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Circular questioning and neutrality: An empirical investigation of the process
Abstract
This study investigated the theoretical propositions of the Milan method of family therapy. The focus of the investigation was whether some circular questions are more likely to jeopardize client perceptions of the therapist's neutral stance with the family. Raters categorized circular questions as either interventive or descriptive. Interventive circular questions were postulated to jeopardize neutrality more than descriptive circular questions. The three dependent variables, each postulated to be related to therapist neutrality, were: (a) client perceptions of therapist side-taking, (b) client level of discomfort, (c) client resistance as demonstrated through topic initiating client interaction. The three families comprising the sample each reported an identified problem child demonstrating oppositional and aggressive behavior. Interviewers asked individual family members about therapist side-taking and feelings of discomfort for sampled circular questions after family members viewed videotape replays of the family therapy session. Raters conducted a content analysis of transcripts. An alternating treatment single case design was employed for each family studied. Results were mixed. Interventive questions were more likely than descriptive questions to be associated with client perceptions of side-taking. Four of the nine clients in the study responded minimally to perceptions of side-taking. Two of the three families demonstrated more discomfort for interventive questions than for descriptive questions. Higher levels of discomfort were more likely to be associated with interventive questions for all three families. Families did not respond in a topic initiating manner to interventive questions significantly more often than for descriptive questions. Results from follow-up analyses indicated that different responses within a family to a circular question may be due to the isomorphic quality of the question. The introduction of interventive and descriptive questions and the refinement of what is meant by neutrality make an important contribution for training therapists in the Milan circular questioning technique and the role of process expert. This investigation is also important because it demonstrated that empirical research is possible in family therapy while maintaining its naturalistic context.
Subject Area
Psychotherapy|Families & family life|Personal relationships|Sociology|Social psychology
Recommended Citation
Scheel, Michael J, "Circular questioning and neutrality: An empirical investigation of the process" (1993). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI9333983.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI9333983