Which of the following statements about listening, as a communication skill, is not true?

Introduction / Context:
In communication skills training, a clear distinction is made between hearing and listening. Hearing is the physical ability to perceive sound, while listening is an active process that involves attention, interpretation, and response. This question asks you to identify which statement about listening is not true, thereby testing whether you understand listening as an active skill rather than a passive event.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The topic is listening, not just hearing.
• Some options describe listening as active and selective.
• One option describes it as passive and constant, which contradicts communication theory.
• Only one statement must be identified as not true.

Concept / Approach:
Listening is defined as the process of receiving, constructing meaning from, and responding to spoken or nonverbal messages. It is not automatic; it requires mental effort and focus. Because people cannot give full attention to every sound all the time, listening is selective. We choose which sounds and messages to attend to and interpret. Therefore, statements that describe listening as active, selective, and involving psychological action are true. A statement that calls listening passive and constant confuses it with simple hearing and is therefore not true.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Examine option A: It involves conscious psychological action. This matches the idea that listening requires attention and mental processing, so it is true. Step 2: Examine option B: Attention and meaning given to sounds turns hearing into listening. This is also true because listening begins when we attend to sounds and interpret them, not when we merely hear them. Step 3: Examine option C: It is a passive, constant process. This suggests that listening happens automatically all the time without effort, which contradicts the active definition of listening. Step 4: Examine option D: It is an active and selective process. This is consistent with communication theory, which says we select and focus on certain messages. Step 5: Identify option C as the single statement that is not true about listening.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, consider your own experience in a classroom. You may hear background noises constantly, such as fans, traffic, or classmates moving, but you are not always listening to them. When the teacher speaks and you decide to focus, you shift from passive hearing to active listening. You choose to attend, interpret, and remember. This selective, effortful process matches the description of listening as active, not passive. Also, you cannot listen attentively all the time to every sound; your attention moves, so listening cannot be a constant process in the same way hearing is constant as long as your ears function.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
It involves conscious psychological action.: This is a true statement, not the incorrect one. Listening uses mental processes such as attention, perception, and interpretation.
Attention and meaning given to sounds turns hearing into listening.: This is also true. When you attend to a sound and assign meaning, you move from simple hearing to genuine listening.
It is an active and selective process.: This is true and reflects modern communication theory, where listening involves actively selecting and processing certain messages from many possible inputs.

Common Pitfalls:
Some students confuse hearing with listening and believe both are passive because they associate them only with the ear. Others may think that because sound is always around us, we must always be listening, which is not the case. To avoid this confusion, remember the formula: Hearing + Attention + Meaning = Listening. Hearing alone is passive and constant; listening is active, effortful, and selective. The option that labels listening as passive and constant is therefore the one that is not true.

Final Answer:
The statement about listening that is not true is It is a passive, constant process.