Listening Style Inventory (LSI)

The following items relate to your listening style. Please read each question and quickly
indicate your opinion circling the appropriate number according to the scale below.

1- Almost Never 3- Sometimes 4- Often

2- Seldom 5- Almost always

1. I want to listen to what others have to say when 1 2 3 4 5

they are talking.

2. I do not listen attentively when others are talking. 1 2 3 4 5

3. By listening, I can guess a speaker’s intent or 1 2 3 4 5

purpose without being told.

4. I have a purpose for listening when others are 1 2 3 4 5

talking.

5. I keep control of my biases and attitudes when 1 2 3 4 5

listening to others speak so that these factors
won’t affect my interpretation of the message.

6. I analyze my listening errors so as not to make 1 2 3 4 5

them again.

7. I listen to the complete message before making 1 2 3 4 5

judgments about what the speaker has said.

8. I cannot tell when a speaker’s biases or attitudes 1 2 3 4 5

are affecting his or her message.

9. I ask questions when I don’t fully understand a 1 2 3 4 5

speaker’s message.

10. I am aware of whether or not a speaker’s meaning 1 2 3 4 5

of words and concepts is the same as mine.

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LSI Scoring:
 Reverse your answers to items 2 and 8. For example, if you answered 5, cross
that out and circle the 1; if you answered 4, cross that out and enter 2; and so on.

 Then add the total of all of your answers – you should have a score of between
10 and 50.

 Compare your total score to the interpretation information below

Interpretation:
Active (45 - 50)
The active listener gives full attention to listening when others are talking and focuses
on what is being said. This person expends a lot of energy participating in the speaking-
listening exchange, which is usually evidenced by an alert posture or stance and much
direct eye contact.

Involved (38 - 44)

The involved listener gives most of his or her attention to the speaker’s words and
intentions. This person reflects on the message to a degree and participates in the
speaking-listening exchange. The involved listener practices some direct eye contact
and may have alert posture or stance, although this may be intermittent.

Passive (28 - 37)

The passive listener receives information as though being talked to rather than as being
an equal partner in the speaking-listening exchange. While assuming that the
responsibility for the success of the communication is the speaker’s, this listener is
usually attentive, although attention may be faked at times. The passive listener seldom
expends any noticeable energy in receiving and interpreting messages.

Detached (10 - 27)

The detached listener withdraws from the speaking-listening exchange and becomes
the object of the speaker’s message rather than its receiver. The detached listener is
usually inattentive, disinterested, and may be restless, bored, or easily distracted. This
person’s noticeable lack of enthusiasm may be marked by slumped or very relaxed
posture and avoidance of direct eye contact.

The listening inventory gives a general idea of preferred listening style, how a person
views themselves. The scores indicating styles are approximations and should be
regarded as such. A person may change listening style when responding to a given
situation or their interests, intentions, or objectives. Such factors may be either internally
or externally derived.

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 Listening Style Inventory (LSI) INFORMATION SHEET
There are generally three basic parts of communication. Firstly, message originates in
the mind of a speaker (sender) who must possess a set of unique values which control
the manner of encoding a message, through words or gestures. The coded message is
then translated into commonly understood symbols, verbal, nonverbal, or written. The
speaker (sender) must then select some means, or channel, for transmitting these
symbols. Secondly, the receiver (listener) must tune into the appropriate channel and
decode or translate the message based on a similar set of unique values, as possessed
by the speaker (sender). Finally, the receiver (listener) has the option of responding to
the message which provides feedback to the speaker (sender) either through verbal,
nonverbal or written form. At whatever level listeners are functioning, they will be
perceived as effective or ineffective listeners by speakers based on the feedback they
provide. Verbal and nonverbal attending behaviors are an integral component of the
listening process.
The human process of efficient listening requires selection, segregation, and integration
of information at a fast speed. According to Imhoff (1998), listening includes both verbal
and nonverbal information, such as paralinguistic characteristics of speech (e.g.,
prosody and timbre, body language, and situation and contextual cues). Selection
suggests that a conscious decision is made during which discrimination occurs between
relevant and irrelevant information. This discriminating activity requires the use of
concentration and focus, both of which challenge the individual’s ability to process the
information. She also reported previous research which indicated a series of bad
listening habits, which include but are not limited to, “turn-taking skills, inappropriate
body language, avoiding difficult and uninteresting material, mental passivity and
mindlessness in listening, failure to sustain attention, or mature judgment and
evaluation of what is being said, obsession with detail, failure to integrate several
sources of information, interrupting, and uncontrolled emotional response” (Imhoff,
1998: 84).
Successful communication depends on the speaker to correctly encode; the channel of
communication of free of distortion, and the receiver (listener) is successful in decoding
the message. Incorrectly encoding-decoding can cause significant problems in
communication. In terms of technical language, S.O.B. to a physician means “short of
breath” but in American slang it has a very derogative meaning, “son of a bitch.” The
English symbols for water temperature found on most faucets are “H” for hot and “C” for
cold. But when these letter symbols are translated into Spanish, they mean just the
opposite. In Spanish word for ice is “H” for “helado” and the symbol for warm is “C” for
“Caliente”. What this difference illustrates is that language and culture are important for
encoding and decoding messages.

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Effectiveness and appropriateness are two different concepts related to human
communication. Effectiveness is the degree to which a person is able to accomplish
communication goals. Appropriateness addresses social acceptability of communication
goals. Effectiveness requires that the communication interaction goals of need, desire,
and intention are met and satisfied. Appropriateness, on the other hand, requires that
listeners understand the content of the interaction and avoid excessive violation of
conversational norms or rules. Dillon and McKenzie (1998) reported that scholars
disagreed on the particular communication behaviors that led to appropriate and
effective perception. The two concepts of effectiveness and appropriateness, however,
are the basis for competence.