How does the concept of "personal meaning" relate to Kelly's theory?

The notion of "personal meaning" is integral to Kelly's Personal Construct Theory because it fundamentally describes how individuals make sense of their experiences through their unique system of personal constructs. Personal constructs are the mental frameworks or cognitive filters that people use to interpret and predict events in their lives. These constructs are shaped by individual experiences and serve to differentiate between various aspects of the world, thus allowing for personalized interpretations.

When it is stated that "personal meaning" shapes individual interpretations based on personal constructs, it highlights the process by which people derive significance from their experiences. Each person's construct system is influenced by their own perspectives and experiences, leading to diverse interpretations of similar events among different individuals. This subjective aspect underscores the core of Kelly’s theory, emphasizing that meaning is not universal but varied and personal, shaped entirely by one's mental constructs.

By acknowledging that "personal meaning" is derived from these constructs, it becomes clear how central this concept is to understanding Kelly's framework, illustrating how individuals use their unique set of experiences and biases to make sense of their reality. This aligns seamlessly with the essence of Kelly’s theory, which is inherently about individual differences in perception and cognition.