Visualize yourself ready to talk with the following people on the topics noted. What barriers to listening (from any stage: selecting, attending, understanding, remembering, responding) might arise in each encounter? What would you do to prevent these barriers from interfering with effective listening? Only choose four of the eight listed and answer the four questions below for each situation you chose.
- A friend tells you he's HIV+.
- An instructor argues that the feminist movement is dead.
- A lesbian mother argues that current adoption laws are discriminatory.
- A coalition of homeless people claims the right to use public spaces.
- A politician says that relationships between different races will never be better.
- A Catholic priest argues that people need to remain virgins until marriage.
- A relative argues that abortion, regardless of the circumstances, is murder.
- A telephone company representative asks that you switch to their new long distance system.
In thinking about these situations, answer the following:
1. How would you assess the person's credibility (even before you begin to talk)? How will this influence your listening?
2. Will you begin listening with a positive, a negative, or a neutral attitude? How might these attitudes influence your listening?
3. What barriers to effective listening may arise and in what listening stage?
4. Which listening style did you find yourself using? How would your initial expectations influence your listening?
This assignment should be about two pages long. Please proofread, spell check, and double space your essay. Each situation can be completed with about half a page.