Chapter 19 Kelly: Psychology of Personal Constructs 577Choice Between Dichotomies
If people construe events
in dichotomized fashion,
then it follows that they
have some choice in
following alternative
courses of action. This is
Kelly’s choice corollary,
paraphrased as follows:
People choose for them-
selves that alternative in
a dichotomized construct
through which they
anticipate the greater
possibility for extension
and definition of future constructs.
This corollary assumes much of what is stated in Kelly’s basic postulate and
in the preceding corollaries. People make choices on the basis of how they antic-
ipate events, and those choices are between dichotomous alternatives. In addition,
the choice corollary assumes that people choose those actions that are most likely
to extend their future range of choices.
Arlene’s decision to buy a used car was based on a series of previous choices,
each of which was between dichotomized alternatives and each of which broadened
her range of future choices. First she chose the independence of school over the
dependence of going home to live with her parents. Next, buying a car offered
more freedom than relying on friends or on bus schedules or walking (which she
perceived as time consuming). Repairing her old car was financially risky com-
pared to the greater safety of buying a used one. Purchasing a new car was too
expensive compared to the relatively inexpensive used car. Each choice was between
alternatives in a dichotomized construct, and with each choice, Arlene anticipated
the greater possibility for extending and defining future constructs.
Range of Convenience
Kelly’s range corollary assumes that personal constructs are finite and not relevant
to everything. “A construct is convenient for the anticipation of a finite range of
events only” (Kelly, 1955, p. 68). In other words, a construct is limited to a par-
ticular range of convenience.
The construct independence was within Arlene’s range of convenience when
she was deciding to buy a car, but on other occasions independence would be out-
side those boundaries. Independence carries with it the notion of dependence.
Arlene’s freedom to remain in school, freedom to continue her job, and freedom
to move quickly from place to place without relying on others all fall within her
independence/dependence range of convenience. However, Arlene’s construct of
independence excludes all irrelevancies such as up/down, light/dark, or wet/dry;
that is, it is convenient only for a finite range of events.
People choose between alternatives based on their anticipation of
future events. © Erik Isakson/Getty Images