Listening and Critical Listening and Critical ThinkingThinking

Chapter 5Chapter 5

ListeningListening

HearingHearing• ““The act of receiving sound” (p. 110)The act of receiving sound” (p. 110)

ListeningListening• ““The The activeactive process of receiving, process of receiving,

constructing meaningconstructing meaning from, and from, and respondingresponding to spoken and/or nonverbal to spoken and/or nonverbal messages. It involves the ability to messages. It involves the ability to retain retain informationinformation, as well as to , as well as to react react empathicallyempathically and/or and/or appreciativelyappreciatively to to spoken and/or nonverbal messages” (p. 111)spoken and/or nonverbal messages” (p. 111)

ListeningListening

WHY WOULD I SAY THIS?WHY WOULD I SAY THIS?• To listen, it is important that you hear, To listen, it is important that you hear,

but not necessarily.but not necessarily.

• You can’t listen to the chirp of a bird.You can’t listen to the chirp of a bird. Can you appreciate the chirp of a bird?Can you appreciate the chirp of a bird?

The Listening ProcessThe Listening Process

1)1) AttentionAttention

2)2) Working memoryWorking memory

3)3) Short-term memoryShort-term memory

4)4) Long-term memoryLong-term memory

The Listening ProcessThe Listening Process

1.1. AttentionAttention Selective Attention – Selective Attention – “The sustained “The sustained

focus we give stimuli”focus we give stimuli” Focusing on what we think is important.Focusing on what we think is important.

Automatic Attention – Automatic Attention – “Instinctive “Instinctive focus”focus”

Attention that happens when we notice a Attention that happens when we notice a change in our environment.change in our environment.

The Listening ProcessThe Listening Process

2.2. Working MemoryWorking Memory ““the part of our consciousness that the part of our consciousness that

interprets and assigns meaning to interprets and assigns meaning to stimuli we pay attention to” (p. 112)stimuli we pay attention to” (p. 112)

(Momentary understandings(Momentary understandings))

Example: ReadingExample: Reading Example: StoriesExample: Stories

The Listening ProcessThe Listening Process

3.3. Short-term Memory Short-term Memory ““a temporary storage place for a temporary storage place for

information” (p. 113)information” (p. 113)

Limited to 7 (+/- 2) bits of information.Limited to 7 (+/- 2) bits of information. Telephone numbersTelephone numbers Street addressesStreet addresses A sentence or so.A sentence or so.

The Listening ProcessThe Listening Process

4.4. Long-term memoryLong-term memory ““permanent storage place for permanent storage place for

information”information”

SchemaSchema ““organizational ‘filing systems’ for our organizational ‘filing systems’ for our

thoughts”thoughts” Webs of informationWebs of information What is a “nerd”? “house”? What is a “nerd”? “house”? Triggered by a couple of concepts.Triggered by a couple of concepts. Stereotypes?Stereotypes?

Schema for an Office….Schema for an Office….

Four Different Types of ListeningFour Different Types of Listening

ActiveActive EmpathicEmpathic CriticalCritical EnjoymentEnjoyment

Active ListeningActive Listening

Active listeningActive listening• ““Involved listening with a purpose” (p. Involved listening with a purpose” (p.

115).115).

• Four stepsFour steps::1)1) Listening carefullyListening carefully by using all available by using all available

senses.senses.2)2) ParaphrasingParaphrasing what is heard both what is heard both

mentally and verballymentally and verbally3)3) CheckingChecking understanding(s) to ensure understanding(s) to ensure

accuracy.accuracy.4)4) Providing Providing feedbackfeedback. (answering). (answering)

Active Listening PracticeActive Listening Practice

1) Pick a buddy in your group.1) Pick a buddy in your group. OU-Chubu Chubu-OUOU-Chubu Chubu-OU

2) Tell them what you did this morning.2) Tell them what you did this morning.

3) Ask questions.3) Ask questions.

3) Paraphrase what was said.3) Paraphrase what was said.

Empathic ListeningEmpathic Listening

Empathic ListeningEmpathic Listening• ““A form of active listening in which you A form of active listening in which you

attempt to understand the other attempt to understand the other person” (p. 115)person” (p. 115)

Being fully engaged In the moment.Being fully engaged In the moment. Attempting to understand another person’s Attempting to understand another person’s

worldview as if it were your own.worldview as if it were your own.

Empathic Listening in Empathic Listening in RelationshipsRelationships

Ask for additional informationAsk for additional information Vary verbal responsesVary verbal responses Give affirmative and affirming Give affirmative and affirming

responsesresponses Restate/Paraphrase what was saidRestate/Paraphrase what was said

Critical ListeningCritical Listening

Critical listeningCritical listening• ““Challenging the speaker’s message by Challenging the speaker’s message by

evaluating its accuracy, meaningfulness, evaluating its accuracy, meaningfulness, and utility” (p. 116).and utility” (p. 116).

• Critical thinking takes critical listening.Critical thinking takes critical listening.

Critical ThinkingCritical Thinking

What are the dangers of not thinking What are the dangers of not thinking critically?critically?

ArgumentsArguments• Something the speaker is trying to Something the speaker is trying to

prove.prove.

• We are continuously being convinced of We are continuously being convinced of something.something.

Critical ListeningCritical Listening

Source credibilitySource credibility• ““The extent to which the speaker is The extent to which the speaker is

perceived as competent to make the perceived as competent to make the claims he or she is making” (p. 120).claims he or she is making” (p. 120).

Critical Listening/ThinkingCritical Listening/Thinking

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beJ9yJpR_DA&feature=related

The kid is thinking critically about The kid is thinking critically about what Bill O’Reilly is saying.what Bill O’Reilly is saying.

Critical ListeningCritical Listening

Information literacyInformation literacy• ““An individual must recognize when An individual must recognize when

information is needed and have the information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the information needed” (p. effectively the information needed” (p. 127) to evaluate a claim or argument.127) to evaluate a claim or argument.

Search enginesSearch engines http://www.factcheck.org/ .com .org .edu .com .org .edu

Listening for EnjoymentListening for Enjoyment

Enjoyment listeningEnjoyment listening• ““seeking out situations involving seeking out situations involving

relaxing, fun, or emotionally stimulating relaxing, fun, or emotionally stimulating information” (p. 116). information” (p. 116).

• Music, friends, natureMusic, friends, nature

Critical ThinkingCritical Thinking

We are constantly receiving We are constantly receiving information.information.• FriendsFriends• Classmates Classmates • AdvertisementsAdvertisements• SocietySociety

We need to critically think about the We need to critically think about the information we come in contact with.information we come in contact with.

Questions???Questions???