Two Listening Games

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0><script type="text/javascript" src="http://hb.lycos.com/hb.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://ratings.lycos.com/ratings/lycosRating.js.php"></script> <script type="text/javascript"><![CDATA[//><!]]></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://scripts.lycos.com/catman/init.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://members.tripod.com/adm/ad/code-start.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://members.tripod.com/adm/ad/code-middle.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://members.tripod.com/adm/ad/code-end.js"></script> <noscript> <img src="http://members.tripod.com/adm/img/common/ot_noscript.gif?rand=160396" alt="" width="1" height="1" />  <iframe frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" width="728" height="90" src="http://ad.yieldmanager.com/st?ad_type=iframe&ad_size=728x90&section=209094"></iframe>  </noscript> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=100 BGCOLOR="#CCCCFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="31800640egdysm.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="6" COLOR="#000099" FACE="Arial" ><B>The Message </b></FONT><B>   |     </b><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Message"><U><B>home</b></U></A></div> <bR> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=150 BGCOLOR="#0000BF" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=380 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Two Listening Games</I></div> <bR> <div> <B>LISTENING I</b></div> <bR> <bR> <div> This exercise is also designed to underscore some of the problems involved with listening and word interpretation.  It takes about 10 minutes and can be used with groups of any size.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Procedure</b></div> <div> 1.     The group is instructed to: "Draw a short vertical line to represent a mama bull, a papa bull, and a baby bull."</div> <div> 2.     Their task is to correctly follow the instructions.</div> <div> 3.     After the group has completed the exercise, ask for correct solutions.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Discussion</b></div> <bR> <div> Anyone drawing three lines interprets a MAMA BULL as being possible.  There is not any mama bulls.  In addition, the lines may be of varied length—normally the mama bull is a medium-sized vertical line, the papa bull the longest, and the baby bull the shortest.  Why?  There is nothing in the statement to indicate size variation, yet preset concepts concerning "mama," "papa," and "baby" tend to lead to the length variation.  Was the group also tempted to follow impossible instructions?</div> <bR> <div> <B>LISTING II</b></div> <bR> <div> <B>Procedure</b></div> <bR> <div> 1.     The class is instructed to answer the following problem: "You are driving a buss.  You go east 12 miles, and turn south and go 2 miles and take on 9 passengers, then you turn west and go 3 miles and let off 4 passengers.  How old is the bus driver?</div> <div> 2.     After the class has completed the exercise, ask for solutions.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Discussion</b></div> <bR> <div> Most listeners will attempt to follow the numbers and arrive at a solution based on them.  The actual solution is the age of each listener.  The problem uses the work  "you" four times.  What is the relationship between listening and interpretation?  Why did people fail to hear the term "you?"  What are the implications for any orally delivered instructions?</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Given to me as a photocopy from an old Communication Textbook.  I would love to credit the authors but am unsure of who they are.  If you know, please let me know so I may give them full credit. </div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>