Appreciative Listening

Appreciative listening is a type of listening behavior where the listener seeks certain information which they will appreciate, for example that which helps meet his/her needs and goals. One uses appreciative listening when listening to good music, poetry or maybe even the stirring words of a great leader.

It involves listening to music that one enjoys, people the listener likes to listen to because of their style and the choices the listener make in the films and television he/she watches, radio programmes and plays and musicals in the theatre. Unlike informative listening or relationship listening, appreciative listening does not rely on the message from the speaker it is how one responds as a listener.

Appreciative Listening: How it Can Increase Your Sense of Self

The value of good listening cannot be overstated. It can create a more secure home environment, in which good listening will help to strengthen bonds between family members. Engaging in the act of listening can be used to help you relax and enjoy yourself in a variety of situations.

The act of listening to something for your own personal enjoyment is known as appreciative listening, and it has numerous different benefits. Appreciative listening can even help increase your self-esteem, a topic you can learn more about through this Udemy course. 

Defining Appreciative Listening

Appreciative listening is one of the 5 types of listening – you can sign up for this course to learn more about that topic. The other four types are discriminative, comprehensive, relationship, and critical listening. Each affects the way you, the listener, behave.

Appreciative listening is a particular listening behavior defined by when a person seeks out and listens to certain auditory information that they will personally appreciate or like. Sometimes appreciative listening serves a need, such as listening to meditation seminars in order to self heal or fall asleep easier. Sometimes appreciative listening is just about setting aside the time for yourself to listen to what you enjoy, and nothing more.

Above all, appreciative listening is about you. Unlike informative or relationship listening, appreciative listening does not rely on any given message from the speaker. If one of the goals of your appreciative listening is to broaden your knowledge of a style of music, spoken word, or other auditory experience you will likely come across some listening materials that you don’t enjoy as well as others.

The Three Factors of Appreciative Listening

Appreciative listening is subjective. Rather than judge the material you’re listening to by the way it affects others, or by other’s opinions of the material, understanding appreciative listening begins with understanding three factors: presentation, perception, and previous experience.

Presentation 

Presentation refers to the medium in which a material is presented. For example, hearing classical music in a large concert hall is a very different experience from listening to it on a stereo system in your home or car.

One person might find they love listening to live music and another might enjoy the exact opposite.

The temperature and size of a space can affect the way you listen as well. This delivery affects the way the listener perceives the music, but does not change the act or type of listening.

Perception

Perception is important when considering appreciative listening. A listener’s opinion (or appreciation) of what they are hearing may change between presentations of the material, and can even change over the course of listening. An example might be listening to a great speech. A listener must listen to lots of music and familiarize themselves with the different forms in order to identify what they appreciate and what they don’t.

Previous Experience

Previous experience informs appreciative listening in a way similar to perception. By finding more things you appreciate you develop your listening skills in addition to broadening your cultural horizons.

If your personal goal is to relax, then listening to more challenging materials might not be right for you.

The overall point of appreciative listening is simply that – appreciation. Knowing why you are listening and appreciating what you are listening to can lead to a very enjoyable experience. 

Being aware of these factors will help you avoid feeling as if appreciative listening is a chore, something it should never be. As a listener you should be conscious of what you are listening to. Learning conscious listening, something you can do in this Udemy  course, can help you become more aware of what you are actually hearing whenever you listen to any type of materials.