Active listening

Speakers receive confirmation their point is coming across and listeners absorb more content and understanding by being consciously engaged.

[3] Active listening encloses the communication attribute characterized by paying attention to a speaker for better comprehension, both in word and emotion.

Active listening encloses the communication attribute characterized by paying attention to a speaker for better comprehension, both in word and emotion.

[7] Active listening is a communication technique designed to foster understanding and strengthen interpersonal relationships by intentionally focusing on the speaker's verbal and non-verbal cues.

[7] Research has demonstrated that active listening promotes trust, reduces misunderstandings, and enhances emotional connection, making it a valuable tool in both personal and professional contexts.

He suggested that people could learn more by engaging this ability directly: ...reading not merely with the eye, and of listening not merely with the ear, but... articulating to one’s self the words seen or heard, ought to deepen one’s attention to the latter.I can keep my wandering mind a great deal more closely upon a conversation or a lecture if I actively re-echo to myself the words than if I simply hear them; and I find a number of my students who report benefit from voluntarily adopting a similar course.

[9]Carl Rogers and Richard Farson coined the term "active listening" in 1957 in a paper of the same title (reprinted in 1987 in the volume Communicating in Business Today).

Practicing active listening also emphasized Rogers' (1980) concept of three facilitative conditions for effective counseling; empathy, genuineness, and unconditional positive regard.

People who have been listened to in this new and special way become more emotionally mature, more open to their experiences, less defensive, more democratic, and less authoritarian.

[11] Rooted in therapeutic communication, this approach was earmarked by its emphasis on the transformative power of listening to promote personal and relational growth.

Rogers and Farson insisted on the fact that this non-threatening, empathic environment should be created where people would feel listened to and understood; it is the primary condition for overcoming defensiveness and, therefore, the capability of reflection.

[11] Their work established active listening as an essential skill for effective interpersonal communication—extending its relevance beyond therapy to business and everyday interactions.

"Many studies suggest that even the smallest improvements in a person’s listening ability can have a noticeable impact on the overall effectiveness of communication and productivity.

[11] On the other hand, open-ended questions permit the interviewee to expound on their responses, thus allowing deeper insight into their thoughts and experiences and encouraging a more inclusive dialogue.

Some examples include noises, smells, bad cell reception, and any other factors that make it difficult to hear and process information.

This can lead to a competitive advantage in a political debate, or by a journalist to provoke a strong response from an interviewee, and is known as "ambushing".

Shift response is a type of conversational narcissism—the tendency of listeners to turn the topic to themselves without showing sustained interest in others.

These include external factors such as background noise and physical discomfort, and internal distractions, such as thoughts about other things and lack of focus.

[29] Eye contact and appropriate body languages are seen as important components to active listening, as they provide feedback to the speaker.

Leaders need to build trust and respect with those around them and mastering the skills of active listening will help them greatly.

[40] The proper use of active listening results in getting people to open up, avoiding misunderstandings, resolving conflict, and building trust.

[43] Active listening has been developed as a concept in music and technology by François Pachet, researcher at Sony Computer Science Laboratory, Paris.

McNaughton et al. (2008) developed the LAFF strategy, a structured method of active listening that includes empathetic engagement, asking open-ended questions, focusing on concerns, and identifying actionable steps.

Teachers trained in this strategy have demonstrated improved communication skills and stronger relationships with parents, creating a more supportive learning environment.

[48] Feedback from parents highlights the importance of attentiveness and empathy in building trust and resolving issues effectively.

One of the most startling findings of our research is that most couples who have maintained happy marriages rarely do anything that even partly resembles active listening when they're upset.

He also overlooks several important considerations that call into question his implied dismissal of the RE model as a legitimate therapeutic intervention for distressed couples.