PSS PSS Motivational Interviewing and Communication Techniques 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Active listening differs from passive listening primarily because it:
- Requires the listener to remain completely silent
- Involves verbal and nonverbal responses that show engagement and understanding (Correct answer)
- Focuses only on the facts of what is being said
- Means agreeing with everything the speaker says
Correct answer: Involves verbal and nonverbal responses that show engagement and understanding
Active listening involves demonstrating engagement through responses, body language, and reflecting back what is heard.
Question 2: A peer specialist uses a summary at the end of a session. What is the main purpose of this technique?
- To remind the person of all the problems they discussed
- To collect, link, and transition key themes from the conversation (Correct answer)
- To evaluate whether the person made progress
- To tell the person what to do next
Correct answer: To collect, link, and transition key themes from the conversation
Summaries in MI serve to collect what has been said, link themes together, and transition toward next steps while reinforcing change talk.
Question 3: What does 'rolling with resistance' mean in the context of peer support?
- Agreeing with the person that change is not necessary
- Avoiding all confrontation by changing the subject
- Acknowledging resistance without arguing and exploring the person's perspective (Correct answer)
- Documenting the person's lack of cooperation
Correct answer: Acknowledging resistance without arguing and exploring the person's perspective
Rolling with resistance means not opposing or arguing against resistance but instead shifting perspective and exploring the person's ambivalence.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes 'sustain talk' in Motivational Interviewing?
- Statements in favor of maintaining the status quo or not changing (Correct answer)
- Neutral conversation about daily life routines
- Talk focused on sustaining recovery after change has occurred
- Verbal commitment to a change plan
Correct answer: Statements in favor of maintaining the status quo or not changing
Sustain talk refers to statements that favor not changing the current behavior, which can coexist with change talk as ambivalence.
Question 5: Open-ended questions are preferred in peer support conversations because they:
- Can be answered with a simple yes or no
- Encourage the person to elaborate and share their perspective (Correct answer)
- Require the peer specialist to control the direction of the conversation
- Are easier to document in a progress note
Correct answer: Encourage the person to elaborate and share their perspective
Open-ended questions invite the person to share more of their experience and support person-centered exploration.
Question 6: When communicating with someone in emotional distress, the FIRST priority for a peer specialist should be to:
- Provide solutions to resolve the problem quickly
- Establish safety and validate the person's feelings (Correct answer)
- Review the person's recovery plan and adjust goals
- Refer the person to a clinical supervisor immediately
Correct answer: Establish safety and validate the person's feelings
Before problem-solving, it is essential to ensure safety and communicate empathy so the person feels heard and not alone.
PSS PSS Motivational Interviewing and Communication Techniques 2
Active listening differs from passive listening primarily because it: