Listening Competence in Initial Interactions I: Distinguishing Between What Listening Is and What Listeners Do

TLDR

Initial impressions of others are powerful and arise from implicit theories that mentally represent people and actions. The study examines the structure of implicit theories of listening that shape impressions after first encounters. Three studies iteratively build an empirical database of attributes defining competent listening and behaviors of competent listeners in initial interactions. The findings yield an evidence‑based preliminary model for exploring the role and structure of implicit listening theories.

Abstract

The impressions we form of others during initial interactions are powerful. These impressions are a product of various implicit theories — mental representations of people and actions. This article investigates the structure of implicit theories of listening used when forming impressions of others after an initial encounter. Specifically, three studies are reported that, together, iteratively build an empirical database of the attributes (what competent listening is) and behaviors (what competent listeners do) associated with effective listening in initial interactions. The results help construct an evidence-based, preliminary model that can be used to investigate the role and structure of implicit theories of listening.