Active listening

Active listening is a communication practice in which a listener gives focused attention, checks understanding, and responds to a speaker’s meaning.

Reflective listening: A listening approach in which a person reflects a speaker’s words or feelings to check understanding. Restating a speaker’s meaning is a central way active listening checks comprehension.
Attention: The selective focusing of mental resources on particular information or stimuli. Active listening begins by directing attention toward the speaker rather than competing distractions.
Motivational interviewing: A collaborative counseling method that strengthens a person’s own motivation for change. Its reflective questions and listening skills help people explore ambivalence without pressure.
Hearing: The physiological detection of sound by the auditory system. Hearing speech is a sensory process; active listening also involves interpretation and response.
Paraphrasing: Restating information in different words while preserving its central meaning. A concise paraphrase tests whether the listener has grasped the speaker’s point.
Working memory: The limited-capacity system that temporarily holds and manipulates information for ongoing tasks. Listeners use working memory to connect a speaker’s latest point with earlier statements.
Conflict resolution: Methods for addressing and settling disagreements between people or groups. Listening for concerns beneath stated positions can help disputants identify workable agreements.
Passive listening: Listening with limited effort to interpret, acknowledge, or respond to a speaker’s message. The contrast shows why mere exposure to someone’s words does not demonstrate engagement.
Open-ended question: A question that invites an extended answer rather than a yes-or-no response. Open questions encourage speakers to elaborate instead of steering them toward a preset answer.
Auditory perception: The process of organizing and interpreting sounds as meaningful auditory information. Hearing speech accurately is necessary, but does not by itself ensure understanding.

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