Which interview method uses structured questions but may be tailored in response to answers and seeks to test a specific hypothesis?

Which interview method uses structured questions but may be tailored in response to answers and seeks to test a specific hypothesis?

• A. Clinical method
• B. Structured interview
• C. Semi-structured interview
• D. Unstructured interview

Answer: (A)

The approach that best fits “structured questions but may be tailored in response to answers and seeks to test a specific hypothesis” is a semi-structured interview. It uses a core set of planned questions to ensure important areas are covered, but the interviewer can follow up, probe, and adjust based on the respondent’s answers. This flexibility allows the interviewer to gather deeper information and directly test a hypothesis about the individual's symptoms or diagnosis while maintaining enough consistency across interviews to compare findings. In contrast, a fully structured interview sticks to a fixed script with no deviations, emphasizing consistency but limiting exploration of new or unexpected details. An unstructured interview has no fixed questions at all, prioritizing free-flow conversation over hypothesis testing. The clinical method is a broader term for clinical data gathering and may be flexible and hypothesis-driven, but it doesn’t inherently specify the use of a semi-structured question set.

The approach that best fits “structured questions but may be tailored in response to answers and seeks to test a specific hypothesis” is a semi-structured interview. It uses a core set of planned questions to ensure important areas are covered, but the interviewer can follow up, probe, and adjust based on the respondent’s answers. This flexibility allows the interviewer to gather deeper information and directly test a hypothesis about the individual's symptoms or diagnosis while maintaining enough consistency across interviews to compare findings.

In contrast, a fully structured interview sticks to a fixed script with no deviations, emphasizing consistency but limiting exploration of new or unexpected details. An unstructured interview has no fixed questions at all, prioritizing free-flow conversation over hypothesis testing. The clinical method is a broader term for clinical data gathering and may be flexible and hypothesis-driven, but it doesn’t inherently specify the use of a semi-structured question set.