A Manifesto for Personal Construct Psychology[1]
Fundamental Values
Personal construct psychology recognises that there are many viable alternative views of events.
In general, therefore, it will celebrate the diversity, and recognise the potential worth, of such views.
Personal construct psychologists strive to understand the ways in which other people view the world.
They therefore encourage the attempt to look at the world through the eyes of the other person or group, taking the other’s views seriously and trying to understand them even if one does not agree with them.
Personal construct psychologists consider all views of the world to be subject to revision.
They will therefore encourage the recognition that no view of events represents a fixed reality and that no individual is unable to change.
Personal construct psychologists strive for experimentation with different views of the world.
They therefore, in general, invite an adventurous and exploratory approach to the world.
Personal construct psychology does not consider that viewing an event in one way should prescribe the other ways in which it can or cannot be viewed.
It will therefore promote a view of particular events that does not limit the ways in which they can be seen.
Caveat
Not all views of events are acceptable to personal construct psychologists. Views, and consequent actions, that are inconsistent with their fundamental values include:
those that attempt to suppress the views of other individuals or groups (except when these latter views themselves involve the silencing of others’ views)
those that involve dismissal of the views of others and/or no attempt to understand these views
those that claim to represent a correct and fixed view of events
attempts to manipulate events to confirm a particular view of the world
attempts to limit the freedom of other individuals or groups to be adventurous and to experiment with alternative views of the world (except when these latter views themselves involve the silencing of others’ views)
views that involve stereotypes and prejudices.
Implications
Personal construct psychologists can be considered to have a responsibility to:
engage in scholarly and professional activities that are consistent with their fundamental values
attempt to promote these values to the wider public
speak out against, and counter in other ways, views and actions that are contrary to these values (which may include individual episodes of abuse, political manifestos, government policies, and incidences of mass suppression of another group, including dehumanisation and genocide)
be aware that failure to take explicit positions against such views and actions may legitimately be viewed as support of, or complicity with, them.
[1] See Winter, D.A. (2026). Towards a manifesto for personal construct psychology. Personal Construct Theory and Practice, 23, 16-26.