It begins with a triad of social roles as a source of attributes... (George Kelly)

I request that they think of three friends or family members specified by a role or relationship, eg.,- father, best-friend, best-friend’s father

Three roles are utilized at a time and only the gender and ages of these persons are asked to firm their identity, provide easy reference and yet anonymity.

Then I say, “Tell me how two of those people are alike as more healthy that the third; or, if it is easier, how two are alike as less healthy than the third.”

Each separate response is regarded as one end of a scale we can call an attribute scale. It represents one dimension by which the patient discriminates healthiness from unhealthiness.

For each such response: “How then is the third different from the other two in the same regard?”

The same triad of roles may be employed for multiple bipolar attributes or changed if needed to solicit fresh ideas.

The interview continues until no more ideas come to mind

In prior experience with this methodology, 5-20 attribute scales are elicited before the person runs out of ideas

Each session is ended with a final query: “Now that you know the sort of thing we are looking for, are there any other ways in which you discriminate between your healthy and unhealthy friends irregardless of any particular person we have brought to mind?” The patient is encouraged with this question to think of any attributes not represented in the specific people brought up in the interview.