Abstract
In a recent issue of Communication Education, three new books on listening were reviewed.1 The reviewer said of one of the books that it was motivated by the notion that we listen at 25% efficiency. A check with the reviewer, by telephone, confirms that she questions the validity of that 25% figure. This author shares that doubt. The idea that we are inefficient listeners seems to have become a cliché. It is found in many new books on listening and communication, and often the idea is expressed without footnoting or supporting evidence. One wonders if people are really more inefficient at listening than they are at reading, writing, speaking, spelling, observing, or calculating. The purpose of this paper is to raise some questions about the term ''efficient'' as applied to listening.
Journal Title
Iowa Journal of Speech Communication
Volume
18
Issue
2
First Page
24
Last Page
30
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Stromer, Walter F.
(1986)
"Listening Efficiency,"
Iowa Journal of Communication: Vol. 18:
No.
2, Article 9.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/ijc/vol18/iss2/9
Copyright
©1986 Iowa Communication Association
