Personal construct theory and the emotions: An interpretation in terms of primitive constructs

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The Psychology of Personal Constructs (Kelly) is examined and found to suffer from an ‘Origin Problem’. In order to solve the Origin Problem, a new postulate, the ‘Origin Postulate’, is proposed and incorporated into the theory's assumptive structure. The Origin Postulate leads to a consistent account of the initial formation and elaboration of systems of personal constructs. It suggests that as a consequence of our biological evolution we begin life, not with a construct‐free ‘tabula rasa’, but already in possession of a set of ‘primitive constructs' or constructional predispositions which serve as the starting‐points for the elaboration of our personal constructs. It is then shown how the dimensions of the Semantic Differential, the process of imprinting, and even the Jungian archetypes can be understood in terms of the Origin Postulate and its primitive constructs. Another weakness in Kelly's theory is then pinpointed and, with some aid from the Origin Postulate, it yields to the ‘Emotion Corollary’. A general ‘interpretation’ of emotional phenomena results which incorporates and extends those conceptions originally put forth by Kelly (and later elaborated by McCoy). Emotions are hypothesized to be what occurs when a certain kind of primitive construct is employed in the appraisal of an event. In conclusion, some evidence in support of the proposed interpretation is adduced.