Why a Question is Not Always a Question

Ask NO questions and we get no information.

Ask NO questions and we get no information.

Ask an improper question

and we get MEANINGLESS information.

Lawyer: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check  for a pulse?

Witness: No.

Lawyer: Did you check for blood pressure?

Witness: No.

Lawyer: Did you check for breathing?

Witness: No.

Lawyer: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive  when you began the autopsy?

Witness: No.

Lawyer: How can you be so sure, Doctor?

Witness: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.

Lawyer: But could the patient have still been alive nevertheless?

Witness: It is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law somewhere

Which is worse?

Ask a questions that is a bad question

and we get answers that look correct,

but which are meaningless information.

This is a very dangerous situation.

Five Bad Questions (from the Internet)There are five things that women should never, ever ask a guy, according to an article in an issue of Sassy magazine.

The five questions are:1 - "What are you thinking?"

The five questions are:1 - "What are you thinking?"2 - "Do you love me?"

The five questions are:1 - "What are you thinking?"2 - "Do you love me?"3 - "Do I look fat?"

The five questions are:1 - "What are you thinking?"2 - "Do you love me?"3 - "Do I look fat?"4 - "Do you think she is prettier than me?“

The five questions are:1 - "What are you thinking?"2 - "Do you love me?"3 - "Do I look fat?"4 - "Do you think she is prettier than me?"5 - "What would you do if I died?"

Leading Questions:

A “leading” question is one that leads to a certain answer….

http://efg-bnusfoodreserves.blogspot.com/2012/09/listen-to-reporters-conspire-on.html

Leading Questions:1. Presupposition

“What is your opinion of the disastrous national debt?”

Or:

“What is your opinion of the national debt?”

Leading Questions:1. Presupposition

“Do you believe this popular product is better than the competition?”

Leading Questions:1. Presupposition2. One-sided

“Should more government money be spent onschools?”

Compared to what?

Leading Questions:1. Presupposition2. One-sided3. Social desirable

“Right think”

“Right think in… right think out!”

Leading Questions:1. Presupposition2. One-sided3. Social desirable4. Ambiguous

Leading Questions:1. Presupposition2. One-sided3. Social desirable4. Ambiguous 5.Double bind

“Have you stopped beating you wife yet?” Yes or No.

Leading Questions:What to avoid:

Leading Questions:What to avoid:1. Ambiguity

Be precise and use precise words:

Avoid words such as:

“like” “you” “all” “good” “bad” “where”

Leading Questions:What to avoid:1. Ambiguity 2. Leading questions

Leading Questions:What to avoid:1. Ambiguity 2. Leading questions3. Implied assumptions

Leading Questions:What to avoid:1. Ambiguity 2. Leading questions3. Implicit assumptions4. Implicit alternatives

a. Alternatives not expressed:

Leading Questions:What to avoid:1. Ambiguity 2. Leading questions3. Implicit assumptions4. Implicit alternatives

a. Alternatives not expressed:b. Better: Alternative suggested by IF or THEN“Would you buy a fuel cell so you could be

independent of a utility company?”

Leading Questions:What to avoid:1. Ambiguity 2. Leading questions3. Implicit assumptions4. Implicit alternatives

a. Alternatives not expressed:b. Better: Alternative suggested by IF or Then“Would you buy a fuel cell so you could be

independent of a utility company if it cost 10% more than you current payments?”

Leading Questions:What to avoid:1. Ambiguity 2. Leading questions3. Implicit assumptions4. Implicit alternatives5. Generalizations and estimates

If a question becomes too generalized it may lose its meaning…

and/or people will just guess.

Leading Questions:What to avoid:1. Ambiguity 2. Leading questions3. Implicit assumptions4. Implicit alternatives5. Generalizations and estimates6. Double-Barreled questions

Questions connected with “and,” and “or”… Which question is being answered??

Leading Questions:What to avoid:Double-Barreled questions

Questions connected with “and,” and “or” Which question is being answered??

“Should our store give out more prizes, and have more contests?”

http://www.uwex.edu/ces/tobaccoeval/pdf/good-bad.pdf

Mary Michaud