Construct (psychology)


Construct , also hypothetical construct or psychological construct, is a tool used to facilitate understanding of human behavior. Behavioral sciences use constructs such as conscientiousness, intelligence, political power, self-esteem, and group culture, a psychological construct is a label for a domain of behaviors. For example, if a student sees another sitting in a classroom before an examination biting her nails, the interpretation might be that she is experiencing test anxiety. In that case, test anxiety is a construct for the behavior that is observed. A construct is a hypothesized cause for a certain behavior. A construct derives its name from the fact that it is a mental construction, derived from scientific process: observing natural phenomena, inferring the common features of those observations, and constructing a label for the commonality or the underlying cause. A construct derives its scientific value from the shared meaning it represents for different people. If a construct is clearly articulated and the phenomena it encompasses are clearly defined, it becomes a useful conceptual tool that facilitates communication. Once defined, constructs become objects of conceptual scrutiny in their own right. Constructs summarize behavioral domains. Constructs are the building blocks of scientific theories.