Lindsey's sociology professor has brought in a guest to speak about her experiences as a meth addict. Lindsey is trying to listen but is having trouble doing so. She remembers all too well her own father's addiction, which ended up ruining her parents' marriage and continues to contaminate her relationship with him. Which listening barrier is Lindsey experiencing?

a. being self-absorbed

b. unchecked emotions

c. criticizing the speaker

d. shifting attention

B

Explanation:

There is an intense relationship between emotions and listening skills. When you are sadder then you feel more disturbed in listening. There are inverse relationships between sad emotions and listening. Strong emotions like anxiety, depression, anger, self-pity distress turn your focus inward removing it from the process of listening that requires full attention to be effective. If someone is upset listening to them will almost always calm them down. If you want to diffuse any arguments then stop talking and start listening. This is good to know because we all experience strong emotions sometimes. Negative emotions filter your listening according to your mood.