Personal Construct Psychology (PCP) provides “a framework that is simultaneously compassionate and accepting of alternative constructions of reality, and dispassionate in providing a set of methods for mapping and analyzing interpersonal problems and group polarizations” (Procter & Procter, 2008, pp.353-354). In this presentation, we first present how we apply George Kelly’s Personal Construct Psychology to the context of the Syrian refugee settlement. Then we delve into presenting the methodological tools and techniques that we use to conduct an inquiry about youth construal of online interactions regarding the Syrian refugee crisis.

1. Personal Construct Psychology
A Framework and Research Methodology
to Analyze Youth Construal of Online
Interactions About the Syrian Refugee Crisis
XIIIth European Personal Construct Association Conference
“A new spirit in PCP: linking people, ideas and dreams”
Padova Italy, July 2016
Nadia Naffi - Concordia University
Ann-Louise Davidson PhD- Concordia University

2. 1. George Kelly’s Personal Construct
Psychology applied to the context of the
Syrian refugees’ settlement, using the
Canadian context as example
2. Research methods: tools and techniques
used to conduct an inquiry about how youth
from host societies construe online
interactions regarding the Syrian refugees
crisis
3. Preliminary results

4. Stade de
France
Le Carillon
Café Bonne
Bière
La Belle Equipe
Comptoir
Voltaire
Bataclan
Theatre
Paris Terror Attacks
November 13th, 2015
Le Petit
Cambodge

5. “Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is holding
firm to his commitment to bring 25,000
refugees to Canada by the end of the
year, amidst growing anxiety over security
in the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks”
(CTV News)

7. FOR AGAINST

9. ploads Options Share Send
56 of 60
Kayla Christyne Gerber
November 17 · Edited ·
Today, I had my scarf over my ears and wrapped
around my head to keep me warm. En route from a
friends house on Bloor to Bathurst station a man
stopped to to attack me, pushed me, grabbed me by
my jacket and continued to yell at me to remove my
hijab and leave his country.
I'll leave this one for you to comment on. Because I'm
still baffled.
*Note: I am not a Muslim, nor a refugee but today I saw
how it felt to be unsafe where you are trying to find
safety.*
Please share, and share, and share
Share
64 people like this.
701 shares
View previous comments
Josie Cole Im speechless.. total loss for words.
2 · November 17 at 7:14pm
Katie Elizabeth Billard Oh my god. I'm so sorry
this happened to you ! Sending all the love and
happy vibes !
November 17 at 7:16pm
Kayla Christyne Gerber It's okay, it was
an eye opener and I am very much okay
November 17 at 7:17pm
Candy Crawford Brown Should have bagged
the sick bastards then told him to go back to
where he came from ....asshole

12. Cologne Sexual Assaults
New Year’s Eve 2015/2016
1,000 women sexually assaulted at Cologne's central train

16. Brussels Terror Attacks
March 22nd, 2016
Brussels Metro
Station
Brussels
Airport in
Zaventem

17. Online Youth
As Part of the System
Syrian Refugee Youth Host Society Youth Immigrant Youth
Youth FOR the Settlement
of Syrian Refugees
Youth AGAINST the Settlement
of Syrian Refugees
Undecided or
Neutral Youth

18. A person’s processes are psychologically
channelized by the ways in which he
anticipates events.
(Kelly, 1955)

19. Islam is a primitive violent religion practiced by the
scum of the Earth. Europe is being invaded by force,
and we bring them over, house and feed them
willingly? The cowards should go back and fight for
their own country.
Host
Society
Youth
Syrian refugees
are violent
They will invade
our countries
Syrian refugees are
victims
Syrian refugees
will be devastated
when reading such
posts

20. What construct systems do youth from
host societies use when they encounter
online interactions about the
resettlement of Syrian refugees?
Using their construct systems, how do
youth from host societies predict events
regarding Syrian refugees?
Using their predictions, how do youth
from host societies react to the Syrian
refugee crisis?

21. Participants

22. Ontario
Canada
Quebec
Canada
Portugal
Poland
Lebanon
Netherlands
Germany
Belgium
Ukraine
UK
France
Greece
42 Participants
16-24 Years Old
Active on Social Media
126 Interviews (46 Completed)
English/French/Arabic

23. Online and Offline Methods:
Tools and Techniques

25. 1 Self-Characterization Technique
2 Perceiver Element Grid (Qualitative Grid)
3 Repertory Grid Technique
4 Laddering Technique

26. 1 Self-Characterization Technique
2 Perceiver Element Grid (Qualitative Grid)
3 Repertory Grid Technique
4 Laddering Technique
+Demographic Questions
+Validation Questions

27. I want you to write a character sketch of [participant name],
just as if he/she were the principal character in a play. Write it
as it might be written by a friend who knew him/her very
intimately and very sympathetically, perhaps better than
anyone ever really could know him/her.
Make sure to write it in the third person. For example, start
out by saying, ‘[participant name] is...’
(Adapted from Kelly, 1955, p.241)
Self-Characterization Technique
(Adapted from Kelly, 1955, p.241)

28. I want you to write a character sketch of [participant name],
just as if he/she were the principal character in a play. Write it
as it might be written by a friend who knew him/her very
intimately and very sympathetically, perhaps better than
anyone ever really could know him/her.
Make sure to write it in the third person. For example, start
out by saying, ‘[participant name] is...’
(Adapted from Kelly, 1955, p.241)

29. I want you to write a character sketch of [participant name],
just as if he/she were the principal character in a play where
[participant name] encounters online posts related to the
Syrian refugees crisis. Write it as it might be written by a
friend who knew him/her very intimately and very
sympathetically, perhaps better than anyone ever really could
know him/her.
Make sure to write it in the third person. For example, start
out by saying, ‘[participant name] is...’
And write the comment that [participant name] would post if
[participant name]was to react to the crisis or to express his/
her opinion online.
(Adapted from Kelly, 1955, p.241)

32. Perceiver Element Grid
(Adapted from Procter, 2014)

34. Participant X
Members of the
Online [Host
Country] Youth
Syrian Refugees
Participant X
How do you construe/
interpret the content of
these posts?
How do you think
members of the online
[host country] youth
construe/interpret the
content of these posts?
How do you think
Syrian refugees
construe/interpret the
content of these posts?
Members of the
Online [Host
Country] Youth
How do you think
members of the online
[host country] society/
your online network
think that you construe/
interpret the content of
these posts?
How do you think
members of the online
[host country] youth/
your online network
think their own group
construe/interpret the
content of these posts?
How do you think
members of the online
[host country] youth/
your online network
think Syrian refugees
construe/interpret the
content of these posts?
Syrian Refugees
How do you think
Syrian refugees think
that you construe/
interpret the content of
these posts?
How do you think
Syrian refugees think
members of the online
[host country] youth
construe/interpret the
content of these posts?
How do you think
Syrian refugees think
their own group
construe/interpret the
content of these posts?

35. Participant X
Members of the
Online [Host
Country] Youth
Syrian Refugees
Participant X
How would you
behave if you
happen to meet a
Syrian refugee for
the first time ever
in your
classroom after
you have read
these posts and
comments?
How do you think
members of the
online [host
country] youth
who never
encountered a
Syrian refugee
before but have
read all these
posts and
comments would
behave when
they first meet a
Syrian refugee in
their
classrooms?
How do you think
Syrian refugees
who never
encountered a
[host country]
youth before but
read all these
posts and
comments would
behave when
they first meet a
[host country]
youth in their
classrooms?

36. Rep Grid Technique:
Selection of Elements

38. Inclusion and Exclusion Factors Identified in
the Literature
Expectations
Perception of real or symbolic threat
Dominance of a reductive vision
Old guards
Need to maintain privilege (logical conformity)
Lack of trust
“Us/them” or “ours/theirs” constructs
Dominative racism, aversive racism, color-blind racism
and racialized habitus
Worthy/unworthy and indispensable/unneeded constructs
Ignorance of others’ culture and communication noise

39. Constructs Identified in the Pilot Testing
“Us/Them” Or “Ours/Theirs”
High-risk Life-threatening/Trust or Safe
Identity and Culture at Risk/Multiculturalism
Ignorance of Others’ Culture/ Aware of Other's Situation
Not our responsibility/Humanity, Empathy
Fair/Unfair
Worthy/Unworthy
Indispensable/Unneeded
Right /Wrong
What happened there will happen here/ There and Here Are Different
Canadians First/ Canadian Nature
Negative Stereotype, Refugees as Terrorist/ Refugees as Victims
Newcomers Can't, Won't and Are Not Ready to Integrate/
Newcomers will integrate (success stories)
Dominative Racism/ Tolerance
Old Guards/ Accommodation

40. Syrian refugees are running
from the same things we are
scared of. They are not the
problem.
It saddens me that so many
Canadians are reading stories
from unreliable sources and
taking others hatred verbatim.
They would have nightmares
one day after landing in Canada
and reading Canadian
newspaper comments.
Canada is so naïve1
2
3
4
5
6
Examples of Comments
I'm not against helping the
unfortunate. These muslims
are like the plague. Treat
them as such.
If Canada is accepting all these
Muslim refugees then they should
only be allowed in if they are
prepared to accept Canadian values,
our way of life, live under our law,
dress as Canadians and accept
gender equality

42. Rep Grid Technique:
Triadic Elicitation
“In what important way are two of them
alike but different from the third?”
(Kelly, 1955, p.152)

45. Repertory Grid

47. My Comment

48. Laddering Technique
(Adapted from Hinkle, 1965, 2010, p.14)
“Which side of the construct dimension is
clearly descriptive of the kind of comment
you prefer to share about the Syrian
refugees crisis?”

50. Laddering Technique
“Which side of the construct dimension is
clearly descriptive of the kind of comment
you guess host society youth from the
‘AGAINST Camp’ prefer to share about
the Syrian refugees crisis?”
(Adapted from Hinkle, 1965, 2010, p.14 and Procter, 2014)

52. Laddering Technique
“Which side of the construct dimension is
clearly descriptive of the kind of comment
you guess host society youth from the
‘FOR Camp’ prefer to share about the
Syrian refugees crisis?”
(Adapted from Hinkle, 1965, 2010, p.14 and Procter, 2014)

54. Preliminary Results

55. People who are against Syrian refugees entering
their countries are more vocal then people who
support it
Participants rarely engage in interactions about
the Syrian refugees’ crisis
Negative posts stick
Syrian refugees are dehumanized in social media:
they are no longer people, they are problems to
deal with
Participants’ Remarks

56. Uneducated/Based on Experience
Religion=Problem/Historical Events Predict Future
Agressive Tone/Accepting Tone
Refugees=Terrorist/Fear of Change
Negative Attributions to Muslims/Muslims=Human
No Coexistence between Islam and Canada/Clash in Nationality
Valid Concerns/Trend
Misconception/Scapegoating
Opposed to Ideology/Opposed to Change
Concerned with Wellbeing of people/Concerned with Self Wellbeing
Islamophobic / Politically Opposed
Argumentative/Hate Speech
Globally Focused/Locally Focused
Examples of Elicited Constructs

57. After reading these posts, many participants felt
responsible to compensate offline for the negative
posts that were shared online
Host society youth who have read online posts and
have never encountered Syrian refugees before would
keep their distance when they first meet any in their
classrooms. They would be scared to approach them.
Syrian refugee youth who have read online posts and
have never encountered host society youth before
would also keep their distance since they are not sure
who welcomes them and who hates them and wants
them to stay in the war zone
Participants’ Predictions

58. Thank You