The Academic Minute

On Florida International University Week: Terrorists target more than buildings and people. Shlomi Dinar, professor in the department of politics and international relations, explores a natural resource often in the crosshairs. Shlomi Dinar is the dean in the Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs and a professor in the Department of Politics […]

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On Florida International University Week:  In certain places, two languages can blend together to form something new. Phillip Carter, associate professor of linguistics and English, explores how. Phillip M. Carter is a sociolinguist and scholar of language and culture, focusing primarily on language diversity, politics, and identity. He works interdisciplinarily, moving between quantitative and qualitative […]

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On Florida International University Week:  Teenagers dealing with COVID-19 lockdowns had a tough go. Today on The Academic Minute: Elisa Trucco, associate professor of psychology and director of clinical training, keeps an eye on past trauma for pre-pandemic experiences. Dr. Elisa Trucco is an Associate Professor of Psychology and the Associate Director of Clinical Training […]

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On Florida International University Week:  Can an algorithm save your life? Min Chen, The Endowed SunTrust Bank Professorship Holder & Associate Professor, Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics, explores how this might be the case. Dr. Min Chen’s research examines information technology innovations, healthcare analytics, and issues relevant to the economics, organization, and regulation […]

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On Florida International University Week:  Telehealth has brought a new option to families who need it. Daniel Bagner, professor of psychology and director of clinical training, explores the benefit for those whose children need an extra hand. Dr. Daniel Bagner is a Professor of Psychology and Director of Clinical Training at Florida International University (FIU). […]

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Summer programs can be key for certain students to continue their learning. Laura Bronstein, professor of social work at Binghamton University, examines how community schools can help. Laura’s research revolves around interdisciplinary and interprofessional collaboration as well as community schools. Prior to entering academia, Laura worked as a practicing social worker in family preservation, in […]

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What is the best way to wire a brain? Jim Hutchins, professor of health sciences at Weber State University, delves into the synapses to find out. Jim Hutchins was born in Texas and raised in Colorado. He has attended the University of Colorado, University of California at Berkeley, and Baylor College of Medicine. He completed […]

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Nostalgia may not be telling us the truth of the past. Amber Reed, assistant professor of international studies at Spelman College, examines why this is. Amber R. Reed is an anthropologist and assistant professor of International Studies at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. She is the author of Nostalgia after Apartheid: Disillusionment, Youth, and Democracy […]

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Have you enjoyed a cold Coca-Cola yet this summer? Bart Elmore, professor of environmental history and core faculty member of the sustainability institute at The Ohio State University, explores the environmental toll of doing so. Bart Elmore is associate professor of history and a core faculty member of the Sustainability Institute at Ohio State University. […]

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How you ask a sensitive question can be just as important as why.

Einav Hart, assistant professor of management at the George Mason University School of Business, explains why.

Faculty Bio:

Einav Hart is an assistant professor of management at the George Mason University School of Business. Her research interests include negotiation, trust, and ethics. Previously, Hart was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, and a data scientist at Uber; she holds a PhD from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Her work has been published in Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Psychological Science, and others, and reported in media outlets such as The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and Freakonomics.

Transcript:

Sometimes, the information we most need to know is only obtainable through asking a “sensitive question” – one that touches upon potentially uncomfortable issues such as salary or personal history.

We tend to refrain from asking these questions for fear of offending others. In a research study, even when we paid people to ask sensitive questions, most wouldn’t do it. Our studies show, however, that people who were asked sensitive questions did not develop negative impressions of the asker. That is, people often overestimate the costs of asking, and are too reluctant to ask sensitive questions.

Of course, it matters how you ask the question. Just because you ask a question, does not mean you will get a truthful answer. Certain types of questions are likely to elicit less-than-honest responses (if at all). For example, leading questions that seem to imply what the “right” answer is – “You already finished the work, right?” – are not the best way to get at the truth. This is because the respondent might just tell you what they think you want to hear—rather than the truth. Instead, ask more open-ended questions that do not signal your own assumptions.

While sensitive questions may feel intrusive, they can also signal that you care about the person you’re talking to. They can even be the best entry point for building a closer bond with that person. Asking the right question in the right way enables people to increase the likelihood of truthful responses as well as improve relationships.

Read More:

Website:

http://EinavH.art

LinkedIn

Twitter

Relevant publications:

https://hbr.org/2020/11/the-case-for-asking-sensitive-questionshttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0749597820304003https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352250X22001026

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