Which of the following is a common barrier to effective listening that managers often face in social psychology?

• A. Actively engaging in paraphrasing and summarizing
• B. Prejudging the speaker's message before fully hearing it
• C. Having a clear understanding of the speaker's perspective
• D. Maintaining eye contact and open body language

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the concept of effective listening in social psychology, which involves fully attending to and accurately interpreting the speaker's message without bias or interruption.
2. Step 2: Identify common barriers to effective listening, such as distractions, emotional biases, and premature judgments about the speaker or message.
3. Step 3: Recognize that 'prejudging the speaker's message before fully hearing it' means forming an opinion or conclusion before the speaker has finished, which prevents open and unbiased listening.
4. Step 4: Compare the options given: actively engaging in paraphrasing and summarizing, having a clear understanding, and maintaining eye contact are positive listening behaviors, not barriers.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the barrier among the options is 'prejudging the speaker's message before fully hearing it' because it hinders the manager's ability to listen effectively and understand the speaker's true message.