Most people would want to talk to a person about their lack of appropriate social interaction or antisocial behaviour. However, in most situations lack of appropriate social interaction occurs when the person feels unable to accommodate a situation comfortably or express unresolved inner confusion and conflicts of interest. Therefore questioning a person about the reason for their behaviour would usually cause additional stress and anxiety within a situation that is already beyond manageable. The person asking a question needs to consider carefully the value of any form of verbal interaction. Then if a question is desirable the person needs to consider what Open Question might be helpful to the situation.
If the words: when what, when, who, where, which, and how, are followed by ‘are’, ‘did’, or ‘can’ they encourage personal responses and enquiry.
E.g. What are your favourite animals? Who did you see at the park? What can you see?
Open Questions
Shared learning experiences through open ended interactive questions:-
How are you feeling? Can I help you? What would you like me to do? Would you like to tell me about……..?
Open questions are those that do not have a specified answer, they are notable for encouraging a personal response and review choices. They may invite and initiate personal and social responses, sharing of choices and ideas, the integration of past, present and future, spontaneous communication from genuine interest and/or social interaction.
Open questions support and encourage:-
- Generate consideration of environmental choices.
- Creative thinking and imagination
- Related social and environmental opportunities
- Personal and social responses sharing choices, ideas and the integration of past, present and future.
- Spontaneous communication from genuine interest and desire to share social interaction.
- Additional levels of consciousness.
When what, when, who, where, which, and how are followed by ‘are’, ‘did’, or ‘can’ they encourage personal responses and enquiry:
What are your favourite animals? Who did you see at the park? What can you see?
Closed Questions
Closed questions are often loaded with judgment, e.g. ‘What’s the matter with you!!? ‘That was a stupid thing to do wasn’t it !!?’ ‘Your screaming is making me angry’. It is important that a child or person is not blamed for the other person’s emotional upset. Sharing in a simple and honest way about our feelings can be helpful for everyone concerned; e.g. ‘I’m feeling angry and right now I need to find/have a quiet space.’ This honest straight forward style of communication can help others to recognise and empathise. Thus the emotions one person senses in the other person can be acknowledged without an overwhelming sense of personal responsibility
Closed Questions often require the description of factual knowledge and/or adult initiated ideas and social directives. They normally relate to specified knowledge and experience
E.g. What is your dog’s name? Which is the biggest? What is the time? Etc.
Closed Questions relate to specified knowledge and experience. For example: Is your dog called Tom? Do you want extra peas? Did you put your own shoes on today? etc. Closed questions can encourage logical thinking and memory skills; however they usually generate Yes or No answers.
Yes answers can be more easily expanded into personalised and/or imaginative responses; e.g. Is that …..your blue hat? Yes, it’s my blue school hat.
My mum said it had to be blue but I wanted a pink one, I don’t like the dark colour it is a sad colour……
Who gave you that lovely hat? My Granny gave me this hat she knitted it for my birthday and it is really warm. It has a soft cosy lining…….
Does your dog like to play? Would you like anything extra? Are those shoes difficult to get on?
Even the more open style of what, when, which, where, who, why, questions can be very limited when followed by the word ‘is’ i.e. what is ……when is ….etc..
No answers to closed questions do not generally encourage interactive social behaviour. Also, negative answers may disempower personal confidence and individuality.No answers tend to discourage personalised and/or imaginative responses and emphasis negative feelings. No answers tend to discourage personalised and/or imaginative responses. They can also generate ‘I don’t know’ responses and feelings of anxiety and inferiority.
Questions that initiate No (negative) answers can be motivated by:-
- A need to control,
- A negative judgement,
- A resistance to social interaction and communication,
- Unnecessary interference or unwanted interference.
Even the more open style of what, when, which, where, who, why, questions can be very directive when followed by the word ‘is’.
When is your ………Where is the …….etc.