Professional in Human Resources (PHR) Practice Exam

Closed questions are designed to elicit specific responses that can typically only be answered with 'yes' or 'no'. This type of questioning limits the respondent's options, providing a clear and concise way to gather information. For instance, if someone asks, "Did you complete the project?" the only appropriate responses are affirmative or negative, thus creating a binary situation.

In contrast, open questions encourage elaboration and require more than a one-word answer. Clarifying questions seek to confirm or further explain a point and often invite additional information. Probing questions go deeper into the subject matter, prompting respondents to explore their thoughts or feelings, but they do not restrict responses to a binary choice. Hence, closed questions are uniquely positioned to generate simple affirmative or negative responses.