DIFFERENTIAL-EFFECTS OF LINEAL, STRATEGIC , CIRCULAR AND REFLEXIVE QUESTIONS IN SYSTEMIC THERAPY - SINGLE-CASE ANALYSIS OF A MARITAL-THERAPY

On the basis of a solution-oriented marital therapy, the different wit hin-session effects of four different types of questions in systemic t herapy (lineal, strategic, circular,and reflexive), as described by To mm (1989), were tested. In this single case study,the method of plan a nalysis (Caspar 1989) was used to categorize the client's reactions to the four types of therapeutic questions. Lineal and strategic questio ns were expected to have a stabilizing and restraining effect on the s ystem (i.e. the client, the clients' interaction, and the therapeutic interaction), whereas circular and reflexive questions were expected t o open the system for change. Interestingly this hypothesis was only s upported for the wife, who had the role of the identified client in th e therapy and demonstrated a much stronger motivation for change. For the husband, who preferred the role of a cotherapist and demonstrated only little motivation for change, results were not as predicted. Some of his reactions were even opposite to the expected therapeutic effec ts. Therefore, it is suggested that an interaction effect between ques tions and the motivation for change can be assumed.