WHY AND UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES IS A HYPOTHESIS-CONSISTENT TESTING STRATEGY PREFERRED IN INTERVIEWS

Two studies examined hypothesis-consistent questions under goals of in formation seeking and empathy. In Study 1, observers rated the informa tiveness and empathy of questions classified as diagnostic or leading, and as matching or not matching a hypothesis (extroversion-introversi on). In an impression formation setting, observers rated both matching and diagnostic questions as especially informative, but in an impress ion Verification setting, they rated leading questions as especially i nformative. Across settings, matching and leading questions both displ ayed empathy. In Study 2, participants expected to interview an introv erted or extroverted person, under either an information-seeking or an empathy goal. Interviewers favoured matching questions, especially un der an empathy goal. Interviewers also selected more diagnostic than l eading questions. Interviewers and observers both consider matching qu estions informative, with the added benefit of showing empathy to smoo th the interaction.