re: DSM-IV and constructivism

anima@devi.demon.co.uk
Thu, 7 Sep 1995 21:47:36 +0000

In reply to Jack Gerber's letter ending:
>>In my approach, the idea is that personality is NOT a characteristic of a
>>person. Rather, it is a product of the interaction of the person's
>>behavior (motor activity) and the observer's interpretation of that
>>behavior. In PCP terms, personality is the result of the constructs

Rue Cromwell wrote:
>Your assumptions are precisely those of J. R. Kantor's interbehavioral
>theory. He was a rebel against both Watson and Skinner, and, interestingly,
>it was in his journal, Psychological Record, that Kelly chose to publish in
>his early days at Fort Hays State Teachers College in Kansas. What goes
>around comes around.

And since any one person usually interacts with more than one observer,
maybe this brings us round to Sullivan's idea of personality as (I
paraphrase loosely) the sum total of all one's interpersonal relationships?

As Rue says, plus ca change...

Cheers

Devi

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