In cognitive psychology, what is the term for listening to another person with the best of intent but then becoming distracted and missing parts of what they say?

• A. Active listening
• B. Selective attention
• C. Pseudo-listening
• D. Divided attention

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of 'active listening,' which involves fully concentrating, understanding, responding, and remembering what is being said.
2. Recognize 'selective attention' as the process of focusing on a particular stimulus while ignoring others, which is different from missing parts of a conversation due to distraction.
3. Consider 'divided attention,' which refers to the ability to process multiple stimuli or tasks simultaneously, not specifically related to pretending to listen.
4. Identify 'pseudo-listening' as the behavior where a person appears to be listening attentively but is actually distracted and misses parts of the conversation.
5. Conclude that the term describing listening with the best intent but becoming distracted and missing parts is 'pseudo-listening.'