A Preliminary Look at Listening Development across the Life-Span

Abstract

This article addresses the issue of listening behavior from a life-span developmental perspective. While communication scholars have begun to assess the impact of life stages on human communication needs and abilities, little work in listening behavior has focused on the effects of aging. The authors of this exploratory study developed a self-report listening questionnaire and administered it to five cohorts of pre-adolescent children, adolescents, young adults, older adults, and elderly in various geographic regions. Different cohorts provided differential accounts and perceptions regarding listening behaviors in particular and respective issues associated with listening development in general.