Active Listening Techniques Flashcards
6 cards from real Communication Skills practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Active Listening Techniques flashcards as text
What distinguishes active listening from passive hearing?
Answer: Active listening involves conscious engagement, interpretation, and response to the speaker
Active listening is a deliberate process involving full attention, interpretation of meaning, and responsive feedback — unlike passive hearing, which is simply receiving sound.
Which behavior is a sign of ineffective listening?
Answer: Formulating your response while the speaker is still talking
Planning your response while the speaker is still talking prevents full attention to their message, causing you to miss nuance, context, or important details.
What is the purpose of reflective listening?
Answer: To paraphrase what was said to confirm understanding and show empathy
Reflective listening involves paraphrasing the speaker's content and feelings to demonstrate you have understood both the facts and the emotional meaning of their message.
What does RASA stand for in the context of active listening?
Answer: Receive, Appreciate, Summarize, Ask
Julian Treasure's RASA framework for active listening stands for Receive (pay attention), Appreciate (acknowledge), Summarize (confirm understanding), and Ask (ask questions).
How does physical environment affect active listening quality?
Answer: Noise, interruptions, and poor seating arrangements significantly impair listening quality
Environmental distractions — noise, interruptions, uncomfortable settings — compete with the speaker's message for cognitive resources, degrading listening quality even for motivated listeners.
What is 'listening to respond' versus 'listening to understand,' and which is preferable?
Answer: Listening to understand is preferable because it prioritizes genuine comprehension over self-expression
Listening to understand means focusing entirely on the speaker's meaning; listening to respond means focusing on what you will say next. The former leads to more accurate comprehension and better relationships.