Object selection

The participant and interviewer select the material for closer examination during a visit. The participant may choose beforehand, the interviewer may notice a possession in the home, or both may negotiate after considering an explicit prompt. Staff retain the procedure alongside the initial account of significance.

A self-selected possession may support a practiced story. An interviewer suggestion may draw attention to an ordinary object. A later change of choice may reflect practical custody limits, the developing conversation, publication concerns, a newly noticed association. Staff retain the procedure and the participant's explanation at each relevant point.

Selection prompts

The interviewer can ask about a possession representing a current practice, a retained but unused possession, an inheritance, an unfinished project, a thing difficult to relinquish, a possible gift to another user. Each prompt directs attention toward different relations. Staff can also invite free selection before introducing further prompts so the order remains available for interpretation.

The selection experiment compares the resulting accounts and deposits. The comparison examines the procedure's effect. It requires attention to differences among people, the available possessions, material care, the reason for accepting a deposit. A richer explanation can result from a more effective prompt or a greater willingness to discuss the subject.