In social psychology, what is the term for when a receiver pretends to listen to a speaker but is actually thinking about other things?

• A. Pseudo-listening
• B. Reflective listening
• C. Active listening
• D. Empathic listening

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the context of the problem: it is asking for a term in social psychology that describes a specific listening behavior.
2. Identify the key behavior described: the receiver appears to listen but is actually thinking about other things, which means the listening is not genuine.
3. Recall definitions of the options: 'Reflective listening' involves mirroring back what the speaker says, 'Active listening' means fully concentrating and responding, 'Empathic listening' involves understanding the speaker's feelings, and 'Pseudo-listening' means pretending to listen without truly paying attention.
4. Match the behavior described with the correct term: since the receiver is only pretending to listen, the term that fits best is 'Pseudo-listening'.
5. Confirm that 'Pseudo-listening' is the term used in social psychology to describe this behavior.