Social Action and Personal Constructs

Abstract

Personal construct theory (PCT; Kelly, 1955) had its focus of convenience in psychotherapy, and consequently has been developed as an individualistic approach to the person. However, it has its roots in pragmatism, a movement which had a thorough appreciation of both the individual and the social world. The contention in this article is that PCT has potential as a theory of social action, making a significant contribution to the agency/structure debate. With reference to the work both of Kelly and of contemporary constructivists, it is argued that PCT can be drawn on to complement the pragmatic social psychology of Mead (1934). PCT's conceptualization of choice allows us to theorize personal agency and its relationship to the context of social construction within which it is embedded.