Professional Communication Multiple Choice Questions on “Barriers to Listening”.
1. Which of these is not a barrier to listening?
a) Physical barrier
b) Cultural barrier
c) Linguistic barrier
d) Written barrier
Answer: d
Clarification: There are six barriers to listening. They are: physical, physiological, linguistic, cultural barriers, speech decoding and oral discourse analysis.
2. Which is the main barrier to listening?
a) Physical barrier
b) Linguistic barrier
c) Cultural barrier
d) Physiological barrier
Answer: a
Clarification: Physical barrier is the main barrier to listening. These are caused by noise, physical distractions. Noise is the biggest physical hurdle in listening.
3. Which of these is not a physiological barrier?
a) Fear
b) Different perception
c) Gel effect
d) Halo effect
Answer: c
Clarification: There are nine physiological barriers. They are: fear, different perception, misunderstanding, halo effect, inattentiveness, emotions, abstracting, drawing hasty conclusions and polarisation.
4. Which of these is based on faith?
a) Fear
b) Halo effect
c) Emotions
d) Different perception
Answer: b
Clarification: Halo effect is based on faith, i.e., trust or distrust of the listener on the speaker. If the listener feels the speaker tells truth whatever he says is correct.
5. When people take extreme positions what is it called?
a) Fear
b) Halo effect
c) Emotions
d) Polarisation
Answer: d
Clarification: Some people take extreme position or stand on some issues and do not want to compromise or understand the other side. This is called polarization.
6. Which of these occur because of difference in language?
a) Physical barriers
b) Linguistic barriers
c) Cultural barriers
d) Speech decoding
Answer: b
Clarification: Linguistic barriers occur when the people speak different languages. They have different mother tongues. This creates problems.
7. Barriers which are caused because of different meanings of a word to different people is called ________
a) different perception
b) semantic distortions
c) physical barriers
d) cultural barriers
Answer: b
Clarification: Semantic distortions is one of the barriers in listening. The words often means different things to different people which is a distortion of non deliberate nature.
8. Which of these barriers occur when people belong to different religious backgrounds?
a) Physical barriers
b) Linguistic barriers
c) Cultural barriers
d) Speech decoding
Answer: c
Clarification: Cultural barriers occur when the speaker and listener are from different cultural background or religious background.
9. Who among these bow down to greet?
a) Japanese
b) Americans
c) Indians
d) French
Answer: a
Clarification: The Japanese bow down to greet, Westerners and Americans have gentle kiss on the cheeks of each other. One should avoid offending the people from other cultures.
10. Which of these is not a step in speech decoding?
a) Listening
b) Writing
c) Translating
d) Understanding
Answer: b
Clarification: There are three steps in speech decoding. They are: listening of speech, translation and understanding by the listener.
11. Oral discourse means to speak authoritatively about a topic.
a) True
b) False
Answer: a
Clarification: The statement is true. Oral discourse means to speak authoritatively about a topic. A listener has to make analysis of the spoken communication.