The announcement a few weeks ago that David Cameron was forced to rewrite the EU referendum question (after the Electoral Commission ruled it too biased) made me think about how we ask questions generally in our daily lives.

When we’re after some information from someone, or want someone to do something for us, are we always asking the right questions? And, more to the point, are we asking them in the right way?

Let’s start with the current referendum question.

In 2013, the Conservatives suggested: Do you think that the United Kingdom should remain a member of the European Union? Yes or no?

But the Electoral Commission, which has to approve the question, said it was not clear enough and proposed: Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?

(A final decision has yet to be made by MPs but Downing Street has accepted the amendment.)

It’s not what you say…

But what was wrong with the first one? Why was it rejected?

Studies carried out by the Electoral Commission showed that by framing the question around the word “remain” could steer people towards voting to stay in the EU.

Personally, I find the ‘Yes or No’ part confusing.

I remember when Scotland held its referendum and there were two camps – yes and no – I had to be reminded which was which. Was “yes” for or against the union? Yes, we should stay in or yes, we should leave.

In fact, the question the Scots were asked was Should Scotland be an independent country?

But this, too, started out as something different.

The Scottish Referendum

In a BBC article back in 2013, Steven Brocklehurst reported that the original question Do you agree that Scotland should be an independent country? was rejected by the Electoral Commission in favour of Should Scotland be an independent country?

Martin Boon, director at polling and research company ICM, explained that by asking “do you agree” you are putting the question in an “overwhelmingly positive light”. He said he wouldn’t allow a question structured in the original way to be used in one of his surveys.

What is a question?

Many moons ago, long before I gave much thought to how we communicate, I’d considered a question to be something you asked when you wanted an answer. Do you want a cup of tea? Do you want tea or coffee? Why are you looking at me like that?

Then I studied journalism and PR and learnt about the six ‘W’s – the famous who, what, where, when, why and how questions every (half) decent writer knows to ask when researching and structuring a news story.

But it was only when I studied communication skills that I learned there were a whole load of question types and that they all had clear and different purposes. Who’d have thought it, eh?

Open questions

These are the what, where, when, why, who and how questions we use to explore someone’s thoughts and feelings and gather information.

• Taking a brief – What are your main objectives for this campaign? Why are you focusing on that particular market? How will you evaluate effectiveness?
• Job interview – Why do you want to work here? How would your experience benefit this role? What problems do you envisage?
• Confrontation – How come you didn’t answer your phone when I called? Why did you say you were working late? What is wrong with you?

Closed questions

These are the questions that require a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer. (The ones politicians never seem to understand.) We use these use these to clarify or confirm.

• Taking a brief – Have I given you enough information? Is this the most recent copy of your product list? Do you have any questions you’d like to ask me?
• Job interview – Would you be able to start a week on Monday? Do you have any questions you’d like to ask me? Does this sound like something you can do?
• Confrontation – Have you spoken to your mother this week? Are you having an affair? Does my bum look big in this?

Leading questions

These little babies got themselves a bit of a bad reputation because some people (police, barristers, salesmen, thugs, etc. – not necessarily connected) sometimes use them to make people say things they didn’t want to say.

Their rightful purpose (in effective communications) is to elicit further information and confirm your own thinking.

They too elicit a ‘yes/no’ response but, unlike closed questions, they contain an element of what you think the other person is trying to say. (Or, in the case of politicians, trying to avoid.)

• Taking a brief – Am I right in thinking this is the most recent copy of your product list? Do I detect a slight doubt in your voice? If we can get something together by Thursday, would you be willing to go ahead with our proposal?
• Job interview – Am I right in thinking you have some concerns about this position? Do I detect that you’re unhappy with the proposed salary? If we can make you a better offer, would you be willing to start immediately?
• Confrontation – Am I right in thinking you haven’t spoken to your mother this week? Would I be way off the mark if I accused you of fooling yourself? Do I detect from your face that my bum does look big in this?

Rhetorical questions

These, of course, aren’t really questions at all because they’re not supposed to be answered. They are, in fact, figures of speech in the form of questions. We use them to make a point, persuade someone to do something or just sound good – the ‘literary effect’.

Used well (in advertising, speeches, poetry, etc.) they’re magic. Used badly, they’re just plain sarcasm.

• Taking a brief – Who wouldn’t want to do more in half the time? Why pay for a service and end up doing the work yourself? How much longer can this insanity continue?
• Job interview questions – Do you actually want this job? You didn’t think I’d agree to that, did you? How long is a piece of string?
• Confrontation – That’s the third time you’ve said that; but who’s counting? She’s your mother; how should I know? Is the Pope Catholic?

Multiple choice questions

Whether in one of those silly magazine quizzes (How likely are you to marry a millionaire?), a market research questionnaire or part of an exam paper, most people like multiple choice as they make answering relatively easy.

I, personally, find them mildly annoying, either because they make what I thought was an easy choice difficult (I start doubting myself when I read the alternatives) or they’re so flaming obvious. (Mainly ‘A’s? You probably ARE married to a millionaire!)

So I will spare you nine examples and simply say if you are in the business of creating multiple choice questionnaires (they’re not always questions), tread carefully. They work well for testing ‘lower order’ skills or knowledge.

But if you’re looking for genuine answers and ‘higher order’ skills, better to let people say or write what they really feel or know.

Framed questions

Which sort of brings us back to where we started.

Framed questions use a combination of leading and closed questions to get someone to answer the way you want them to.

Depending who you’re talking to, Do you agree that the UK would be better off coming out of the EU? would produce a very different answer to Do you agree that the UK would be better off staying in the EU?

Neither of these would get past the Electoral Commission, but they do make you think that asking questions isn’t always as simple as we first thought.

Photo by Ken Treloar on Unsplash