‘Finding out about others: the skills of questioning’. In Hargie, O. (2011) Skilled Interpersonal Communication: Theory and Practice. 5th ed. London: Routledge.
Broad themes from the reading.
– What is the main aim of the chapter?
The main aim of the chapter is to highlight all the different types of questioning. It shows how they can be
applied and in which settings they can be applied in.
– Identify three or four key themes within the chapter.
– Types of questioning
– How the questions can be applied
– Relevance of questioning
– The outcome of questioning
Claims and evidence.
– Use of evidence to back-up claims – can you identify any claims made in the chapter?
It is recommended that counsellors should use open ended questions which require a more extended answer. Strong
(2006:1005) noted that ‘a good counselling question is one that requires a lengthy pause to answer’.
– What evidence is used to substantiate the claims – discuss one example.
(Robinson and Heritage,2006) gave an example of when a Doctor asks an open-ended question of ‘What brings you in
today?’ This question requires an in-depth answer as opposed to a closed question such as ‘I see you have sinus
problems?
– Are there any arguments presented in the chapter? E.g. particular theory or idea presented within the chapter?
Sanchez (2001) cited a study showing that an average doctor’s appointment was 2.1 minutes and within this time
Doctors asked 27.3 questions. This means there is little time left to answer the questions, let alone ask their
own questions.
(Roter and Hall, 2006) also argue that people don’t ask questions of Doctors for the fear of appearing ignorant.
Analysis and evaluation.
– Do you agree with everything written in the chapter?
Yes, I do agree with what is written in the chapter.
– Is there anything you disagree with?
I disagree with the examples of why people don’t ask questions of Doctors.
– Pick one thing you might disagree with; what evidence can you use to defend this stance?
My reason for this is because I believe not all circumstances were covered such as the patients mental state of
mind, or their anxiety levels with worry about the outcome of the consultation. None of these factors were
mentioned and these would have an impact on the patients questioning skills, or ability to question, regardless
of their intelligence.
Knowledge and Understanding.
– What theories or concepts are mentioned in the chapter?
The chapter tells of the different concepts involved in questioning such as the Funnel Sequence which uses open
and closed questions. It also tells of the different scenarios when these questions are more appropriate, such as
interrogation, or the classroom setting.
– Try to explain at least one in your own words.
Both types of questions play a significant role in communication and finding out information. However, some
theorists such as Dohrenwend state that the answers to open questions can be quite lengthy and don’t provide the
information needed or required. An example of this would be in an interview or courtroom.
