George Kelly: The Destruction Technique of Thinking Machines

George Kelly is a famous American psychologist. His popularity he acquired for the developed concept, concerning the cognitive activity of the individual.

short biography

George Kelly, having received a bachelor's degree in physics and mathematics, changed the direction of his interests. He began to study social problems. Defending the master's thesis, the scientist for several years taught. After that, at Edinburgh University he was awarded a bachelor's degree in pedagogy. In the Iowa State University George Kelly defended his doctoral dissertation. A few years before the start of the Second World War, he organized a program of mobile psychological clinics. They acted as a base for students' practice. During the war, Kelly was an aviation psychologist. After the end of hostilities, he became a professor and head of the program in clinical psychology at the State University of Ohio.

Theory of personal constructors

J. Kelly developed a concept according to which the formation of mental processes of the individual is carried out on the basis of how a person anticipates ("models") the upcoming events. The author considered people as researchers who constantly make up their own image of reality with the help of their own structure of categorical scales. In accordance with these models, a person puts forward hypotheses about upcoming events. In the event that the assumption is not confirmed, there is a reorganization of the scale system to some extent. This allows us to increase the level of adequacy of the forthcoming predictions. This is, as George Kelly believed, the cognitive theory of personality. The researcher also developed a special methodical principle. It is called "repertory grids". With their help, methods for diagnosing the specifics of individual modeling of reality were formed. Subsequently, in various fields of psychology, the methods developed by George Kelly began to be successfully applied.

Cognitive theory

In the 1920s, the researcher used psychoanalytic interpretations in his clinical works. George Kelly was surprised at the ease with which patients perceived the concepts of Freud. At the same time, he considered his ideas absurd. As part of the experiment, George Kelly began to change the interpretations that his patients received, according to various psychodynamic schools. It turned out that people equally perceive the principles that were offered to them. Moreover, patients were willing to change the course of their lives according to them. Thus, neither the analysis of children's conflicts according to Freud, nor the study of the very past itself is of decisive importance. This is the conclusion made by the results of the experiment, George Kelly. The theory of personality was associated with ways of interpreting the individual's experience and foreseeing future events. The concepts of Freud's research were successful because they shattered the thinking pattern customary for patients. They offered to understand events in a new way.

Causes of Disorders

George Kelly believed that anxiety and depression of people arise from falling into the trap of inadequate and rigid categories of their thinking. For example, some believe that authoritative persons are right in any situation. In this regard, criticism from such a person will be depressing. If you use any technique that helps to change this setting, it will have an effect. At the same time, effectiveness is ensured regardless of whether it is based on the theory linking this belief to the oedipal complex, the need to have a spiritual mentor, or to lose the love and care of parents with fear. Thus, Kelly came to the conclusion that it is necessary to create techniques that directly corrected inadequate models of thinking.

Therapy

Kelly suggested that patients be aware of their own attitudes and verify them in reality. So, one woman experienced anxiety and fear at the thought that her opinion may not coincide with the conclusions of the spouse. Nevertheless, Kelly insisted that she should try to express her thoughts to her husband on some issue. As a result, the patient was convinced in practice that this did not pose a danger to her.

Conclusion

George Kelly became one of those psychotherapists who first tried to change the thinking of their patients directly. This goal underlies many existing methods today. All of them are united by the term "cognitive therapy". However, in modern practice, this approach is almost not used. Basically, behavioral techniques are realized.