ABSTRACT
This chapter attempts to outline a number of skill areas which are of relevance in most interview contexts, and which make up a range of possible ways of responding. It represents a synopsis of the material available in the research literature on interpersonal communication in general and interviewing in the specific contexts of counselling, health professional/client communication, appraisal, selection and research interviewing. The chapter also represents, therefore, a sample of what is available in the relevant literature and the interested reader may then follow up these sources. It discusses the interviewer training and possible ways in which interviewers might develop their skill in interviewing. The use of a number of 'social reinforcement' techniques represents an alternative to interviewer use of questioning to obtain information. In addition to collecting information, interviews are frequently used as an opportunity to give information. Many interviewers seem to find that closing an interview satisfactorily can be difficult.
