Improving Interpretation

Listening is more than attending to a message. It also involves assigning mean­ing to the stimuli that have captured our attention. When we process stimuli, we react both emotionally and logically. That is, we assign to incoming data positive or negative emotional values at the same time that we use our store-­house of schemata to make sense of these data. We improve listening, then, by controlling our emotional reactions and by finding appropriate schemata for classifying the data.

First, it is important to control our emotions. Whether positive or negative, intense emotional reactions can short-circuit the listening process and destroy the objectivity we need to be evaluative listeners. Negative reactions to a speaker or topic, for example, can cause us to close down the perceptual process or to reinterpret what is said according to our own bi­ases. This reaction often occurs when we feel stress or fear; for example, a patient with a serious illness may become so anxious while listening to a doctor that he or she is unable to interpret what the physi­cian is saying or may be so awed by the doctor’s expertise and power that im­portant questions are left unasked. The ability to control emotions is also im­portant in empathic listening situations. Such situations call for nonjudgmental acceptance. If we betray strong emotions by our nonverbal reactions, we will de­stroy the trust necessary for relational development.

Individual biases also distort the listening process. It is extremely hard to process information objectively when we disapprove of a speaker’s views. It is, therefore, important to be aware of your biases and delay final evaluation until you have had time to think about what is said. This principle holds true for positive as well as negative biases. Not only are we likely to reject the views of speakers we dislike, but, we are also likely to accept uncritically those messages that reinforce our prejudices. When encountering areas in which we hold strong biases, we should be especially critical, questioning those views we approve of and giving an objective hearing to those we dislike.

Receivers are often lazy processors who focus on peripheral cues rather than on die content of a message. Uncritical audience members, for example, may say to themselves, “I’m not sure what he’s talking about, but he’s impor­tant, so the speech must be good.” This kind of peripheral processing allows receivers to suppose that listening has taken place, when very little has actually happened. It is important to pay attention to message content rather than peripheral cues when processing information. This means concentrating on what is actually said, evaluating the logic, evidence, and completeness of the arguments in the message.

We must also question the adequacy of perceptual schemata and separate infer­ence from observation. When we listen, we use perceptual schemata to help us make sense of messages. If these schemata are simplistic then our interpreta­tions are simplistic as well. In addition, schemata often serve to distort percep­tion. Studies show that schemata have embedded within them schematic de­fault options, details that are supplied when information is missing. Assume that you witness a car crash. Later, when a lawyer asks you whether or not glass from broken headlights was on the ground, you may answer affirmatively, even if the headlights were not actually broken. Your schema for car accidents sup­plies details that exist in your mind rather than in the actual situation. Evi­dence shows that after a period of time, people have trouble distinguishing in­ferred from observed information.

Although schemata can confuse us, they can also orient us toward a topic, making it easier to process. This suggests a final way to increase your listen­ing ability: Prepare ahead of time by knowing as much as possible about the topic; do your homework.