What are the four core skills of Motivational Interviewing represented by the acronym OARS?

• A. Open questions, Reflective listening, and Summaries.
• B. Open questions, Affirmations, Reflective listening, and Summaries.
• C. Open questions, Empathy, Guidance, and Feedback.
• D. Closed questions, Lectures, Time-outs, and Punishments.

Answer: (B)

Motivational Interviewing uses four practical skills abbreviated as OARS: Open-ended questions, Affirmations, Reflective listening, and Summaries. Open-ended questions invite the client to explore their thoughts and feelings in depth rather than giving a yes-or-no answer, helping to uncover ambivalence and motivation for change. Affirmations recognize the client’s strengths and efforts, boosting confidence and collaboration. Reflective listening involves restating or paraphrasing what the client has said, sometimes adding meaning, to show understanding, deepen exploration, and encourage more change talk. Summaries pull together what’s been discussed, highlight progress and discrepancies between goals and behavior, and provide a bridge to planning or commitment.

The other options include approaches like closed questions, lectures, or punishments, which limit dialogue or create resistance and do not fit the collaborative, guiding style of MI. While empathy and guidance are related concepts, the specific, actionable set of skills captured by OARS best represents how MI is actually practiced in sessions.