What Are Listening Styles?

Listening styles refer to the different ways people listen and analyze the contents of a conversation. These styles either have to do with the way listeners prefer to receive information or with how they scrutinize the message. There are two methods to evaluate a person's listening style: according to their orientation, as Dr. David Merrill and Dr. Roger Reid suggest in their joint research "Whole Brain Thinking," or based on their attitude toward a speech, according to human resources consultant Edward Dvorak.

Amiable and Action-Oriented Listeners

·         Amiable audiences -- otherwise called people-oriented listeners -- are those who care about the speaker and not only about the contents of his or her speech. Such listeners empathize with speakers, they encourage them to speak, they are worried when speakers are ignored and try to find common areas of interest. Another listening style is the "drivers," or action-oriented listeners, whose main concern is to understand the practicality of the information they receive. Therefore, they have little interest in long stories or irrelevant remarks.

Analytical and Expressive Audiences

·         Analytical -- or content-oriented -- listeners are genuinely interested in complex speeches, as they can analyze the data and evaluate both the information and delivery by the speaker. They are the most likely audience to spot little mistakes in language or content. Expressive listeners want to be part of a conversation, even when it is not a one-on-one occasion (like during public speeches, for instance). Such listeners analyze data quickly; when the message clashes with their own perceptions, they want to make the speaker know.

Appreciative and Empathetic Listeners

·         Appreciative listeners are generally sociable people, interested in listening to others for pleasure. A major concern for speakers dealing with such an audience is also to provide amusement or humor; otherwise, listeners can lose interest. Empathetic listeners resemble the amiable type, as they focus on body language and emotions, trying to recognize the speaker's point of view. On the other hand, comprehensive listeners concentrate on thoughts and actions, expecting logical presentations. They are too interested in the speaker's point of view, but only as far as his or her rationale is concerned.

Discerning and Evaluative Listeners

·         A discerning listener works hard to concentrate on the speech, trying to grasp the main message speakers want to communicate. For this purpose, they prefer information to flow evenly. Evaluative listeners bear a resemblance to the analytical audience and, according to Dvorak, they probably make up the toughest audience in a technical environment. They listen carefully, analyze information and -- at the same time -- come up with arguments against parts of the speech they disagree with.