The question framed to identify the purpose of an interview when the subject is not in custody is known as what type of question?

• A. Goal question
• B. Clarifying question
• C. Purpose question
• D. Control question

Answer: (C)

Focusing on why the interview is happening and what you aim to achieve is the key idea. A purpose question is used to uncover the objective of the session itself when the subject isn’t in custody. It directly asks about the aim of talking, what information is sought, and how the conversation should proceed. This helps both parties be on the same page from the start, set clear boundaries for what will be discussed, and establish a cooperative tone rather than a combative one.

This approach is best because it explicitly identifies the reason for the interview and what success looks like, which is especially important in voluntary, non-custodial contexts. It signals transparency and invites the subject to understand and articulate the interviewer’s intentions, which can foster clearer communication and better information gathering.

Clarifying questions deal with specifics or meanings within what the other person has said, not the overall purpose of the interview. Control questions are about eliciting reactions and are usually tied to coercive or investigative testing contexts. Goal questions relate to broader aims of the inquiry rather than the immediate purpose of the current interview session. So the purpose-focused framing uniquely addresses why the interview is taking place and what both sides intend to accomplish.