Question

Which listening subskill primarily involves understanding the speaker's underlying message, feelings, or intentions that are not explicitly stated?

• A. A. Selective Listening
• B. B. Inferential Listening
• C. C. Appreciative Listening
• D. D. Discriminative Listening

Answer 1

Answer:

B. B. Inferential Listening

Inferencing is the subskill where a listener:

• “reads between the lines”

• Understands implied meanings, emotions, or attitudes

• Recognizes tone, emphasis, or context clues to grasp what is not directly said

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🔍 Example:

If someone says in a flat tone, “Yeah, that was really fun,” you may infer that they’re being sarcastic — even though the literal words are positive.