Deck 5: Listening and Critical Thinking

Question 1

Write an essay in which you define active listening.

Answer 1

Answers will vary.

Question 2

What is the difference between observation and inference? Define the two terms and give an example of each in your essay.

Answer 2

Answers will vary.

Question 3

Sometimes our self gets in the way of effective listening. Explain the concepts of egocentrism, defensiveness,

Answer 3

experiential superiority, and personal bias by telling how each obstructs effective listening.
Answers will vary.

Question 4

What are three ways to be effective at lecture listening?

Question 5

Explain the five kinds of distractions that are called noise.

Question 6

Explain how stereotypes can negatively affect listening, and give two examples.

Question 7

The main goal of empathic listening is to understand what the other person is saying.

Question 8

Reveal in steps how the process of listening works.

Question 9

Compare and contrast short-term memory with long-term recall.

Question 10

Identify and explain the four types of listening.

Question 11

Define information literacy and explain why it is important to be information literate.

Question 12

Explain in a brief essay the difference between listening and hearing.

Question 13

List and explain at least five nonverbal skills of effective listening.

Question 14

Explain the differences between selective and automatic attention.

Question 15

Interpretation is the goal of observation; reporting is the goal of inferences.

Question 16

Write an essay in which you reveal the answer to the question, "What is critical thinking?"

Question 17

List and explain three ways in which you can check your understanding of a speaker.

Question 18

Explain the role of working memory in the listening process.

Question 19

Provide an explanation of why another person's status would affect how we listen to him or her.

Question 20

Write a dialogue (a scripted conversation between two people) in which you demonstrate verbal skills of effective listening. In the right margin, label each skill.

Question 21

When paraphrasing the speaker's message to check your understanding of it, you should avoid "I statements."

Question 22

"You wouldn't think that way if you had been a cop as long as I have" is an example of experiential superiority.

Question 23

Egocentrism is defensiveness carried to an extreme.

Question 24

Source credibility is the extent to which a speaker is perceived as competent to make the claims he or she is making.

Question 25

Pseudolistening is a strategy for improving critical listening.

Question 26

You hear with your brain; you listen with your ear.

Question 27

Long-term recall can hold approximately seven chunks of information.

Question 28

Information in short-term memory is, on average, limited to about 20 seconds in duration.

Question 29

A person responds by asking, "Are you suggesting that I am not doing my job on this project?" You could classify the response as an example of defensiveness.

Question 30

Critical listening is an advanced type of empathic listening.

Question 31

The lecture cues that indicate main and subordinate points are called importance cues.

Question 32

Hearing is difficult to avoid because it is physiological; listening is easier to avoid because it is psychological.

Question 33

Effective listening includes utilizing both verbal and nonverbal communication.

Question 34

Women listen in order to solve problems, and men listen to understand the other person's emotions.

Question 35

Listening for enjoyment involves challenging the speaker's message by evaluating its accuracy, meaningfulness, and utility.

Question 36

Critical listening challenges the speaker's message and evaluates its accuracy, meaningfulness, and utility.

Question 37

Global polls of Internet use show that people typically spend over 1.5 hours on social media each day.

Question 38

Listening is the process of receiving aural stimuli.

Question 39

When critically thinking about a message, considering the context in which the message is delivered is important in evaluating that message.

Question 40

Active listening is marked by involvement; empathetic listening, by judgment; and critical thinking, by understanding.

Question 41

Children with higher levels of language development are more likely to

A) have more efficient working memory.
B) have less efficient working memory.
C) develop better hearing skills.
D) develop less effective hearing skills.

Question 42

Critical listening and critical thinking both involve gathering information, ideas, or arguments; establishing a basis for evaluation; and applying those standards to the information and ideas you have gathered.

Question 43

A person who gets so involved in the particulars that she misses the main point is demonstrating an example of a

A) semantic distraction.
B) factual distraction.
C) mental distraction.
D) physical distraction.

Question 44

Which of the following is an example of hearing rather than listening?

A) He heard what she said and responded with an appropriate answer.
B) The sound of firecrackers filled the nighttime air.
C) He heard the sound outside and decided that the noise must have been a car accident.
D) She heard his cry for help and reacted by immediately calling the rescue squad.

Question 45

The warrant is the part of an argument where evidence is agreed upon by the speaker and listener.

Question 46

To show you are interested in what a speaker is saying, you should try to sit or stand close to the speaker.

Question 47

Tinnitus is something that would be most likely to affect your

A) nonverbal gestures.
B) listening.
C) hearing.
D) speaking.

Question 48

During a lecture Ms. Gutierez stated, "Here is the conclusion you should draw from this example…" What type of lecture cue was Ms. Gutierez using?

A) semantic
B) importance
C) nonverbal
D) organizational

Question 49

"Here is an example of uncertainty reduction theory…" When used by a teacher during a lecture, this statement is an example of a semantic cue.

Question 50

College students tend to spend half of their communication time in face-to-face and mass media listening.

Question 51

During a lecture Dr. Washington stated, "Now I will move on to my fourth topic…" What type of lecture cue was Dr. Washington using?

A) semantic
B) importance
C) nonverbal
D) organizational

Question 52

Which of the following is not necessarily part of the process of listening?

A) The stimuli are picked up by the ear.
B) The nerves transmit sensations to the brain.
C) The brain assigns meanings to the stimuli.
D) The receiver responds with a return message.

Question 53

Which two concepts seem most closely related?

A) egocentrism and personal bias
B) defensiveness and self-focus
C) experiential superiority and defensiveness
D) personal bias and defensiveness

Question 54

Long-term memory is a relatively temporary storage place for information.

Question 55

Empathic listening is essentially the same as active listening, with the added provision that it includes a special effort to reach an understanding with another person.

Question 56

Which of the following is an example of a physical distraction to listening?

A) "I didn't know what he said because I was so worried about what the kids were doing in my absence."
B) "Are you kidding? All I could think about was my vacation that starts tomorrow."
C) "The two people talking in the row ahead of me kept me from catching very much of his lecture."
D) "I could not pay attention to anything she said after she mentioned feminist theory."

Question 57

One of the suggestions for being a better listener in the workplace is to "plan for nuggets." The strategy recommended for doing this involves

A) being empathetic when listening to others.
B) asking others to provide you with feedback.
C) considering the source of the message.
D) using a separate column in your notes.

Question 58

An effective way to use verbal communication is to be completely silent when engaged in a conversation.

Question 59

Active listening can be defined as involved listening with a purpose.

Question 60

The phrases "This will be on your quiz Friday" and "The second type of listening is…" are examples of

A) lecture cues.
B) nonverbal cues.
C) schema.
D) ethical listening behaviors.

Question 61

Which of the following is an inference?

A) I see that road is narrow and curvy.
B) There is no shoulder, and there is no centerline.
C) The road appears dangerous for ordinary travel.
D) The trees grow close to the road, thus reducing light.

Question 62

Which of the following is NOT an effective means of using verbal communication when listening?

A) Use evaluative, nondescriptive comments.
B) Ask questions.
C) Provide affirmative and affirming statements.
D) Vary verbal responses.

Question 63

You have to give a speech on Hawaii. Which of the following sources would have the best source credibility?

A) a classmate's friend who watched a TV show about the islands
B) you, because you want to go there
C) a friend who just got back from vacationing there
D) a tabloid that reported two celebrities were staying at a Hawaiian resort

Question 64

Which of the following statements about active listening is FALSE?

A) Active listening is "involved listening with a purpose."
B) Active listening and empathic listening are exactly the same thing.
C) Active listening is characterized by movement, change, and responsiveness on the part of the listener.
D) Active listening implies feedback to the speaker.

Question 65

"You need to remember this because it will be on the quiz." What type of lecture cue is this statement?

A) semantic
B) importance
C) nonverbal
D) organizational

Question 66

College students spend approximately what proportion of their time listening to others and the mass media?

A) 50 percent
B) 25 percent
C) 75 percent
D) 65 percent

Question 67

Which of the following best exhibits critical thinking?

A) You are able to memorize what you hear.
B) You are able to recall most of what you listen to.
C) You are able to interpret what you hear and apply it to other knowledge.
D) You are able to use what you know to apply standards to what you hear and decide the merits of the message.

Question 68

Empathic listening differs from active listening in that

A) active listening is one kind of empathic listening.
B) active and empathic listening are both purposeful.
C) empathic listening adds the goal of understanding.
D) empathic listening invites more feedback.

Question 69

When you analyze the speaker and the situation to make judgments about the message presented, you are engaging in

A) active listening.
B) critical thinking.
C) second-person observation.
D) long-term memory.

Question 70

Dante was walking across campus in a hurry. On the way he saw his friend Aarav, who he hadn't seen in quite some time. Dante stopped and told Aarav his cell phone number and told him to call him later. Just a few seconds after Dante left, Aarav already had forgotten the number. This would be because the information only went as far as Aarav's

A) schema.
B) short-term memory.
C) long-term memory.
D) automatic attention.

Question 71

Which of the following is a limitation of short-term memory?

A) automatic attention
B) inability to access schema
C) lack of stimulus cues from working memory
D) can only hold five to nine "bits" of information on average

Question 72

Which of the following is true about men's listening behaviors as compared to women's listening behaviors?

A) Women interrupt more often.
B) Men like more complex information that requires careful evaluation.
C) Women like short, concise communication.
D) Men listen in order to take action and solve problems.

Question 73

Which of the following is essential to demonstrating active listening?

A) Lean back in your chair.
B) Keep a tense body posture.
C) Sit without crossing your arms or legs.
D) Sit or stand so you are directly facing the speaker.

Question 74

Which part of the listening process is responsible for interpreting and assigning meaning to stimuli?

A) attention
B) working memory
C) short-term memory
D) long-term memory

Question 75

When you paraphrase the speaker's message and intent, ask questions, or invite corrections, you are

A) encountering a barrier to listening.
B) checking your understanding or perception of the speaker.
C) engaging in listening for enjoyment.
D) employing nonverbal listening behaviors.