George Kelly

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Lore & Background

George Kelly was born in 1905 on a farm near Perth, Kansas to two strictly religious parents. He was their only child. He attended Friends University and Park College, receiving a bachelor's degree in physics and mathematics. He earned a master's degree in sociology at the University of Kansas, writing a thesis on workers' leisure activities. In 1929, after receiving an exchange scholarship, he completed a Bachelor of Education degree at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, writing a thesis on predicting teaching success. He then completed graduate and doctoral degrees in psychology at the State University of Iowa in 1931. His dissertation was on speech and reading disabilities. During World War II, Kelly worked as an aviation psychologist, responsible for a training program for local civilian pilots. After the war, he was appointed professor and director of clinical psychology at Ohio State University, where he remained until 1965. Under his guidance, OSU's graduate psychology training programs became some of the best in the United States. It is at OSU that Kelly developed his major contribution: The Psychology of Personal Constructs, published in 1955. He was elected president of the clinical and consulting divisions of the American Psychological Association and served as president of the American Board of Examiners in Professional Psychology. Kelly transferred to Brandeis University in 1965, accepting the Mashulam and Judith Riklis Chair in Behavioral Science. He died on March 6, 1967, at age 61.

Reader's Guide

Kelly's fundamental view was that people are like naive scientists who see the world through a particular lens, based on their uniquely organized systems of construction, which they use to anticipate events. He believed each person had their own idea of what a word meant—if someone said their sister is shy, the word 'shy' would be interpreted differently depending on personal constructs already associated with it. Kelly rejected being labeled a cognitive psychologist, almost writing another book stating his theory had no link to cognitive theories. He acknowledged that both therapist and patient bring unique constructs to the consulting room, so the therapist could never be completely 'objective.' The effective therapist construed the patient's material at a high level of abstraction within the patient's system of construction. Kelly noted: 'Johann Herbart's work on education and particularly mathematical psychology influenced me. I think mathematics is the pure instance of construct functioning—the model of human behavior.' Some of his inspiration came from a close friend who had been an actor in college and lived his character for two or three weeks as if it were real. Kelly thought this was the expression of his real self and the behavior was authentic. Kelly had all his students refer to him as 'Professor Kelly'; however, when they received a Ph.D. dissertation they were permitted to call him George.

Did You Know?

• Kelly wrote his master's thesis on workers' leisure activities.
• During World War II, Kelly worked as an aviation psychologist and was responsible for a training program for local civilian pilots.
• Kelly's dissertation was on speech and reading disabilities.
• Kelly noted that Johann Herbart's work on education and mathematical psychology influenced him.
• Kelly had all his students refer to him as 'Professor Kelly' until they received a Ph.D. dissertation, after which they could call him George.