The social work interview : structure, content and verbal behaviour : a model for understanding and teaching interview skills based on an analysis of tape recorded interviews.

The research involved an analysis of 40 tape recorded interviews between social workers and their clients in the Greater Manchester area over 1983/4. The sample covered a wide range of clients in a number of different settings.
The main aim of the study was to construct a theoretical model for the analysis of interviews for the purpose of further research and for teaching.
The interviews were searched and re-searched and all worker utterances noted and codified. A 12 category system of verbal behaviours eventually emerged: open questions, closed questions, giving information, offering practical help, interpretation, worker self-revelation, support, challenge, reflection of content, reflection of feeling and listening.
The content, structure and development of interviews was also examined.
Each variable was examined across interviews with reference to its frequency, its relationship to other variables and to interview content. The sub-types of each verbal behaviour was examined, together with its usage and client reactions to it.
It was found that interviews varied greatly as to form and structure. Content varied less; practical problems and relationship problems featured in most exchanges. The dominant verbal behaviour was asking questions backed up with reflections of content to keep the client talking. There was also a great deal of information and advice given. Open questions and reflections of feeling [counselling techniques] were relatively little used and there was little evidence of participative discussion with the client.
From the research data it was possible to construct a model for learning about interviews for use by fieldwork supervisors with their students.