Which technique involves sequentially turning toward each family member, including those absent, and examining the expectations of each person?

• A. Contextual-Multi-directed Partiality
• B. Structural Mapping
• C. Genogram
• D. Structural Dissolution

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is attending to multiple perspectives within the family system, including the influence of those not physically present, and asking what each person expects from the family. Contextual-Multi-directed Partiality does this by guiding the therapist to move through the family one member at a time, directing attention to each person's stance, hopes, and obligations. This includes considering absent members, whose unspoken expectations still shape the dynamics and alliances within the family. By examining what each person expects, the approach reveals competing loyalties, norms, and moral viewpoints that underlie interactions, helping to balance and contextualize the system rather than simply mapping connections or tracing history.

Other approaches tend to focus on structuring relationships, mapping familial history, or dissolving organizational patterns without the explicit sequential turn-taking toward every member’s expectations (present or absent).