Types of Listening
You probably hear commands such as “Listen to me!” during interpersonal
communications, but the speaker wants you to hear what he is saying, and to
interpret his meaning. Context and relationship define the type of listening ~~
active, empathic, critical or enjoyment -- that is most effective in any given
situation
Empathic Listening
Empathic listening, more than any other listening skill, is focused on the
needs of the speaker. When you listen with empathy, you let the speaker
know you care about her. Without passing judgment or offering advice, the
empathic listener encourages the speaker -- through body language and
subtle cues -- to tell his story or state his grievances. The purpose of
empathic listening is to allow another person to release emotions.
Critical Listening
Unlike empathic listening, which is non-judgmental, critical listening
involves judgment. During critical listening, a listener takes into
consideration the possible motives of the speaker and the context, as well as
the words. When a salesman points out the qualities of an item, a critical
listener analyzes the speaker's words and the situation and makes
judgments about the speaker's truthfulness or sincerity, as well as the
usefulness of the item to the listener.
Active Listening
Active listening is aptly described by the Chinese picture symbol for “listen.”
On the left is the symbol for ear, and on the right are symbols for eyes, paying
attention and heart. Both empathic and critical listening skills are used
during active listening, and even silence is an important part of active
listening, according to the article "Active Listening’ on the U.S. Department of
State website. By withholding judgments, solutions or advice, the active
listener sometimes simply waits and uses non-verbal language to let the
speaker know that he is paying attention. Unlike empathic listening, active
listening involves asking questions and seeking to understand the other
person’s meaning. Like critical listening, active listening analyzes the
speaker's words for intent.
Listening for Enjoyment
Listening for enjoyment involves attending to sounds for pleasure. Through
enjoyment listening people are entertained and emotionally and physically
affected as pleasure centers in the brain are activated. Paying attention to
music is one of the most popular forms of enjoyment listening. Listening to
sports broadcasts, comedians or poetry readings are other examples oflistening for pleasure