Learning Activity 7

Question 1

Listening Defined

Answer 1

Listening easily qualifies as the most important kind of communication. We spend more time listening than in any other type of communication. Listening is also important in terms of making relationships work. In committed relationships, listening to personal information in everyday conversations is considered a vital ingredient of satisfaction.

Question 2

Passive listening

Answer 2

• reacting to others’ messages automatically, without much mental investment. It is superficial
• While passive listening may sound negative, this type of processing allows us to focus on messages that require careful attention.11 Plus, it’s impossible to listen to everything. The only realistic way to manage this onslaught of messages is to be “lazy” at times.

Question 3

Active listening

Answer 3

• Giving careful and thoughtful attention and
  responses to the messages we receive.
• Paraphrases what an individual has said
• E.g., listening critically (evaluating and judging
  messages)

Question 4

Elements in the listening process: Hearing

Answer 4

is the physiological dimension of listening when sound waves strike the ear at a certain frequency and loudness. Can be influenced by background noise especially if they are loud or at the same frequency.

Question 5

Elements in the listening process: Attending

Answer 5

attending is a psychological part of the selection process. The process of filtering out some messages and focusing on others.

Question 6

Elements in the listening process: Understanding

Answer 6

occurs when sense is made of a message. Listening fidelity is the degree of congruence between what a listener understands and what the message sender intended to convey.

Question 7

Elements in the listening process: Responding

Answer 7

giving observable feedback to a speaker, and while we don’t always respond visibly to a speaker, research suggests we should.

Question 8

Elements in the listening process: Remembering

Answer 8

The ability to recall information, Unfortunately, we remember only 50 percent of what we hear immediately after hearing it, even if we work hard to listen.

Question 9

Types of ineffective listening: Pseudolistening

Answer 9

an imitation of true listening in which the receiver’s mind is elsewhere. They look you in the eye, nod, and smile at the right times, and occasionally they even respond with an “uh huh.”

Question 10

Types of ineffective listening: Stage-hogging

Answer 10

• a listening style in which the receiver is more concerned with making a point than with understanding the speaker.
• E.g., “You think your persuasion class is tough? You ought to try my communication theory class!”

Question 11

Types of ineffective listening: Selective listening

Answer 11

a listening style in which receivers respond only to the messages that interest them. E.g., Consider how you feel when speakers only perk up when the conversation shifts to something that interests them.

Question 12

Types of ineffective listening: Insulated listening

Answer 12

• a style in which the receiver ignores undesirable information.
• E.g., If reminded about an unfinished job or poor grades, they may nod and answer, but then promptly forget what you’ve just said.

Question 13

Types of ineffective listening: Defensive Listening

Answer 13

a response style in which the receiver perceives a speaker’s comments as an attack. E.g., when teenagers take their parents’ questions about their friends and activities as distrustful snooping.

Question 14

Types of ineffective listening: Ambushing

Answer 14

• a style in which the receiver listens carefully to gather information to use in an attack on the speaker.
• E.g., The cross-examining prosecution lawyer.

Question 15

Types of ineffective listening: Incentive listening

Answer 15

• failure to recognize the thoughts or feelings that are not directly expressed by the speaker.
• E.g., you asked someone, “How’s it going?” The person answers by saying, “Oh, okay, I guess” in a dejected, depressed tone. You respond by saying, “Well, great! Catch you later.”

Question 16

Why we don’t listen better: Message overload

Answer 16

We have face-to-face messages and personal media messages. This deluge of communication has made the challenge of attending tougher than at any time in human history, and it’s little wonder that listening can be difficult.

Question 17

Why we don’t listen better: Preoccupation

Answer 17

we are often preoccupied with personal concerns. It’s hard to pay attention when you’re worrying about an upcoming exam.

Question 18

Why we don’t listen better: Rapid Thought

Answer 18

The average person speaks between 100 and 150 words per minute, but we can process information at rates up to 600 words per minute. Thus, we have “spare time” in our minds, which we ultimately fill by thinking.

Question 19

Why we don’t listen better: Effort

Answer 19

Listening effectively is hard work—so hard that physical changes actually occur during careful listening: The heart rate quickens, respiration increases, and body temperature rises.

Question 20

Why we don’t listen better: External noise

Answer 20

the efficiency of your listening decreases when you are seated in a crowded, hot, stuffy room, surrounded by others talking next to you and with the roar of traffic noises outside. and you’re probably not surprised that classroom noise makes it difficult for some students to learn. (In addition, there is physiological and psychological noise as well).

Question 21

Why we don’t listen better: Faulty assumptions

Answer 21

lead us to believe we’re listening attentively when quite the opposite is true. For instance, we are less likely to listen when the subject is a familiar one, when we assume the speaker’s thoughts are too simple or too complex, or when we think the topic is unimportant.

Question 22

Why we don’t listen better: Lack of apparent advantages

Answer 22

It often seems that there’s more to gain by speaking than by listening. Furthermore, non-listeners are likely to find that the people they cut off are less likely to treat their ideas with respect.

Question 23

Why we don’t listen better: Lack of training

Answer 23

listening is a skill. listening can be improved through instruction and training.

Question 24

Why we don’t listen better: Hearing problems

Answer 24

Sometimes a person’s listening ability suffers from a physiological hearing problem. In such cases, both the person with the problem and others can become frustrated at the ineffective communication that results.

Question 25

Meeting the challenge of listening better: Talk less

Answer 25

Talking less doesn’t mean you must remain completely silent. Using feedback to clarify your understanding and seeking new information promotes understanding.

Question 26

Meeting the challenge of listening better: Get rid of distractions

Answer 26

they can be internal or external: (beeping microwave or preoccupation). Those who had interactions and conversations without the presence of mobile devices showed much higher levels of empathic concern.

Question 27

Meeting the challenge of listening better: Don’t judge prematurely

Answer 27

understand ideas before judging them. However, we often make snap judgments before we hear the entire idea, especially when it conflicts with one of our own. The lesson contained in these examples is clear: Listen first. Make sure you understand. Then evaluate.

Question 28

Meeting the challenge of listening better: look for key ideas

Answer 28

Using your ability to think more quickly than the speaker can talk, you may be able to extract the central idea from the surrounding mass of words.

Question 29

Types of listening responses: Prompting

Answer 29

using silences and brief statements of encouragement to draw out to a speaker.

Question 30

Types of listening responses: Questioning

Answer 30

a style of helping in which the receiver seeks additional information from the sender to be sure the speaker’s thoughts and feelings are being received accurately.

Question 31

Types of listening responses: Paraphrasing

Answer 31

repeating a speaker’s thoughts and/or feelings in the listener’s own words. Also known as active listening. E.g., I’d like to go, but I can’t afford it. Paraphrased: So, if we could find a way to cover your costs, you’d be willing to come? Is that right?

Question 32

Types of listening responses: Supporting

Answer 32

• a helping response that reveals a listener’s solidarity with the speaker’s situation.
• “Expressions of care, concern, affection, and interest, especially during times of stress or upset. (empathy, agreement, offers to help, praise, reassurance)

Question 33

Types of listening responses: Advising

Answer 33

a helping response in which the receiver offers suggestions about how the speaker should deal with a problem. Advice can be helpful if it’s given in a respectful, caring way.

Question 34

Types of listening responses: Analyzing

Answer 34

• a helping style in which the listener offers an interpretation of a speaker’s message.
• E.g., “I think what’s really bothering you is . . .”

Question 35

Types of listening responses: Judging

Answer 35

A response in which the receiver evaluates the sender’s message either favorably or unfavorably.

Question 36

Language of Responsibility: “It”

Answer 36

• It Statements that replace the personal pronoun I with the less immediate word it, often with the effect of;
• reducing the speaker’s acceptance of responsibility for the statements.
• E.g., “It bothers me when you’re late.”

Question 37

Language of Responsibility: “but”

Answer 37

• But statements in which the word but cancels out the expression that preceded it.
• E.g., “You’re really a great person, but I think we ought to stop seeing each other.”

Question 38

Language of Responsibility: “you”

Answer 38

Statements that express or imply a judgment of the other person. E.g., “You left this place a mess!”

Question 39

Language of Responsibility: “we”

Answer 39

• Statements that imply that the issue is the concern and responsibility of both the sender and receiver of a message.
• E.g., “We need to figure out a budget that doesn’t bankrupt us.”

Question 40

Types of questions: Closed questions

Answer 40

call for a specific yes/no response.

Question 41

Types of questions: Open questions

Answer 41

allow the respondent to answer in a variety of ways and to include a great deal of description and detail.

Question 42

Types of questions: Primary Question

Answer 42

to begin an interview or introduce a new topic. E.g., where would you like to begin?

Question 43

Types of questions: Secondary Question

Answer 43

used to add more information or clarity. E.g., could you give me an example?

Question 44

Types of questions: Sincere

Answer 44

questions that aim at understanding others.