In Motiviational Interviewing, which option best describes the acronym OARS?

• A. Open-ended questions, Reflective Listening, Affirmation, Summarizing
• B. Open-ended questions, Affirmation, Reflective Listening, Summarizing
• C. Observation, Affirmation, Reflective Listening, Summarizing
• D. Open-ended questions, Affirmation, Reading, Summarizing

Answer: (B)

In Motivational Interviewing, OARS refers to four communication skills used to engage with clients and elicit their own motivation for change. Open-ended questions invite the client to explore their thoughts, feelings, and experiences rather than giving yes/no answers, which helps reveal ambivalence and generate meaningful talk about change. Affirmations recognize and reinforce the client’s strengths and efforts, boosting confidence and willingness to change. Reflective listening demonstrates empathy by restating or paraphrasing what the client has said, clarifying understanding, and encouraging them to share more. Summarizing brings together what the client has expressed, reinforces key points, and can help transition toward planning next steps. The option that lists these four elements in the established order—Open-ended questions, Affirmations, Reflective Listening, Summarizing—best reflects the OARS framework. Other choices introduce elements not part of OARS (such as Observation or Reading) or rearrange the terms in a nonstandard order, which is why they don’t fit as the canonical acronym.