Which strategy helps keep the subject talking during an interview?

Which strategy helps keep the subject talking during an interview?

• A. Keeping your own talking to a minimum
• B. Use open-ended questions (avoiding yes/no questions)
• C. Allowing long pauses
• D. Interrupting when you lack information

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is that open-ended questions invite the subject to describe events and thoughts in their own words, which keeps them talking and yields richer, more detailed information. By asking questions that require more than a yes or no answer, you encourage the person to explain sequences, provide context, and share observations and interpretations. This naturally leads to clearer timelines, motives, and potential inconsistencies that are crucial in an interview setting. Keeping your own talk to a minimum can help, but it isn’t enough by itself to sustain conversation—the subject needs prompts that require elaboration. Allowing long pauses can feel awkward and doesn’t reliably keep someone talking, and interrupting when information is lacking tends to shut down the flow and harm rapport. Open-ended questions, in contrast, consistently promote sustained dialogue and more usable information.

The main idea here is that open-ended questions invite the subject to describe events and thoughts in their own words, which keeps them talking and yields richer, more detailed information. By asking questions that require more than a yes or no answer, you encourage the person to explain sequences, provide context, and share observations and interpretations. This naturally leads to clearer timelines, motives, and potential inconsistencies that are crucial in an interview setting.

Keeping your own talk to a minimum can help, but it isn’t enough by itself to sustain conversation—the subject needs prompts that require elaboration. Allowing long pauses can feel awkward and doesn’t reliably keep someone talking, and interrupting when information is lacking tends to shut down the flow and harm rapport. Open-ended questions, in contrast, consistently promote sustained dialogue and more usable information.