fei75766_ch19_610-639.indd 631  02/06/20 01:53 PM
Chapter 19     Kelly: Psychology of Personal Constructs631
previous section. Recently, however, Bonnie Moradi andcolleagues have begun 
tousetheReptestinanexciting newwaytoassess howindividuals identify or
disidentify withelements ofthem selves .That is,thisresearch usestheReptest
toexamine intra-personal questions ofidentity within individuals. Using personal 
constructs theory andtheReptestinthisunusual way,Moradi andhercolleagues 
have examined internalized homophobia among gayandlesbian participants 
(2009) andalsoexplored thepredictors ofcollege students’ identification asfemi-
nists (2012).
Understanding Internalized Prejudice Through  
Personal Construct Theory
Perhaps themost insidious characteristic ofbeing aperson whobelongs toastigma -
tized group occurs when individuals inthatgroup internalize theprejudice andthink 
negatively ofthemselves. Studies show thatinternalized antigay andlesbian prejudice 
(typically referred toasinternalized homophobia), forexample, isassociated ingay
andlesbian individuals withhighstress andpoormental health outcomes (cf.Szy-
manski, Kashubeck-West, &Meyer, 2008). Given this,itisimportant tounderstand 
internalized prejudice inorder forclinical andcounseling psychologists toeffectively 
treatsuffering individuals. 
In2009, Bonnie Moradi, Jacob vandenBerg, andFranz Epting usedKelly’s 
personal construct theory todojustthat.Internalized homophobia hasbeen con-
ceptualized ascontaining twofeatures: identity separation andidentity denigration. 
These researchers applied Kelly’s (1991) notions ofthreat andguilttothetwofea-
tures ofinternalized homophobia. Thatis,Kelly’s concept ofthreat, theexperience 
ofpeople whoperceive their basic personal constructs tobeunstable, mayleadgays
andlesbians toseparate their homosexual identity from their selfinorder toavoid 
frightening change intheir self-construal. Kelly defined guiltasoccurring when 
individuals perceive thatcoreaspects within themselves areincongruent withhow
theyought tobe.Guilt, then, mayleadgaysandlesbians todenigrate homosexual 
identity. 
Thestudy involved 102participants whoranged inagefrom 18to73,andwho
identified themselves aslesbian orgay.They completed questionnaires thatincluded 
measures ofimpression management, internalized anti-lesbian andgayprejudice, and
ameasure of30bipolar personal constructs derived from aprevious study of160
participants using theRepTest(Landfield, 1971). Moradi andcolleagues’ gayand
lesbian participants circled thepolewithwhich theyaremost associated, andtheydid
thisthree times: firstforhowtheyseethemselves, second forhowtheywould prefer 
toseethemselves, andlastforhowtheyseethemselves while focusing onthefactthat
theyaregayorlesbian. Threat wascomputed asthenumber ofselfandpreferred-self 
splits from lesbian orgayself.Guilt wascomputed asthenumber ofselfandlesbian 
orgaysplits from thepreferred-self. 
Their findings were indeed consistent withKelly’s concepts ofthreat andguilt, 
andshowed thatthese playdistinct roles ininternalized prejudice. Kelly’s ideathat
individuals remove themselves from threatening constructs wasverified hereas
threat scores inthissample were associated withlower preference forgayorlesbian 
sexual orientation. Inkeeping withKelly’s ideathatguiltisfeltwhen individuals Final PDF to printer