Change Talk Jeopardy

'''Abstract''': Trainees practice asking open questions that elicit change talk, and learn about the linkage between the two.

'''Overview''': In an exercise that involves movement, trainees reflect on and practice open questions that will elicit change talk. The exercise parallels the TV game show Jeopardy in which the trainee is given an answer, and has to come up with the appropriate question that would elicit the answer.

'''Guidelines''': First have all trainees write down several change talk statements that are typical from their own work settings. (See [[Solitary Writing]])
Then explain the exercise. One person will offer a change talk statement, and the counselor’s job is to offer an open question that they might have asked just before this change tal statement. That is, what might the counselor have asked, that would have elicited this change talk statement?
Demonstrate it. Have trainees give you five or so change talk statements, one at a time, and offer the open question that might have led to the change talk statement. Then the trainee answers your question with the same change talk statement.

Trainee: I really want my probation officer to get off my back
You: What do you hope will happen by your coming here for counseling?
Trainee: I really want my probation officer to get off my back.
Trainee: I think my blood pressure would go down if I quit smoking.
You: What might be some of the good things about quitting smoking?
Trainee: I think my blood pressure would go down if I quit smoking.

Have trainees form two single file lines of equal length, facing each other, so that the person at the front of each line faces the person at the front of the other line. One line will offer change talk statements, and the other is to ask corresponding open questions. Have the person at the front of one line offer a change talk statement, and ask the person at the front of the other line to answer with an open question that might have elicited it. Then the original speaker repeats the change talk statement. If the “counselor” gets stuck, or offers an incorrect response (a common one is to say what the counselor what might say next), step in and offer an appropriate open question. Then have those two participants go to the end of the other line, and the two new front people do take the next turn.

'''Notes''': This is difficult for trainees to do the first time, and the trainer needs to be present and coaching where the two lines meet. Make sure that the people at the end of each line can hear clearly what is being said by the people at the front. That may require a roving microphone, and certainly requires that everyone remains silent except the speakers at the front.

'''Variations''': Start with open questions, but you could practice other types of eliciting responses as well. What reflection might have preceded this?

It would be possible, of course, also to have the counselor line practice what they might say next, in order to reinforce a change talk statement. The advantage of the jeopardy format is that it focuses effortful processing on the linkage between eliciting questions and change talk.

Thanks to: Terri Moyers