Active Listening and Empathy Flashcards
7 cards from real Soft Skills - Communication practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Active Listening and Empathy flashcards as text
Which of the following best describes 'emotional contagion' in the context of empathy?
Answer: Unconsciously mirroring and internalizing another person's emotional state
Emotional contagion is the automatic process by which people pick up on and mirror the emotions of those around them.
When a speaker uses hedging language like 'I guess' or 'maybe,' an active listener should:
Answer: Note the uncertainty and explore it with a gentle follow-up question
Hedging language often signals hesitation or unspoken concerns that are worth exploring to reach deeper understanding.
You are on a video call and the other person's audio keeps cutting out. Which active listening practice is most important here?
Answer: Politely ask them to repeat the parts you missed before responding
Confirming what you actually heard prevents miscommunication and shows respect for the speaker's message.
What is the risk of relying solely on affective empathy (feeling what others feel) in a professional setting?
Answer: It can lead to emotional burnout or impaired decision-making
Excessive affective empathy without regulation can cause compassion fatigue and cloud objective judgment in professional decisions.
A team member vents about a project deadline being unrealistic. After listening, the best summary response is:
Answer: 'It sounds like the timeline feels overwhelming and you'd like to discuss adjusting it — is that right?'
Paraphrasing both the content and the underlying concern confirms understanding and shows the speaker they have been heard.
Which factor most commonly degrades active listening in written communication such as email?
Answer: Responding before fully reading the entire message
Partial reading causes incomplete understanding and responses that miss key points the sender made.
An employee discloses a personal difficulty that may be affecting their work. The empathetic manager response is to:
Answer: Listen without judgment, express care, and collaboratively discuss available support options
Listening without judgment and exploring support together balances empathy with practical action while preserving the employee's dignity.