Active Listening Reading Material

Poor Listening Habits Editing: You hear only what you want to hear. Rehearsing: You think about what you want to say while the other person is speaking. Delving: You focus on finding a hidden message, rather than existing to what the other person is saying. Daydreaming: You let your mind wander. Personalizing: You relate everything the person is saying to your own life and allow your thoughts to wander. Arguing: You focus on finding something to judge or ridicule. Agreeing: You nod your head to everything in order to avoid conflict.
Switching: You change the subject quickly, as soon as the person stops speaking. Barriers to Listening Type of Barrier Explanation and Example Noise: Physical Distractions All the stimuli in the environment that keep you from focusing on the message. Example: loud music playing at a party. Mental Distractions The wandering of the mind when it is supposed to be focusing on something. Example: thinking about a lunch date while listening to a teacher. (Anybody can make out that you are not listening. Factual Distractions Focusing so intently on the details that you miss the main point. Example: listening to all details of a conversation but forgetting the main idea. Semantic Distractions Over responding to an emotion-laden word or concept. Example: not listening to a teacher when after she mentions “Marxist theory. ” Perception of Others: Status Devoting attention based on the social standing rank, or perceived value of another. Example: not listening to a freshman in a group activity. Stereotypes Treating individuals as if they are the same as others in a given category.
Example: assuming all older people have similar opinions. Sights and Sounds Letting appearances or voice qualities affect your listening. Example: not listening to a person with a screechy voice. Yourself: Egocentrics Excessive self-focus, or seeing yourself as the central concern in every conversation. Example: redirecting conversations to your own problems. Defensiveness Acting threatened and feeling like you must defend whatnot have said or done. Example: assuming others’ comments are veiled criticisms of you.

Experiential Superiority Looking down on others as if their experience with life is not as good as yours. Example: not listening to those with less experience. Personal Bias Letting your own predispositions, or strongly held beliefs, interfere with your ability to interpret information correctly. Example: assuming that people are generally truthful (or deceitful). Pseudo listening Pretending to listen but letting your mind or attention wander to something else. Example: daydreaming while your professor is lecturing. (You appear to be listening).