What type of questioning is employed to draw out behaviors or perceptions through comparison?

Circular questioning is a technique used in family therapy to facilitate conversations about relationships and interactions within the family system. This method engages participants in discussing behaviors or perceptions by prompting them to compare and contrast their experiences with those of other family members. For instance, a therapist might ask a family member how they think another member perceives a certain issue, thus encouraging dialogue that can reveal patterns, dynamics, and misunderstandings within the family.

This form of questioning is particularly effective because it not only helps uncover individual perspectives but also sheds light on relational dynamics by illustrating how members view each other’s roles and behaviors. It fosters a broader understanding of interactions, leading to greater empathy and insight among family members.

In contrast, the other types of questioning serve different purposes. Open questioning aims to elicit expansive responses but does not inherently focus on comparison; closed questioning seeks short, specific answers that might limit exploration; and leading questioning can suggest a specific answer or bias the response, potentially steering the discussion away from an unbiased exploration of relational behaviors and perceptions.