Which statement defines leading questions?

Which statement defines leading questions?

• A. Require immediate yes or no without context.
• B. Are asked only of the instructor.
• C. Suggest their own answer; when used too frequently might discourage real thinking and become boring.
• D. Always answered by the speaker.

Answer: (C)

Leading questions are questions that hint at or push toward a particular answer through how they’re worded. The best statement captures this by saying it suggests its own answer; when used too frequently, it can steer responses, discourage real thinking, and become boring. In risk communication, this matters because questions that imply a preferred outcome can bias what people say and hide true perceptions. The other options describe situations that aren’t about steering toward a specific answer: one describes a closed yes/no format without context, which limits responses but doesn’t imply a preferred conclusion; another notes only the instructor is asked, which isn’t about how the question itself influences the respondent; and the last states the speaker always answers, which misses the interaction dynamic that defines leading questions.

Leading questions are questions that hint at or push toward a particular answer through how they’re worded. The best statement captures this by saying it suggests its own answer; when used too frequently, it can steer responses, discourage real thinking, and become boring. In risk communication, this matters because questions that imply a preferred outcome can bias what people say and hide true perceptions.

The other options describe situations that aren’t about steering toward a specific answer: one describes a closed yes/no format without context, which limits responses but doesn’t imply a preferred conclusion; another notes only the instructor is asked, which isn’t about how the question itself influences the respondent; and the last states the speaker always answers, which misses the interaction dynamic that defines leading questions.