Empathy and Active Listening Flashcards
7 cards from real Soft Skills - Communication practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Empathy and Active Listening flashcards as text
A colleague tells you they feel overwhelmed with their workload. Which response best demonstrates empathic listening?
Answer: Say 'It sounds like you're really stretched thin right now — want to talk about it?'
Reflecting their feeling and inviting them to continue validates their experience without projecting solutions.
What does 'suspending judgment' mean in the context of active listening?
Answer: Withholding evaluation of what the speaker says until you fully understand their perspective.
Suspending judgment means holding off on evaluating the message so you can hear it fully and accurately.
During a meeting, a team member gives a long explanation. You begin mentally drafting your rebuttal while they're still speaking. This is an example of:
Answer: Rehearsal listening
Rehearsal listening occurs when the listener mentally prepares their response rather than focusing on the speaker.
Which of the following is an example of a clarifying question during active listening?
Answer: 'Can you help me understand what you meant by deadline pressure?'
Clarifying questions invite the speaker to expand on their meaning without introducing bias or judgment.
Cognitive empathy differs from affective empathy in that cognitive empathy involves:
Answer: Intellectually understanding another person's perspective without necessarily sharing their feelings.
Cognitive empathy is perspective-taking — understanding how someone thinks — while affective empathy is sharing their emotional state.
A customer is angry about a billing error. Which active listening technique should you use first?
Answer: Acknowledge their frustration before moving to problem-solving.
Acknowledging emotions first de-escalates the situation and signals that the customer has been heard.
What is 'paraphrasing' in active listening?
Answer: Restating the speaker's message in your own words to confirm understanding.
Paraphrasing restates the speaker's ideas in your own words, demonstrating comprehension and giving them a chance to correct misunderstandings.