Kelly Grid

The Kelly grid, also known as a repertory grid, is an interviewing method used to measure personality. The grid identifies the unique mental representations participants use to organize their life experiences, and it maps connections between them to determine how the participant interprets the world. This entry describes the process of using the Kelly grid and discusses the implications of this technique in personality assessment and within clinical, educational, and professional contexts.

The Kelly grid was developed in the 1950s by George Kelly and was adapted from his personal construct theory, which states that individuals organize their life experiences into a unique system of categorized mental representations or constructs. According to Kelly’s theory, personality is composed of the specific constructs one uses to form a concept ...