Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) Practice Exam

What type of questions should an interviewer use in a forensic interview to elicit the most information?

1. Closed-ended questions

2. Leading questions

3. Open-ended questions

4. Yes or no questions

The correct answer is: Open-ended questions

Using open-ended questions in a forensic interview is crucial for eliciting the most detailed and comprehensive information from the interviewee. Open-ended questions encourage the individual to provide expansive responses and elaborate on their thoughts, feelings, and experiences without the constraints of a simple yes or no answer. This method allows the interviewer to gather richer, more nuanced data that might reveal important insights or recollections that could be relevant to the case. For instance, asking "Can you tell me what happened during the incident?" invites the interviewee to share their narrative in their own words, potentially uncovering key details that closed-ended or leading questions might miss. In contrast, closed-ended questions limit responses and often do not allow for exploration of the subject's perspective, diminishing the quality of the information obtained. Moreover, leading questions may imply a desired answer, which can result in biased responses and compromise the integrity of the interview. Finally, yes or no questions similarly restrict the interviewee to binary responses, limiting the depth of information shared. Thus, open-ended questions are the most effective tool in forensic interviews, as they foster a more open dialogue and uncover richer narratives essential for understanding the context and details of the case.