What is a characteristic of effective open-ended questions?

Effective open-ended questions are designed to allow clients to express themselves fully and provide more detailed information about their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. By encouraging a broader range of responses, these questions foster a deeper exploration of issues, making it easier for clients to articulate their perspectives and share insights that might not emerge with closed-ended questions. This characteristic is particularly important in social work practice, as it helps build rapport, encourages client engagement, and provides a richer understanding of the client's situation.

In contrast, limiting client responses would curtail the depth of information obtained, while requiring only factual responses would ignore the emotional and subjective elements critical in social work. Additionally, questions that are direct and accusatory can create defensiveness and hinder open communication, which is counterproductive to building a trusting and supportive therapeutic relationship.