Thank you for your complete reference to the 1987 Book Landfield and
Epting which I will now go and get. It sounds more complete than what I have
in my collection. Also, thanks for properly listing "Inquiring Minds" with
both authors. I will save your posting.
I would like to ask for some elaboration. I use the same techniques and
process you describe to build "pyramids" of constructs and conceptualize it
as "laddering up and down" as my own imprecise decription of the process I am
doing. These often are my notes of my conversation (in casework or
supervision) and then I reconstruct my "pyramids" and make these notes more
explicit to non-Kellians". (There are not others at work familiar with Kelly
except what I have talked about)
I begin, like you, with an initial construct written in the center of
the page (usually a construct which seems to have additional or idiosyncratic
meaning). Following the elaboration of subordinate constructs, I then ask
"why" questions and follow the process upwards believing that I am deriving
superordinate constructs and creating additional levels above the originally
listed construct. My pyramids inevitably become messy and disjointed as I
explore the construction system....
You state in your posting; " Compared to laddering technique, however, it
(Pyramid Technique) does not make levels of superordinacy explicit. I think
of it as a sort of clinical interview technique designed to enrich the
information provided by the client."
I am wondering why you believe that this technique does not make
superordinancy explicit. If you were to continue the concept of a diagram of
inter-related constructs, where would you put the why and when questions? Is
it possible to hook together and document visually the constructs elicited by
the "when" and "why" questions to make these relationships apparent for
client and therapist.
As I am recording the elicited constructs, my "client" intentionally is
also either seeing my notes or will see them at the end of the elicitation of
the constructs for discussion. The diagramming, while confusing for
co-workers, makes perfect sense for the "client." I would just like to hear
what you may believe I have elicited at levels above the construct.
I also wonder if people see your pyramids and how they are used after
they are generated.
Thanks
John Fallon
Thresholds Rehabilitation Center
Chicago, IL USA
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