Deck 11: George Kelly: Personal Construct Theory

Question 1

In developing his theory,which of the following methods did Kelly rely on?

A) Psychoanalysis
B) Behaviorism
C) Trait theory
D) None of these are correct.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Kelly's personal construct theory states that personality can be understood by:

A) determining the influence of the unconscious on one's conscious behavior.
B) the way people organize and interpret their world.
C) understanding one's need for safety and the anxiety caused by the lack of it.
D)the passive response to stimuli in our environment.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following statements best describes a construct?

A) It is a unipolar element of one's personality causing extremities in behavior.
B) It is a collection of one's subconscious thoughts and repressed emotions.
C) It is an image of a universal experience contained in the collective unconscious.
D) It is an intellectual hypotheses to explain or interpret life events.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Kelly's theory is based on the idea that _____.

A) people belonging to the same culture construe events in identical ways
B) future events duplicate past events
C) personality is fully developed at childhood and is unchanging thereafter
D) themes from the past will reappear in the future

Question 5

Which of the following statements is true about Kelly's life?

A) As a child,Kelly was neglected by his parents.
B) Kelly had been preparing for a career in psychology from the time he had enrolled in high school.
C) Paucity of funds made Kelly change his specialization from physiological psychology to clinical psychology.
D) Kelly's work in psychology was majorly influenced by Freud's psychoanalytic theory.

Question 6

Once formed,constructs tend to:

A) last for a few months at most.
B) inhibit further change in behavior.
C) weaken as we grow older.
D) guide our behavior.

Question 7

According to Kelly,the freedom to revise one's constructs is called:

A) constructive determinism.
B) constructive interference.
C) constructive alternativism.
D) constructive dichotomy.

Question 8

Kelly's personality theory derived from:

A) his experience as a clinician.
B) surveys conducted on factory workers.
C) the study of self-actualized individuals.
D) interpretations of the two-factor theory.

Question 9

According to Kelly,individuals use personal constructs to:

A) manipulate their subconscious thoughts.
B) release their repressed emotions and experiences.
C) predict and control the events in their lives.
D) assess the behavior of other people.

Question 10

Which of the following is a difference between Kelly's cognitive theory and the cognitive movement that began around 1960?

A) Cognitive psychologists studied their subjects in an experimental setting,whereas Kelly developed his theory in a clinical setting.
B) Cognitive psychologists studied their subjects in a clinical setting,whereas Kelly developed his theory in an experimental setting.
C) Kelly's study primarily dealt with overt behavior,whereas cognitive psychologists primarily studied covert behavior.
D) Kelly believed that learning influences a person's response to a given stimulus,whereas cognitive psychologists stressed on the conscious constructs by which people arrange their lives.

Question 11

According to the individuality corollary,_____.

A) different people perceive the same event in different ways
B) constructs reflect an event's objective reality
C) people differ in their physiological drives
D) individuals predict events in terms of the best outcome for themselves

Question 12

Personal constructs are oriented toward the:

A) reconstruction of past events.
B) anticipation of future events.
C) actualization of unconscious desires.
D) release of psychic energy.

Question 13

Kelly's initial clients were:

A) middle-aged women with severe depression.
B) students who were referred by their teachers for counseling.
C) emotionally disturbed soldiers during World War II.
D) maladjusted patients in a psychiatric ward.

Question 14

According to Kelly,the only way to understand the human personality is to understand:

A) one's childhood experiences and evidences of basic anxiety.
B) unconscious desires and their expression in one's dreams.
C) how people interpret events and organize their social relationships in a system.
D) behavior as a manifestation of their primitive instincts.

Question 15

George Kelly's approach to personality is called:

A) psychoanalysis.
B) the humanistic approach.
C) individual psychology.
D) personal construct theory.

Question 16

Kelly attempted to describe all aspects of personality,including its emotional components,strictly in terms of _____.

A) cognitive processes
B) biological processes
C) unconscious desires
D) instinctoid needs

Question 17

Which of the following is a reason for an individual to test his or her construct against reality?

A) To determine the number of inappropriate constructs that can be applied to a situation
B) To confirm his or her construct
C) To develop a theory based on each construct
D) To address his or her fears using constructs

Question 18

A person formulates hypotheses about the environment and tests them against:

A) established psychological theories.
B) the archetypes in collective unconscious.
C) the reality of daily life.
D) unconscious fears and desires.

Question 19

Which of the following is a feature of constructs?

A) They can be revised.
B) They reduce one's ability to cope with new situations.
C) They cannot be replaced.
D) They are strongly influenced by physiological needs.

Question 20

If Kelly had worked with schizophrenics in a mental institution during his formative professional years,_____.

A) his theory would not have emphasized the ultimate human goal of self-actualization
B) he would have had his clients discuss their concerns rationally and in intellectual terms
C) he would have used Freud's psychoanalytic therapy to cure mental illnesses
D) his theory might not have depended so heavily on cognitive information-processing abilities

Question 21

In a dichotomized construct,when people select the high-risk,high-reward alternative,they are:

A) extending their construct system.
B) limiting their construct system.
C) fitting themselves into another person's construct system.
D) reinforcing their existing construct system.

Question 22

According to Kelly's personal construct theory,which of the following is true of the choice corollary?

A) People choose to see themselves using other people's constructs in order to maintain positive social relationships.
B) People frequently choose alternatives that enable them to anticipate future events with the highest degree of certainty.
C) People choose to maintain impermeability in their constructs for the sake of integrity.
D) People often choose alternatives that can expand their existing construct system.

Question 23

All of the following are important aspects of Kelly's image of human nature except:

A) moderation between uniqueness and universality.
B) free will.
C) pessimism.
D) rationality.

Question 24

The idea that a new construct and an old one may be consistent in one situation and inconsistent in another situation is the:

A) congruence corollary.
B) fragmentation corollary.
C) successive modulation corollary.
D) situational corollary.

Question 25

Kelly believed that individuals are motivated by:

A) the fact of being alive.
B) instinctive drives.
C) past events.
D) the need to self-actualize.

Question 26

The _____ corollary says that people need to fit themselves in the constructs of the persons with whom they want to have positive relationships.

A) range
B) modulation
C) sociality
D) commonality

Question 27

According to the choice corollary,the high-risk,high-reward adventurous option has a:

A) lower adaptive control.
B) high adaptive control.
C) high predictive efficiency.
D) lower predictive efficiency.

Question 28

The only valid test for a construct system is its:

A) unipolarity.
B) destructive interference.
C) predictive efficiency.
D) constructive interference.

Question 29

Instead of being friendly,Jim continues to act in a hostile manner even when rebuffed for it.According to George Kelly,which of the following best explains Jim's persistent behavior?

A) Jim makes a low-risk choice of behaving in a hostile manner because he can predict how others will react to it.
B) Jim has never tried to be friendly,so he cannot predict how others are going to respond.
C) Jim is uncertain about changing his behavior even though the rewards for being friendly are potentially greater.
D) All of these are correct.

Question 30

A construct's range of convenience is:

A) its relevance to particular situations or people.
B) defined by the number of needs it satisfies.
C) determined by the number of people who hold the same construct.
D) applicable to normal or abnormal behavior.

Question 31

According to Kelly's construction corollary,_____.

A) people in compatible groups and cultures construe events similarly
B) people can predict how they will experience a repeated event in the future
C) people modify their constructs at specific intervals determined during their childhood
D) people are capable of modifying their behavior in social situations

Question 32

The dichotomy corollary states that:

A) people modify their constructs as a result of new experiences.
B) an individual must also account for dissimilarities among people or events.
C) people modify their behavior based on other people's ideas of them.
D) two individuals often perceive events in opposite and mutually exclusive ways.

Question 33

Kelly viewed human nature as:

A) a genetically determined trait.
B) rational and capable of choice.
C) a behavior determined by childhood events.
D) constructs arranged in a hierarchy of needs.

Question 34

Which of the following is likely to happen if one's construct system is permeable?

A) A person tends to display neurotic behavior.
B) A person can apply his or her constructs to a wide spectrum of events.
C) A person is more likely to suffer in his or her interpersonal relationships.
D) A person is more open to new experiences.

Question 35

The only way a construct system can remain rigid is if a person:

A) has not attained self-actualization.
B) has a wide range of convenience.
C) encounters no new experiences.
D) is extremely self-confident.

Question 36

The _____ corollary agues for the need to construe the constructs of others.

A) individuality
B) commonality
C) fragmentation
D) sociality

Question 37

In a dichotomized construct,the alternative that people select is determined by:

A) its similarity to one's past experiences.
B) its compatibility to other primary constructs formed by a person.
C) how well it predicts the outcome of future events.
D) one's subconscious motives and desires.

Question 38

The main characteristic of the organization corollary is that:

A) ordinary constructs are formed early in life.
B) subordinate constructs are always consistent.
C) constructs can include one or more subordinate constructs.
D) individual constructs are isolated from patterns of constructs.

Question 39

Which of the following best explains why people persist in behaving in an unrewarding way?

A) Most people opt for the secure,low-risk alternative.
B) Most people opt for the high-risk,adventurous option.
C) There are greater potential benefits.
D) There is a high degree of uncertainty in their current behavior.

Question 40

If people construe an experience homogenously,then their cognitive processes will be:

A) similar.
B) identical.
C) fragmented.
D) permeable.

Question 41

Kelly's primary assessment technique was the:

A) free-association test.
B) Rorschach inkblot test.
C) interview.
D) Q sort.

Question 42

In the context of cognitive complexity and cognitive simplicity,which of the following statements is true of couples?

A) The dominant partner tends to influence the constructs of the less dominant partner.
B) Partners tend to construe their worlds in a similar manner.
C) Partners often have divergent views of their worlds.
D) Men often score higher in cognitive complexity than women.

Question 43

Which of the following is a goal of the fixed role therapy promoted by George Kelly?

A) A client should reinforce his or her existing constructs based on his or her negative self-perception.
B) A client should discover that the new constructs work better in anticipating events than the old constructs by which the client was living.
C) A client must be able to deal with role-stresses by focusing on a fixed role at a particular point in time.
D) A client must develop new a construct system in alignment with his or her roles and responsibilities in the family.

Question 44

According to Role Construct Repertory (REP)Test results,which of the following is true of schizophrenics?

A) They cannot identify objects that are used for similar purposes.
B) They are unstable and inconsistent in construing other people.
C) They can solely identify people and objects in a clinical setting.
D) None of these are correct.

Question 45

According to research on Kelly's theory,which of the following is true of friendships among college students?

A) People who have similar constructs are unable to continue their friendship a few years after college.
B) People who have a non-discriminatory view of the world have fewer friends.
C) People befriend those whose constructs are already similar to theirs.
D) People develop similar constructs a few months after becoming friends.

Question 46

In the context of the real-world application of Kelly's theory,the Role Construct Repertory (REP)Test:

A) has been used as a supplementary test in psychoanalysis.
B) has been used in market research.
C) cannot be used in industrial settings.
D) cannot be used with schizophrenics.

Question 47

Adults high in cognitive complexity are likely to have had:

A) diverse experiences during childhood.
B) more authoritarian parents.
C) limited experiences during childhood.
D) issues with their mental health at some point in their lives.

Question 48

A self-characterization sketch is used to determine:

A) specific neuroses among clients due to basic anxiety.
B) the accuracy of the repertory grid.
C) the corollaries dominating a client's life.
D) how people perceive themselves in relation to others.

Question 49

The validity of the Role Construct Repertory (REP)Test depends on:

A) contrasting constructs for spouses in a fulfilling marital relationship.
B) the skill of the psychologist interpreting the results.
C) a client's memory of his or her childhood experiences.
D) quantified summations of a client's answers on the repertory grid.

Question 50

Which of the following was evident from the research on Kelly's theory?

A) A person's constructs measured by the REP Test remain stable over time.
B) Even though the role models changed,the constructs that were important to the subjects remained the same.
C) Couples with similar constructs reported greater happiness with their marriage.
D) All of these are correct.

Question 51

Kelly stated that a therapist should:

A) focus on a client's childhood experiences.
B) respect what a client says even if he or she does not believe it.
C) focus on emotional not rational factors.
D) find the unconscious conflicts among constructs.

Question 52

All of the following are criticisms of Kelly's theory except that:

A) it omits motivation and emotion.
B) it is based on an unrepresentative sample.
C) the concept of the unconscious lacks empirical support.
D) the rational image of human nature does not coincide with reality.

Question 53

People high in cognitive complexity:

A) are likely to hail from monocultural backgrounds.
B) tend to have authoritarian parents.
C) are low in empathic ability.
D) can easily place a person in many categories.

Question 54

Which of the following is true of Kelly's approach to psychotherapy?

A) It is called fixed role therapy.
B) It involves changing undesirable constructs.
C) It involves clients acting out the role of a fictitious person.
D) All of these are correct.

Question 55

George Kelly promoted a form of psychotherapy called _____ therapy.

A) client-centered
B) group
C) fixed role
D) behavior

Question 56

Kelly's theory has been criticized because it:

A) projects a pessimistic view of human nature.
B) focuses exclusively on the intellectual and rational aspects of human functioning.
C) focuses exclusively on the emotional aspects of human functioning.
D) was based on an inconsistent mode of data collection from his subjects.

Question 57

Currently,Kelly's personal construct theory:

A) is held as a supplementary therapy in psychoanalysis.
B) is held as a basic principle of classical conditioning.
C) is very popular among psychologists in the United States.
D) enjoys a broad base of support in Europe and Canada.

Question 58

Which of the following is true of interpreting the Role Construct Repertory (REP)Test?

A) Kelly used it to determine the severity of anxiety disorders among clients.
B) Kelly realized that a computer was essential in categorizing various constructs as good or bad.
C) Kelly did not intend the test to be a standardized,objective self-report inventory.
D) Kelly did not believe in employing the interview technique.

Question 59

The Role Construct Repertory (REP)Test is used to:

A) discover a person's position in the needs hierarchy.
B) determine a person's roles according to his or her construct system.
C) manipulate the dominant construct in an individual.
D) uncover the constructs people apply to the important people in their lives.

Question 60

In the context of research on Kelly's theory,which of the following statements is true of the effects of one's emotional state?

A) People evaluate others according to their own personal characteristics.
B) Delinquents tend to identify with fictional negative characters rather than real-life adults.
C) First-time patients in psychiatric hospitals construe their social network as limited.
D) The REP Test is unreliable on those with organic brain damage.

Question 61

Give the definition for the dichotomy corollary.Explain how all constructs are bipolar or dichotomous.

Question 62

To what extent do you feel arguments,even wars,result because people construe events with different construct systems? Defend your answer with Kelly's personal construct theory.

Question 63

According to Kelly,the range of convenience or relevance for a construct is a matter of personal choice.

Question 64

Kelly stated that psychologists function very differently from ordinary people.

Question 65

Over the course of life,people become rigid and uncompromising in their constructs.

Question 66

Although open to change,the relationships among constructs are usually more enduring than the specific constructs themselves.

Question 67

An impermeable construct,although resistant to change,can be easily discarded.

Question 68

Describe Kelly's personal construct theory and discuss the concept of constructive alternativism.

Question 69

Kelly observed that a hostile person would not know how people would react to friendliness because he or she has rarely tried it.

Question 70

According to Kelly,freedom of choice cannot be obtained by people at any stage of life.

Question 71

The choice corollary in Kelly's theory describes similarities among repeated events.

Question 72

According to Kelly,it is the operation of our mental processes and not the specific events that influence the formation of personality.

Question 73

Define cognitive simplicity and cognitive complexity.Compare the characteristics of people with different cognitive styles.

Question 74

In the context of the commonality corollary,Kelly held that people who construe an experience similarly have similar cognitive processes.

Question 75

Kelly's theory is similar in terminology to the cognitive movement as it is consistent with the cognitive movement's subject matter and methods.

Question 76

According to the dichotomy corollary in Kelly's theory,all constructs are bipolar and mutually exclusive alternatives.

Question 77

Kelly's personality theory is based on concepts such as the unconscious,the ego,needs,drives,stimuli and responses,and reinforcement.

Question 78

A construct directs behavior in accordance with the expectation that one's constructs will predict and explain the reality of their world.

Question 79

State the fundamental postulate of personal construct theory.List and briefly describe the 11 corollaries of the personal construct theory which help in anticipating life events.

Question 80

Kelly was committed to his own particular therapeutic technique and theory while counseling his patients.