Listening is an active process of receiving, constructing meaning from, and responding to spoken or non-verbal messages, unlike hearing which is simply receiving sound. The listening process involves paying attention, processing information in working memory, and retaining information in either short-term or long-term memory. There are natural barriers to effective listening like distractions, biases, and limitations in memory. Improving listening skills can help build relationships, determine truthfulness, and lead to business and workplace success.

1. Listening
Process

2. Listening
VS
Hearing

3. Hearing
• act of receiving sound

4. Listening
• the active process of receiving,
constructing meaning from, and
responding to spoken or non-
verbal messages

5. Listening
• involves the ability to retain
information, react emphatically,
and appreciate to spoken or non-
verbal messages

6. Listening
• primary way that we understand
others, enrich our own lives, and
learn important and vital
information

7. Listening Process

8. “Upon hearing your favorite song, the
voice of your favorite artist, or the sound
of a police siren, you immediately know
what they mean. Your interpreted
message is then stored in short-term
memory for immediate use or in long-
term memory for future recall.”
(Janusik, 2005)

9. Natural Barriers in the
Listening Process
A. Attention
Selective Attention
focus we give to the stimuli we deem
important

10. A. Attention
Automatic Attention
focus we give tot the stimuli signaling in
our surroundings, stimuli that we deem
important, stimuli that we perceive to
signal changes
Natural Barriers in the
Listening Process

11. B. Working Memory
-part of our consciousness that interprets and
assigns meaning to stimuli we pay attention to
Natural Barriers in the
Listening Process

12. B. Working Memory
-recognizing patterns and immediately assigns
meaning
Natural Barriers in the
Listening Process

13. C. Short-term Memory
-temporary storage place for information
-retain thoughts that we want to use
immediately but do not necessarily want to
keep for future reference
Natural Barriers in the
Listening Process

14. C. Short-term Memory
-limitations in quantity or duration of stored
information
*POST IT
Natural Barriers in the
Listening Process

15. D. Long-Term Memory
-permanent storage place for information: past
experiences, language, values, knowledge,
images of people, memories of sights, sounds,
and smells and even fantasies
Natural Barriers in the
Listening Process

16. D. Long-Term Memory
-no limitation in the quantity and duration of
stored information
Natural Barriers in the
Listening Process

17. D. Long-Term Memory
“Schema” : organizational ‘filing systems’ for our
thoughts held in long-term memory
Natural Barriers in the
Listening Process

18. • How come we forget things
even if it is in the long-term
memory already?

19. Barriers to Listening
NOISE
Physical Distractions
All the stimuli in the environment that keep
you from focusing on the message.
example: loud music playing

20. Barriers to Listening
NOISE
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

21. Barriers to Listening
NOISE
Factual Distractions
Focusing so intently on the details that you
miss the main point.
example: listening to all the details of a
conversation but forgetting the main idea

22. Barriers to Listening
NOISE
Semantic Disorders
Overresponding to an emotion-laden word or
concept.
example: not listening to a teacher when he/
she mentions “Marxist Theory”

23. Barriers to Listening
Perception of Others
Status
Devoting attention based on the social
standing, rank or perceived value of another.
example: not listening to a freshmen group
activity

24. Barriers to Listening
Perception of Others
Stereotypes
Treating individuals as if they are the same as
others in a given category.
example: assuming all older people have similar
opinions

25. Barriers to Listening
Perception of Others
Sights and sounds
Letting appearances or voice qualities affect
your listening
example: not listening to a person with a
screechy voice

26. Barriers to Listening
Yourself
Egocentrism
Excessive self-focus, or seeing yourself as the
central concern in every conversation
example: assuming all older people have similar
opinions

27. Barriers to Listening
Yourself
Defensiveness
Acting threatened and feeling like you must
defend what you have said and done.
example: assuming others’ comments are veiled
criticisms of you

28. Barriers to Listening
Yourself
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

29. Barriers to Listening
Yourself
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

30. Barriers to Listening
Yourself
Pseudolistening
Pretending to listen but letting your mind or
attention wander to something else.
example: daydreaming while your professor is
lecturing

31. Importance of Listening
• Listening helps us build and
maintain relationships and can
even help us determine whether
the person we are to talking to is
being deceitful. (diBatista, 1997)

32. • Listening is also recognized as
an essential skill for business
success. (Haigh, 2006)
Importance of Listening

33. • Because of effective listening, we
are able to improve workplace
relationships and be more
productive. (Nichols, 2006)
Importance of Listening

34. References
• Lucas, Stephen E. (2009). The Art of Public
Speaking. 10th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill
Companies, Inc.
• Pearson, J. et. al. (2008). Human
Communication. 3rd ed. New York: McGraw-
Hill Companies, Inc.