What influencers do you find most distracting or detrimental (physiological, psychological or contextual)? Provide several examples in your response.

Physiological Influencers

Listening physiology certainly plays a major role in how listeners function. Sensory acuity, especially auditory and visual, is basic to listening.

Age-related deterioration of sensory mechanisms can lead to loss of both the verbal content and the nonverbal dimensions of the communication. Additionally, the neurological makeup of the listener is a factor.

Research on hemispheric specialization, for example, suggests that the left brain may be the more rational, objective, organizing processor, while the right brain is the more emotional, intuitive side.

Psychological Influencers

In addition to the physiological influences on listening, listeners bring psychological variables to the communication. The listener's attitudinal state may well be one of the most significant influences on that person's listening behavior.

A positive listening attitude, along with listening knowledge, is a critical ingredient of effective listening. Positive attitudes give the listener a willingness to listen.

Contextual Influencers

While listeners bring significant physiological and psychological variables to their listening behavior, contextual influencers also play a central role in shaping the listening experience. Roles, culture, and time have received the attention of listening researchers.

The context of the communication frequently shapes the roles that communicators must assume in the interaction.

We listen in many different communication relationships- personal, academic, professional-which require that we assume different roles as family members, friends, students, workers, or managers.

It is noteworthy that listening effectiveness has been correlated with perceptions of good leadership. And listening enhances the sales relationship by creating a trusting climate.