Essentials of Human
Communication, 6/e
Chapter Three:
Listening in Human
Communication
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Chapter Three Goals
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Listen more effectively in all five
techniques of listening
Learn to adjust listening techniques
Communicate an awareness of cultural
and gender differences
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Human Communication
The Stages
of Listening
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A Five-Stage Model
of the Listening Process
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Step One: Receiving,
Hearing, Attending
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Focus on verbals and
nonverbals of speaker
Avoid distractions
Attend to immediate
message and do not
anticipate or pre-judge
Do not interrupt the
speaker
Clarify mixed messages
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Step Two: Understanding
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Relate new information to
what you already know
Attempt to see things
from the speaker’s point
of view
Ask questions
Rephrase to clarify a
speaker’s ideas
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Step Three: Remembering
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Identify central ideas and
support
Summarize message
including key details
Repeat names and key
concepts
Take notes
Identify and organize the
speaker’s message
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Step Four: Evaluating
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Resist evaluating until you
fully understand speaker’s
view
Give the speaker the benefit
of any doubts
Distinguish facts from
inference
Identify biases, self-interests,
and prejudices
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Step Five: Responding
Express support by
giving verbal and
nonverbal cues
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through feedback
make an expression of
support for speaker
by owning what you say with
“I” messages
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Human Communication
Effective
Listening
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Human Communication
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Empathic listening is
defined as…trying to
understand what a person
means, feels
Objective Listening is
defined as…detaching
oneself as much as
possible in order to best
understand the speaker
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Steps to Empathic Listening
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Strive to understand the speaker’s
viewpoint
Seek out the speaker’s thoughts and
feelings
Engage in two way conversation
Avoid “offensive listening”—hearing
only bits and pieces
Strive to listen objectively to friend
and foe alike
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Human Communication
Nonjudgmental
and Critical
Listening
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Guidelines
A Nonjudgmental Approach
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Always keep an open mind
Avoid quick judgments and premature
evaluations
Strive to not filter out difficult materials or
simplify complex messages
Recognize your own tendency to interpret
through personal biases
Avert sharpening—the tendency to increase
importance of some parts of messages
Be alert to information or circumstances that
require critical listening
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Human Communication
Surface
and Depth
Listening
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Guidelines
Deeper Listening
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Focus on verbals and nonverbals
Listen for both content and relational
messages
Take special note of statements that
refer back to the speaker
Balance your listening between surface
and underlying messages
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Human Communication
Active and
Inactive
Listening
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Active Listening Techniques
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Paraphrase the speaker’s meaning.
Express understanding of the speaker’s
feelings.
Ask questions.
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Listening Differences
Culture and Gender
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Language and accents may be different.
The meaning of nonverbal displays vary
among cultures.
Tone and content of feedback varies
according to person/situations.
Different norms of verbals and nonverbals.
Different feedback styles exist.
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Human Communication
Listening and
Gender:
A difference of
socialization
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Human Communication
Men
Women
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Lecture
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Talk, not lecture
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Seek facts
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Build relationships
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Desire respect
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Want to be liked
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Interrupt more often
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More patient
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Change topics
more often
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More sensitive to
emotions
Copyright (c) Allyn & Bacon 2008