Chapter 4: Structuring the Interview
Essay
1. What are the essential functions of openings in interviews?
2. Compare and contrast the hourglass and diamond sequences.
3. Compare and contrast cause-to-effect and problem-solution sequences for structuring an
4. Compare and contrast an interview guide and an interview schedule.
5. Compare and contrast highly scheduled and highly scheduled standardized interviews.
6. When might you consider organizing questions into a quintamensional design sequence?
8. Write an appropriate opening for the following situation: You are interviewing an author
9. Develop a five-question funnel sequence for an interview on a soldier’s experience in
10. What are the major advantages of using an inverted funnel sequence?
11. How can you reduce relational uncertainty in the early part of an interview?
12. Define each of the question sequences.
14. List five nonverbal closing actions.
Multiple Choice
15. There are a number of common structures used in developing an interview guide. Among
them are:
a. topical, familiarity, and unknown sequences.
b. color-coded, replicative, and bar coded sequences.
c. topical, time, and cause-to-effect sequences.
d. front-to-back, space, and incorrect to correct sequences.
16. Which of the following statements is true about nonscheduled interviews conducted from
an interview guide?
a. It is easy for an interviewer to maintain control during a freewheeling interaction.
b. It gives limited freedom to an interviewer to probe into answers.
c. It allows an interviewer to adapt to an interviewee and situation as the interview
progresses.
d. It requires little skill because questions required for an interview are prepared in
advance.
17. Which of the following statements is true about moderately scheduled interviews?
a. It disallows freedom to probe into answers and adapt to different interviewees.
b. It consists of all major questions with possible probing questions under each.
c. It imposes a lesser degree of structure and is difficult to replicate.
d. It takes less time than a highly scheduled interview.
18. Which of the following is a salient feature of highly scheduled interviews?
a. They prevent parties from spending too much time on a topic.
b. They allow room for flexibility and adaptation.
c. They take more time than nonscheduled and moderately scheduled interviews.
d. They are difficult to replicate and conduct.
19. What are the components of an interview guide?
a. major questions and some probing questions
b. an outline of topics and subtopics
c. all questions but no answer options
d. all questions and answer options
20. Which of the following statements is a feature of a topical sequence?
a. It treats topics in a chronological order.
b. It follows natural divisions of a topic.
c. It arranges topics according to geographical areas.
d. It treats causes and effects topically.
21. A survey interviewer is most likely to use a _____.
a. nonscheduled interview
b. moderately scheduled interview
c. highly scheduled interview
d. highly scheduled standardized interview
22. James interviews a fire inspector about a recent fire that engulfed a nearby restaurant. He
starts with enquiring about when the fire was detected, and then proceeds to ask when the
first crews arrived at the restaurant, when they started attacking the fire, when they had it
under control, and when they left the scene. In this scenario, James is following a _____
structure of interviewing.
a. problem-solution sequence
b. space sequence
c. topical sequence
d. time sequence
23. A police investigator is most likely to operate from a(n) _____.
a. interview outline
b. moderately scheduled interview
c. highly scheduled interview
d. highly scheduled standardized interview
24. The two-step process of an interview opening includes _____.
a. self-introduction and opening questions
b. rapport and opening questions
c. rapport and orientations
d. greeting and opening questions
25. Lillian Glass discovered that men, when compared to women, _____.
a. make indirect accusations
b. tend to avoid eye contact
c. touch others less often
d. give more compliments
26. Which of the following is likely to be included in a traditional journalist’s guide?
a. how many, how long, under what circumstances, and why
b. what, when, where, who, how, and why
c. what happened, when did it happen, and why did it happen
d. when, where, and why
27. A failed departure takes place when:
a. a “slip of the lip” negatively affects what has taken place.
b. an interview begins again when verbal and nonverbal signals indicate that the
closing was commencing.
c. you run into a party some time after you have said your goodbyes.
d. you introduce a new topic during the closing.
28. Which of the following should an interviewer do when approaching the closing of an
interview?
a. Ensure that an interviewee is aware that the interview is ending.
b. Start focusing on the next task or interview.
c. Use an abrupt closing instead of a planned closing.
d. Refrain from actions such as standing up or offering to shake hands.
29. Which of the following factors may affect the norms for opening interviews?
a. organizational traditions
b. culture
c. status differences
d. All of the answers are correct.
30. Effective nonverbal openings depend on how you:
a. look.
b. act.
c. say.
d. All of the answers are correct.
31. _____ is the most useful in motivating interviewees to respond when they are
emotionally involved in an issue or situation and cannot readily reply to open questions.
a. Tunnel sequence
b. Hourglass sequence
c. Diamond sequence
d. Inverted funnel sequence
32. A(n) _____ begins with broad, open-ended questions and proceeds with more restricted
questions.
a. tunnel sequence
b. diamond sequence
c. hourglass sequence
d. funnel sequence
33. A museum tour guide who prepares an interviewing guide for a group viewing paintings
in one room is likely to use a _____.
a. topical sequence
b. cause-to–effect sequence
c. space sequence
d. problem-solution sequence
34. If a volunteer was interviewing individuals in a community about illiteracy and the
services at the Literacy Project, which sequence for an outline might be useful?
a. problem-solution sequence
b. space sequence
c. time sequence
d. topical sequence
35. Who among the following use a moderately scheduled interview?
a. journalists
b. lawyers
c. insurance investigators
d. All of the answers are correct.
36. _____ are the easiest to conduct, record, tabulate, and replicate.
a. Nonscheduled interviews
b. Moderately scheduled interviews
c. Highly scheduled interviews
d. Highly scheduled standardized interviews
37. Which of the following types of interviews provides the greatest breadth and depth of
potential information?
a. nonscheduled interview
b. moderately scheduled interview
c. highly scheduled interview
d. highly scheduled standardized interview
38. Which of the following types of interviews requires the greatest amount of pre-interview
preparation?
a. nonscheduled interview
b. moderately scheduled interview
c. highly scheduled interview
d. highly scheduled standardized interview
39. Which of the following types of interviews requires the greatest amount of skill on the
part of the interviewer?
a. nonscheduled interview
b. moderately scheduled interview
c. highly scheduled interview
d. highly scheduled standardized interview
40. Which schedule would be used if you are a journalist investigating a hit-and-run accident
on State Street?
a. nonscheduled interview
b. moderately scheduled interview
c. highly scheduled interview
d. highly scheduled standardized interview
41. A(n) _____ is a comparable string of open or closed questions.
a. tunnel sequence
b. funnel sequence
c. hourglass sequence
d. diamond sequence
42. What major elements must the interviewer be sure are present in the closing summary?
a. information
b. stages
c. agreement
d. All of the answers are correct.
43. Which of the following question techniques can serve as a closing?
a. nudging probes
b. informational probes
c. clearinghouse questions
d. mirror probes
44. Which of the following guidelines should an interviewer follow when closing interviews?
a. Introduce new topics or ideas or make new inquiries.
b. Avoid laying the groundwork for future contacts.
c. Pace the interview to avoid rushing the closing.
d. Make the closing a monologue rather than a dialogue.
45. Summarizing an interview is a common closing technique used in _____.
a. sales interviews
b. performance interviews
c. counseling interviews
d. All of the answers are correct.
46. Which of the following is NOT commonly an example of nonverbal closing actions?
a. taking a seat
b. uncrossing our legs
c. shaking hands
d. looking at a clock
47. Open questions pose less threat to respondents.
a. True
b. False
48. It is NOT wise to use more than one outline sequence in an interview.
a. True
b. False
49. The quintamensional design is effective in assessing attitudes and opinions.
a. True
b. False
50. People in other cultures may NOT understand “we’ll call you” as a closing.
a. True
b. False
51. The law of primacy suggests that people recall the last thing said or done in an interview.
a. True
b. False
52. False closings occur when verbal and nonverbal messages signal the interview is coming
to a close only for an interviewer to open it back up.
a. True
b. False
53. Running into someone in a restaurant after an interview is complete is what Goffman
calls a failed interview.
a. True
b. False
54. Built-in interviewer bias may be worse than accidental bias encountered in nonscheduled
and moderately scheduled interviews.
a. True
b. False
55. A nonscheduled interview includes all questions and the exact wording to be used with
each interviewee.
a. True
b. False
56. In highly scheduled interviews, probing questions, if they exist, are NOT planned.
a. True
b. False
57. The inverted funnel sequence begins with closed questions and proceeds toward open
questions.
a. True
b. False
58. An hourglass sequence places funnel sequences top–to–top by beginning with closed
questions, proceeding to open questions, and closing with closed questions.
a. True
b. False
59. Establishing rapport is a process of creating and sustaining a genuine relationship
between interviewer and interviewee through enhancing feelings of goodwill and trust.
a. True
b. False
60. Women in American society enjoy more territoriality than men.
a. True
b. False
61. The tunnel sequence is also known as the string of beads.
a. True
b. False
62. A funnel sequence works well with reluctant interviewees.
a. True
b. False
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TB-4 | 9
63. Eye contact expectations are uniform across cultures.
a. True
b. False
64. An interview guide is a carefully structured outline of topics and subtopics to be covered
during an interview.
a. True
b. False
65. A nonscheduled interview contains some topics and some questions written out in
advance.
a. True
b. False
66. When referring to the person who sent you to the interviewee, make sure that the
interviewer knows, respects, and likes that person.
a. True
b. False
67. An abrupt or ill-planned closing may reduce an interviewer’s credibility and make an
interviewee feel “used” or “taken advantage of.”
a. True
b. False
68. When shaking hands, give a firm handshake.
a. True
b. False
69. Rapport and orientation are often intermixed and serve the essential function of reducing
relational uncertainty.
a. True
b. False
70. Do NOT refer to strangers by first names unless asked to do so.
a. True
b. False
71. LaRay Barna warns that “the aura of difference is a serious stumbling block to successful
intercultural communication.”
a. True
b. False
72. An hourglass sequence begins with open questions, proceeds to closed questions, and
concludes with open questions.
a. True
b. False