Chapters 7 & 9 Study Guide: Listening and Research

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts from Chapter 7 (Listening) and Chapter 9 (Research), including the listening process, listening types, barriers, and research methodology.

Hearing

A passive process where sound is received by the ear.

Listening

An active, cognitive process that requires energy, desire, focus, and attention.

Information processing

The act of evaluating, interpreting, and understanding, which means assigning meaning to stimuli you sense.

Evaluation (in information processing)

Assessing the meaning of info.

Interpretation

Explaining the meaning of info.

Understanding

Knowing the meaning of info in our own minds.

Remembering

Recalling something from stored memory; working memory and long-term memory are both essential.

Evaluating (in the listening process)

A process where the listener analyzes evidence, sorts fact from opinion, determines the speaker's intent, and judges the accuracy of the speaker's statements and their own conclusions.

Responding

Overt behavior of the listener that shows the speaker what has and hasn't been received.

Feedback

Helps ensure understanding and helps the speaker judge the success of the communication.

Pseudolistening

A type of non-listening where you appear attentive while ignoring or only partly listening.

Empathic listening

Listening to what someone else is experiencing and seeking to understand their thoughts and feelings.

Critical listening

Judging the accuracy of info, determining the reasonableness of conclusions, and evaluating the presenter.

Critical thinking

The ability to analyze and assess info; it is closely linked to critical listening.

Bias & prejudice

Having difficulty listening to people we are biased against, which limits what we can do and learn.

Barriers to effective listening

Factors including the topic seeming uninteresting, concentrating on details instead of main ideas, failing to adjust to distractions, and bias/prejudice.

Illustrations

Examples that are factual or hypothetical.

Statistics

Numerical data that shows relationships or summarizes many instances.

Supporting materials

Evidence that backs up a speaker's ideas, where both quantity and quality matter.

Ethos

Credibility; audiences accept info because of the perceived believability of the speaker or info.

Research plan

A procedure to think about what you want to accomplish, start early, find the best info, make a preliminary list of references, and know when "enough is enough."

Mediated info sources

Sources found through library or computer searches, where the reference department can help.

Reliability of web sources

Judged by author, publishing body, currency, purpose, and comparison with other sources.

You as an info source

Using your personal experience and knowledge to give you authority to speak.

Interview process (8 steps)

Establish purpose, choose interviewee, research beforehand, record the interview, prepare questions, organize the interview, conduct it appropriately, and use clips in your speech.