Which term best describes the process by which effective listening happens without conscious effort?

• A. Selective attention
• B. Effortful processing
• C. Automatic processing
• D. Divided attention

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the key terms involved in the question. 'Selective attention' refers to focusing on a specific stimulus while ignoring others, which requires conscious effort.
2. Step 2: Recognize that 'Effortful processing' involves active, conscious effort to encode information, such as studying or memorizing.
3. Step 3: Note that 'Divided attention' means splitting focus between multiple tasks, which also requires conscious control.
4. Step 4: Identify 'Automatic processing' as the process by which information is absorbed and understood without conscious effort, often happening naturally and effortlessly.
5. Step 5: Conclude that since the question asks for the process where effective listening happens without conscious effort, the term 'Automatic processing' best fits this description.