Real Communication An Introduction

160 Part 1  Basic Communication Processes

situations, you need to listen for information; in others, you must listen for ideas,

emotions, or enjoyment. You listen to comprehend, to evaluate, to communicate

empathy, and to appreciate (Steil, Barker, & Watson, 1983). And sometimes you

listen with all these goals in mind.

Informational Listening

When you listen to a weather report on the radio, attend a lecture, or hear the

details of your significant other’s day at work, your primary goal is to understand

what’s being said. Through this process of informational listening (sometimes

referred to as comprehensive listening), you seek to understand a message. As a

student, you use informational listening extensively to understand concepts and

information your instructors are presenting to you. Anyone giving you directions,

providing instructions, or telling a story all require informational listening

from you.

Questions are important aids to informational listening. Through questioning

techniques, you coordinate what the speaker is saying with what you are hearing.

Asking such questions signals that you are listening; it also indicates to the

speaker that you are tuned in and interested. Questions can also help a speaker

become more effective by getting to the points that will do the listener the most

good.

Critical Listening

Most listening is informational, but we sometimes need to go a step further—to

making a judgment about a message we’re hearing. When you evaluate or ana-

lyze information, evidence, ideas, or opinions, you engage in critical listening

(sometimes called evaluative listening). This type of listening is valuable when

you cannot take a message at face value. Most of us probably need to employ this

CONNECT

When listening for informa-
tional purposes, you may
ask primary and secondary
questions, which first seek
information and then clarify
the speaker’s message
(see the Interviewing
Appendix). Secondary
questions are particularly
useful in job interviews
because they show the
interviewer that you are
an engaged listener who
desires to learn more
specific information
about the position and
organization.

Type

Informational

Critical

Empathic

Appreciative

Description

Listening to

understand, learn,

realize, or recognize

Listening to judge,

analyze, or evaluate

Listening to provide

therapy, comfort, and

sympathy

Listening for enjoy-

ment of what is being

presented

Strategies

Listen for main ideas or details;

take speaker’s perspective; use

memory effectively

Determine speaker’s goal;

evaluate source of message;

question logic, reasoning, and

evidence of message

Focus on speaker’s perspective;

give supportive feedback; show

caring; demonstrate patience;

avoid judgment; focus on

speaker’s goal

Remove physical and time

distractions; know more about

originator (author, artist, com-

poser); explore new appreciative

listening opportunities

TABLE 6.1

LISTENING GOALS