What type of question enables individuals to express personal thoughts and feelings?

Open-ended questions are designed to encourage individuals to elaborate on their thoughts, feelings, and experiences without restrictions. These questions typically begin with phrases like "how," "what," or "why," allowing respondents to answer in their own words and at their own length. This format fosters a deeper dialogue and can provide insights into personal perspectives and emotions, making it ideal in contexts like interviews, counseling, or any situation where understanding an individual's viewpoint is essential.

Closed-ended questions, in contrast, restrict responses to a set of predefined options, limiting the depth of understanding. Leading questions hint at a desired answer, which can skew the response, while rhetorical questions are posed for effect rather than to elicit an answer. Both of these categories do not promote genuine expression of personal thoughts and feelings in the same way open-ended questions do.