“D’You Like a Drink then Do You?”

Abstract

Peter Robinson’s abiding interests in language, the categorization of persons, and the use and abuse of truth motivate this study of interviewer practice. Using data from a psychological assessment interview, the author makes the argument that when interviewers edit scripts, they do so in ways that make plain their understandings of their respondent, and so demonstrate (and perhaps construct) a certain image of the individual in front of them. When there is a mismatch between the demands of the official script and the perceived situation of the respondent, this may result in the person being constructed as a social incompetent.