Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES) Practice Exam

Which educator's response best exemplifies "developing discrepancy" in motivational interviewing?

1. "Testing is a challenge, but it can help improve your health."

2. "You are not alone in finding testing difficult."

3. "Great job carrying your meter today!"

4. "Back in the day, testing took much longer and was more painful."

The correct answer is: "Testing is a challenge, but it can help improve your health."

The answer that exemplifies "developing discrepancy" in motivational interviewing is the statement that acknowledges the challenge of testing while also emphasizing its potential benefits for health. This approach effectively highlights the conflict between the individual's current feelings about testing (as a challenge) and the long-term goal of improving health. In motivational interviewing, developing discrepancy involves helping the individual recognize the gap between their current behavior and their desired behavior or goals. By stating that testing can serve as a tool for health improvement, the educator encourages the person to reflect on the reasons for change and the benefits that can come from overcoming the difficulty associated with testing. This strategy aims to enhance motivation by making the individual aware of the impact of their actions and promoting a desire to bridge the gap between their current experience and their aspirations for better health outcomes. The other options either offer support or provide historical context, but they do not engage the individual in recognizing and reflecting on the disparity between their current behavior and their health goals as effectively as the selected response does.