VII. Extra Credit: Quiz

Take one of these quizzes and write a one-page reflection on your results referring to at least THREE concepts in the chapter (10 points).

Quiz 1. Identifying Listening Functions

List one or more listening functions that would be appropriate in each of the following situations. Then use the Key to award yourself one point for each correct answer. Total your score.

Bonus: For additional points, reread the situations, and identify listening functions that might be ineffective and perhaps even unethical.

Situation 1: A friend sends you an e-mail saying that she won’t be able to attend your birthday party because she’s just been diagnosed with strep throat.

Situation 2: Your professor provides a description of an upcoming assignment.

Situation 3: Your romantic partner, who is very insecure about his or her singing ability, sings a songto you at a local karaoke bar.

Situation 4: A classmate challenges your position on a topic during an in-class discussion.

Situation 5: A coworker inquires as to whether his voice “still sounds funny” after he received Novocain during a dental checkup.

Key

Situation 1: comprehend, support.

Situation 2: comprehend.

Situation 3: support, appreciate, discern.

Situation 4: comprehend, support, analyze.

Situation5: support, analyze, discern.

Bonus: Situation 1: analyze. Situation 2: analyze. Situation 3: analyze.

Scoring: 6 or above correct: You have a strong ability to adapt your listening purpose. 5 or below correct: You have difficulty adapting your listening purpose.

Quiz 2. Discover Listening Styles

Place a check mark next to each of the items you agree with. Then determine how many listening styles you use by seeing which categories have three or more checked statements. Don’t be surprised if you have more than one listening style!

People-oriented listeners:

______ I focus my attention on others’ feelings when listening to them.

______ When listening to others, I quickly notice whether they are pleased or disappointed.

______ I become emotionally involved when listening to others’ problems.

______ I nod my head and use good eye contact to show interest in what others are saying when I listen.

Action-oriented listeners:

______ I become frustrated when others don’t present their ideas in an orderly, efficient way.

______ When listening to others, I focus on inconsistencies or errors in what they’re saying.

______ I often jump ahead and finish others’ thoughts in my own mind while listening.

______ I get impatient with people who ramble on during conversations.

Content-oriented listeners:

______ I enjoy listening to technical information.

______ I prefer to listen to facts and evidence so I can personally evaluate them.

______ I like the challenge of listening to complex information.

______ I enjoy asking probing questions to gather additional information.

Time-oriented listeners:

______ When hurried, I let others know that I have only a limited amount of time to listen.

______ I often begin discussions by telling others how long I can meet with them.

______ I interrupt others when I feel pressure to move on to another task.

______ I look at my watch or at a clock when I have limited time to listen to others.