Listening: Attitudes, Principles & Skills Chapter 6 Objectives After completing this chapter, you will become more aware of: The influence of your attitudes on your interpretations of meanings The impact of nonverbal behavior on the interpretation of meanings The importance of empathy to effective listening Everyday listening problems causesd by the misinterpretation of messages

Types of Empathy Cognitive – taking the role of another person and seeing the world as he/she sees it Perceptive – sensitivity to nonverbal communication and ability to interpret feelings Behavioral – ability to demonstrate verbal and nonverbal cues that indicate you are listening to and care about the other person

Questions for Empathic Listeners Do I understand the person speaking? Are my personal feelings affecting me? Am I sensitive to my partner’s nonverbal cues? Do I sincerely care about the other person? Do my nonverbal behaviors suggest openness and interest?

Components of Behavioral Empathy Open body orientation Strong, comfortable eye contact Physical readiness to listen Minimal reinforcers at appropriate intervals

Emotional Intelligence A form of social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use this information to guide one’s thinking and action. EQ has been linked to listening effectiveness.

EQ & Associated Competencies self-Awareness, emotional awareness, empathy, self-confidence, self-management, emotional self-control, trustworthiness, relationship management, developing others, teamwork (D. Goleman, 1998)

Increased Eye Contact Discussing impersonal topics At a distance from your partner Attracted to your partner Talking with your supervisor Extroverted Self confident Female Interested in your partner’s reactions

Nonverbal Listening Behaviors Direct eye contact Touching Smiling Nodding Eyes wide open A forward lean Positive facial expression Open posture

Silence Effective listeners are comfortable with silence. Notice your next conversation and try to determine how long there is silence before someone feels the need to speak.

Characteristics of Voice You can vary your voice along 4 dimensions: Volume – loud & soft Rate – fast & slow Pitch – high & law Quality – hoarse, harsh, breathy, strident, etc.