Welcome back, everyone.
In this unit, we’re shifting from the “what” of listening to the “why” and “how.”
Earlier in the course, we spent time unpacking what listening is—how attention, perception, and memory work together to help us make meaning from what we hear.
Now, Unit 3 takes us one layer deeper. Instead of only asking how listening happens, we’re asking: How do scholars explain listening?
Because once you understand the theories behind listening, you gain a new kind of power: you can analyze conversations, diagnose breakdowns, and choose better responses.
So here’s our main goal for Unit 3: Analyze and evaluate key theories and principles that contribute to effective listening.
That word “evaluate” matters. We’re not just memorizing definitions—we’re learning to compare theories, recognize what each one explains best, and apply them to real-life communication.
To make this practical, we’ll use one scenario throughout the unit. Here it is.
You’re working with a coworker, Maya, on a group project. And she says, “I feel like I’m carrying most of the weight on this project. I need you to take more initiative.”
That moment is emotionally loaded. It’s ambiguous. It’s relational. And it’s exactly the kind of situation where listening theories help.
In this unit, we’ll look at several major theories and principles and ask: What does each one reveal about what’s happening in that moment?
First, we’ll explore the HURIER Model, which breaks listening into six internal stages—like hearing, understanding, interpreting, and responding.
Then we’ll move to the Transactional Model, which explains communication as simultaneous and dynamic—meaning both people are influencing the conversation in real time.
We’ll also introduce listening fidelity, which asks a very practical question: Did the meaning you heard match what the speaker intended?
Next, we’ll add the emotional layer with mindful listening and empathic listening—approaches that help manage internal reactions and tune into emotional meaning.
And we’ll explore constructivist listening, which helps explain why two people can hear the same message but interpret it completely differently.
Throughout the unit, you’ll notice something important: no single theory explains everything.
Each theory highlights a different layer of listening—cognitive, emotional, relational, and behavioral.
So your job isn’t to pick one “best” theory. Your job is to learn how to use them like tools—choosing the right lens for the situation you’re trying to understand.
By the end of Unit 3, you will create a short, advice-based video focused on one major listening theory and how it explains a communication breakdown for a specific audience.
And that’s what makes this unit so useful: it helps you move from reacting automatically to listening intentionally.
Alright—let’s get started.