LISTENING

To examine the potential relationships between

effective listening and various individual
characteristics
To become aware of major perceptual barriers
to effective listening
To understand the valuable concept of active
listening
To learn how concentration,
objectivity,questioning, and feedback can
improve listening behavior

Hearing Versus Listening

Hearing is passive, does not involve intellect and
memory
Listening is not a Passive activity; it is an
intellectual activity
Active Listening entails grasping the speakers
point of view
One should listen to the total meaning-content and
feeling ,respond to feelings and noting all the
clues

KINDS OF LISTENING
Appreciative Listening- Music and Poetry
Attentive Listening-Presentations,
Lectures,Instructions
Evaluative or Critical Listening-Political
speeches,sales talks,elocution contests

Qualities That Affect Listening

Sex- no marked relationship

Personality- no marked relationship
Scholastic achievement-positive co-relation
Verbal Ability and Vocabulary-adequate vocabulary
facilitates listening
Note-taking-listen carefully and synthesize as you write
Motivation-interest,emotional appeals and attitudes and
mind set.
Organizational Ability-the better organized the message, the
higher the comprehension.
Environment-good listeners adjust to distractions-poor
lighting,improper distance from the speaker

THE FOUR STEPS OF

LISTENING

HEARING/PERCEPTION
INTERPRETATION
EVALUATION
RESPONSE/ACTION

Hearing/Perception

The Listening Process begins when you hears

sounds and concentrate on them
You tune in when you
a) Sense that the message is important
b) Are interested in the topic
c) Are in a mood to listen
Perception is reduced by impaired hearing, noisy
surroundings, inattention and pseudo listening

Interpretation
Interpretation involves decoding the
message
Interpretation is colored by cultural,
educational and social frames of reference
The meanings we attach to words are
filtered through our expectations and total
lifes experiences

Evaluation
Evaluation involves separating fact from opinion
and judging messages effectively.
Close-mindedness,opinionated attitudes,prejudices
and even the appearance and mannerisms of the
speaker influence Evaluation
To evaluate a message accurately, one should
consider all the information, be aware of our own
biases and avoid jumping to hasty conclusions

Response/ Action

Responding to a message may include

a) Storing the message in memory
b) Reacting with a Physical response
c) Supplying feedback to the reader
Feedback helps accurate decoding and
clarifies the message

BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE
LISTENING

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

Mental Barriers
Inattention
Prejudgment
Frame of Reference
Close-mindedness
Pseudo listening

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

Physical and other

Barriers
Hearing Impairment
Noisy Surroundings
Speakers appearance
Speakers
mannerisms
Lag time

PERCEPTUAL BARRIERS TO
EFFECTIVE LISTENING
People perceive stimuli according to their
individual frames of reference
People perceive stimuli according to their own
expectations
People perceive stimuli according to individual
attitudes and beliefs
The continuing relationship between speaker and
listener plays an important role in perception

Causes of Inattention
Mental Distraction due to wishful thinking, personal
anxiety or worry
Planning to present a good argument or answer
Lack of Interest
Avoiding the Effort to understand what is difficult
Tendency to criticize mannerisms
Emotional Blocks
Emotional Excitement
Impatience
Poor Health

Lag Time
Lag time- Natural Difference in speed
between Speaking and Listening
This Differential provides opportunities for
mental tangents, tuning in and tuning out
Concentration is an important determinant
of listening ability

IMPROVING LISTENING
SKILLS

Improving Concentration
Use of Questions
Objectivity
Feedback
Note-Taking

Improving Concentration

Managing the Time-lag

Anticipate what the speaker will say next
Focus on the message
Search for deeper meanings
Review previous points

Use of Questions
In dyadic or paired communication, asking
questions is an effective learning strategy
Such activity demonstrates active listening
and clarify and develop points
Probing questions build upon a speakers
utterances

Use of Objectivity
Minimize the impact of emotion laden
words
Judge content, not delivery
React fairly and sensibly
Wait your turn

Feedback & Note-taking

Listeners should provide feedback at appropriate
points.
Note taking is useful in certain situations while
unnecessary and even distracting at times.
Another aspect of note taking is that it conveys
respect, earnestness towards the speaker that you
are paying close attention to his words