Category: Sample

A sample is the exemplary part of something. An example is the best synonym for sample.  Another word for a sample is specimen, case, sampling, and example. The instance is the synonym of the sample.

Listening Styles- People, Content, Action & Time Oriented Listening

Listening Styles. The 4 Listening Styles are People-oriented listening, Content-oriented listening, Action-oriented listening, and Time-oriented listening style.

Listening Styles

Listening is the active and intentional process of hearing something. In contrast, hearing is an unintentional method of perceiving sound. Scholars have identified four types of listening styles: People-oriented listening, Content-oriented listening, Action-oriented listening, and Time-oriented listening. Similarly, the four types of listeners are people-oriented, content-oriented, action-oriented, and time-oriented. The acronym PACT represents these four types of listening styles.

Listening Styles

The four listening styles are:
  1. People-oriented
  2. Content-oriented
  3. Action-oriented
  4. Time-oriented listening Style

Styles of Listening

1. People-Oriented Listening Style

In the people-oriented listening style, listeners focus on the feeling of others. They show their feeling and emotion to other people while communicating. People-oriented listeners pay more attention to the speaker than the information or message. Therefore, they are called people-oriented listeners. People-oriented listeners are intended to find the topic of common interest. They are susceptible to others’ emotions and feelings.

These kinds of listeners may also become distracted by others’ problems. They may engage in too many side conversations during meetings.

Example of the people-oriented listeners

For example, an audience is crying for listening to the tragic history of the speaker’s mother, who passed away. Here, the listener has also lost their mother, and they like to talk about the issue of the mother.

Strategies to Communicate with People-Oriented Listeners

Use inspirational examples and appeals; use “we” rather than “I” during communicating with people-oriented listeners.

Key Takeaways

People-oriented listeners focus and pay special attention to the speaker rather than the actual message delivered by the speaker.

2. Action-Oriented Listening Style

In the Action-oriented listening style, listeners look forward to the key point of the speech. They like to listen to the topic sentence and thesis statement of the speech rather than the details. Action-oriented listeners are active audiences, and they respond quickly when required. They give clear feedback concerning expectations. They also encourage others to be organized and concise while speaking to others. After all, they are not interested in the relational communication dimension.

Example of the Action-oriented listeners

A speaker is delivering his speech about the negative impact of social media. A listener asked the speaker if they would like to tell how to prevent the adverse effects of social media. He is an example of an action-oriented listener who finds the critical point of the speech.

Strategies to Communicate with Action-Oriented Listeners

Deliver your speech in an organized way—outline delivering the speech. Keep main points to three or fewer; speak at a rapid but controlled rate.

Key Takeaways

Action-oriented listeners pay particular attention to the critical points of the speech.

3. Content-Oriented Listening Style

In the content-oriented listening style, listeners evaluate the fact and evidence distributed by the speaker. They like statistical reports, examples, advantages, disadvantages, and challenging information. They pay more attention to technical details rather than general information. Content-oriented listeners prefer to receive complex or challenging information. They are cautious in evaluating information before forming an opinion by asking questions.

Example of content-oriented listeners

For example, an audience requests the speaker to show a statistical report on the negative impact of social media. When the speaker showed a statistic report, he was verifying the report with Google scholar.

Strategies for Communicating with content-oriented Listeners

Provide authentically verified information. Use two-sided arguments when possible.

Key Takeaways

Content-oriented listeners pay particular attention to the credibility and authenticity of a speaker’s message.

4. Time-Oriented Listening Style

In the time-oriented listening style, listeners pay attention to the time of the speech delivered by the speaker. This type of listener does not like to spend time on anything. They want to utilize their time properly for their well-being.

People demonstrate as time-oriented listeners when they let others know how much time they have to listen or tell others how long they have to meet. These types of listeners always prefer concise information.

Example of time-oriented listeners

An audience asks the program management how much time it may take to complete the program. He also mentioned that he would join the program if it gets completed within 1 hour.

Strategies for Communicating with Time-Oriented Listeners

Manage and save time, Set time guidelines for meetings and conversations, Encourage wordy speakers, and give cues to others when time is wasted.

Key Takeaways

Time-oriented listeners pay special attention to concise messages. They prefer and accept brief messages rather than detailed information to reduce the attention period.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the four listening styles are people-oriented, content-oriented, action-oriented, and time-oriented listening style.

Difference Between Styles of Listening  and Types of Listening
Styles of Listening

For example, the four types of listening styles are People-oriented, Content-oriented, Action-oriented, and Time-oriented.

Types of Listening

For example, the five types of listening are Discriminative, Comprehensive, Empathic, Analytical, and Appreciative.

Discriminative, Comprehensive, Empathic, Analytical & Appreciative Listening

Discriminative, Comprehensive, Empathic, Analytical, and Appreciative Listening. Difference between Discriminative Listening and Comprehensive Listening.

Listening Definition

Listening means hearing and interpreting the message intentionally to provide feedback. It is an active process of giving attention to listening to the sounds. The active listening process has six steps: receiving, selecting, interpreting, understanding, evaluating, and responding to the message. Therefore, listening is the ability to receive, select, analyze, understand, assess, and react appropriately to the meaning of another person’s verbal and nonverbal messages. People use many types of listening to communicate with each other.

In communication, people spend enormous time listening (40 – 70%), speaking (20 – 35%), reading (10 – 20%), writing (5 – 15%). People often listen in communication by using different types of listening strategies. Although there are many types of listening in the communication process, the author will discuss the basic five types of listening: discriminative, comprehensive, empathic, analytical, and appreciative Listening.

Types of Listening

The 5 Types of Listening are Discriminative Listening, Comprehensive Listening, Empathic Listening, Analytical Listening, and Appreciative Listening. 

The 5 Types of Listening
  1.  Discriminative Listening (Differentiate the sounds of the voice)
  2. Comprehensive Listening (Understanding the meaning of the message)
  3. Empathic Listening (Understanding the feelings and emotions of the speaker)
  4. Analytical Listening  (Evaluate the meaning of the message based on evidence)
  5. Appreciative Listening  (Seeking certain information)
5 Types of Listening Discriminative, Comprehensive, Empathic, Analytical, and Appreciative.
Figure 1:  5 Types of Listening- Discriminative, Comprehensive, Empathic,  Analytical, &  Appreciative Listening

Discriminative and Comprehensive Listening

1. Discriminative Listening

Discriminative listening means only interpreting the sound of the message rather than understanding the meaning of the message. It is also known as a fundamental type of listening; therefore, people learn discriminative listening from mothers’ wombs. This listening style involves hearing only the sound rather than listening to interpret the meaning of the message. It is the primary type of listening, where different sounds of words are recognized without understanding the meaning.

Example of discriminative listening

For Example, a Canadian person named Jon sits at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia. At the same time, two Malaysian people are speaking in the Malay language beside him. Jon does not understand what they are talking about, but he distinguishes males and females based on their tone of voice. Based on the sound, he also identifies their age. Thus, discriminative listening helps identify age, gender, anger, and happiness based on the sound.

2. Comprehensive Listening

Comprehensive Listening means understanding the meaning of the message rather than interpreting only the sound of the message. It is an active process of seeking the meaning of the message. It is the initial process of meaning the verbal and nonverbal communication messages, thoughts, ideas, and opinions. Listeners use knowledge and vocabulary to understand the meaning of the speaker’s message. It is not only the meaning of the words but also something more than that. Active audiences use a comprehensive listening style to perceive the message’s meaning.

Listeners encounter obstacles or communication barriers to effective listening. These barriers or obstacles distract the listener from understanding the message’s meaning. They are also known as the communication noise to effective listening. The five types of noises or barriers to effective listening are physical, physiological, psychological, factual, and semantic barriers.

Example of Comprehensive Listening in Real Life

Students of the disaster management department join a lecture on climate change. The lecturer discusses the natural causes of climate change, citing scientific evidence. The speaker explains 11 natural causes of climate change including Solar Variation, Volcanic Eruptions, Axial Tilt, Precession, Eccentricity, Continental Drift, Ocean Current, Natural Forest Fires, and Natural Greenhouse Gases. As the lecture progresses, the speaker moves on to the potential consequences of climate change, including rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and loss of biodiversity.

Students understand keywords’ meaning and are actively involved with the contents. Some students ask questions for further clarification. Additionally, they take notes to memorize them for final exams.

Example of Comprehensive Listener

For example, Isa is from the Philippines and joins to listen to motivational speeches in Filipino. The speaker talks about how to overcome stress in the organization. She understands almost all advice that helps to reduce stress. She can understand the meaning of the message and speech. In this context of communication, Isa is experiencing a comprehensive type of listening; therefore she is a comprehensive listener.

Similarly, what brand name comes to your mind when talking about soft drinks? Most of them answer Coca-Cola and Pepsi based on cognitive skills. It is also an example of comprehensive listening that is more than understanding the message’s meaning.

Difference Between Discriminative & Comprehensive Listening
Discriminative Listening
Comprehensive Listening
Discriminative listening refers to translating sounds into words and sentences. In contrast, comprehensive listening means making meaning out of words and sentences rather than translating only.
It is all about assuming meaning from the tone and body language. On the other hand, it is about using knowledge and vocabulary to understand the speaker’s speech.
Discriminative listening is a process of hearing but not listening. In contrast, comprehensive listening is a rather than just hearing style.
For example, it identifies a boy and a girl based on the sound of the voice. For example, understanding what the boy and girl are talking about is.
Difference Between Discriminative & Comprehensive Listening

3. Empathic Listening

Empathic listening is understood as the feelings and emotions of the speaker; sometimes, the listener can feel what the speaker is feeling. Therefore, this listening needs close attention, discriminative listening, comprehensive listening, and a deep connection with the emotions of the speakers.

Example of Empathic listening

For example, the Audience is thinking about the same things the speaker is thinking.

4. Analytical Listening

Analytical Listening means evaluating and forming the appropriate meaning of the message based on evidence. So, It is related to critical thinking and analysis. However, It helps assess whether speakers are right, wrong, logical, or illogical. Analytical listeners understand why they accept or reject another member’s ideas and suggestions.

For example, speakers show a statistical report to persuade audiences, although audiences argue with others for better understanding.

5. Appreciative Listening

Appreciative listening refers to the listening behavior where the listener seeks certain information to appreciate and meet their needs and goals. It is one kind of selective listening. Appreciative listeners are intended to listen to particular information that is important to them.

For example, I listen to a favorite song and poetry to seek the exciting words of the speech. I am also listening to a political speech to find motivational words.