‘Finding out about others: the skill of questioning’, in Hargie, O. (2011) Skilled Interpersonal Communication: Research, Theory and Practice. 5th ed. London: Routledge, Chapter 5, p117-153.
The aim of the chapter is to convey the many different methods of questioning. It also discusses the use of questions, the skill behind them and how they are effective in certain situations.
There are many themes than run throughout this chapter. Acquisition is a prominent theme throughout the chapter as it discusses the skills of questions and how to achieve the answers being sought after. Children is another theme which examines the effect on how they are questioned in certain ways. For example, when they are asked a double question, they do not understand what exactly they are being asked. In addition to this, knowledge is a key theme as it provides us with information we need to be able to ask the most accurate questions in certain situations.
Hargie discusses the topic of Clearinghouse probes. The purpose of this probe was to ensure that all the important information had been revealed. He claimed that sensitivity is an important factor when being interviewed and that gentle nudges should be used to ensure the interviewee is being attentive. Hargie used a source from Sevilla (1999) to show examples of lawyer’s questions.
I agree with the majority of information in this chapter as the examples given by Hargie are relatable. However, I disagree with the fact that pauses need to be a minimum of three seconds as stated before in the paragraph if children are given a slightly longer time they increase the length of their responses: “increased average ‘wait-time’…length of these responses increased.”
Pedagogic tradition was a term that was unfamiliar. According to the Critical Dictionary of Education. ‘pedagogy’ is the principles of teaching. It has three key aspects which are: methodology, rationale, and reflection.
Conversational lead questions are a concept mentioned by Hargie. People use these every day. It is a conversation that normally expects a definite response. This ensures that the conversation flows, and gives the impression of being kind and welcoming.
