History of the International Congress

The first International Congress was held on the campus of the University of Nebraska in 1975. It was organized under the auspices of the Nebraska Symposium on Motivation.Subsequent Congresses were scheduled every two years at locations convenient to the international membership. A North American location is selected about every third Congress. Congresses have been held at Cambridge University in England; Assisi, Italy; Townsville, Australia; Barcelona, Spain; St. Catharines, Ontario; Utrecht, Netherlands; Boston, MA; Memphis, TN; and Albany, NY.

A Clearinghouse for Research in Personal Construct Psychology was established in 1975, and the International Journal of Personal Construct Psychology was first published in 1988. The name of this journal was changed to the Journal of Constructivist Psychology in 1993. The change in the name of the journal signaled the evolution in the thinking of those attending the International Congresses and participating in the Clearinghouse for Research on PCP. Most participants in the Congresses and other professional activities adopted the identity of constructivism as a more generic label for their perspective. During the most recent decade, participants also recognized considerable compatibility with social constructionism. Participants also recognized the similarity of their basic assumptions and beliefs to those who identify with postmodernity and narrative discourse. The identification with constructivism also led to connections with educators and psychologists who draw upon the ideas of Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, and Jerome Bruner.

With the rapid growth of theorists and practitioners who operate with constructivistic assumptions, there appears to be a need for conferences and other opportunities for communication whereby people can explore similarities and differences in their thinking. Since the International Congresses on PCP have been relatively well-organized and systematic in their meetings and scholarly efforts, it seems logical that their meetings and journals be opened up to encourage broader participation. In this case, there will be encouragement of participation by people who view events with a constructivist perspective.

Of particular interest will be the exporation of similarities and differences among (1) people identified with Personal Construct Psychology, (2) people identified with Social Constructionism, and (3) people identified with the Education-related constructivism evolving from Piaget, Vygotsky, and Bruner. Can people from these different identities find common beliefs and practices that will enrich them and lead to advances in their knowledge and practice? The XIIth Congress on PCP can explore this question by assembling representatives of the different identity groupings and offering a format for exploration and exchange.

This exchange was initiated at the XIth International Congress of PCP in Barcelona, Spain, when Jerome Bruner, Joseph Novak and other Education-related constructivists interacted with PCP theorists and practitioners. In addition, Kenneth Gergen, a spokesperson for social constructionism, contributed to the exchange of ideas among people with constructivist perspectives. The XIIth Congress can continue this process of exchanging ideas and exploring collaborative projects by people who assume that they are constructing their realities during interactions with others. Hopefully, such exchange and collaboration can lead to improved adaptation and evolution during the postmodern era.