Neutral Questions Exist in Abundance to Define Facets of People Lives - Essay Example

Module Neutral Question Introduction A neutral question would be easily interpreted as one where the person asking it has no personal or other interests in the answer. This means the questioner is comfortable with whatever answer obtained. The questioner is also impartial and avoids the temptation to measure the result of the outcome in favor of predetermined ideas or forecasts. A neutral question is, therefore, detached, open and impersonal. Thesis Statement: Neutral questions exist in abundance and they define many facets of people’s lives. Discussion All real questions can be considered neutral; if any question is not neutral it then ceases to be a question. A question that is not neutral is more of a judgment or a statement masqueraded as a question1. For example, when conducting research respondents can be asked, “how many pairs of shoes do you own?” This is a neutral question since the person asking is not interested in whatever answers the respondent gives. The questioner could be someone who does not even know the respondent and happens to interact with them (physically or virtually) basically owing to the research. If a researcher from the United Kingdom goes to the United States to carry out an interview and asks such a question, the answer does not affect them. A question can, therefore, be neutral. How, then, can it be said that such a question is not neutral? The questioner changes the neutrality of a question by either manipulating the answer to suit his objectives or phrasing the question to box the respondent into one corner. For example, the question “are you going to hit me?” is not neutral because the answer is likely to influence whatever action, or thought that comes next. This is because whether the respondent answers in the affirmative or the negative the questioner is likely to develop certain notions about them2. This is more like a statement or a judgment. One distinct attribute of questions that are neutral is that they raise more questions; non-neutral questions tend to end with an answer. More question marks and doubts surrounding whatever answer given are highly likely3. When a teacher confronts a student who has failed a test and asks “how did you fail this test?” the teacher is using the question to reprimand the student4. The teacher is concerned about the intricate details of what led to the student failing the test. The student, on hearing the tone of the question, is likely to get defensive, and the communication process will be interrupted. This is because the teacher comes across as angry and judgmental; he is stating a point and not asking a question5. On the other hand, if the teacher asks “did you study for this test?” the student will respond with a short NO or YES answer. Communication is likely to end there, and it will not make sense to continue with the conversation anymore. It is insufficient for a question’s words to feel or sound neutral; the questioner’s intent must also be neutral at any given time6. Philosophy and Neutral Questions One distinct attribute of neutral questions is that they inspire more debate. Another characteristic is that neutral questions elicit feelings of the unknown. For example, if someone asks “does free will exist?” the impression is that even the questioner does not know the answer. This makes them as neutral as possible in whatever answer provided7. On the other hand, if he asks “Do you know free will exists?’ the instant impression acquired by the respondent is that the questioner already knows the answer to the question. The biggest reason some people are considered judgmental while others are not is because they ask limiting questions and inhibit any further discussion. There is no better illustration of the use of neutral questions than in philosophy and philosophical disciplines. Philosophy is the biggest user and generator of neutral questions8. Some examples of neutral questions in philosophy include “what is the truth?” and “is pious pious?” Analyzing these questions provides more justification as to why neutral questions do exist. The question “what is the truth?” is as open and detached as it could be. If anybody were to answer this question then, a debate would be generated in which several people will voice their opinion on the subject. As is common with neutral questions, these questions make one think. The answers provided are then used to form more general opinions and induce more debate. Neutral questions form the foundation of philosophy, and this is because it would be unimaginable where philosophy would be without neutral questions. People would not feel the urge to think and explore new ways of thinking. Without neutral questions, the concepts of free will and self-actualization would not exist because they came about as a result of people asking neutral questions9. Neutral questions have, for ages, been used to solve philosophical dilemmas. The trend will continue as it has been proven that neutral questions are the best approach to philosophical growth and development. In universities and other institutions of learning, students are encouraged to develop their critical thinking skills by posing neutral questions that “work” their brains and create an engaging debate. This is how philosophy is conceived and nurtured to maturity. If, for example, I asked myself, “am I living a righteous life?” I would be inclined to start exploring my life based on several different topics, not just righteousness. This would lead to more questions until I reach a cul-de-sac or find my answer. It can, therefore, be said that one neutral question is enough to inspire the publication of books and the creation of new bodies of Qualitative Research and Neutral Questions Almost all credible qualitative studies use neutral questions to encourage respondents to open up about questions and provide honest answers10. Qualitative research questions are usually detached, open-ended, and general so that the researcher can narrow the purpose of the researcher into specific questions. Qualitative researchers employ neutral, exploratory tones and phrases that refrain from relaying a predetermined thought or direction. Neutral questions in qualitative research are categorized into two groups; the primary (central) question and the secondary questions11. The Primary Question This is the principle question explored in a research study12. To generate this question, researchers explore ways to generate the most neutral (general) questions they can formulate. The objective of this method is to welcome the respondents and participants to the research; open it up for them so that they can provide their opinions and prevents ‘inside the box” views. Several approaches are used when formulating and posting the primary question, but all of them are geared towards engaging respondents and other participants as participants13. much as possible. A basic script for a primary question may look like this: what is (the main phenomenon) for (respondents) at (research site)? Action verbs like describe, generate, discover, explore, and understand are used instead of words like compare, cause, affect, influence, relate, influence, or determine that insinuate cause-effect relationships. Secondary Questions Secondary questions are just as open-ended as the primary question. Their purpose is to refine the primary question into components that can be addressed in the study14. These types of questions comprise same elements as the primary question, but they offer more specificity. A basic script for a secondary question would be: what is (the secondary question issue) for (respondents-this is optional) at (research site-optional information). Neutral questions allow respondents to give their opinions and do not restrict answers to the small range of options presented by non-neutral questions. Neutral questions are interpreted by respondents as invitations to open up and talk. Consequently, they free themselves from the structure-oriented boundaries of non-neutral questions15. The disadvantage of neutral questions is that they inspire conversations that are both relevant and irrelevant to the research. Neutral questions steer the conversation along lines that are relevant to all information-seeking scenarios16. Neutral questioning allows respondents to maintain control over the nature of need and takes the process to the most important aspects of the respondents’ experience. They direct the researcher to learn from the respondents the attributes of the underlying situation, the expected applications, and the challenges faced. In essence, then, neutral questions arm the researcher with an instrument for guiding the nature of the study. At the same time, they provide respondents with control – with the freedom to express their stories in a human manner – while helping the researcher avoid premature conclusions17. In summary, when used in qualitative research, neutral questions are user-oriented instead of system-oriented. They also contrast sharply with traditional (non-neutral) questioning that concentrates on expanding or narrowing the topic, nature of the material sought or bibliographic details. Conclusion Based on the discussion, the arguments, and the literature provided, it is safe to say that neutral questions exist. The notion that there is no such thing as neutral questions has been disproved in this paper. In fact, we use neutral questions all the time without even noticing it; our daily interactions are full of neutral questions18. Non-neutral questions also play a vital role in different spheres of knowledge (e.g. quantitative research), and their importance cannot be understated whatsoever. Proving the existence of neutral questions does not make non-neutral questions less important. The examples of philosophy and qualitative research provided show that neutral questions are a fundamental part of knowledge development and creation. Qualitative research and philosophy are two of the most important areas of knowledge we have today, and the fact neutral questions define their growth is testament to the power of neutral questions. Works Cited "Is It Right to Include a Neutral Point in Rating Questions?" Is It Right to Include a Neutral Point in Rating Questions? Web. 11 Nov. 2014. http://www.relevantinsights.com/is-it-right-to-include-a-neutral-point-in-rating-questions "The Art Of Asking The Right Questions." The Art Of Asking The Right Questions. Web. 11 Nov. 2014. https://www.b2bcfo.com/article/the-art-of-asking-the-right-questions.html Allen, Gemmy S., and Raymond, F. Attner. Management: An Approach to Customer Expectations. 10. Ed., International ed. S.l.: South-Western Cengage Learning, 2013. Print. Blanton, Patricia. "Develop Your Questioning Techniques." The Physics Teacher 47.1 (2009): 56. Print. Creswell, John W. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Method Approaches. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications, 2003. Print. Espejo, Mariano Ruiz. "Randomized Response and Indirect Questioning Techniques in Surveys by Chaudhuri, A." Biometrics 68.4 (2012): 1329-1330. Print. Flick, Uwe. An Introduction to Qualitative Research. 4th ed. Los Angeles: Sage Publications, 2009. Print. Fogiel, M. Psychology II Super Review. Piscataway, N.J.: The Association, 2012. Print. Kenkmann, Andrea. Teaching Philosophy. London: Continuum, 2009. Print. Kouyoumdjian, Haig, and Rod Plotnik. Introduction to Psychology. International ed. Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth, 2012. Print. Kvale, Steinar, and Svend Brinkmann. InterViews: Learning the Craft of Qualitative Research Interviewing. 2nd ed. Los Angeles: Sage Publications, 2009. Print. Papineau, David. Philosophy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009. Print. Polchinski, Peter D. The Cross-Examination Edge: A Guide to Effective Questioning. Tucson, Ariz.: Lawyers & Judges Pub. Co., 2010. Print. Stubenberg, Leopold. "Neutral Monism." Stanford University. Stanford University, 3 Feb. 2005. Web. 11 Nov. 2014. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/neutral-monism/ Verderber, Rudolph F., and Kathleen S. Verderber. COMM. 2nd ed., student ed. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning, 2012. Print. Weiner, Irving B. Research Methods in Psychology. 2nd ed. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, 2013. Print. Read More