Adult Protective Services Library

Interviewing Tips

Reflective Listening

Adapted from “Listen to My Story: Communicating with Victims of Crime,” Office of Victims of Crime (NCJ 19565)

Mirror Body Language and Vocal Characteristics

  • Maintain eye contact (if culturally appropriate)
  • Relaxed, alert posture
  • Match the victim’s postural shifts
  • Replicate shifts in vocal tonality, tempo, volume, timbre, and intonation
  • Match the victim’s gestures and characteristic poses (respectfully)
  • Use the phrases that the victim uses
  • Lean slightly forward

Don’t

  • Show impatience
  • Slouch
  • Yawn, sign, act bored or disinterested
  • Multi‐task while victim is speaking

Listening Skills

  • Speak in a kind, measured voice that conveys warmth and interest.
  • Assure the victim that she is being heard.
  • Paraphrase victim’s statements so he feels validated.
  • Ask open‐ended questions.
  • Acknowledge victims emotions (e.g. “That must have made you feel…”, “It sounds like you feel…”).
  • Respond to content, paraphrasing when appropriate (e.g. “You are really concerned about…”).
  • Stay engaged until the victim has finished telling her story.

Don’t

  • Interrupt the victim.
  • Tell the victim how he should feel.
  • Disagree with the victim.
  • Evaluate what the victim is saying.
  • Ask questions that convey blame (e.g. “Why didn’t you…?”).
  • Be closed minded.
  • Jump to conclusions or fill in details.
  • Use vocabulary that isn’t understood or is alienating.
  • Talk too much.
  • Know all the answers.

Approaches to the Elderly Hearing Impaired Person

  • Stand or sit directly in front of, and close to, the person.
  • Make sure the person is paying attention and looking at your face.
  • Address the person by name, pause, and then begin talking.
  • Speak distinctly, slowing, and directly to the person.
  • Do NOT exaggerate lip movements because this will interfere with lip reading.
  • Avoid covering your mouth, or turning your head away.
  • Avoid or eliminate any background noise.
  • Do not raise the volume of your voice. Rather, try to lower the tone while still speaking in a moderately loud voice.
  • Keep all instructions simple and ask for feedback to assess what the person heard.
  • Avoid questions that elicit simple yes or no answers.
  • Keep sentences short.
  • Use body language that is congruent with what you are trying to communicate.
  • Demonstrate what you are saying.
  • Make sure that only one person talks at a time; arrange for one‐on‐one communication whenever possible.
  • Provide adequate lighting so that the person can see your lips; avoid settings in which there is a glare behind or around you.

From: Miller, C. Nursing Care of Older Adults: Theory and Practice, p. 196

Approaches to the Elderly Vision Impaired Person

  • Always identify yourself.
  • Make sure you have the person’s attention before you speak – call his/her name first.
  • Minimize the number of distractions.
  • Provide optimum lighting ‐ avoid glare or shadows.
  • Try to place things or self in best vision area.
  • Speak before handing the person an object.
  • Describe the room: state the position of people or objects; use the analogy of a clock.
  • Ask if the person would like large print or extra light or time to read a document.
  • Provide a magnifying glass or other low vision aid as needed.

From: Ebersole, P. and Hess, P. (1998) Towards Healthy Aging: Human Needs and Nursing Response, p. 424‐6

Source: NAPSA Module 9 Professional Communication: Seeing the World through Other Lens