Types of questions. Closed and open questions. Examples

What questions exist in Russian?

In this work we will look at 5 types of questions. There are a number of other classifications, the number of questions in which may vary, but today we will focus on this one.

So, according to our classification, there are five types of questions: closed, open, turning points, rhetorical, questions for reflection. Note that open and closed questions are distinguished in almost all types of classifications. This fact makes them basic.

Now let's look at each type in more detail, and also give examples.

Concept of feelings

Feelings are considered the simplest of all mental phenomena. They are a conscious, subjectively represented in a person’s mind, or an unconscious, but influencing his behavior, product of the central nervous system processing significant stimuli from the internal or external environment.

The types of sensations reflect the specificity of the stimuli that cause them. These stimuli, associated with different types of energy, cause corresponding sensations of different qualities: visual, auditory, through the skin (sensations of touch, pressure, pain, heat, cold, etc.), gustatory, olfactory. Proprioceptive sensations give us information about the state of the muscular system, indicating the degree of muscle contraction or relaxation; vestibular sensations provide information about the position of the body in relation to the direction of gravitational forces. These two sensations are usually not consciously perceived.

Signals emanating from internal organs are less noticeable, are not perceived in most cases, except for pain, but are also perceived and processed by the central nervous system. The corresponding sensations are called interoceptive.

Olfaction is a sensory response that produces a specific olfactory sensation.

The following sense of taste has four main modalities: sweet, salty, sour and bitter. All other taste sensations are various combinations of these four basic modalities.

Skin sensation or tactile sensation is the most represented and widely used sense. The familiar sensation to all of us when we touch an object on the skin is, in fact, not a tactile sensation.

In the everyday language we use, there is no word for the sensations that come, for example, from the receptors located in the muscles and working when they contract or stretch. However, there are sensations that are control of movements, assessment of the direction and speed of movement, and the magnitude of the distance. They are formed automatically, sent to the brain and regulate movements on a subconscious level.

The word “kinetics” comes from the concept of movement, which is why it is also called kinesthetic.

Open question

Open questions are questions that require a detailed answer and some explanation. It is impossible to answer them either “yes” or “no”. Such questions begin with the following interrogative words: “how”, “who”, “what”, “why”, “how much”, “which”, etc.

Such questions allow your interlocutor to choose the information to answer at his own discretion. On the one hand, this can lead to the interlocutor hiding something that he does not want to disclose. But on the other hand, if in a suitable emotional situation, the interlocutor can open up and tell much more than the question you asked required.

Open-ended questions allow you to turn your monologue into a conversation. However, there is a danger that you will lose control of the conversation and it will be difficult to regain control.

Here are examples of such questions:

• Why do you want to study at our university?
• When did you decide to agree to this conversation?
• How much do you earn per month?
• Who cleans your home?
• What do you usually do in the evenings?

Psychological communication in tourism

To a very large extent, the success of an interview depends on whether the interviewer knows how to ask the right questions. Asking questions is not just a skill: it is a complex art that requires impeccable command of speech, sensitivity to a partner’s communicative manifestations, especially non-verbal signals, and the ability to distinguish sincere answers from evasive ones. Taking a partner as an equal interlocutor, i.e., entering into an equal dialogue with him, a person submits his judgments to him in order to take advantage of his experience in assessing and developing his ideas. The ability to ask (and understand) questions is an extremely important managerial skill that will come in handy in many situations (not just HR conversations), so it makes sense in this part of the textbook to become familiar with common types of questions, using various business situations as examples. speech. A question is a form of movement of thought; it clearly expresses the moment of transition from ignorance to knowledge, from incomplete, imprecise knowledge to more complete and more accurate knowledge. Questions are impulses for activation. They serve to clarify points of view and control the flow of conversation. Finally, they are a tool of suggestion that facilitates the adoption of the desired decision. It is possible to divide questions on the following grounds, which are essential for conducting an interview:

1. Questions are distinguished by form:

Open and closed questions . An open question (what? why? where? etc.) requires a detailed answer. He names only the topic or subject of the question, and then the respondent is free to structure the answer at his own discretion, for example: What did you like about your previous job? A closed question only involves expressing agreement or disagreement with the idea expressed (yes or no). If the decision on your enrollment is made, are you ready to immediately go to advanced training courses? This question is asked in order to obtain the consent (refusal) of the interlocutor. There is an element of coercion in it.

This also includes alternative questions. They provide the interlocutor with a choice. The number of possible options, however, should not exceed three. Alternative questions involve quick solutions. In this case, the word “or” is most often the main component of the question, since in this way all other possibilities are cut off: Which discussion period suits you best - Monday 12.00 or Thursday 16.00? Which color of the model suits you best: yellow, red or green?

Direct and indirect questions . During a conversation, various kinds of psychological barriers may arise: the interlocutor cannot answer questions because he is afraid, embarrassed, or does not know how to express what the questioner needs. To ease tension, indirect questions are used. This is necessary, for example, in cases where the opinion expressed may be contrary to what is shared in a given social environment. For example, instead of the question Would you like to change your job? ask: Would you advise your friend to take this job? The same type of questions includes techniques of projective technique, when questions relate to the future or an imaginary situation, such as: What would you do in such a situation? An example of a projective question that helps determine the interlocutor’s relationship with colleagues is a request to describe the appearance, manners, and characteristic features of the boss. In this case, the answer usually reveals the interlocutor’s attitude towards the person being described. Or if we want to find out whether a person is familiar with the latest literature on his subject, we ask: What would you recommend reading on this issue? Such questions allow you to find out the required information and not put your interlocutor in an awkward position (or save face).

Personal and impersonal questions . The choice of a personal or impersonal form of a question is very important. The personal form of the question, as a rule, reveals the individual opinion of the answerer. The impersonal form of the question provokes one to talk not about personal perception, but about what objective reality requires. For example, if you ask a person: what do you like to watch on TV? — he will communicate his tastes and preferences. But if you ask: what programs should be shown more on TV? - he will say that, in his opinion, it is useful for young people, women, and generally useful for the people to watch, although he himself may not watch TV at all.

2. According to the function of the question, the following types are distinguished:

Main questions . When preparing for a conversation, first of all, the main questions are drawn up, which should bring basic information. These are the key questions of the conversation. They define the micro-topics of the upcoming conversation. However, in a real situation, this question may not work. People often avoid answering for various reasons.

Probing or additional questions. With the help of probing questions and analysis of the interlocutor's behavior, you need to determine the reason for the unsatisfactory answer and ask a number of additional questions in order to obtain the information that the main question was intended for. Most often, probing and additional questions are not prepared in advance, but are asked at a time when the main question does not work or an unexpected turn in the conversation arises. (For example, the applicant vaguely answers the question about his relationships in the previous team.) Probing (they themselves cannot help get an answer to the main question, but only determine the field of further questions): Is the team large? Was it made up of women or men? What did you do? etc. Additional (they break the main question into fragments and help you find the most significant sections): Who did you get along better with: women or men? What is his role in carrying out common affairs? etc.

Control questions . They are used more often not in the interview itself, but as an auxiliary element of the conversation. Their goal is to check the incoming information for accuracy. They are important to ask during any conversation to find out whether the interlocutor is still listening to the conversation, whether he understands the speaker or is simply assenting. Moreover, here it is absolutely not enough to limit ourselves to the question: Do you understand me? The answer to such a question is always affirmative, regardless of whether it is actually true. So it's better to ask: What do you think about this? And what conclusions did you come to? Don't you think this is a worthwhile cause? After the question is asked, you need to let the interlocutor speak without rushing him. He must concentrate, sort out his thoughts and express his judgment. By the reaction of the interlocutor, you can see whether he is following the interviewer’s thoughts. If, when answering a security question, rejection or misunderstanding is revealed, you will have to go back a little. You should definitely ask control questions after a detailed story about a complex device or a new type of service, because in such situations, after the fifth sentence, the interlocutor usually mentally switches off. By answering such a question, you can immediately determine what the interlocutor understood and whether he is ready to agree with the speaker’s arguments.

Relay questions . They strive to get ahead and develop their partner’s statement, not interrupting, but helping him. A relay question reveals the ability to listen and grasp a partner’s remarks on the fly and provoke him to say even more, to say differently and beyond what is said. The relay question is designed to serve the interlocutor and increase his satisfaction with his statements.

Filtering questions . With their help, it is determined whether the interlocutor belongs to the group of people who can be asked certain types of questions (for example, the degree of awareness of the interviewee in a particular problem is determined). In mass surveys, filter questions immediately cut off a group of uninformed people who are not asked a subsequent group of questions. This type of question is very important when selecting a new employee for a vacant position. So, if you start with a question about relevant work experience (if such experience is a prerequisite for admission) or about knowledge of a foreign language (if such knowledge is necessary), then after answering this question there will be no need to continue the conversation with a large number of applicants.

Clarifying questions . They detail the interlocutor’s message and thereby perform a double function: they bring additional information and serve to verify the authenticity of the message.

3. Based on the impact on the interlocutor, the following types of questions are distinguished.

Neutral questions contain no hint of the interviewer's assessment. Care should be taken to ensure that questions do not contain hints. The interlocutor should not guess which opinion the interviewer approves and which does not approve.

Leading or suggestive questions. A typical example is a question from a teacher if the answerer makes a mistake. For example, a student talks about epideictic speech and lists genres. Teacher: Does rally speech always belong to epideictic genres? From the fact that this is asked at all, we can conclude that this is not always the case.

Confirmatory questions . They ask to reach mutual understanding. If the interlocutor agreed with the speaker five times on trifles, then he will not answer the decisive sixth question in the negative. The British are somewhat more prudent than others in this sense. Usually any conversation they have begins with an exchange of opinions about the weather. If there is unanimity on this issue, it is much easier to move on to solving the next problems. In any conversation you need to intersperse confirming questions and always focus on what connects, and not on what separates. The form of the confirmatory question is determined by Socrates: You are of the opinion that...? Surely you are also glad that...?.

Counter questions . In general, it is impolite to answer a question with a question, but a counter-question is a skillful psychological technique to gain agreement or not give away your thoughts. For example:

Stirlitz talks with Muller. - Why did you have to bring me here? Couldn't we talk to you? — It’s calmer here. If everything ends as I want, we will return together, and everyone will know that we were involved in business in my department. - And my boss will know about this? - Whose jealousy are you afraid of - his or mine? - And what do you think? - I like the way you go ahead. - I have no other choice. And then I always like clarity. - Clarity is one of the forms of complete fog... I know you, cunning. (Yu. Semenov “17 moments of spring”)

Provocative questions . To provoke means to challenge, to incite. Anyone who asks a provocative question should be aware that this is incitement. Meanwhile, such questions also need to be used in conversation to establish what the partner really wants and whether he correctly understands the state of affairs.

“Provocative speech is a special type of speech, internally designed to obtain some response information - either known to the one who provokes, or unknown (in this case they talk about “extorting” information).” In other words, in this case, the speaker communicates a certain attitude towards an object or event or talks about some facts, having as a super task obtaining from the addressee some information that he would otherwise hardly want to convey. “It is obvious that a person does not want to share all information. In this case, provocative speech acquires special features: its basis is deceit, the desire to outplay the interlocutor.” Wed. example from the cited manual: “You cannot win this match.” - “No, I can.” I went through a series of training sessions with special loads and am now in very good athletic shape.” Provocative questions are constructed in a similar way: Of course, you know that the conditions at your base do not correspond to the level of all-Russian competitions? Do you understand that the price of your product will fall in the near future? They are designed for the interlocutor to respond with information that is interesting to the questioner, defending the honor of his organization.

Single-pole (or mirror) questions. This is just a repetition of the question by the interlocutor as a sign that he understands what is being said. The effect of such a question is twofold: the questioner gets the impression that his question is correctly understood, and the answerer gets the opportunity to think more carefully about his answer. Are you asking how much it costs? Do you want to know if we have overtime?

4. Based on content, the main neutral questions are divided into the following types:

Opening questions (opening negotiations, conversations) A skillfully posed question is a good start. The partners immediately become interested and a state of positive expectation arises. For example: Your company experiences downtime every day. Will you allow me to suggest a solution to this problem?

Information questions . The one who asks them needs the knowledge, experience and advice of another. It's about collecting the information needed to get an idea about something. Information questions are always open questions. This means that the question concerns a specific subject or state of affairs, while the answerer, providing certain information, gives explanations. Such questions are a mandatory element of any interview, negotiation, etc. In response to such questions, a statement in the genre of an information message is required: What are the requirements for manuscripts accepted for publication? What are the responsibilities of an advertising manager?

Introductory questions. This type of question can also be considered informational, however, the information that the questioner expects to receive concerns the opinions, views, tastes, intentions, etc. of the interlocutor, thus, these are also open questions that cannot be answered in monosyllables. For example: What effect do you expect when using a new machine? What are your goals? In response to such a question, a statement in the opinion genre follows.

Guiding questions . With their help, you can take control of the course of the conversation and direct it in the direction that suits the initiator more and not allow the interlocutors to impose an undesirable direction of the conversation. Time passes quickly, and if you let things take their course, it may turn out that the time appointed for the conversation has already expired, and the most important information has not yet been received.

Questions should be understandable to the interlocutor and have the same meaning for him as for the questioner. As far as possible, it is necessary to take into account the level of knowledge of the interlocutor and try to structure the question in such a way that the concepts and terms included in the question are familiar to him. You need to be prepared to rephrase an unclear question and explain the term. The question must contain one thought. Otherwise, the interlocutor, as a rule, answers only the last part of the question or the one that is easier for him to remember. Certifying remarks . With your remark: Good question, This is a very good question - you can let your interlocutor know that he is asking smart questions and grasps the essence of the conversation well. Or: The fact that you are asking me this question proves that... An experienced interviewer will occasionally insert validating remarks to maintain contact with the interlocutor, because no one and nothing will please him more than being right.

Closed question

Closed-type questions are those that can be answered either “yes” or “no.” The particle “whether” is often used in closed questions. They limit the freedom of the interlocutor as much as possible, leading him to a monosyllabic answer.

By asking these kinds of questions, you can keep the conversation under control. However, the interlocutor cannot express his opinion or share ideas.

In addition, closed questions have a number of negative features:

• the information obtained when answering them will be superficial;
• two answer options create the impression of coercion, so the interlocutor will gradually feel more and more uncomfortable, which will ultimately lead to the fact that he will want to end the conversation as soon as possible;
• they lead to the interlocutor’s reluctance to open up and provide more information.

Closed questions are recommended for use in cases where it is necessary to collect a lot of information in a short period of time. For example, when conducting various studies. If you plan to get to know your interlocutor better and expect that your acquaintance will continue, you should definitely alternate closed questions with open ones, allowing your partner to speak out.

Examples:

• Do you like running?
• Would you like to learn to swim?
• Do you play musical instruments?

Indirect (undirected) questions

These are questions that do not require specific data. In this case, you determine the focus of your answer. The interviewer asks a general question without asking for specific information. The most common indirect question is:

"Tell me about you".

When answering this question, keep in mind that the employer wants to hear about what qualities you have that qualify you for the job. Your answer should cover four areas:

• education;
• experience;
• existing skills and abilities;
• your personal qualities.

When talking about these details, relate them to the job you want to get. Think about what your answer will be before you speak - this will help keep your answers concise. We recommend that you think through a detailed answer to this question in advance, because up to 90% of all interviews include this type of question or similar ones. However, do not go to extremes - the answer to such a question should not take more than 3-4 minutes and should only include facts relevant to the proposed work.

Example: “Tell me about yourself.”

“I have a bachelor's degree in psychology and I recently completed a course in volunteer project management at the XXX educational center. This gave me serious experience in studying many principles of human behavior, as well as a set of techniques for organizing, training and supervising volunteers. I have experience working with children as a teaching assistant and as a counselor at a camp for teenagers with behavioral problems. Both of these positions included one-on-one counseling, facilitating discussion groups, and teaching health issues to adolescents—all of which directly relate to the knowledge that I will teach to volunteers in your organization. In addition, I really enjoy working with children and teenagers and I can easily connect with them.”

A rhetorical question

Let's continue to look at question types. Next in line is a rhetorical question, which serves for a deep and detailed consideration of the subject of conversation. It is impossible to give an unambiguous and unbiased answer to such questions. Their purpose is to highlight unresolved issues and raise new questions, or to elicit support from the panelists for your opinion through tacit agreement. When composing such questions, the particle “whether” is also often used.

Examples:

• We all share the same opinion on this issue, right?
• Can we accept such actions as normal?

Hypothetical or scenario questions

By asking a hypothetical question, the interviewer describes a situation you might encounter in this position and asks how you would react in a similar situation. For the interviewer, such a question is a good way to test your ability to quickly navigate and solve problems. When answering questions like these, try applying the following problem-solving model to them:

1. collection of information;
2. information assessment;
3. preliminary decision;
4. seeking advice;
5. evaluation of alternative;
6. decision-making;
7. bringing the decision;
8. monitoring the results and changing the decision if necessary.

Example: “Let's say you're on your first day working in our lab and a fire breaks out at your nearby work station. What would you do?"

“Before I start working in any laboratory, I always find emergency equipment such as eye washes, fire blankets and alarms. I also study the safety instructions. So in this situation I would know how to react and where to go in your lab. As soon as I noticed a fire, I would stop my experiment and, if the fire was significant, I would pull the fire alarm and help evacuate the laboratory. In the event of a small fire, I would ask the station staff what I could do to help and act in accordance with the means and instructions used.”

The turning point question

Another basic type of question is the turning point. These are the kinds of questions that help keep the discussion moving in a certain direction. They can also serve to raise new issues. They are asked in situations when you have received comprehensive information on the problem under consideration and would like to switch the audience’s attention to another, or when resistance from your opponent has arisen and you want to overcome it.

The interlocutor’s answers to such questions make it possible to clarify vulnerable points in his judgments.

Examples:

• Tell me, do you think it is necessary?..
• How is it really going for you?..
• What do you think?..
• What do you see in the future?..

Stress issues

This is the broadest and most varied type of question, which is difficult to prepare for in advance - the questions can be very different. Stress questions are so called because their purpose is to throw you off balance and trigger your immediate reactions. Questions like these may surprise you and make you feel awkward.

Example: “What do you prefer, fruits or vegetables?” There are many reasons why an interviewer might ask you these questions. He may want to see how you react in ambiguous situations, or he may simply be trying to test your sense of humor and stress tolerance. Questions like these can directly challenge the point you just made or cast you in a negative light. Sometimes they ask seemingly inappropriate questions, such as:

“If you were an animal, what animal would you be?”

The best way to answer this question is to understand what's going on. The interviewer is trying to get a reaction from you. Stay calm and don't get defensive. Don't try to make excuses - it always looks like a weak position. And humor will always be strong. If you have no problem coming up with a good joke, you can try using humor in your answer, but it is important to answer the question posed to you. The main thing is to maintain composure and often it is not so important what you answer.

Example: “What do you like better, lions or tigers?”

“Oh, definitely lions. They seem so majestic and very sociable - after all, they live as a big family. You know, I watched The Lion King four times, I think that definitely influenced me."

Stress questions are widely used in FMCG companies and retail chains. You should also be prepared for them if you are interviewing for a management position in companies where you need to work a lot with people. In IT and technology companies, such questions are usually less common - where specific knowledge is considered more important.

Read more about this type of question in our separate article How to Pass a Stress Interview for a Job

Question to think about

These types of questions encourage the interlocutor to reflect and carefully consider what was said earlier and prepare comments. In such a speech situation, the interlocutor gets the opportunity to make his own changes to the position already stated by someone. This allows you to look at the problem from several sides.

Examples of such questions:

• Do you think that...?
• Did we understand your judgment correctly that...?
• Do you agree that...?

Thus, we have looked at the meaning and examples of the types of questions used in Russian.

How to ask questions correctly

To pose the question correctly, you must first competently build an internal dialogue and formulate your thoughts. The quality and relevance of our questions in most cases influences the actions we take.

Two options for questions have been identified:

1. 7 traditional questions: What?
   Where? How? Who? Why? By what means? These questions provide an opportunity to analyze the situation as a whole;
2. 6 questions involving feelings, facts, desires, time, means, obstacles.

When asking a question to our interlocutor, we are guided by the goal of establishing a positive relationship with him.
However, you can achieve this without making it seem like an interrogation. Speech as a means of communication

General question

General questions are identical to closed questions in Russian, that is, they require a monosyllabic answer: “yes” or “no.” Serve to obtain general information only.

Such questions are composed without question words, but begin with auxiliary verbs. And as you remember, in English there are certain auxiliary verbs for each tense.

The word order when composing a question is: auxiliary verb - subject - semantic verb - object - definition.

Examples:

• Is he a good driver?
• Did he go to the disco today?
• Do you play basketball every day?

Separated question

We continue to look at the types of questions in English with examples. This type is called separative because it consists of two parts, which are separated by a comma:

• Part 1 is a statement;
• Part 2 – “spine”, a question regarding this statement.

"Spine" is usually the opposite of the statement. That is, the purpose of the question is to verify the authenticity of the statement made.

Examples:

• You play basketball every day, don't you?
• Steven is a famous artist, isn't he?

Special question

Question types can also be used to obtain additional information. For example, a special question. It always starts with question words. The following are usually used: when, why, where, which, how, etc. These words do not include what and who when they act as subjects.

Thus, the question has the following structure: question word - auxiliary verb - subject - semantic verb - object.

Examples:

• What is your name?
• When did you go to England last time?

Research methods in psychology

Scientific research methods are the techniques and means by which scientists obtain reliable information, which is then used to build scientific theories and develop practical recommendations.

Mention should also be made here of the initial stage of development of differential psychological research (late 19th century), when methods of mathematical statistics began to be used to identify common psychological traits and abilities that distinguish people from each other.

In the twentieth century, the trend of using mathematical models and calculations spread across various branches of psychology. Today, not a single serious scientific psychological study can do without them.

Since the late 80s of the 19th century, psychology began to create and use special technical devices and equipment for conducting experimental scientific research in the laboratory. The German scientist W. Wundt, who organized the work of the first psychological laboratory in Leipzig, was a pioneer in this regard.

Questions with or (“or”)

Such questions require a choice between two different answer options. The word order here is the same as in the general question, but it is necessary to offer an alternative possibility.

Examples:

• Do you like tea or coffee?
• Will you go to Moscow by plane or by train?
• Does your father or your mother help you with your homework?

Question with who (what)

This type is used when it is necessary to the subject of a sentence. It will begin with the words what or who. The main feature of this type of question is that the word order when composing it remains the same as in the statement. That is, the word order will be as follows: who/what – semantic verb – object.

Here are some examples:

• Who is this man?
• What was that?

So, we looked at the possible types of questions in both Russian and English. As you can see, in both languages, despite the huge difference in origin and grammar between them, questions perform approximately the same functions. This tells us that conversations in any language are conducted for specific purposes. Moreover, the reasoning control mechanisms regulated by questions also appear to be similar.

General information

The survey method is used in psychology in two forms: Questionnaires and conversations (interviews).

The source of information in the survey is written or oral assessments of people. The survey method is often criticized: Doubts are expressed about the reliability of the information obtained from direct responses from subjects. To obtain more reliable information, special questionnaires are created to obtain information corresponding to a specific hypothesis, and this information should be as reliable as possible. In psychology, special rules have been developed for composing questions, asking them in the correct order, grouping them into separate blocks, etc.

If a survey is conducted in written form using a questionnaire, then it is called a questionnaire method, the advantage of which is that a group of people can participate in the survey at the same time. The data obtained through the questionnaire can be statistically analyzed. In legal practice, questionnaires are used quite often, but it should be remembered that obtaining reliable and reliable facts requires the professional knowledge of the creators of the questionnaires. An incorrectly designed questionnaire not only does not provide reliable information, but also jeopardizes the method itself. Considering the survey method as a whole, we can state that it is a means of initial orientation and preliminary clarification. The data obtained through questionnaires provides clues for further investigation into an individual or group of individuals.

Obtaining information through direct communication between the researcher and the respondent is characteristic of the conversational method (interview). A conversation is a more “psychological” form of interrogation, since it is an interaction between people that is subject to certain socio-psychological laws. The most important condition for a successful interview is the establishment of contact between the researcher and the interviewee in order to create a confidential atmosphere of dialogue. The researcher must meet with the interviewee because he must be open.

A survey can be considered one of the most common methods of obtaining information about subjects - respondents. A survey involves asking people specific questions, the answers to which allow the researcher to obtain the necessary information depending on the objectives of the study. The characteristics of the survey are determined by its mass nature, which is determined by the specific tasks that it solves. Massiveness is due to the fact that the psychologist usually needs to obtain information about a group of individuals, and not to study one individual.

A person is an individual, a separately existing organism or an individual as a representative of the human race; one member of a society, nation, class or social group. An individual is an individual from birth; the individual is not “one,” but “one of” human society. This term emphasizes the dependence of the individual on society.