Verfolgerfrage

22:02 Jul 9, 2023 

Thanks! I was kind of in a rush on Tuesday and posting an answer usually takes me quite a lot of time. You can always add an entry to the glossary if you want (drawing from several of the suggestions made here).

Glad to have helped and have a good start to the new week!

09:05 Jul 8, 2023 

In the end I chose Björn Vrooman's answer, accusatory question, but he didn't propose it as an answer. I think this is one of those words that doesn't have a direct equivalent, and so the answer depends on the context, and this answer best fitted this context.

06:37 Jul 4, 2023 

The German explanations of Verfolgerfrage remind me of the drama triangle, a concept use in transaction analysis. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karpman_drama_triangle
There are hardly any google hits for persecutor question, but as traslators we're free to coin terms if there is no better solution :-)

04:50 Jul 4, 2023 

It just reminded me of the game "The Chaser" :)

09:27 Jul 3, 2023 

Apologies, I missed some text from the context which might help.

Example (of Verfolgerfrage)
«Warum haben Sie nicht besser aufgepasst?»
(Hier wird nicht nach wirklichen Gründen gefragt, sondern gedemütigt und gestraft.)

09:15 Jul 3, 2023 

Thanks for your reply, Darin!

I think if it were a simple follow-up question, it would more likely be a "Nachfrage" or an "Anschlussfrage," so there has to be something else going on here.

Note to asker: I've removed the link to the German definition. Even though the doc is public, I think it's better not to divulge too much info, whether or not it is actually the document you're working on.

Best wishes

08:45 Jul 3, 2023 

I also considered "accusatory question" (and "interrogative", for that matter) but felt that the context didn't warrant that hostility. On a second read, though, I think perhaps it does. If the point is that this is a bad type of question, then "accusatory" captures it well.

08:40 Jul 3, 2023 

In essence, it is or seems to be about shifting blame (whether intentionally or not).

There are supposedly other types of accusatory questions: https://danielwalldammit.wordpress.com/tag/accusatory-questi...

That is what's confusing me a bit. Though I think the examples given at the last link sound more like they're insinuating something (=Unterstellungsfrage).

Best wishes

08:38 Jul 3, 2023 

As in:
"I used to work for John Merrow over at PBS; nice guy and overall a good manager, but when I started, he did this all the time: accusatory questions ('Well, WHY did that happen?') as opposed to trying to think about a broader strategy or idea, etc."
https://thecontextofthings.com/2015/03/14/how-to-ask-questio...

"Voss notes that these 'how' or 'what' questions are different from more accusatory questions that begin with more loaded words like 'why.'...For example, think of the enormously different emotional weight between a non-open-ended “why” question like 'Why would you say that?' and an open-ended 'what' question like 'What makes you say that?' The former is accusatory and borderline hostile; the latter is empathetic, welcoming of insight, and devoid of any emotional sting."
https://www.shortform.com/blog/negotiation-questions/

...pretty close to the German.

"The blaming or accusatory tone of 'why' creates a defensive reaction...The 'why' becomes something that drives a personal accusation and a shift in accountability and responsibility solely to the employee."
https://medium.com/book-bites/when-something-goes-wrong-good...

08:34 Jul 3, 2023 

I was thinking about posting an answer, but I'm not sure it'd be backed up enough.

As explained here:
"The problem is that 'why?' asks for a definitive answer, a result — it’s a challenge, not an invitation. The other person is now immediately on the defensive, having to produce the one true response and take ownership for it. They are pinned down and will often respond from a place of anxiety, which closes off creativity and openness.

And often the question 'why?' is hiding an accusation."
https://medium.com/coaching-notes/sometimes-why-is-the-wrong...

It actually is quite sinister (or one can make it out to be) and you aren't really trying to get a response.

I'd have said "accusatory question," probably.

[to be continued]