Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
CHAPTER 6: CONNECTING LISTENING AND THINKING IN THE
COMMUNICATION PROCESS
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1) Tim is sitting in his car with satellite radio on. As a song plays, sound is received by his ear. This reflects
which part of the listening process?
A) hearing stage
B) understanding stage
C) remembering stage
D) evaluation stage
E) interpreting stage
2) Researchers suggest that listening is most closely linked with which of the following activities?
A) speaking
B) sensory output
C) singing
D) comprehension
E) inductive logic
3) Listening and hearing are different because
A) listening is perceptive, while hearing is selective.
B) hearing is active, while listening is passive.
C) listening involves reception, while hearing involves perception.
D) hearing is learned, while listening is natural.
E) listening is active, while hearing is passive.
4) Anna listens to the country songs on her iTunes playlist purely for pleasure. Which function of listening does
this example illustrate?
A) listening to obtain information
B) listening for enjoyment
C) listening with empathy
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
D) listening for functional comprehension
E) listening to evaluate
5) When listening to a lecture in class, you are most likely listening for
A) enjoyment.
B) empathy.
C) functionality.
D) evaluation.
E) information.
6) When you are having a bad day and call to tell your best friend about it, you are probably expecting your
friend to use which function of listening?
A) critical B) informative C) explicit D) empathic E) appreciative
7) Listening with empathy means to
A) listen sympathetically to the other person’s problems.
B) feel exactly as the other person feels.
C) understand what the other person is feeling.
D) be evaluative while listening.
E) tell the other person that you are sorry that he or she has problems.
8) Daniel is attending a university event where the mayor is giving a speech on the history of the town his
university is a part of. He considers the topic and speaker uninteresting. What should Daniel do to overcome
this barrier to effective listening?
A) Don’t waste time by listening.
B) Immediately form an opinion on the subject.
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
C) Consider how the information might be used.
D) Consider ways of getting out of the situation.
E) “Block out” the speaker.
9) When listening to a speech on Spain, if we pay attention to the numbers and specific facts instead of listening
for the major theme of the speech, it is likely we are
A) perceiving the topic as boring, uninteresting, or unimportant.
B) perceiving the speaker as boring, uninteresting, or unimportant.
C) concentrating on details, and not on the main idea.
D) criticizing the speaker instead of the message.
E) not providing feedback.
10) Which statement accurately describes the relationship between listening and education?
A) Most organizations consider training in listening to be of little importance.
B) Proportionately, listening is the most used language skill.
C) Informal listening training is generally provided to students of all ages.
D) Auditory learning is the primary form of learning in secondary education.
E) Skills in listening and processing information are often included in formal education curricula.
11) Total silence, smiling, or frowning, and asking for clarification of what was received, are all examples of
A) understanding.
B) evaluating.
C) responding.
D) hearing.
E) interpreting.
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
12) While watching a debate on TV, Tanner analyzes evidence, sorts fact from opinion, and judges the accuracy
of the speaker’s statements and conclusions. This reflects the ________ of listening.
A) hearing stage
B) understanding stage
C) remembering stage
D) evaluating stage
E) interpreting stage
13) When a technology salesperson says “this is the best tablet on the market” without giving any proof, the most
appropriate thing you should do as a listener is
A) assess the motivation behind the message.
B) listen to details, and not to the main ideas.
C) stop taking notes.
D) fake attention.
E) criticize the speaker.
14) Kevin has just lost his grandfather. As he shares his feelings of regret with his best friend Dan, Dan shows
Kevin that he is aware of his feelings of loss and that he appreciates the hurt that Kevin must be going
through. Which function of listening is Dan engaged in?
A) listening to evaluate
B) listening to be empathetic
C) listening to obtain information
D) listening for enjoyment
E) listening to gain comprehension
15) There are many things you can do to improve your listening competence. Which of the following is
recommended?
A) Avoid taking notes.
B) Do not ask questions.
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
C) Absorb the speaker’s values.
D) Control internal distractions.
E) Avoid judging the speaker.
16) The active process of receiving, constructing meaning from, and responding to verbal and nonverbal
messages is called
A) perception. B) listening. C) hearing. D) selecting. E) attending.
17) Which of the following is a barrier to effective listening?
A) avoiding difficult listening situations
B) concentrating on main ideas, not details
C) considering the topic or speaker interesting
D) criticizing the message instead of the speaker
E) adjusting to distractions
18) Leah is a typical college freshman. She spends her waking time checking her Facebook page and other
websites, writing, reading, speaking, and listening. On average, what will she likely spend the most time
doing each day?
A) using the Internet
B) writing
C) reading
D) speaking
E) listening
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
19) While listening to the presidential debates, Jody assessed the accuracy of each candidate’s position and
determined the reasonableness of their conclusions. In other words, Jody was engaged in
A) listening to obtain information.
B) sympathetic listening.
C) empathetic listening.
D) listening for enjoyment.
E) evaluative listening.
20) The passive reception of sounds is called
A) evaluating.
B) selecting.
C) hearing.
D) understanding.
E) listening.
21) When your speech instructor listens to your speeches, he or she is primarily listening for the purpose of
A) evaluation. B) empathy. C) information. D) enjoyment. E) persuasion.
22) To avoid some of the pitfalls or barriers to listening, you should
A) remove yourself from the situation if you find the topic irrelevant to your life.
B) show the speaker that you are listening even if you are thinking about something else.
C) concentrate on the main ideas rather than the details.
D) remove yourself from the situation if distractions become too great.
E) avoid situations where listening will be very hard.
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
23) When engaging in critical listening, the primary skill you need to have is
A) attention.
B) motivation.
C) good hearing.
D) critical thinking.
E) providing feedback.
24) When you actively make judgments about whether or not the message you are hearing is worthwhile, you are
A) accepting preferred thinking.
B) engaging in unethical listening behavior.
C) establishing a barrier to effective listening.
D) engaging in critical listening.
E) engaging in the feedback process.
25) A person displaying effective listening competence behaviors
A) identifies and manages listening barriers.
B) avoids empathizing with the other person.
C) interrupts the speaker to provide feedback.
D) concentrates on trying to listen to specific facts and details.
E) maintains his or her own viewpoint as much as possible.
26) An advantage of using technology in the listening process is
A) it will eliminate individual choices.
B) it replaces the need for taking notes.
C) it can increase interactivity between speakers and listeners.
D) it provides ready-made evaluative tools.
E) it removes all communication barriers.
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
27) You are sitting in a late afternoon class. As you are attempting to look engaged, your mind is really just
someplace else. What barrier to effective listening are you exhibiting?
A) faking attention
B) avoiding difficult listening situations
C) failing to adjust to distractions
D) considering the speaker uninteresting
E) concentrating on details
28) Listening scholar Judi Brownell suggests five techniques for storing items in memory to be used later. Which
technique involves combining meaningful words and vivid images?
A) imagery
B) categorization
C) mediation
D) mnemonics
E) association
29) When you listen to assess the personal value or relevance in something, you are most likely listening for
A) empathy. B) reflection. C) evaluation. D) information. E) enjoyment.
30) When you listen to gain comprehension, you are most likely listening for
A) empathy. B) reflection. C) evaluation. D) information. E) enjoyment.
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
TRUE/FALSE
1) Most misunderstandings in our lives can be attributed to poor listening.
2) Hearing is the process of receiving, constructing meaning from, and responding to spoken or nonverbal
messages.
3) According to Herrmann’s brain dominance model, a “left–brain” approach is fact-based, analytic and
sequential.
4)
Nonverbal aspects of communication are seldom a part of interpreting.
5) Eric is an accountant. He is a logical and realistic person who likes numbers and knows about money. In his
job, he engages his rational self.
6) In order for you to behave like a good listener, you should look at the speaker, avoid asking questions, and
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
concentrate on the details of what is being said.
7) A car owner listens to evaluate while analyzing odd sounds from his or her car.
8) Responding is one way to let a speaker know that the message he or she has sent has been received in the
intended manner.
9) When Carlos tells Lynsey about his terrible day at work, Lynsey sits quietly and listens to Carlos’ thoughts
and feelings. This is an example of perception checking.
10) Using imagery to enhance long-term memory involves creating visual or mental pictures from the
information presented.
SHORT ANSWER
1) What is the best general advice for intercultural listening?
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
2) Why is it important to develop skill in listening?
3)
Explain the difference between listening and hearing.
4) What is evaluative listening? Provide an example to illustrate your answer.
5) List two barriers to effective listening. Provide an example for each barrier you explain.
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
6) List the four different selves Herrmann identifies in the Our Four Different Selves model. Which version of
self do you most identify with? Why?
7) List three information processing strategies you can use to judge the motivations behind a message.
8) Identify five techniques for enhancing long-term memory.
9) Give four specific suggestions for improving listening skills. Explain why these suggestions are important.
10) List three questions you should ask yourself when judging the accuracy of a speaker’s conclusions.
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
11) Is there a difference between empathic listening and sympathetic listening, and if so, what is it?
12) Why did listening scholar Dwight Harfield develop the Harfield Cognitive Listening Model? What did he
add to the listening process through his model?
13) Define intercultural listening and provide a relevant example.
14) Explain the evaluating stage of the listening process. Provide an example to illustrate your explanation.
15) List and explain the four functions of listening.
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
16) What happens during the responding stage of the listening process?
17) Identify three strategies to enhance your working memory.
18) Describe three effective listening habits.
19) Describe, in your own words, the relationship between critical thinking and critical listening.
20) Define digital literacy. Provide an example of why digital literacy is important in your own life.
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
ESSAY
1) Explain why avoiding overdependence on media is important. Use an example from your own life to support
this argument.
2) What are the four functions of listening? Explain and provide an example of each.
3) What are some of the barriers to effective listening? For each barrier, discuss a strategy you could use to
overcome it.
4) Define the term “critical thinking.” How can you use critical thinking to judge the accuracy of a speaker’s
message?
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
5) What characterizes a competent listener? Using these qualities as guidelines, how can you improve your
personal listening competence?
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition