Asking Open-Ended Questions Increases Personal Gains in Negotiations

Abstract: A vast wisdom literature espouses the power of asking open-ended questions during negotiations: questions invite counterparts to disclose information and, in doing so, put askers at an informational advantage. But is this advice necessary, and more importantly, is it effective? We analyzed 61,057 speech turns from the transcripts of 309 dyadic integrative negotiations using Natural Language Processing to estimate the frequency and effectiveness of question-asking (Study 1). Open-ended questions were uncommon, occurring only in 8% of all speech turns. Yet, there was a robust positive linear relationship between asking open-ended questions and personal gains in the negotiation. In contrast, asking closed-ended questions and making non-question statements did not significantly impact personal gains. Open-ended questions solicited next-turn responses that were twice as long and informative as those prompted by closed-ended questions or non-question statements—an informational edge that helped negotiators craft more efficient agreements and maximize their own gains without disadvantaging their counterpart. Study 2 experimentally tested this effect: we instructed some participants to prepare and ask either open-ended questions or statements prior to engaging in live chat integrative negotiations. Participants who were instructed to ask open-ended questions realized significantly higher personal gains than those who were not. This effect was again mediated by an informational edge that helped negotiators craft more efficient agreements. Collectively, these findings offer empirical support for the widely accepted—but previously untested—assertion that negotiators focus excessively on influencing (by making statements) at the expense of learning (by asking questions).

Keywords: open-ended question, negotiation, conversation, natural language processing