Have you heard of The 5 Whys? It's a Six Sigma technique for discovering the root of a problem. Each "why" gets you past surface effects and closer to the cause.
It sounded good in theory, so I tried it on Lydia the other night when she didn't want to put her pajamas on.
Brian: “Why don't you want to wear pajamas?”
Lydia: “Because I don't want to.”
Brian: “Why?”
Lydia: “Because I don't want to.”
Brian: “Why?”
Lydia: “Because I don't want to.”
Brian: “Why?”
Lydia: “Because I don't want to.”
Brian: “Why?”
Lydia: “Because I don't want to.”
I'm not impressed with the technique.