Chapter 4:
Are you Listening?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1d5T6D4ZwHw
What is listening?
Hearing vs Listening
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Hearing –
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Process in which sound waves strike the eardrum and cause
vibrations that are then transmitted to the brain
Listening
Process which occurs when the brain reconstructs these
impulses and gives them meaning
What do we need to know
about listening?
Listening is an Active Process
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Listening occupies more of our communication time
than speaking, writing, or reading
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not a natural process
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Is a learned skill
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Requires effort
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Four Parts of the Listening Process
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Attending
Understanding
Responding = verbally or nonverbally
Remembering
Serial Communication
Residual Messages
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We only remember 50% of the information we listen to
immediately after we hear it.
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We only remember 35% after 8 hours.
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We only remember 25% of this information after 2 ½
months.
What causes poor listening?
General Listening Errors
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Hearing Problem
Lack of effort
Message overload
Rapid Thought – mental spare time
Noise (physical, psychological, physiological)
Cultural Influences –
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Things such as media have programmed us to listen in brief
soundbites
Faulty Listening Behaviors
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Pseudolisteners
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Selective listeners
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Make appropriate gestures but not really listening
Only hear what they are interested in
Defensive listeners
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Take innocent comments as personal attacks
Faulty Listening Behaviors
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Insensitive listeners
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Don’t look beyond the words
Stage Hogs
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Turn the conversation back to themselves
How can we listen more effectively?
Listen mentally
Listen physically
Know your goal
Listen Mentally
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Concentrate on the meaning of what is being said rather
than the precise words or mechanics (accent, grammar,
etc.)
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Work with the speech-thought differential
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120-150 wpm is the average speech rate
500-600 wpm is the average thinking rate
Use the time to summarize and paraphrase
Listen Physically
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Face the person
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Adopt an open posture
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Maintain comfortable eye contact
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Lean slightly towards person
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Listen to only one person at a time
Know Your Goal
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Informational
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Critical
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Understanding and retaining information
Analyzing and evaluating content
Supportive
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Helping others
Informational Listening
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Paraphrase
Put ideas in your own words
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Look for key ideas
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Take notes
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Be opportunistic
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FIND SOMETHING to learn
Critical Listening
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Listen BEFORE evaluating
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Evaluate the speaker’s
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Credibility (Ethos)
Evidence and Reasoning (logos)
Emotional Appeals (pathos)
Supportive Listening
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Also known as Active Listening
Feedback is the most important aspect.
Types of Feedback
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Non-evaluative
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Questioning/ probing (ask for more questions)
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Supporting = show the person you care
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Prompting = use silence or brief statements to draw the
person out
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Paraphrasing
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Put message into your own words
Repeat the message making statement more general of specific
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Evaluative – advising/judging
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Positive = Is it accurate and appropriate?
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Negative= Is it constructive, wanted? What are your
motives?
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Formative = Is it the best time to give negative feedback?