IAHC Communication and Motivational Techniques 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In IAHC coaching, 'reflective listening' involves the coach:
- Paraphrasing and mirroring the client's words to show understanding and deepen insight (Correct answer)
- Writing down everything the client says verbatim
- Offering solutions immediately after the client finishes speaking
- Asking closed questions to confirm factual details
Correct answer: Paraphrasing and mirroring the client's words to show understanding and deepen insight
Reflective listening is a core motivational interviewing skill where the coach mirrors and paraphrases to demonstrate understanding and help clients hear themselves more clearly.
Question 2: A client says, 'I know I should exercise but I just can't find the time.' An IAHC coach using motivational interviewing would respond by:
- Telling the client they need to prioritize health
- Reflecting the ambivalence and exploring what 'can't' means to the client (Correct answer)
- Providing a time-management worksheet
- Ending the session early since the client is not ready
Correct answer: Reflecting the ambivalence and exploring what 'can't' means to the client
MI principles direct coaches to roll with resistance by reflecting it curiously and exploring the client's meaning rather than arguing or advising.
Question 3: Which of the following is a core principle of motivational interviewing (MI) as used in IAHC coaching?
- Confronting clients about unhealthy choices directly
- Expressing empathy and supporting self-efficacy (Correct answer)
- Providing expert advice about the best health decisions
- Measuring physiological outcomes at each session
Correct answer: Expressing empathy and supporting self-efficacy
MI's core principles include expressing empathy, developing discrepancy, rolling with resistance, and supporting self-efficacy to evoke intrinsic motivation.
Question 4: What is 'change talk' in the context of motivational interviewing used by IAHC coaches?
- The coach's persuasive arguments for why a client should change
- Client statements that favor changing a problematic behavior (Correct answer)
- A structured role-play exercise about future behavior
- Journaling prompts clients complete between sessions
Correct answer: Client statements that favor changing a problematic behavior
Change talk — statements where clients express desire, ability, reasons, or need to change — predicts behavior change and is actively elicited by MI-skilled coaches.
Question 5: An IAHC coach uses affirmations during a session. What is the intended effect?
- Flattering the client to maintain the coaching relationship
- Recognizing specific client strengths and efforts to build confidence and self-efficacy (Correct answer)
- Replacing honest feedback with positive statements
- Meeting billing requirements for coaching hours
Correct answer: Recognizing specific client strengths and efforts to build confidence and self-efficacy
Genuine affirmations highlight client strengths and past successes, reinforcing self-efficacy and motivating continued effort.
Question 6: In IAHC coaching communication, 'sustain talk' refers to:
- Clients explaining why they want to sustain current progress
- Client language that argues for maintaining the status quo and not changing (Correct answer)
- Long-term maintenance strategies discussed in advanced coaching
- Coaches encouraging clients to sustain motivation over time
Correct answer: Client language that argues for maintaining the status quo and not changing
Sustain talk reflects the client's ambivalence by expressing reasons to keep the unhealthy behavior, and coaches must respond skillfully without amplifying it.
IAHC Communication and Motivational Techniques 1
In IAHC coaching, 'reflective listening' involves the coach: