Below are given two sets in which Set I describes the types of listener involved in communication, while Set II indicates their characteristics: Set-I (Types of listener involved in the communication) Set-II (Characteristics) a) Non-Listener i) is engaged in information other than the one needed b) Marginal Listener ii) receives information without processing the significance in the context of communication c) Evaluative Listener iii) looks into the relevance of the information for understanding its implication d) Active Listener iv) pays heed to the communicated information occasionally Match the two sets and give your answer by choosing to form the options: Correct Answer a-i, b-iv, c-ii, d-iii Listening is a basis for effective communication and to lead a successful professional and even political career. A good listener is always sought after by all. There are four different types of listeners, which includes: Types of listener involved in the communication Characteristics Non Listener Non-listeners do not listen to all because they are genuinely disinterested in the subject. These people pretend to listen to the speaker but in actual they are actually preoccupied with something else and engaged in information other than the one that is needed. They fake their attention, but one could easily recognize them by their blank stare, impatient, and nervousness. In reality, they do not even make an effort to hear and understand what the other person is saying. Marginal Listener They are always Impatient to listen to the main ideas, marginal listeners pay superficial attention and are interested only in the bottom line. They merely hear the sounds of words, but fail to absorb their meanings. They do not go to a deeper level in arguments. They pay attention to the communicated information occasionally They use external distractions to keep themselves away from conversations. They will not have any patience to sit through complex technical presentations and jump to findings and conclusions immediately. It is risky to communicate with marginal listeners because they are not focused on the main ideas and often misunderstand the words of the speaker. Evaluative Listener They use logic to understand the content, hence, they distance themselves emotionally from the subject. They are mostly judgmental as they presume the meaning before actually, the speaker completes a sentence. They receive information without processing the significance in the context of communication. Now, you will be surprised to know that most of us are evaluative listeners! If we look into ourselves carefully, most of the time we behave like evaluative listeners. Without paying full attention to the content, we always evaluate what somebody is trying to communicate with us. Active Listener They involve themselves actively in the communication process. They focus on the content and the relevance of the information for understanding its implication. The active listeners are quite sensitive towards the feelings of others, they understand the mood of the audience. They show empathy and make the audience or the other person cared for. Once the audience gets the feeling that they are being cared for, they will devote themselves fully to the communication process. Once there is mutual involvement, there will be a hundred percent success in terms of communication.