Which statement best describes the ratio of talking in an interview?

Which statement best describes the ratio of talking in an interview?

• A. The officer speaks 80% of the time.
• B. The officer speaks 60% of the time.
• C. The subject speaks about 80% of the time and the officer about 20%.
• D. The subject speaks 50% of the time.

Answer: (C)

In an interview, the aim is for the subject to provide most of the information, with the interviewer listening and guiding through open-ended questions and gentle probes. This approach helps the subject tell a fuller, more accurate story and reduces the chance of leading or biasing their account. The statement that the subject speaks about 80% of the time and the officer about 20% reflects that balance, giving the subject ample opportunity to describe events in their own words while the interviewer stays in a listening, clarifying role. If the officer spoke the majority of the time, it could push the conversation toward the interviewer’s perspective and hinder the subject from sharing details freely. A 50/50 split also risks the interviewer losing control of the narrative flow. So, the 80/20 distribution best captures the practice of maximizing the subject’s disclosure while the officer facilitates and records the information.

In an interview, the aim is for the subject to provide most of the information, with the interviewer listening and guiding through open-ended questions and gentle probes. This approach helps the subject tell a fuller, more accurate story and reduces the chance of leading or biasing their account. The statement that the subject speaks about 80% of the time and the officer about 20% reflects that balance, giving the subject ample opportunity to describe events in their own words while the interviewer stays in a listening, clarifying role.

If the officer spoke the majority of the time, it could push the conversation toward the interviewer’s perspective and hinder the subject from sharing details freely. A 50/50 split also risks the interviewer losing control of the narrative flow. So, the 80/20 distribution best captures the practice of maximizing the subject’s disclosure while the officer facilitates and records the information.