The "Leading" Question.

The concept of a "leading" question is absolutely genius to me. Being a Perry Mason fan for years (yes, I'm old school), I've certainly grown to appreciate the use of questioning to lead to a preferred response or a desired answer to be used by the jury. In a sense, these questions help to break-down the human psyche -allowing the prosecution to achieve a certain response or result, simply by using the "back door" rather than a direct approach.

Certainly, the "leading" question technique is used often in the court room, but also in many other scenarios. I can think of countless times the idea was used in the classroom by teachers, or even by my parents (which seems a bit manipulative, in the context of interpersonal relationships and communication). While "crafty" in a sense, the use of a leading question seems to be an incredibly effective way to persuade or gather information, when used properly.