Interview (General)

Introduction

The interview can be defined as the assessment or research instrument that precedes any type of intervention to decision-making process, adopting an interactive format, given the very nature of the instrument and because it is part of the assessment-intervention continuum (see entry on ‘Interview in Behavioural and Health Settings’).

It was recognized in the 1970s as the most widespread assessment instrument in applied psychology, regardless of the assessor's theoretical frame of reference (Kanfer & Grimm, 1977; Haynes, 1978). This can be confirmed by examining any applied field.

In the 1980s there was particular concern over the need to adapt the instrument to the area of social services (Chandler, 1989), and since the 1990s there has been a tendency to employ interviews directed towards specific populations and ...