HCC Motivational Interviewing Techniques 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In motivational interviewing, what does the acronym DARN stand for when exploring change talk?
- Desire, Ability, Reasons, Need (Correct answer)
- Decisiveness, Action, Readiness, Need
- Desire, Ambivalence, Resistance, Need
- Direction, Ability, Reasoning, Negotiation
Correct answer: Desire, Ability, Reasons, Need
DARN represents the preparatory change talk categories: Desire, Ability, Reasons, and Need for change.
Question 2: A client says, 'I know I should exercise more, but I just can't find the time.' Which MI technique best addresses this ambivalence?
- Arguing for change directly
- Exploring both sides with a double-sided reflection (Correct answer)
- Telling the client to schedule workouts
- Ignoring the resistance and focusing on solutions
Correct answer: Exploring both sides with a double-sided reflection
A double-sided reflection acknowledges both sides of ambivalence, helping the client explore their own feelings without feeling judged.
Question 3: Which of the following best describes the 'rolling with resistance' technique in MI?
- Confronting the client's denial directly
- Agreeing with the client to avoid conflict
- Shifting perspective without opposing resistance (Correct answer)
- Assigning homework to overcome resistance
Correct answer: Shifting perspective without opposing resistance
Rolling with resistance means the coach moves with the client's momentum rather than arguing against it, reframing rather than confronting.
Question 4: What is the primary purpose of using open-ended questions in motivational interviewing?
- To collect factual data efficiently
- To encourage client elaboration and self-exploration (Correct answer)
- To guide the client toward the coach's preferred outcome
- To test the client's knowledge of their problem
Correct answer: To encourage client elaboration and self-exploration
Open-ended questions invite clients to explore and articulate their own thoughts, values, and motivations.
Question 5: In MI, 'sustain talk' refers to:
- Statements about maintaining current behavior (Correct answer)
- The client's commitment to the change plan
- Positive affirmations about the future
- The coach encouraging the client to persist
Correct answer: Statements about maintaining current behavior
Sustain talk consists of the client's arguments for maintaining the status quo and against making change.
Question 6: A holistic coach using MI notices the client is shifting from sustain talk to change talk. What should the coach do?
- Immediately move to action planning
- Reflect and reinforce the change talk (Correct answer)
- Point out the inconsistency in the client's thinking
- Redirect the client back to exploring ambivalence
Correct answer: Reflect and reinforce the change talk
When change talk emerges, reflecting and reinforcing it helps the client hear and strengthen their own motivation.
Question 7: Which MI principle is violated when a coach says, 'You really need to quit that habit—it's clearly harming you'?
- Express empathy
- Support self-efficacy
- Avoid argumentation (Correct answer)
- Develop discrepancy
Correct answer: Avoid argumentation
Telling the client what they 'need' to do is argumentative and directive, violating the MI principle of avoiding argumentation.
HCC Motivational Interviewing Techniques 2
In motivational interviewing, what does the acronym DARN stand for when exploring change talk?