Chapter 5

Listening

Difference between listening and hearing

Listening and Hearing are not the same
Hearing is the process in which sound waves strikes the eardrum and cause vibrations that are transmitted to the brain Listening occurs when the brain reconstructs these electrochemical impulses into a representation of the original sound and then gives them meaning

Stages of Listening
I. II. III.
IV.

V.

Hearing Attending the act of paying to a signal Understanding the process of making sense of a message Responding giving observable feedback to the speaker Remembering
Research has revealed that people only remember half of what they hear immediately after hearing it

The truth about listening

Listening is not a natural process Listening requires effort Not all listeners receive the same message

Overcoming challenges to listening

Faulty listening behavior Although we cant listen effectively all the time, most people possess one or more habits that keep them from understanding truly important messages

Overcoming challenges of effective listening

Pseudolistening imitation of the real thing employ polite faade Selective Listening respond only to parts of a speakers remarks that interest them, rejecting everything else

Overcoming challenges of effective listening

Defensive listening take innocent comments as personal attacks Ambushing listen carefully but only because they are collecting information to attack what you have to say

Overcoming challenges of effective listening

Insulated listening opposite of selective listening avoid and rather not deal with it Insensitive listening People who dont receive another persons message clearly Stage hogging sometimes called conversational narcissists try to turn the topic of conversations to themselves instead of showing interest in the speaker

Reasons for poor listening

Effort Message overload Rapid thought Although we are capable of understanding speech at rates up to 600 words per minute, the average person speaks between 100 and 140 words per minute We have great deal of mental spare time to spend while someone is talking

Reasons for poor listening

Psychological noise
We are so wrapped us in personal concerns that are more immediately important to us than the messages others are sending us Physical noise We live in a world full of distraction making it difficult for us to concentrate Fatigue, stuffy rooms etcs

Reasons for poor listening

Hearing problems most obvious of physiological noise tragedy if hearing lost go undetected Faulty assumption we often give others a mental brushoff because we assume their remarks dont have much value

Reasons for poor listening

Talking has more apparent advantages Cultural differences Germans youth favored actionoriented approach Japanese other the other hand favored indirect approach Media Influences influence of contemporary mass media, especially television and radio

Listening style
Not everyone listens the same way. Communication researchers identify four styles of listening
i. Content - oriented interested in quality of message seek detail useful when looking at issues that requires more information

Personal listening styles

ii. People - oriented concerned with creating and maintaining positive relationships less judgmental easy to become overly involved with others feeling III. Action - oriented concerned with task at hand concerned is to figure out what sort of response is required by a message attitude beneficial for taking care of business

Personal listening styles

iv. Time - oriented concern with efficiency time is view as scarce and valuable commodity

Three types of listening

I. Informational listening appropriate when the goal is to understand another persons side information can be best gain with active approach to listening can be done through questioning or paraphrasing

Three types of listening

II. Critical listening appropriate when the goal is to judge the quality of idea critical analysis is appropriate when listeners ensures correct understanding of message before passing judgment, when the speakers credibility is taken into account, when the quality of supporting evidence is examined, and when the logic of the speakers argument is examined carefully

Three types of listening

Empathic listeners the aim is to help the speakers not the listeners various helping response is included