What techniques can you use to probe deeper into a participant's responses?

Active listening is the most critical part in digging deeper in any conversation. By actively listening and being present in conversation we can pick up on subtle cues such as body language and mannerisms that indicate to us how the participant may be feeling about a certain question. From this point we can tailor our questions in a way to show the participant that we are here to understand them and hear them out, making them more likely to share more information.

Description: This involves fully concentrating, understanding, responding, and remembering what the participant says. Techniques: Maintain eye contact and nodding to show understanding. Summarize or paraphrase the participant’s points to confirm understanding. Use verbal affirmations like “I see,” “Go on,” or “That’s interesting” to encourage the speaker.

Active listening is a communication skill that involves going beyond simply hearing the words that another person speaks. It's about actively processing and seeking to understand the meaning and intent behind them. It requires being a mindful and focused participant in the communication process. Active listening techniques include: Being fully present in the conversation Showing interest by practicing good eye contact Noticing (and using) non-verbal cues Asking open-ended questions to encourage further responses Paraphrasing and reflecting back what has been said Listening to understand rather than to respond Withholding judgment and advice

Description: These questions cannot be answered with a simple "yes" or "no," encouraging more elaborate responses. Techniques: Start questions with "how," "why," "what," "describe," or "tell me about." Examples: “How did you feel about that?” “What led you to this decision?”

Open-ended questions are free-form survey questions that allow and encourage respondents to answer in open-text format to answer based on their complete knowledge, feeling, and understanding. The detailed response to this question is not limited to a set of options. Unlike a closed-ended question that leaves survey responses limited and narrow to the given options, an open-ended question allows you to probe deep into the respondent’s detailed answers, gaining valuable information about the subject or project. The responses to these qualitative research questions can be used to attain detailed and descriptive information on a subject.

Description: This involves reflecting back what the participant has said, prompting them to elaborate or clarify. Techniques: Repeat or paraphrase the participant’s statements to show understanding and encourage further explanation. Example: If a participant says, “I felt really overwhelmed,” you might respond with, “You mentioned feeling overwhelmed; can you tell me more about what contributed to that feeling?”

A Reflection Probe is rather like a camera that captures a spherical view of its surroundings in all directions. The captured image is then stored as a Cubemap that can be used by objects with reflective materials. Several reflection probes can be used in a given scene and objects can be set to use the cubemap produced by the nearest probe. The result is that the reflections on the object can change convincingly according to its environment.

Description: These questions delve deeper into the initial responses to gather more detailed information. Techniques: Ask for examples or specific instances related to their initial response. Examples: “Can you provide an example of that?” “What happened after that?” “How did that affect your subsequent actions?”

Description: Strategic pauses can encourage participants to think and provide more detailed responses. Techniques: After asking a question, allow a few moments of silence, giving the participant time to reflect and respond thoughtfully. Resist the urge to fill the silence immediately; it can often prompt the participant to continue speaking.

When it comes to communication between human beings, silence can be incredibly uncomfortable. We are hot-wired to talk and interact with one another and when this stops, especially during a negotiation, it is unsettling and our instinct is to try and fill that void and ease the tension, often without thinking. In those situations, the first one to speak usually loses. The other side gets nervous and proceeds to talk and give up information that usually can be used against them. Because of this natural instinct, silence can be a powerful tool, and if you really want to get the best results during a negotiation, you need to make sure you’re using silence correctly.

Description: Showing empathy helps build rapport and encourages participants to share more openly. Techniques: Express understanding and validate the participant’s feelings and experiences. Use empathetic statements like, “That sounds really challenging,” or “I can see why that would be important to you.”