Unstructured
4 Major Characteristics of an Unstructured Interview
1. Flexible
2. Informal
3. Interviewer may follow a general format
4. Widely Used
2 Major Characteristics of an Semi structured Interview
1. More Flexible
2. Interviewer may prob and expand interviewee responses
4 Major Characteristics of Structured Interview
1. Less flexible
2. Formal
3. No deviation in procedure
4. Often used in research settings
Describe the best type of environment for a interview..
Interviews will go better if the environment is quiet and comfortable.
(or)
Seating should be arranged so that the interviewer and the interviewee are appropriately spaced with no physical barriers (such as desks) between seats.
What is the Primary Purpose of Interviews?
To gather background information relevant to the client’s current problems
TRUE OR FALSE: unstructured interview is the less frequently used type of interview among practicing counselors and psychologists
FALSE: unstructured interview is the most frequently used type of interview among practicing counselors and psychologists
What is a similarity between a structured interview and a semi structured interview?
Like structured interviews, semistructured interviews consist of a scripted set of questions
Due to being a formal assessment procedure, the questions of a structured interviews must be..
Formulated ahead of time
TRUE OR FALSE: The discussion of confidentiality should take place in the session following the initial interview session.
FALSE: Describe the confidential nature of the interview and the limits of confidentiality. In addition, explain that the client has the right not to discuss any information they do not wish to disclose.
The Three Degrees of Structure in Interviews..
1. Unstructured
2. Semi structured
3. Structured
What is an advantage of the unstructured interview?
the interviewer is free to pursue important but unanticipated topics
(or)
the interviewee has more choice in deciding what to talk about
(or)
there is more opportunity for building rapport, which is important to the success of counseling
What is the advantage of using a semi structured interview as opposed to using a structured interview?
The advantage of using a semi structured interview as opposed to using a structured interview is that interviewers are allowed a degree of flexibility in the process.
Name one of the three advantages of this interview type as listed in the book:
1) they ensure that specific information will be collected from all interviewees
2) they do not require as much training because interviewers simply read from a list of questions in a prescribed order
3) because of the standardization, they substantially improve the reliability of the assessment process
During an unstructured interview, why should the counselor avoid "why" questions?
They may increase interviewee defensiveness
The Initial Interview Serves as a Basis for Selecting What?
Other instruments and strategies in the assessment process
What is a disadvantage of an unstructured interview?
Because every counselor’s interview is different in terms of which questions are asked and how questions are worded, it is difficult to evaluate the reliability or validity of the information obtained during the interview
True or false: Semistructured interviews may be either standardized or nonstandardized instruments
TRUE
A Disadvantage of this type of interview may be
potentially damaging rapport with a client
(or)
preventing the therapeutic alliance between counselor and client from being established
(or)
time-consuming
Successful interviews rely on
The interviewer’s ability to communicate and understand the communications of interviewees
Obtaining Background Information Helps the Counselor Understand 3 Major Things:
(1) understand the context for the client’s current concerns
(2) determine the longevity of problems and symptoms
(3) tailor plans for interventions to the client’s specific context
Interviewers typically assess several general domains in an unstructured interview, including (to get points, must at least name 4 of the 9):
1. Identifying information
2. Presenting problems
3. Family history
4. Relationship history
5. Developmental History
6. Educational History
7. Employment History
8. Medical History
9. Previous Psychiatric or Counseling Experiences
What is a disadvantage of a semi structured interview?
Not completely standardized
True of false: A counselor is permitted to deviate from the the text and question of a structured interview?
FALSE: Using a structured interview, counselors are required to ask each client exactly the same questions in the same manner and not deviate from the text.
What else should the counselor be aware of other recording the clients answers to their questions?
Be alert to the nonverbal as well as verbal behavior of the interviewee. How a person says something may be as important as what is said.
During the initial interview, a client might discuss some symptoms of depression. In order to understand the symptoms more clearly, a counselor might use an informal assessment process like the
SAD PERSONS Scale (Patterson, Dohn, Bird, & Patterson, 1983).