Stacey Keating

Professor McGrew

Interpersonal Comm.

22 March 2019

Writing Assignment 2

There are four different types of listening styles, relational, analytical, task-oriented, and

critical. After I totaled my score from each category, I learned many different things about how I

listen. After learning the importance of listening in interpersonal communication, the types of

listening styles, and how I could become an effective listener, I have a better understanding of

my listening style.

Listening is important in interpersonal communication for many reasons, such as at jobs,

in school, or just in everyday life. Listening is “the process of receiving and responding to

others’ messages” (Adler et al. 206). Hearing, on the other hand, is “the process in which sound

waves strike the eardrum and cause vibrations that are transmitted to the brain” (Adler et al 206).

One main difference between listening and hearing is that listening isn’t automatic, but hearing

is. One example that the book gives is when your neighbor is mowing their lawn, you hear the

mower, but you automatically and unconsciously block out the noise (Adler et al. 206). Knowing

the difference between listening and hearing can help you become a better overall communicator.

Relational listening is one of the four listening styles. Relational listening is “concerned

with building emotional closeness with others” (Adler et al. 208). One of the key factors of this

type of listening is understanding how the other person is feeling. These types of listeners are

also nonjudgmental and are wanting to support the other person. In this category, I scored a 34.

This was my highest score and I think this is because I try to feel what the person I’m talking to
is feeling. I don’t talk a lot, so showing them that I feel what they’re feeling and connecting with

them is my way of becoming closer with people. Also, when I talk to people, I like when people

listen this way because it makes me feel like they’re more interested in what I’m saying and not

just nodding along.

The next listening style is analytical. Analytical listening is “ concerning about attending

to the full message before coming to judgment” (Adler et al. 208). These listeners want to hear

the full story before they say what they think or share their input. In this category, I scored a 28,

which was my second highest score. I think this also goes back to the fact that I don’t talk a

bunch. I would rather withhold my opinion until I have all the information and am able to make

an informed decision.

The next listening style is task-oriented listening. Task-oriented listening is “most

concerned with efficiency and accomplishing the job at hand” (Adler et al. 208). This is best

used in a business setting where decisions have to be made on a time restraint. In this category, I

scored a 23. This was my second lowest score and I think that’s because there can be different

scenarios where I’m really good at this, and then there’s some where I’m bad. If I’m just talking

to my friend, then I’m not task-oriented, but if I’m having a discussion at school or work, then I

am task-oriented.

The last type of listening is critical. Critical listening is “having a strong desire to

evaluate messages” (Adler et al. 208). These types of listeners try to focus on the accuracy of

what’s being said instead of the meaning behind it. In this type of listening, I scored a 19. I think

this is because I try to not criticize what other people are saying. If they something that

contradicts what they already said, then I might notice it, but it isn’t something that I tend to

focus on when listening to someone talk.

 Since my lowest score was critical listening, I think that I could try questioning and

evaluating. Questioning is “when the listener asks the speaker for additional information” (Adler

et al. 216). I could ask questions to improve my critical listening by asking questions based on

unchecked assumptions or to trap the speaker into rewording what they had said before, incase it

was inconsistent or the speaker didn’t give enough information. Evaluating is “responses that

appraises the sender’s thoughts or behaviors in some way” (Adler et al. 228). I could use

evaluating to become more of a critical listener by making evaluations of what the speaker had

said.

I could also use body movement and touch to help be become a better listener. Body

movement is “the physical movement of our bodies such as our posture, gestures, eye contact,

and facial expressions” (Adler et al. 186). I could use my body movement, such as face and eyes,

to help me listen because by looking someone in the eyes, you can feel more connected to then

and they could feel more willing to talk to you. I could also use touch for the same reason, it

could make the speaker feel more connected to me. Touch is a was to show security, which could

make the speaker more willing to take to you.

 Works Cited

Adler, Ronald B, et al. Interplay The Process of Interpersonal Communication. 13th ed., Oxford

University Press.