Interpersonal Communication- A Mindful Approach to Relationships, 2020a

Ronald Adler, Lawrence Rosenfeld, and Russell Proctor are three interpersonal scholars who have done
quite a bit with listening. 52 Based on their research, they have found different types of listening responses:
silent listening, questioning, paraphrasing, empathizing, supporting, analyzing, evaluating, and advising
(Figure 7.6). 53
Silent Listening
Questioning
Paraphrasing
Empathizing
Supporting
Analyzing
Evaluating
Advising
Figure 7.6. Types of Listening Responses
Asking questions to understand
the situation better.
Rephrasing in your own words
what the speaker said.
Putting yourself in the same situation
to understand what the speaker means.
Showing that you endorse the
speaker.
Considering possible solutions to
what the speaker has said.
Assessing the best coures of
action.
Counseling, recommending, and offering
information that will help the speaker.
Silent Listening
occurs when you say nothing. It is ideal in certain situations and awful in other
situations. However, when used correctly, it can be very powerful. If misused, you could give the wrong
impression to someone. It is appropriate to use when you don’t want to encourage more talking. It also
shows that you are open to the speaker’s ideas.
Sometimes people get angry when someone doesn’t respond. They might think that this person is
not listening or trying to avoid the situation. But it might be due to the fact that the person is just trying to
gather their thoughts, or perhaps it would be inappropriate to respond. There are certain situations such
as in counseling, where silent listening can be beneficial because it can help that person figure out their
feelings and emotions.
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Interpersonal Communication