Why are leading questions not allowed?
The use of leading questions in court to elicit testimony is restricted in order to reduce the ability of the examiner to direct or influence the evidence presented.
Leading questions can be problematic because they allow the examiner to unduly influence or control the witness' testimony. Non-leading questions provide a more “natural” flow of testimony based on the witness' personal knowledge and recollection of the events.
Leading questions result in biased or false answers, as respondents are prone to simply mimic the words of the interviewer. How we word these questions may affect the user response and also may give them extra clues about the interface.
Rule 611(c) provides that leading questions are generally not allowed on direct examination, except to develop a witness's testimony. However, this rule and its corresponding notes do not define leading questions or address whether closed-ended questions are inherently leading.
In general, leading questions are not allowed during the direct examination of a witness, however, they are allowed on the cross-examination of a witness.
Leading questions are the most obvious examples of bias to spot, as they make it very clear that there is a “correct” answer the question is leading you towards. These will always result in false information as the respondent was never given the option for an honest response to begin with.
Use leading questions with care. If you use them in a self-serving way or one that harms the interests of the other person, then they can, quite rightly, be seen as manipulative and dishonest.
Leading: A leading question is a question which suggests the answer. In other words, the lawyer leads the witness to say what the lawyer wants the witness to say. Leading questions are appropriate during cross examination, but not during direct.
Objection, leading: This objection is raised when a lawyer asks a witness a question that suggests a specific answer, rather than allowing the witness to testify freely.
One of the toughest aspects of leadership is delegating authority. People are complicated, having their personalities, backgrounds, and ways of dealing with problems. Managing a group of people who come from different backgrounds is difficult because you must understand them all.
What is difficult about leading?
The truth is leadership is hard. It demands that we sometimes do things that are opposite our primordial instincts. We constantly risk not being loved by the masses. It's one of the most difficult psychological barriers to overcome, but ultimately, your job is to deliver results.
The goal of a survey is to gather unbiased and accurate information from respondents. So leading questions can severely impact the validity of survey results.
Keep questions clear and simple, don't lead the respondent to a specific answer, provide all options to a question or offer Other and make your survey easy to answer.