˜Finding out about others: the skill of questioning Hargie, O. (2011)
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Skilled Interpersonal Communication: Research, Theory and Practise. 5th ed.
London: Routledge, Chapter 5, p117-153
Personally I believe that the aim of this chapter is to develop an understanding of questioning, the importance of questioning and the relationship between questions and learning. In addition, probes are developed in the chapter with their specific link to questioning.
The theme of education was developed throughout the text. This is represented through the importance of questioning to develop a wider understanding of specific topics or outcomes.
As well as this, authority can be examined as a theme in the sense that asking or answering questions can give control and dominance to the interrogator or the latter.
The topic of teacher to pupil questions is investigated. This is aroused by a discussion regarding the importance of children’s maturity and development through the experience of questioning and answering. This is then backed up by many statistics, however I found Dillon (1982) to have the most influential and understanding point:
“In a review of such studies, Dillon(1982) reported results to show that teachers ask about two questions per minute while their pupils ask about two questions per minute, while their pupils taken as a whole only ask around two questions per hour, giving an average of one question per pupil per month.”
Specifically within chapter 5 an argument is formed around arrogant thoughts of patients when enquiring with healthcare professionals. This is obviously regarding someone’s own health, if this is the case nobody should jeprodise their health for the sake of asking a silly question. In fact professionals want you to ask questions so that they know how well you have grasped your diagnosis. The argument however is classed as invalid due to the modern self diagnosis from the likes of ‘Dr Google’.
I found the chapter as a whole rather self explanatory and repetitive due to the nature of the document. I personally did not disagree with any of the points mentioned in the text, it was more a matter of not potentially grasping some points as well as others.
Unambiguously was a word which had drawn in my attention. This means to make something unclear.
Echo probes are used to reiterate what a person has said in a slightly different context to adapt further questioning.
