The Art of Interviewing
Starts with your Research
• Identify main topic
areas in your lit review
= themes.
• Write down these
themes.
Conflict becomes an experience couples share together, yet
unfortunately, conflict has been stereotypically viewed as
negative or unhealthy for relationships (Aeron & Pathak,
2017).
Theme: conflict is often viewed as unhealthy.
These diverging perceptions or views may take the form of
incompatibilities between values, opinions, expectations,
goals, outcomes, needs, and more (Braiker & Kelley, 1979;
Ting-Toomey, 1994).
Theme: causes of conflict.
In early stages of a relationship where people have low
interdependence, communication has greater focus on
politeness and self-presentation in order to make good
impressions, surface level information, and
commonalities (Avtgis, West & Anderson, 1998;
Communication Theory, n.d.) which may mean less
initial conflict happens early in the relationship.
Theme: Less conflict early in the relationship; more
conflict as relationships progress.
When couples find themselves in conflict, Canary
et al., (2001) advocates that management can fall
into two categories of conflict communication;
constructive and destructive.
Theme: Conflict can be seen as constructive or
destructive.
List of Themes from Research:
•Theme: conflict is often viewed as unhealthy.
•Theme: causes of conflict.
•Theme: Less conflict early in the relationship;
more conflict as relationships progress.
•Theme: Conflict can be seen as constructive or
destructive.
Write
down
some of
the
themes
in your
paper?
Types of Questions
we can ask!!
Open Questions
•Open Questions: are broad and allow
the interviewee freedom in answering.
How did you two meet?
What did you think of each other when you
first met?
Closed Questions
•Narrow and restrict amount of information
in the answer.
Where did you meet?
How long have you been with each other?
Do you perceive conflict to be negative or positive in a relationship?
What two qualities do you like most about each other? (moderately closed)
Primary Questions
•Introduce topic areas and can “stand
alone” and be understood.
How would you define conflict in a relationship?
When you first met, did you have any conflicts with
each other?
Probing Questions
Silent Probes – no words, just nonverbal signals to
encourage talking.
Nudging Probes – nudges an interviewee to reply (I see, go
on, and, uh-huh)
Informational Probes – questions to get additional info or
explanation.
Clearing House Probes – helps interviewee volunteer info
that you wouldn’t have thought to ask.
Neutral & Leading Questions
• Neutral Questions: allow interviewees to decide
upon answers.
• Neutral: How do you manage conflict in your relationship?
• Leading Questions: suggest the expected answer in
the question.
Leading: You two look like you manage conflict
constructively, right?
Writing Questions
• Theme: conflict is often viewed as unhealthy.
• Theme: causes of conflict.
• Theme: Less conflict early in the relationship; more conflict as relationships
progress.
• Theme: Conflict can be seen as constructive or destructive.
[See example Handout]
Back Page of Worksheet:
• Write down
questions that
come to mind.
• Play with the
different types of
questions.