Chapter 3 Listening 3.1 Multiple Choice Questions 1) Listening is defined as a) one’s physical ability to perceive sounds. b) the process of following and understanding the meaning of words. c) the process of communicating and understanding the spoken word. d) the process of giving thoughtful attention to what we hear. Answer: d Rationale: Listening is not just about hearing sounds or understanding words. It involves actively paying attention and processing what is being said. 2) Hearing is defined as a) one’s physical ability to perceive sounds. b) giving thoughtful attention to what we hear. c) communicating and understanding the spoken word. d) following and understanding the meaning of words. Answer: a Rationale: Hearing refers to the physical act of perceiving sound, whereas listening involves actively paying attention and understanding the meaning of the sounds. 3) Shanae feels she studies better when her favorite Internet radio station plays in the background. What type of listening is this? a) Responsive listening b) Passive listening c) Empathetic listening d) Active listening Answer: b Rationale: Passive listening involves listening without actively engaging or focusing on the content. Shanae is simply letting the music play in the background without actively listening to it. 4) A person who decides ahead of time that a conversation he/she is listening to is important, and who focuses on the content and the thoughts and feelings of others in order to gain knowledge, is partaking in what type of listening? a) Active b) Informational c) Critical d) Responsive Answer: b Rationale: Informational listening involves focusing on the content of the conversation to gain knowledge or information. The person in this scenario is actively engaging in the conversation with a specific goal in mind. 5) An important part of being an effective communicator is to develop skills in the area of a) stereotyping. b) hearing. c) listening. d) avoiding. Answer: c Rationale: Listening is essential for effective communication, as it helps in understanding others' perspectives and responding appropriately. 6) As Kamal asks his professor questions about the upcoming unit exam, Professor Shelley nods his head as if he’s listening. However, Professor Shelley is really thinking about his daughter preparing to go away to college. This is an example of Professor Shelley NOT being a) an informative listener. b) a responsive listener. c) an effective listener. d) a passive listener. Answer: c Rationale: Professor Shelley is not effectively listening because he is not paying attention to Kamal's questions and is instead thinking about something else. 7) Sarah has a sign language interpreter assisting her during classes at the university. Sarah needs an interpreter because she has difficulty a) hearing. b) listening. c) questioning. d) interpreting. Answer: a Rationale: Sarah needs an interpreter because she has difficulty hearing, which is necessary for understanding spoken language. 8) Will was trying to pay attention to the lecture but the outside whine of an ambulance was interfering with his listening. What term describes this phenomenon? a) Empathy b) Internal noise c) Distancing d) External noise Answer: d Rationale: External noise refers to any sounds from the environment that interfere with one's ability to hear or listen effectively. 9) The ability to understand what someone else is feeling and to look at a situation from the other person’s perspective is called a) empathy. b) compassion. c) responsiveness. d) sympathy. Answer: a Rationale: Empathy involves understanding and sharing the feelings of another person, which is an important aspect of effective communication and listening. 10) A speaker who uses “ums,” “you know,” or “like” throughout their presentation is having difficulty with a) delivery. b) listening. c) hearing. d) questioning. Answer: a Rationale: Using filler words like "ums," "you know," or "like" can indicate a lack of fluency or confidence in delivering a presentation. It is a delivery issue, not a listening, hearing, or questioning issue. 11) The election is just around the corner and Dave is trying to convince Erin to vote for a candidate he strongly believes in. As Dave speaks, Erin gives thoughtful attention to what he is saying. Erin is a) listening. b) hearing. c) perceiving. d) dating. Answer: a Rationale: Erin is actively paying attention to Dave's arguments, which is a characteristic of listening. Hearing refers to the physical act of perceiving sound, while listening involves actively processing and understanding the meaning of the sounds. 12) A communication skill where we request additional information from the sender to help us understand their message and keeps us involved in the interaction is called a) paraphrasing. b) empathizing. c) questioning. d) interpreting. Answer: c Rationale: Questioning is a communication skill that involves asking for clarification or additional information to better understand the message being conveyed. 13) Karen is devastated because she hit a dog with her car. Joe listens to Karen as though it happened to him. He relates to her feelings. What type of listening is Joe practicing? a) Objective listening b) Passive listening c) Active listening d) Empathetic listening Answer: d Rationale: Joe is practicing empathetic listening, where he is not only listening to Karen's words but also trying to understand and share her feelings and emotions. 14) _____ refers to our attention to details instead of the main ideas in the message, hindering us from becoming effective listeners. a) Language barrier b) Faulty delivery c) Message overload d) Jargon use Answer: c Rationale: Message overload occurs when we focus on details instead of the main ideas, making it difficult to effectively listen and understand the message. 15) Listening with a sense of purpose and involvement is called a) passive listening. b) active listening. c) informative listening. d) reflective listening. Answer: b Rationale: Active listening involves listening with a sense of purpose and involvement, where the listener is fully engaged and attentive to the speaker. 16) What type of listening requires nothing from the receiver? a) Responsive b) Passive c) Active d) Informational Answer: b Rationale: Passive listening requires nothing from the receiver, as it involves simply hearing sounds without actively engaging or responding to the message. 17) Wanda is a member of her school’s grade appeals committee. Once a month, she is required to listen to students who are dissatisfied with their grades. Although it is tempting to take the side of her fellow students, she forces herself to suspend judgment until all of the facts are presented. This is called a) Informational listening. b) Responsive listening. c) Empathetic listening. d) Critical listening. Answer: d Rationale: Wanda is practicing critical listening, where she is actively listening to the students' appeals without bias and carefully considering all the facts before making a judgment. 18) Angela failed to see William and Olga’s similarities in that neither customer had their receipt when both attempted to get a refund for a faulty printer. Because of her frame of reference, Angela refunded William’s money after he articulately explained his situation. Olga, however, was denied a refund because she had a slight speech impediment. In order to respond with fairness, Angela needed to listen a) passively. b) ethically. c) legally. d) empathetically. Answer: b Rationale: Angela needed to listen ethically, meaning she needed to listen with a sense of fairness and impartiality, considering both customers' situations equally. 19) Police officer Henry had a very long and stressful day. When his daughter, Mary, asked him about it, he replied, “The day would not end! We had two 10-52s before 0700 hours, a 10-45D, and six 10-42s. All I wanted was to be 10-10!” Unfortunately, Mary had no idea what he was talking about because Officer Henry used _____ in his message. a) internal noise b) external noise c) jargon d) passivity Answer: c Rationale: Officer Henry used jargon, or specialized language, that is specific to his profession and not easily understood by those outside of it. 20) A jurist who not only is actively listening to trial information, but also is taking notes to aid her during the deliberation process, is doing so a) to help her paraphrase her thoughts. b) to help her remember the details of the trial. c) to help her empathize with the criminal. d) to help avoid external noise occurring outside. Answer: b Rationale: The jurist is taking notes to help her remember the details of the trial, which is important for making an informed decision during the deliberation process. 3.2 Short Answer Questions 1) ___________ listeners are involved verbally and nonverbally, avoid making judgments about the sender’s feelings, and communicate a sense of caring or empathy. Answer: Supportive 2) When ________ listening, we must first listen to the message before we evaluate the speaker’s message or intent. Use a type of active listening to fill in the blank. Answer: critically 3) Dallas is moving to Wyoming and she must leave all she knows and loves. She confides her deepest fears about the move to her friend, Noah. Noah wants to express outrage at her having to leave. Instead, he takes the focus off of himself and imagines what a sudden move must feel like from her point of view. What type of listening is Noah using? Answer: Empathetic 4) What do we call one’s physical ability to perceive sounds? Answer: Hearing 5) What do we call the process of giving thoughtful attention with more than our ears, including our eyes and heart? Answer: Listening 6) Mark studies math with his partner every day after school. One day during study time, Mark’s partner explained an extensive math problem to him. However, Mark did not quite understand. Mark asked his partner to explain it again. Mark was ________. Answer: questioning 7) What are the three types of active listening? Answer: The three types of active listening are informational, critical, and empathetic listening. 8) Restating another person’s message in our own words is called ________. Answer: paraphrasing 9) ________ requires that we clarify the meaning of a message, but also allows us to offer an alternative perception. Answer: Interpreting 10) Noise, delivery, language, message overload, and perception of ourselves and others are all variables that can interfere with our ability to ________. Answer: listen effectively 3.3 True/False Questions 1) Listening is one’s physical ability to perceive sounds. Answer: False Rationale: Listening is not just the physical act of perceiving sounds; it also involves actively paying attention and processing the meaning of those sounds. 2) Focusing on the many details in a conversation instead of the main ideas of the message is called message overload. Answer: True Rationale: Message overload occurs when we focus too much on the details of a message, which can hinder our ability to understand the main ideas. 3) Becoming an effective communicator begins with listening. Answer: True Rationale: Listening is essential for effective communication because it helps us understand others' perspectives and respond appropriately. 4) As empathetic listeners, we judge the statement of others while listening to their feelings. Answer: False Rationale: Empathetic listening involves understanding and sharing the feelings of others without judging them. 5) Listening includes using our eyes and our heart as well as our ears. Answer: True Rationale: Effective listening involves not only hearing the words but also paying attention to nonverbal cues and empathizing with the speaker. 6) Noise, delivery, language, and perceptions are variables that can interfere with our ability to listen. Answer: True Rationale: External noise, the way a message is delivered, the language used, and our own perceptions can all affect how well we listen. 7) Passive listening occurs when the only party involved in the message is the sender. Answer: True Rationale: Passive listening occurs when we listen without actively engaging with the message or the sender. 8) Hearing is more complex than listening because it demands that we concentrate on what others say to us. Answer: False Rationale: Listening is more complex than hearing because it involves not just hearing the words but also understanding and interpreting them. 9) Paralanguage means restating another person’s message into our own words. Answer: False Rationale: Paralanguage refers to the nonverbal elements of speech, such as tone, pitch, and pacing, rather than restating a message in our own words. 10) Jargon is highly specialized words that are usually understood by anyone who uses active listening. Answer: False Rationale: Jargon is specialized language used in a particular field or group that may not be easily understood by those outside that field or group. Active listening does not necessarily help in understanding jargon. 11) Manny, a nurse working in the emergency room, is an effective listener because he can focus on his patient and not himself nor the external noise from other possible distractions in the emergency room. Answer: True Rationale: Effective listening involves focusing on the speaker and not being distracted by external factors, which Manny demonstrates by focusing on his patient in a noisy environment. 12) Mustafa said to his mom, “I’ll be home by dinner time.” His mom said, “You’ll be home by 6 o’clock? I’ll see you then.” Rephrasing Mustafa’s message is known as paraphrasing. Answer: True Rationale: Paraphrasing involves restating a message in your own words to ensure understanding, which Mustafa's mom does by repeating Mustafa's message in a slightly different way. 13) Lawn mowers, rain, and crying babies are all examples of internal noise. Answer: False Rationale: Internal noise refers to distractions or thoughts within the listener's mind that interfere with listening. Lawn mowers, rain, and crying babies are examples of external noise. 14) Noise that interferes with our ability to listen has to be intentional. Answer: False Rationale: Noise that interferes with listening can be intentional, such as someone talking loudly nearby, or unintentional, such as background noise like traffic or machinery. 15) Hearing and listening are NOT the same thing. Answer: True Rationale: Hearing is the physical act of perceiving sound, while listening involves actively paying attention and processing the meaning of the sounds heard. 3.4 Matching Questions For the questions that follow, match the word or phrase with its meaning. a) Focusing on the content of the message in order to gain knowledge b) Our own thoughts or feelings that prevent us from listening c) Processing the meaning of a message d) Sounds or visual stimuli that draw our attention away from an intended message e) Evaluating the speaker’s message or intent f) Listening with a sense of purpose g) Highly specialized words used and understood by specific groups of people. h) Sender only partly involved in message i) Requesting additional information to help understand the message j) Clarifying the message and offering an alternative perception k) Restating another person’s message in our own words 1) Active listening 2) Critical listening 3) External noise 4) Questioning 5) Internal noise 6) Informational listening 7) Paraphrasing 8) Jargon 9) Interpreting 10) Passive listening Answers: 1) f 2) e 3) d 4) i 5) b 6) a 7) k 8) g 9) j 10) h 3.5 Essay Questions 1) Define empathetic listening. Define critical listening. What is the difference between these two types of listening? Answer: Empathetic listening is the ability to understand what someone else is feeling. It involves looking at a situation from the other person’s perspective. Critical listening requires that we first listen for information and then evaluate the speaker’s message for intent. The difference between empathetic listening and critical listening is that empathetic listening requires that we take the focus off of ourselves, putting ourselves in the other person’s shoes without judgment. Critical listening requires that we evaluate or judge what is said. 2) What is the difference between hearing and listening? Give an example of each. Answer: Hearing is one’s physical ability to perceive sounds. Listening is the process of giving thoughtful attention to what we hear. For example, riding on a train, a child is making sounds that Emma can hear. Since she does not know this child, her ears pick up the sounds but she does not assign meaning to them. The child’s voice, the train’s noisy hum, and other people’s conversations are merely background noise, which Emma ignores. However, when Emma gets home, her own daughter makes sounds, but Emma makes a conscience decision to pay attention. She assigns meaning to her child’s utterances and understands that her child is hungry and wants dinner. 3) Explain the differences between external and internal noise. Give examples of how noise can interfere with listening. Answer: External noise consists of sounds or visual stimuli that draw our attention away from an intended message. For example, Matthew’s Dad is mowing the lawn. Matthew is asking his Dad to take him to the bathroom. The Dad sees that his son needs something, but the lawn mower drowns out the son’s message. After three tries at receiving and understanding the message, the Dad gives up and continues to mow the lawn. Internal noise consists of our own thoughts or feelings that prevent us from listening to someone else’s message. For example, Grant is trying to concentrate on his professor’s lecture; however, he had an argument last night with his girlfriend. Instead of listening to a math lesson, Greg is replaying last night’s argument in his head. In both cases, Matthew and the professor were not successful at sending their messages because noise interfered with the receiver understanding what the other had to say. 4) Define questioning, paraphrasing, and interpreting. How are they similar? Different? Explain how questioning, paraphrasing, and interpreting improve our responsive listening skills. Answer: Questioning helps us understand the message by being involved in the interaction. We ask specific questions about the speaker’s message. Paraphrasing is restating the other person’s message in our own words. We digest the message and, by paraphrasing, ask for confirmation that we’ve understood the message. Interpreting is similar to paraphrasing in that it requires us to clarify the meaning of the message but interpreting could help the other person see things from our point of view. Responsive listening skills require that we interact with others and become directly involved in the communication process. By listening responsively and using questioning, paraphrasing, and interpreting, we can give the sender important feedback about their message and help them know how effectively they’ve communicated their message. 5) Remembering is an essential part of active listening. Note taking can help with that process. Identify the guidelines for effective note taking and discuss them. Answer: Effective note taking begins with becoming an active participant in the process. Some guidelines, according to Rademacher (2001), are as follows: 1. Write down any words or terms you don’t understand. 2. Try to determine the speaker’s argument or thesis statement. 3. Determine the speaker’s main ideas. 4. Write down anything the speaker repeats several times or has on a visual aid. Repetition signals that something is important. 5. Formulate questions about the message that you could ask the speaker later. 6. Don’t get caught up in all the details. Look for the overall message. Test Bank for Communication: Embracing Difference Daniel M. Dunn, Lisa J. Goodnight 9780205943661, 9780205865635, 9781269602877
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