Certified Rehabilitation Counselor Practice

Which type of questions typically has short or one-word answers?

1. Open ended questions

2. Clarifying questions

3. Closed ended questions

4. Probing questions

The correct answer is: Closed ended questions

Closed-ended questions are designed to elicit specific, limited responses, often requiring only short or one-word answers. This format allows the respondent to answer with a definitive "yes" or "no," or select from a predetermined set of options. The structure of closed-ended questions makes them useful for gathering quantitative data or obtaining direct, concise responses that can easily be analyzed. In contrast, open-ended questions encourage more elaborate answers and invite the respondent to provide greater detail and insight, which means they typically do not result in short responses. Clarifying questions are meant to gain more understanding and often lead to expanded discussions, while probing questions delve deeper into a topic, seeking more comprehensive information. Both of these types emphasize exploration rather than brevity in responses. Therefore, the nature of closed-ended questions is what makes them distinct by prompting the kind of brief, focused responses that are characterized by single words or short phrases.