Communicating for workplace connection: A longitudinal study of the outcomes of listening training on teachers' autonomy, psychological safety, and relational climate
Abstract
Training teachers to listen may enable them to experience increasingly attentive and open peer relationships at work. In the present research, we examined the outcomes of a year-long listening training on school teachers' listening abilities and its downstream consequences on their relational climate, autonomy, and psychological safety. Teachers in two elementary schools engaged in a similar listening training program throughout the entire school year. The measures included indicators of a supportive relational climate that are known to be important to teacher well-being, namely, autonomy, psychological safety, and relational energy. Results of growth curve modeling showed linear increases in all three outcomes, such that more listening training corresponded to a more positive relational climate. Specifically, the teachers reported increasingly higher quality listening from their group member teachers, felt more autonomy satisfied, psychologically safe, and relationally energetic. Furthermore, latent growth curve modeling indicated that the teachers' listening perception was positively and significantly associated with all three outcomes. We concluded that listening training is associated with teachers perceiving higher quality listening from their peers and, therefore, feeling more autonomy-satisfied, psychologically safe, and relationally energetic and discussing theoretical and practical implications.
Listen to this: Why consumer behavior researchers should care about listening
Guy Itzchakov & S. Christian Wheeler
Listening
Consumers’ decisions are intricately interwoven with their conversations. Whether it
is an animated discussion with a trusted friend extolling the virtues of a newly
acquired car (i.e., Word-of-Mouth), an engaging dialogue with a salesperson, or a clarifying call to a help center seeking guidance on a just-purchased smartwatch, every
exchange hinges on a pivotal factor: the quality of listening. Listening quality shapes
perceptions, affects social influence, drives behavioral intentions, and, ultimately,
determines purchase and post-purchase outcomes. Yet, despite its importance to
these consumer behavior outcomes, listening has received scant attention in consumer psychology. In this paper, we review the effects of listening on consumer
behavior-relevant outcomes and unpack the components of quality listening to
reveal their independent mechanisms. We also point to new frontiers in listening
research beyond the in-person, dyadic interactions that have been the primary focus
of listening research to date. By doing this, we elucidate how listening and consumer
behavior are connected and encourage more research on listening in consumer
psychology.
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High-Quality Listening Supports Speakers’ Autonomy and Self-Esteem when Discussing Prejudice
Guy Itzchakov, Netta Weinstein
Listening
We examined how the experience of high-quality listening (attentive, empathic, and nonjudgmental) impacts speakers’ basic psychological needs and state self-esteem when discussing the difficult topic of a prejudiced attitude. Specifically, we hypothesized that when speakers discuss a prejudiced attitude with high-quality listeners, they experience higher autonomy, relatedness, and self-esteem than speakers who share their prejudiced attitudes while experiencing moderate listening. We predicted that autonomy needs satisfaction would mediate the effect of listening on speakers’ self-esteem even when relatedness, a well-documented predictor of self-esteem, is controlled for in mediation models. Two experiments that manipulated listening through in-person interactions with high-quality or moderate listeners supported these hypotheses. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed, with a focus on the role of experiencing high-quality listening for speakers’ state self-esteem during difficult conversations.
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