Delia claims that individuals see the world through their own interpersonal constructs, which are influenced by their level of cognitive complexity. People with higher cognitive complexity are better able to communicate interpersonally by creating person-centered messages that satisfy goals on both sides. An effective message involves establishing goals, creating a plan to achieve them, and adjusting the plan based on feedback to stay aligned with the goals. While research on cognitive complexity provides useful insights, more study is needed on how upbringing impacts these abilities.

1. Constructivism Jesse Delia

2. How we see the world. Delia claims each person sees the world in their own way. This is our mind creating a template of everything we encounter in the world. (interpersonal constructs) RCQ questionnaires are a useful tool to better understand an individuals interpersonal construct.

3. What determines our construct? Delia claims that the driving force behind our interpersonal construct and our ability to effectively communicate is directly influenced by our cognitive complexity. Delia would say that those who have greater cognitive complexity are likely going to be more effective at communicating interpersonally.

4. Benefits of being cognitively complex Ability to create a person-centered message Essentially you can frame you message so it has a greater rhetorical effect on the receiving end This type of message catering will make the communicator more effective because they will be able to satisfy multiple goals on both sides.

5. Three Parts to an Effective Message

6. The Goal What does the communicator need to have accomplished? How does the communicators goals effect the person they are communicating with? Are there any secondary goals that will aid in the message delivery?

7. The Plan Once the communicator knows what they want/need to accomplish it is then time to figure out how to reach those goals. Use past experiences Also the observation of current context is a useful tool.

8. Taking Action Begin with the plan in mind With the goals in mind the you can begin to examine and feel out how the other person is receiving the message. Don’t be afraid to alter your plan as long as you don’t lose track of the goals. The plan is fluid but more often than not the goals are stable since they are the underlying factor.

9. Conclusion While this is a mostly objective theory, the fact that the RCQ is only moderately effective at best makes it difficult to consider this theory and cut and dry as other objective theories. The critique suggests that research be done on those with poor upbringings and the effect it has on their cognitive complexity and their effectiveness as communicators. While there does still seem to be some holes and questions left, it still seems like there is a significant amount of useful information behind Delia’s theory.