Question 1

People who exhibit which of the following skills are more likely than others to be hired and promoted?

Accepted Answer

Listening is a crucial skill for effective communication and collaboration, making individuals more likely to be hired and promoted.

Question 2

Which listening style is the best defense against being fooled by "pseudo-profound" assertions-statements that sound smart but are misleading or nonsensical?

Accepted Answer

Mindful listening involves actively focusing on and analyzing the information being presented, rather than simply accepting it at face value. This can help prevent being fooled by pseudo-profound statements by encouraging critical thinking and questioning.

Question 3

According to Stephen Covey, what do highly effective listeners do that sets them apart from others?

Accepted Answer

According to Stephen Covey, highly effective listeners listen to understand, rather than just pretending to listen or rehearsing what they want to say next. They also give nonverbal responses when listening, but this is not the main factor that sets them apart.

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT considered a reason one should strive to be a better listener?

Accepted Answer

While practicing listening can improve your listening skills, it is not a primary reason to strive to be a better listener. The other options all highlight important benefits of effective listening in different aspects of life.

Question 5

Which of the following is an accurate statement about listening?

Accepted Answer

Listening is an active process that requires conscious effort and attention. It involves not just hearing the words being spoken, but also understanding the meaning behind them. Therefore, listening is a skill that needs to be learned and practiced. Option A is not entirely accurate as people may remember more or less than three quarters of what they hear. Option C is incorrect as hearing and listening are two different processes where hearing refers to the physical act of receiving sound, while listening refers to making sense of what is heard. Option D is also incorrect as listening requires conscious effort and attention, and is not always an automatic or natural process.

Question 6

Which of the following is the act of paying attention to a signal?

Accepted Answer

Attending refers to the act of paying attention to a signal, while understanding refers to comprehension, listening involves actively focusing on and interpreting sounds, and hearing simply refers to the physical ability to perceive sounds.

Question 7

When the brain interprets sound and gives meaning to the sound, it is called ____________.

Accepted Answer

Listening involves not just hearing the sound but also interpreting and giving meaning to it, which is a cognitive process.

Question 8

Which of the following describes the degree of similarity between what a listener understands and what the sender was attempting to communicate?

Accepted Answer

Listening fidelity refers to the degree of congruence between what a listener understands and what the message sender was attempting to communicate, focusing on the accuracy of receiving the intended message.

Question 9

People who exhibit listening fidelity __________.

Accepted Answer

"Listening fidelity" refers to the degree to which a listener accurately comprehends a speaker's message. Therefore, the best choice is D, as people who exhibit listening fidelity accurately comprehend the intent of the speaker's message. Choices A and B are incorrect because they do not necessarily relate to listening fidelity, and choice C is too vague to be a definitive answer.

Question 10

Listening is a necessary element of which part of the transactional communication model?

Accepted Answer

Listening is a crucial part of the feedback process in the transactional communication model, as it allows the receiver to understand and interpret the message, and then respond appropriately.

Question 11

When you shop online for athletic shoes, and you suddenly get inundated with ads for athletic apparel, social media professionals call this behavior by marketers

Accepted Answer

This behavior by marketers is called "listening." Marketers use cookies and other data collection methods to track a user's online activity and target them with specific ads based on their behavior. While some may find this strategy to be creepy or unethical, it is a common practice in online advertising.

Question 12

According to researchers, on average, what percentage of information can a person remember immediately after hearing it?

Accepted Answer

Research suggests that, on average, a person can remember about 50 percent of information immediately after hearing it.

Question 13

We process so much information every day-from instructors, friends, social media, TV, and other sources, the part we eventually remember is called the

Accepted Answer

The information we remember after processing various sources is referred to as the residual message. This term highlights the lasting impact or what remains in our memory after exposure to information.

Question 14

When you are fully present with others-paying close attention to their gestures, manner, and silences, as well as to what they say, you are listening

Accepted Answer

Mindful listening involves being fully present and attentive to the speaker. This means not only focusing on their words but also their nonverbal cues and the overall situation. Defensive listening, on the other hand, involves perceiving perceived threats and reacting with a defensive posture.

Question 15

Steven is in his office writing an e-mail while talking to his supervisor on the phone about an important project. At the same time, he is keeping an eye out for a text message from his daughter. Suddenly, a coworker pops into the office to let Steven know that, in five minutes, they will be meeting downstairs to go to lunch. Fifteen minutes later, Steven walks downstairs only to find, to his surprise, that his coworkers left without him. Which of the following may be the most likely explanation for Steven's failure to meet his coworkers at the correct time?

Accepted Answer

Steven was multitasking, trying to write an email, talk to his supervisor, and keep an eye out for a text message while also receiving information from his coworker. This likely led to message overload and Steven mishearing or misunderstanding the message about the lunch meeting.

Question 16

Anita had received some upsetting news just before beginning her shift as a server. All evening long, Anita was taking people's orders incorrectly. She was also having trouble listening to her manager's directions. Which reason best explains Anita's poor work performance?

Accepted Answer

Anita's poor work performance can be attributed to psychological noise, which refers to any internal or mental interference that affects the communication process. In this case, Anita's upsetting news was affecting her ability to process information and pay attention to her manager's instructions.

Question 17

All during class, Deandra was distracted by the construction work going on outside. As a result, she couldn't remember most of the teacher's lecture. Deandra's listening difficulties, in other words, were caused by __________.

Accepted Answer

Deandra's listening difficulties were caused by physical noise, which refers to any sound that interferes with the communication process. In this case, the construction work outside was a source of physical noise that made it difficult for her to concentrate on the teacher's lecture.

Question 18

Glancing at your phone several times during Thanksgiving dinner annoys your grandmother who travelled here from Germany and even made your favorite dessert. She accuses you of not listening to her even though you heard every word. Her annoyance at your listening skills is likely a result of

Accepted Answer

Your grandmother's annoyance is likely due to cultural differences. In Germany, it may be considered rude to be constantly looking at your phone during a meal, while in other cultures it may be more acceptable. Your grandmother may not understand this difference and may interpret it as a lack of respect or interest in her.

Question 19

John and Cynthia went on a date. During dinner, John consistently made eye contact with Cynthia and nodded his head as she was talking. However, instead of focusing exclusively on Cynthia, John was thinking about the game that he was missing. Which type of faulty listening behavior was John exhibiting?

Accepted Answer

John was pretending to listen by making eye contact and nodding, but his mind was focused on something else, making him pseudolisten.

Question 20

Which type of listener only pays attention to the parts of conversation that are interesting to them?

Accepted Answer

A selective listener only pays attention to certain parts of a conversation that they find interesting, while disregarding the rest.

Quiz 6: Nonverbal Communication