Test Bank Chapter 5 Asking Questions The Search for Meaning

Bob Shebib

Choices: Interviewing and Counselling Skills for Canadians, 6/e

Test Bank

Chapter Five

Interviewing Skills: The Search for Meaning

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which of the following is an example of a closed question?

a. Are you going to look for work today?

b. Perhaps it’s time to end our session.

c. Why not?

d. What prompted you to act?

e. Where on earth did you get that idea?

2. Closed questions

a. usually begin with “Who” “What” “Where” When” or “Why”

b. encourage clients to give detailed answers

c. can be answered with a yes or no

d. manipulate clients to give the correct answer

e. should not be used in counselling

3. As a rule, open questions

a. should be avoided in the early phases of the interview

b. are difficult to answer with a simple yes or no

c. are problematic because they lead clients to the “expected answer.”

d. are best utilized only after a trusting relationship is established

e. are best for obtaining specific information

4. Which of the following is an example of an open question?

a. Tell me more.

b. How do you think you should respond?

c. Were you the first one to notice the problem?

d. I’d be interested in hearing more about this?

e. It seems like you are felling quite distressed.

5. Indirect questions

a. are statements that have the same effect as questions

b. are used to provide essential focus to the interview

c. establish counsellor control of the interview

d. should be avoided because they are confusing to clients

e. can be answered yes or no

6. Which of the following is an example of an indirect question?

a. My opinion is that you should tell him yourself.

b. Why don’t you deal with him instead of his wife?

c. Do you think it might be possible?

d. I’m curious about your ideas?

e. How often do you think you might get a chance like that?

7. Leading questions

a. manipulate clients

b. are used to promote the change process

c. communicate to clients that we are following their directions

d. promote client self-determination

e. are essential for focusing the interview

8. Which of the following is an example of a leading question?

a. How do you feel?

b. What do you think you should do?

c. Don’t you think you should tell her?

d. Why don’t you tell me what your preference is?

e. Go on, tell me more.

9. The cognitive domain is concerned with

a. thinking

b. behaviour

c. feelings

d. where clients live

e. thinking, feelings, and behaviour

10. The question, “What are you thinking?” is an example of an

a. open question targeting the behavioural domain

b. open question targeting the affective domain.

c. embedded question targeting the cognitive domain

d. open question targeting the cognitive domain

e. indirect question targeting the affective domain

11. To manage a rambling interview, the best strategy for a counsellor is to

a. ask more closed questions

b. use open questions to give clients a chance to tell their stories

c. extend the interview time frame

d. be flexible to allow the client to stay in control

e. share their anger with the client

12. With respect to interviewing youth

a. core conditions are less important

b. counsellors need to define the contract

c. closed questions are preferred

d. they may have intense reactions to seemingly innocuous issues

e. the relationship should resemble a personal friendship

13. According to Shulman, the illusion of work happens when

a. counsellors do not fulfill their commitments

b. conversations are empty and meaningless

c. counsellors operate outside of their range of competence

d. clients lie about the progress they are making

e. all of the above

14. Which of the following is an example of a directive?

a. It sounds like you are feeling sad.

b. What do you mean?

c. Did you mean to say that you are finished with the relationship?

d. What are you going to do?

e. Tell me more.

15. According to the text, which of the following is a type of interview transition?

a. unexpected

b. strategic

c. empathic

d. self-initiated

e. purposeful

True-False Questions

1. Multiple questions should be avoided unless they are complementary.

2. Catharsis is a medical test that measure cognitive capacity.

3. A good interviewer can rely exclusively on questions.

4. Genuineness means be real and open.

5. “Why” questions are effective for promoting insight.

6. Closed questions are a good way to encourage clients to share details.

7. “W-5" questions are always open questions.

8. Concreteness refers to counsellor rigidity.

9. Indirect questions are manipulative.

10. Jargon refers to the words and language that professional use.

11. The cognitive domain is associated with how people think.

12. The affective domain is concerned with how people impact others.

13. Phase transitions move the interview from one phase to another.

14. The affective domain concerns emotions.

15. “Tell me more” is an example of a directive.

Answers: True: 1, 4, 7, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15; False: 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 12.

Short Answer Questions

1. What are four major reasons for asking questions?

2. What are some of the pitfalls of questioning?

3. Describe the different types of questions and their use.

Answers: Open questions begin with who, what, where, when, why, or how, and they encourage more expansive answers. Closed questions can be answered with a yes or no and they typically begin with words such as can, did, have, is, will, would, and do. They are useful when specific information is needed. Indirect questions are really statements that act as questions. They soften the interview by removing an interrogative tone that can arise from excessive questioning. Competent counsellors make intelligent choices on which type of question to use including whether questioning is appropriate or not.

4. What are the six key questions for every interview?

1. What brings you here today?

2. What are your expectations of me?

3. What do I need to know about your situation?

4. What do you mean by ...?

5. What did we accomplish?

6. What have we missed?

Question 1 helps to establish direction and goals for the interview. Question 2 clarifies roles. Question 3 helps counsellors learn and it helps clients “tell their stories” which is often a very significant aspect of growth. Question 5 is used to review and evaluate progress as well as the relationship. Question 6 insures that nothing important was over looked.

5. How can counsellors promote concreteness?

6. List 5 major tips for interviewing youth.

Paper Topics and Research Projects

1. Write a report with one detailed example illustrating your use of interviewing questions. Include a typescript of relevant dialogue with your analysis of the interaction. Typically, you will see both positive and negative elements. In either case you will want to understand what happened so that you may generalize and apply your learning to other helping situations. Attempt to identify and support viable alternative responses, i.e. what might you have said or done differently. Often there may be several perspectives on the same event. Attempt to increase your objectivity by considering alternate points of view or explanations. Consider your feelings and biases and how these assisted or hindered the work. Try to use supplemental books and articles from the library to support your ideas. What did you learn from this experience that will help you to become a better counsellor?

2. Monitor your use of questions in everyday life. Look for patterns and habits. For example, do you tend to ask more closed questions than open questions? Do you use questioning as your main communication skill? Spend a full day communicating without questions, but do not reveal to others what you are doing. Write a paper that summarizes and discusses the implications of your observations and experiences. How did the people you interacted with respond? Reflect on the implications of their reactions.

3. Work with a partner to explore an issue or problem that he or she is currently experiencing. Prepare a video illustrating your use of counselling and interviewing skills (maximum 10 minutes). Submit a report that discusses your use of skills and an analysis of the effectiveness of your work.

4. Critically evaluate a television interview using concepts from this chapter. Identify specific skills (types of questions) utilized by the interviewer as well as questioning pitfalls that led to the interview being less effective. To what extent did the interviewer use appropriate responses to promote concreteness?

5. Based on what has been covered so far in this book, write paper describing the elements of effective counselling. Describe what you consider to be the five most important concepts and ideas that have been addressed so far in this course.