Which type of question is most likely to prompt a detailed description of past experiences?

• A. Yes/no question
• B. Open-ended question
• C. Leading question
• D. Verbatim

Answer: (B)

Open-ended questions invite richer narratives by asking someone to describe events in their own words, which naturally leads to detailed descriptions of past experiences. They typically start with how, what, tell me about, or describe, prompting the speaker to recall specific situations, actions, outcomes, and the feelings involved. This depth happens because the respondent must organize the memory and articulate it, rather than just saying yes or no. That makes open-ended questions the best choice when you want a thorough account of past experiences. In contrast, yes/no questions produce brief answers, leading questions steer toward a particular response and can bias what’s shared, and verbatim prompts focus on repeating exact wording rather than extracting a full narrative.