I will take another look at those items, and thanks for the (to me)
clear formulation of the distinction 'construct.' I especially
appreciated your patient tone and examples.
Incidentally, could your comments accurately be assessed as leaning
toward solipsism-type construing, meaning only that such a construer
holds that everything is a construct and cannot be verified beyond that?
Best, Gary
Tim A. Connor wrote:
>
> On Mon, 7 Apr 1997, Gary F. Blanchard wrote:
>
> > That's why I noted that 'I am not sure what you mean by 'construct....'
> > Your reply, 'I am referring to a construct in terms of a bipolar
> > construct as defined by George Kelly,' left me still unclear. Please
> > tell me, in your own words, perhaps with an example or two, what you
> > have in mind, so I can share your understanding.
> >
>
> Gary--
>
> A bipolar construct, in PCP, is simply a distinction. It could be seen
> as somewhat akin to Bateson's "difference that makes a difference,"
> except that in PCP the distinction is not seen as an attribute of the
> thing perceived, but a constructive act by the perceiver.
>
> An example: if I am presented with three grey cards of differing shades,
> I may employ the construct light/dark to distinguish among them.
> Lightness and darkness are not attributes of the cards--the middle card
> may be construed as either light or dark, depending on how I
> compare/contrast it with the extreme cards, and the extreme cards might
> be construed as light or dark with reference to still more extreme
> shades. I can order the cards on a continuum, but the continuum is
> derived from the fundamental light/dark construct, which is inherently
> dichotomous. PCP theory holds that all construing takes place in terms
> of hierarchically ordered systems of such dichotomous constructs.
>
> I may construe the people I meet as "crazy" or as "effective
> communicators," if that distinction is a feature of my own construct
> system (which it isn't, but that's another issue). It doesn't mean they
> "really are" crazy, only that I choose to construe them that way, the
> better to make sense of my interactions with them, to predict and control
> my experience, and to extend and define my construct system.
>
> I hope this helps. For a more in-depth explanation, I refer you to the
> articles I sent you last year, and to the article on The Geometry of
> Psychological Space posted at the PCP web site
> (www.ksi.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/PCP).
>
> Regards,
>
> Tim
-- Best, Gary - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - "All knowing is doing; all doing is knowing." "Everything that is said, is said by an observer." -Humberto Maturana & Francis Varela, THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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