Deck 8: Interviewing

Question 1

Name some characteristics of an interview that make it different from a social conversation between two people.

Answer 1

• The interview is based on planned, purposeful, communication with a conscious goal while a social conversation between friends generally does not have any fixed agenda or any particular goal

Question 2

Name some factors that appear to have exerted a negative impact on the encounter Jean had with the welfare agency. Why was Marian's interview much more positive than Jean's?

Answer 2

The physical setting of the agency - security guard with a gun, not enough chairs, peeling paint - did not give a welcoming message. Neither the receptionist nor the worker showed personal interest or concern, or even respect. The worker acted like an unfeeling bureaucrat rather than a warm human being.
Marian's Interview:
The welfare agency that Marian went to made a special effort to be supportive to the people coming in for help. They found ways of making the office look pleasant, they provided a play space for the children and the staff treated the clients with dignity.

Question 3

List at least four interview responses that give the person being interviewed the maximum amount of freedom of expression. Then, list at least four interview responses that give the person being interviewed the least amount of freedom of expression.

Answer 3

Global questions; indirect questions; open-ended questions; open-ended request for more information, furthering responses including physical attending silence (when used to indicate thoughtful attention), minimal verbal or non-verbal responses, accent responses.
Urging, threatening, moralizing, contradicting, arguing, commanding, scolding, punishing, criticizing, denying, disapproving, rejecting, ridiculing, putting words in someone's mouth.

Question 4

Give an example of a closed question about a teenager's feelings about school. Explain the drawbacks of a closed question. Give an example of an open question that might tap into a teenager's feelings about school. What is the advantage of an open-ended question?

Question 5

Define the interviewer technique of "confrontation." Why does confrontation need to be done cautiously?

Question 6

Interviews between clients and workers should always be conducted in an office setting.

Question 7

In the opening stages of an interview, most of the time is primarily spent in

A) small talk that eases the tension.
B) laying out the rules of the agency.
C) jointly working out a contract between client and worker.
D) filling out forms.

Question 8

Often it is necessary to collect a large amount of factual information from a client. The best method to use is

A) to skip the questions on the forms that don't seem relevant.
B) to ask each and every question in proper order.
C) to ask the client to take the form home and fill it out.
D) to try to ask a general question which will elicit much of the needed information.

Question 9

Active listening is a major interviewing skill, which involves:

A) Hearing and remembering what the client says.
B) Getting a client to hear the advice of the worker.
C) Calling attention to the interviewee's resistance.
D) All of the above.

Question 10

Putting oneself in the shoes of the client interferes with the interviewer's professional objectivity.

Question 11

The recording of what happened in an interview is important because:

A) It assures continuity from one worker to the next.
B) It documents the progress or the problems in a treatment plan.
C) It shows the funding source or agency that a worker is doing the tasks he or she was assigned.
D) All of the above.

Question 12

A strong message of encouragement and reassurance always increases an interviewee's self-confidence.

Question 13

When the interviewee asks the worker for advice about a possible course of action, it is probably best if the worker begins by

A) giving the advice in a direct and honest fashion.
B) finding out what the interviewee is already thinking about doing.
C) explaining that workers are not allowed to give advice.
D) describing the steps other clients have taken in similar situations.

Question 14

When a worker discloses facts about him or herself, it can be a constructive act when the worker's aim is to

A) model sharing behavior.
B) show that he or she has had a similar concern or problem.
C) illustrate the universality of human concerns.
D) all of the above.

Question 15

Scolding, moralizing, criticizing, disapproving, ridiculing, and threatening are interviewer responses which make the interviewee feel:

A) The serious consequences of what he or she has done
B) The disapproval, yet great caring of the worker.
C) The urgent need to begin changing his or her behavior.
D) A sense of inferiority or of being excluded from the helping process

Question 16

When a worker and client have sharply differing values about an issue, it is best if the worker puts aside his or her values, focusing his or her attention on the client's worldview.

Question 17

At the core of mental health lies self-esteem. The interviewer should always be looking for genuine ways of enhancing that esteem by pointing out positive acts and intentions of the interviewee.

Question 18

It is never a good idea for the interviewer to share information about his or her own life with the interviewee.