Here are 8 types of listening that you ought to be aware of.

1. Biased Listening

This type of listening does what it says on the tin – we hear things that confirm our
preconceived biases, opinions, or expectations.

We hear what we want to hear… what we think we ​should be​ hearing.

And we do this subconsciously, without even realizing it.

This is due to a wide variety of factors and often happens in the workplace or personal
relationships where stress and emotions are involved.

For example, we think we hear our bosses say something because we’re almost
expecting them to say it, be it a deadline or praise.

And there are plenty of things that can influence what we think is being said.

Our initial judgement of a person​ or situation can really affect how we hear and interpret
things.

The way someone looks, their tone of voice, and other factors can impact what we think
they’re going to say, and we pre-empt their actual speech with our expectations.

2. Sympathetic Listening

Again, this is pretty self-explanatory, but it’s also a very important form of listening!

Sympathetic listening is our way of showing that we understand what a person is saying
and how it is affecting them.

It shows that we care about them.

This kind of listening is common among ​close friends​, partners, and family members.
It links very closely to body language, so you’re likely to see head tilts, sighing, and
nodding.

The trouble with this type of listening is that it can be quite easily faked or staged. Since
we all know what to expect from people when they’re being sympathetic, it’s easy to
replicate this.

3. ​Empathetic Listening

This is really similar to sympathetic listening, but takes things to a new level.

Rather than looking on as an observer and feeling ​for​ the person (be it sadness, anger,
or joy!), empathetic listeners essentially experience the feelings for themselves.

This is a sign of a really close friendship or relationship – to feel someone’s pain or

happiness is to love them and care deeply for them.

It can be quite intense at times and can really weigh deeply on the listener if they are
not careful.

This style of listening is also known as ​Therapeutic Listening​, and for obvious reasons.

By putting ourselves in someone else’s shoes, we’re better able to help them through
their situation.

This allows us to offer a version of therapy where we walk the individual through
whatever they are experiencing as if we are experiencing it for ourselves.

That means we can give tailored advice, ​without making judgments​, and offer up
suggestions of what we would do.

4. Critical Listening

Critical listening involves just that – being critical about what is being said, taking the
important bits and making a judgment as needed.
Essentially, this type of listening is great in the business world – it helps listeners get to
the point quickly and keeps things streamlined and efficient.

By using critical listening as a skill, we can ​make decisions​ sooner as well as coming up
with solutions to problems and analysis of situations much quicker.

‘Critical’ can often have a negative connotation, but in this context, it simply means
cutting through what is being said to lift out the most important, relevant parts.

This is a great skill to learn when it comes to business meetings, anything involving
finances, and any kind of high-stress situation.

By taking on board the most crucial information from what someone says, we can learn
to reach a conclusion much sooner and more easily.

‘Critical’ also means to scrutinize what is being said and take some things with a pinch
of salt. It requires us to seek the truth amongst the noise of opinion and exaggeration.

Critical listening is a key part of the ​critical thinking process​.

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5. Informational Listening

This is all about paying attention to the information being conveyed by the speaker.

It’s similar to critical listening in that we retain the parts that are most important, but it
differs in that we’re doing so in order to learn rather than to streamline a process.
Informational listening is our way of being educated through speech – we listen to the
news or attend classes to learn things; to gain new information and insights.

This type of listening often involves practical or technical content.

Learning through hearing requires attention in ways that other types of listening don’t –
it’s more about concentrating on content than offering advice, watching for physical
cues, or having a deeper emotional understanding.

People who use this type of listening the most are normally studying on some level
(high school student, university students, etc.) or working in a business environment.

If you’re attending a meeting and you’re learning about a new product launch or
marketing campaign, you’re likely to be using a combination of informational and critical
listening.

Whilst you’re focusing on what you can learn by hearing, you’re likely to be taking
physical notes and paying attention to body language, too.

Developing your informational listening skills is a great way to set yourself up if you’re
starting a new job, beginning a new academic adventure, or fancy doing some
self-development studies around things that really interest you.

6. Appreciative Listening

This may be our favorite listening style…

Sure, we love having deep and meaningful chats, and we’re all for learning something
new from the latest nature documentary, but listening to something for pleasure is
wonderful.

It might be that certain pieces of music really boost your mood, or that your favorite
radio hosts are part of your morning routine that sets you up for a good day.

This type of listening can be done on your own or with others who have a mutual
appreciation for whatever it is you enjoy.
This is normally done outside of work hours, with a lot of people enjoying radio dramas
on a lazy Sunday afternoon or live music on a Friday night!

7. Selective Listening

This must be something we’ve all been accused of in the past, but it’s not always our
fault.

Selective listening essentially means that we only hear what we want to hear and often
tune out to other things because we find them irrelevant or boring!

Out of all the types of listening, this is probably the only one that can have negative
connotations. It suggests trouble with communicating, empathizing, or paying attention.

If you often find yourself drifting out of conversations, it may be that you’re struggling
with selective hearing.

Do your best to really focus on what’s being said, especially in important situations like
work meetings, job interviews, and times when those close to you are confiding in you
about something personal or upsetting.

8. Rapport Listening

We thought we’d end on a high note with a style of listening that is really positive and
lovely.

Rapport listening involves quite a few of the styles we’ve already mentioned, but takes
things to a different level.

This type of listening is the one we use when we’re trying to build a relationship.

We really want to engage with what’s being said. To show a keen interest and be ready
to respond with something appropriate.

Our responses need to be tailored to whoever is speaking and match the tone of the
conversation.