, responds, acts, and behaves in life. This may be considered more apt at their ability by the type of constructs used, and is important since how a person thinks, their perception of the world, is going to determine how they act in the world. The subordinate have a narrow range of convenience, are used later, are not high priority construct, yet are still an important availability factor of discrimination. The subordinate are correlates that are associative with the supra constructs to evaluate stimuli and contingent variables that even though have a more limited range of convenience are still part of a person’s overall complexity. This area coordinates balance and often changes constructs or keeps them depending on their effectiveness and viability. A few of the subordinate constructs Perrin uses are calm—not calm, arrogant—not arrogant, and mentor—not mentor as subordinate which are used later.  They are not the first go to choice but still critical, and important as suggestive as constructs that act as discriminatory factors that can affect one’s perception and behavior and personality. These constructs have been listed as they are in the hierarchy and are traits that this subject will use to judge others accordingly to make sense of and predict and form particular behaviors of as a result.

P-2 One emotion that my subject may portray is threat. For example, from being raised strictly he feels the emotion “threat” due to an underlying pressure to perform in a manner that is a perfect way of doing something. This could lead to a hostile reaction. This is appreciative because there is a best way to do things, but on a job last week I asked him what do you think of running this pipe all perfect like this (before running it) it was in an area that it wasn’t so critical how to run it, so he was less stringent, but I asked because in the past he has been “upset” when it wasn’t ran in a more detailed manner.

This is an emotion hostility is a red flag, and when anger arises it is a sign that he is lacking a lower-level subordinate to counteract “discriminate” the supra ordinate construct that is leading to a higher expectation that cannot be met. Constructions can predict behavior just like behavior that leads to troubled emotion can predict and be a signal of a faulty construct.

P-3 A couple of this subject's constructs are a configurement of his being raised in a strict fashion; smart—dumb and perfect—not perfect and listen—not listen. The way he views the world things must to be done perfectly, and this comes with an added pressure that if this prediction is not acted accordingly to expected job performance, then a behavioral response will occur. He tries to follow suit in his own way of doing things, but conflict may result because often when entailing the work of others there is often not just one way to do things perfectly. If he perceives someone else’s performance and judges it on a perfect—not perfect discrimination then this perception may lead to further discrimination in the context of a defense mechanism to relieve the idea of not perfect at the realm of the smart—dumb, listen—not listen constructs. Once this reaction formation kicks in this only fragments the personality and correlated by threat a hostile stress response and aggression may occur. Then the pressure abounds this is not perfect, someone is stupid, because they did not listen threat of not living to perceived standards and hostility may be acted out in aggression.

I work with Mr. X and the overlap in my construction with his is a reason why we have been able to remain business partners. My construction is positive vs negative and calm vs. not calm, and this going attitude refrains from anger and tension so it is easy if his more stringent and critical style arises. A lot of times it is just job layouts that are difficult, and frustrations may arise, but my world view and constructs remain balanced in a positive form, in contrast to his view which is like a construct because they are opposites with low overlap, but in the realm that does not conflict but actually deescalates a more negative response.    

below created 7/30/25

How complex is your personality?  

This model is an example of the need to manage stress, to build sound character and value system. Allowing for a context and dialogue through moral reasoning while engaging in the social emotional learning process, so that outcomes of learning can take place through self- awareness, empathy, compassion, and acceptance. This is a component of the neural development process. The art of caring is a science, and when the attributes of this style of functioning lead to semantic encoding and regulation of stress by being attuned to affect/feeling so as to discriminate your thinking by taking a cognitive approach to seek deeper meaning and understanding of things that may be challenging for you then through being creative and imaginative with your coping (using multiple fields) you will have in your stream of consciousness the use of these constructs that have been stored through the social emotional learning and development process. The reinforcement of making decisions that are positive and allow for win/win outcomes with the interactions with others, is rewarding and increases dopamine baselines since this activity tied to this model is self-reinforcing at the neural level. This is the core of being genuine, authentic and creating a solid core identity and experiencing motivation in learning as dopamine is known as inferring doing the right thing even when it is the harder thing to do. Functioning at this level allows for the neural structure to develop at this level, and when in a chemically balanced state natural endorphins from living attuned and aligned to self is an outgoing person excited to learn experiencing a growth mindset and spirit of positive drive and energy that comes naturally.

Ghandi says, Happiness is when what you do, what, you think, and what you say are in harmony. Experiencing flow state and self-actualization is a person that is naturally self-governed due to this level of development, just like democracy is an experiment in self-governance. The human organism functioning at the capacity of intellectual and emotional maturity that has developed to live life through the neural development of an adult brain is synonymous with creating an environment that the framers had hoped for. Most likely to create environment's that prevent barbarianism from taking place so that people could evolve in a way that literally brings out the higher optimal functional state of the human organism. Therefore, experience life of seeking happiness and that all men are created equal which is a common attribute of this level of development. They did not fight to protect peoples rights for nothing. When you look at this model of what the mind is capable of in the right form of development, then it truly is something worth fighting for. Our species and the longevity of mankind may depend on it.