During the I Stage, what type of questions are recommended?

During the I Stage, what type of questions are recommended?

• A. Yes/No only questions
• B. Only true/false
• C. Open-ended questions and allow pauses
• D. Rapid-fire questions

Answer: (C)

The aim in the I Stage is to gather rich information while building rapport. Open-ended questions invite the person to describe experiences, provide context, and explain thoughts in detail. Pauses after a response give them time to think and often reveal additional information or cues through what they say or how they say it. Binary formats like yes/no or true/false restrict answers and miss nuance, while rapid-fire questioning can feel pressuring and shut down honest, reflective responses. So using open-ended questions and allowing pauses yields the most useful, informative dialogue in this stage.

The aim in the I Stage is to gather rich information while building rapport. Open-ended questions invite the person to describe experiences, provide context, and explain thoughts in detail. Pauses after a response give them time to think and often reveal additional information or cues through what they say or how they say it. Binary formats like yes/no or true/false restrict answers and miss nuance, while rapid-fire questioning can feel pressuring and shut down honest, reflective responses. So using open-ended questions and allowing pauses yields the most useful, informative dialogue in this stage.