Construing the Athlete and Exerciser: Research and Applied Perspectives from Personal Construct Psychology

Abstract

This paper focuses on personal construct psychology (PCP; Kelly, 1955/1991) and its potential usefulness for the field of sport and exercise psychology. We begin with an overview of the philosophical roots and the key components of PCP followed by a discussion of the key methodologies commonly employed for a personal construct inquiry (e.g., repertory grid and laddering). Part of this discussion focuses on two elaborations of PCP in sport and exercise settings, namely performance profiling and multisource/360-degree feedback. Following this, we describe two case examples of how we have employed PCP in our professional practice. We conclude with a discussion of the implications for research and professional practice. Our overview of this framework's philosophical position, its key components, and the methodologies employed for a personal construct enquiry provide a foundation upon which others may seek to explore its usefulness for an array of research and professional endeavors in sport and exercise settings.