In learning the art of asking questions, you will discover that questions do not only vary in structure but also in motive or intention. There are questions that simply seek for information while some questions are meant to clarify or verify unclear concepts. There are also questions that will motivate a person to act and bring about change either in the perception or in actions. Because questions vary, you even hear people ask you irrelevant and unnecessary questions but still these are considered questions.
Although we say that asking questions is good because it stimulates thinking and arouses curiosity, not all questions can be good and worth-asking. If someone asks you something and you feel provoked, this type is called provocative question. Have you been in a question and answer scenario wherein you were bombarded with questions that made you feel aggravated or inflamed? That is one of the motives of provocative questions.
What is a Provocative Question?
A provocative question is a type of question that is meant to provoke but only because it aims to challenge and discard any conventional ideas or concepts off balance. It paves the way for skepticism, doubts, and disbelief. Because of this, such type of questioning may cause a debate.
Basically, when you are provoking a person, you try to question the values and logic behind the concept or issue, and sometimes may have emotional content on them. The person being asked then becomes defensive and tries to argue against it.
These questions may either elicit closed responses or stir up an argument. An example is, “So, you mean to say that child labor is acceptable?” You hear a lot of provoking questions being asked during political debates, with each political party trying to uncover each other’s hidden agenda.
On the other hand, provocative questions may be an effective technique to encourage people to analyze more deeply about an issue or concept. When you are provoked, you are bound to think of stronger ideas to banter the other person. However, when you are asked intimidating questions, you feel threatened and frightened to communicate and defend yourself.
When to Use Provocative Questions
It is good to use provocative questions when you are probing for information that another person is hesitant or unwilling to share. It challenges the person to speak up and addresses the question, attempts to ignore, or may try to redirect it. But out of being provoked, the person usually responds with self-conviction.
This type of question is also good in increasing the level of thinking of a group of people, say, in an organization. It may be misinterpreted as negative questions, but it is useful in addressing a problem and challenges the group members to think and contribute their ideas.
Provocative questions do no have to be negative or argumentative. This is the common notion of people when it comes to thought-provoking questions. A manager in a company may use a provocative question to start a meeting to stimulate the members to think or get down to the problem at hand.
Outcomes of Using Provocative Questions
Instead of rendering provocative questions, let us identify the positive results that it can bring to a group or an organization. For one, it presents a challenge to the group members. An example would be “How can we increase the sales without incurring much expense?” or “We can only consider one of your suggestions, which one would it be?”
As mentioned earlier, this type of question stimulates creative thinking and new ideas or thoughts. An example of this is “Why should we hire you?” Provocative questions also aim at critical issues and get people’s attention to it.
For example, “What explanation can you give why we should not dissolve this product?” Lastly, it motivates an emotional response such as “Have you ever had to fire an employee before?”
Probably, the best way to ask provocative questions is to ask “Why” or “Why not” but the caution is to keep the question in a less negative construction so that it will not start an unnecessary debate. Then again, it is a good practice to develop our thinking at a higher level because these are thought-provoking questions.