Here's a breakdown of its key characteristics:
* Promotes elaboration: Open-ended questions encourage the respondent to provide more than just a basic answer. They invite them to share their thoughts, feelings, experiences, and perspectives.
* Flexibility in response: There is no single right or wrong answer to an open-ended question. The respondent has the freedom to express themselves fully and creatively.
* Engages deeper thinking: These questions often require the respondent to analyze, reflect, and synthesize information to formulate a comprehensive answer.
* Builds understanding: By prompting deeper insights and perspectives, open-ended questions facilitate better understanding between the questioner and the respondent.
Examples:
* Closed-ended: Do you like pizza? (Answer: Yes or No)
* Open-ended: What is your favorite type of pizza and why?
Benefits of open-ended questions:
* Gather richer information.
* Spark engaging conversations.
* Promote critical thinking.
* Foster deeper connections.
In summary, open-ended questions are powerful tools for eliciting meaningful responses, fostering deeper understanding, and encouraging insightful conversations.