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Inadequate Responses
Regardless of the kinds of questions chosen, the interviewer is never completely sure
of obtaining the number and quality of answers he or she would like to have. Interviewing is
a dynamic process, not a programmed event with the participation of the respondent. Thus
another aspect of interviewing skill involves handling inadequate responses. There are
five inadequate responses that the interviewer can anticipate and try to avoid.
No Answer
The respondent gives no answer—that is, either refuses to answer ("No comment" or
"I'd rather not say") or says nothing at all. Such responses might bring the interview to a
dead end. Hence, the interviewer might follow up such a response with a second, related
question or, if necessary, drop the line of inquiry altogether.
Partial Answer
The respondent gives a partial answer. The interviewer might then restate the part of
the question that has not been answered. If the respondent gives a good many partial
answers, the interviewer should review the questions asked. Perhaps some could be
subdivided and posed individually. In general, it is best to avoid asking more than one
question at a time.
Irrelevant Answer
There are two reasons the respondent may have gone off on a tangent: he or she
may not have understood the question completely or may be making a conscious effort to
avoid answering it. Politicians frequently evade questions by offering irrelevant answers.
Inaccurate Answer
A respondent who does not wish to disclose information may offer an inaccurate
answer, especially if revealing the truth would be embarrassing. An inaccurate answer is
often difficult for the interviewer to detect, especially in an initial interview. The accuracy of
the information the interviewer receives might be determined by the respondent's
motivation. A person who feels threatened by an interview is more inclined to provide data
within what he or she perceives to be the interviewer's expectations. People sometimes
respond inaccurately in an attempt to maintain their status level or achieve a higher one. It
has been found, for example, that people (particularly those with high incomes)
overestimate the number of plane trips they have made but play down any automobile
loans they have taken out (Lansing and Blood, 1964).
Whether they are intentional or not, inaccurate responses are damaging not only to
the interviewer but to the respondent: some of these distortions may be revealed at a later
date. If the interviewer finds that over a series of meetings the respondent has been giving
inaccurate answers, he or she should consider possible reasons for this behavior.

Oververbalized Answer
The respondent who gives an oververbalized answer tells the interviewer much more
than he or she wants to know. Sometimes lengthy answers contain a great deal of
irrelevant information. Oververbalized responses severely limit the number of topics that an
interviewer can cover in the time allotted. He or she should try as tactfully as possible to
guide the respondent back to the heart of the question, and to increase the number of
closed questions.