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interviewer can reconstruct a more complete picture of the respondent's attitudes and at
the same time evaluate specific answers in relation to the general issue. The funnel
sequence may be used for any number of individual topics within the body of the interview.
The funnel sequence is just one of several ways of organizing the exchange. In their
.discussion of the research interview, Kahn and Cannell (1968)offer some advice about
selecting the sequence topics that might apply to almost any type of interview:
The sequence of topics themselves should be planned to make the total interview
experience as meaningful as possible, to give it a beginning, a middle, and an end. More
specifically, the early questions should serve to engage the respondent's interest without
threatening or taxing him before he is really committed to the transaction, and to exemplify
and teach him the kind of task the interview represents. The most demanding of questions
might well be placed later in the interview, when respondent commitment can be presumed
to have peaked—and fatigue has not yet set in. Sometimes the riskiest of questions may be
put very late in the interview, so that if they trigger a refusal to continue, relatively little
information is lost. This procedure seems prudent, but it risks also the possibility of an
unpleasant leavetaking. (p. 578)
Conclusion
The possibility of an unpleasant or at least an unsatisfying conclusion points to the
importance of skillfully terminating the interview. All too often interviews end abruptly
because of a lack of time, and both parties are left feeling the need for closure, or
resolution.
Almost any interview profits from a summary of the ground covered. It can range from
a brief statement to a review of all the major points discussed. Then, if some action is to be
taken as a result of the interview, the nature of the next contact should be agreed on.
Finally, a written summary may be sent to the respondent.

Nondirective Interview Technique
There are various ways to conduct an interview or reinforce the interview structure.
The nondirective interview technique demands skill of a different order. In this approach,
which is often used in counseling or problem solving, the interviewer tries to restate the
essence of the respondent's answers without making value judgments about them or
offering advice. The aim is to encourage interviewees to elaborate on previous statements
in greater depth and thus gain insight into the situation so that they can help solve their own
problem. It reflects the joke "How many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb?
Only one, but the light bulb has to really want to be changed. Banville (1978) illustrates the
technique with an example of a problem statement that you might hear from a typical
college friend and some samples of common responses:
A. "I can't figure out what's wrong, but lately I've had a tough time getting up during
the week. On Saturday and Sunday when I could sleep later, I'm up at the crack of dawn!"
1. "If I were you, I'd try getting to bed a little earlier during the week and stay up later on
Friday and Saturday nights." (Advice-giving.)
2. "The reason you do that is because you're not happy with your job." (Interpretation.)
3. "Didn't you realize when you enrolled in those classes that they would be too heavy a
load for you? Why did you take eighteen units in the first place?" (Cross-examination.)
4. "Oh, yeah, I know, I think that's a pretty common thing. It's nothing to be concerned
about." (Reassurance.)
5. "It sounds like your everyday responsibilities are getting you down." (Paraphrasing.)