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Part VI    Learning-Cognitive Theories626
Guilt
Kelly’s sociality corollary assumes thatpeo-
pleconstrue acorerolethatgivesthem a
sense ofidentity within asocial environment. 
However, ifthatcoreroleisweakened ordis-
solved, aperson willdevelop afeeling ofguilt. 
Kelly (1970) defined guiltas“the sense of 
having lost one’s core role structure” (p.27).
Thatis,people feelguilty when theybehave 
inwaysthatareinconsistent withtheirsense 
ofwhotheyare.
People whohavenever developed a
coreroledonotfeelguilty. They maybe
anxious orconfused, butwithout asense 
ofpersonal identity, theydonotexperience 
guilt. Forexample, aperson withanunder -
developed conscience haslittleornointe-
gralsense ofselfandaweak ornonexistent 
corerolestructure. Such aperson hasno
stable guidelines toviolate andhence will
feellittleornoguiltevenfordepraved and
shameful behavior (Kelly, 1970).
Psychotherapy
Psychological distress exists whenever people havedifficulty validating theirpersonal 
constructs, anticipating future events, andcontrolling theirpresent environment. 
When distress becomes unmanageable, theymayseekoutside helpintheform of
psychotherapy.
InKelly’s view, people should befreetochoose those courses ofaction most 
consistent withtheirprediction ofevents. Intherapy, thisapproach means thatcli-
ents,notthetherapist, select thegoal. Clients areactive participants inthetherapeu -
ticprocess, andthetherapist’s roleistoassist them toaltertheirconstruct systems in
order toimprove efficiency inmaking predictions.
Asatechnique foraltering theclients’ constructs, Kelly usedaprocedure called 
fixed-role therapy. Thepurpose offixed-role therapy istohelpclients change theirout-
lookonlife(personal constructs) byacting outapredetermined role,firstwithin the
relative security ofthetherapeutic setting andthenintheenvironment beyond ther-
apywhere theyenact therolecontinuously overaperiod ofseveral weeks. Together 
withthetherapist, clients work outarole,onethatincludes attitudes andbehaviors 
notcurrently partoftheircorerole.Inwriting thefixed-role sketch, theclient and
therapist arecareful toinclude theconstruction systems ofother people. How willthe
client’s spouse orparents orbossorfriends construe andreact tothisnewrole? Will
theirreactions helptheclient reconstrue events more productively?
Thisnewroleisthentriedoutineveryday lifeinmuch thesame manner 
thatascientist testsahypothesis—cautiously andobjectively. Infact,thefixed-role 
sketch istypically written inthethird person, withtheactor assuming anewidentity. 
Guilt occurs when webehave inconsistently 
withacorerolewehavedeveloped of
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