Construal
In social psychology, a broad term for the heuristics of how individuals perceive, comprehend, and interpret the world around them — particularly the behavior or action of others towards themselves.
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Origin
Austrian social psychologist Fritz Heider described the concept, stating people react to their perception of others' thoughts and feelings, not just observable actions. American psychologist Solomon Asch conducted one of the earliest empirical studies of human construal in 1946. The concept built on earlier work by Kurt Lewin (subjective reality), Kurt Koffka (gestalt), and others. Markus and Kitayama later coined "self-construal" in 1991 to explain cultural differences in perceiving self-other relationships.
Updated February 22, 2026