MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING EXAM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Motivational interviewing definition -ANSMotivational interviewing is a form of guiding to
elicit and strengthen a person's motivation for change in accordance with his/her own
values and goals.
Developing discrepancy -ANSYou can promote behavior change by evoking, reflecting,
and even magnifying the discrepancy between the person's values and goals and their
current status quo behaviors.
In developing discrepancy, it is critical that you focus on the young person's behavior
and values, not your own values or social norms.
This is where motivation for change begins.
No discrepancy = no motivation.
Rolling with resistance -ANS--Accept client reluctance to change as natural rather than
pathological.
—Reluctance and ambivalence are acknowledged to be natural and understandable.
—In MI one does not directly oppose resistance but, rather, rolls or flows with it.
—Rolling with resistance is psychological judo.
—Resistance that a person offers can be turned or reframed slightly to create a new
momentum toward change.
—Client "resistance" is a signal for the counselor to shift approach.
—Resistance is something that occurs only within the context of a relationship.
—Dissonance in counseling is not the product of only one person's behavior.
—Respect the person.
—Your goal is not to argue for change but rather to express an understanding of the
person's point of view while emphasizing person choice.
—Resistance is change specific.
, Supporting self efficacy -ANSEmbrace client autonomy - even when clients choose not
to change.
Belief in change -ANSPeople who believe that they are likely to change do so.
People whose counselors believe that they are likely to change do so.
Statements predicting change -ANSClient statements that reflect motivation for and
commitment to change predict subsequent behavior change.
Client statements, positive or negative, can be influenced by counseling style.
Evoking -ANSEvoking is eliciting the person's own perspective, the person's own
motivation, and the person's own arguments for change
Change talk -ANSChange talk refers to the client's own arguments for change. It refers
to any client comments that reflect movement toward change. Listen for change talk.
Elicit and reinforce you client's argument for change. As a person argues for one
position (positive or negative), he becomes more committed to it.
"As I hear myself talk, I learn what I believe."
Change talk - 4 categories -ANS1) Disadvantages of the status quo
2) Advantages of change
3) Optimism for change
4) Intention to change
Eliciting change talk - 6 ways -ANS1) Evocative questions
2) Asking for elaboration
3) Querying extremes
4) Looking back
5) Looking forward
6) Exploring values and goals.
Discrepancy -ANSYou can promote behavior change by evoking, reflecting, and even
magnifying the discrepancy between the person's values and goals and their current
status quo behaviors.
Ambivalence with change talk -ANSThe ambivalent person will often follow change talk
with an undermining statement. Nonetheless, reinforce the change talk in the statement.
Address the barrier after you reinforce the change talk
Eliciting change talk - asking for elaboration -ANS—Tell me more about . . . .
—Tell me more about how you overcame difficulties in the past.
—What other successes have you had with changing habits?
—You said you were able to . . . . How did you do it?
—In what ways? How much? When?
—Asking for a specific example.
—Asking for a description of the last time this occurred.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Motivational interviewing definition -ANSMotivational interviewing is a form of guiding to
elicit and strengthen a person's motivation for change in accordance with his/her own
values and goals.
Developing discrepancy -ANSYou can promote behavior change by evoking, reflecting,
and even magnifying the discrepancy between the person's values and goals and their
current status quo behaviors.
In developing discrepancy, it is critical that you focus on the young person's behavior
and values, not your own values or social norms.
This is where motivation for change begins.
No discrepancy = no motivation.
Rolling with resistance -ANS--Accept client reluctance to change as natural rather than
pathological.
—Reluctance and ambivalence are acknowledged to be natural and understandable.
—In MI one does not directly oppose resistance but, rather, rolls or flows with it.
—Rolling with resistance is psychological judo.
—Resistance that a person offers can be turned or reframed slightly to create a new
momentum toward change.
—Client "resistance" is a signal for the counselor to shift approach.
—Resistance is something that occurs only within the context of a relationship.
—Dissonance in counseling is not the product of only one person's behavior.
—Respect the person.
—Your goal is not to argue for change but rather to express an understanding of the
person's point of view while emphasizing person choice.
—Resistance is change specific.
, Supporting self efficacy -ANSEmbrace client autonomy - even when clients choose not
to change.
Belief in change -ANSPeople who believe that they are likely to change do so.
People whose counselors believe that they are likely to change do so.
Statements predicting change -ANSClient statements that reflect motivation for and
commitment to change predict subsequent behavior change.
Client statements, positive or negative, can be influenced by counseling style.
Evoking -ANSEvoking is eliciting the person's own perspective, the person's own
motivation, and the person's own arguments for change
Change talk -ANSChange talk refers to the client's own arguments for change. It refers
to any client comments that reflect movement toward change. Listen for change talk.
Elicit and reinforce you client's argument for change. As a person argues for one
position (positive or negative), he becomes more committed to it.
"As I hear myself talk, I learn what I believe."
Change talk - 4 categories -ANS1) Disadvantages of the status quo
2) Advantages of change
3) Optimism for change
4) Intention to change
Eliciting change talk - 6 ways -ANS1) Evocative questions
2) Asking for elaboration
3) Querying extremes
4) Looking back
5) Looking forward
6) Exploring values and goals.
Discrepancy -ANSYou can promote behavior change by evoking, reflecting, and even
magnifying the discrepancy between the person's values and goals and their current
status quo behaviors.
Ambivalence with change talk -ANSThe ambivalent person will often follow change talk
with an undermining statement. Nonetheless, reinforce the change talk in the statement.
Address the barrier after you reinforce the change talk
Eliciting change talk - asking for elaboration -ANS—Tell me more about . . . .
—Tell me more about how you overcame difficulties in the past.
—What other successes have you had with changing habits?
—You said you were able to . . . . How did you do it?
—In what ways? How much? When?
—Asking for a specific example.
—Asking for a description of the last time this occurred.
