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Josh Lacina

Stages of Effective Listening

The HURIER model is a "model of effective listening that involves hearing, understanding, interpreting, evaluating and responding" (Floyd, 264).  This model doesn't necessarily work in order, sometimes effective listening makes us go back and forth between these stages.  When we do listen effectively these are some good and usual behaviors we adopt.  The listening process begins with hearing, our physical way of perceiving sound.  You can hear many things around you and that which are said to you, but understanding them is something different.  You need to comprehend what you hear and understand what the meaning of the phrases spoken to you are.  Remembering is stage number three in the HURIER model.  This consists of being able to store what is said to you in your memory, and then go back and review it when needed.  A successful and effective listener has to be able to interpret information they receive.  This consists of paying attention to verbal and nonverbal emotions so you know the meaning of what was being said.  During the evaluation stage you're deciding what you want to believe and what you think is true and false.  Responding as you can guess would be the last stage, you need to let the speaker know that you are listening.  Sometimes we respond with words other times we respond with gestures, small vocalizations or non verbal nodding of the head are some examples. 


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