The Nature of Supportive Listening, I: Exploring the Relation between Supportive Listeners and Supportive People

Supportive listening is recognized as an important element of supportive interactions, yet there is little research on the specific behaviors and characteristics of supportive listeners. Moreover, the terms supportive person and supportive listener are used interchangeably. This study sought 1) to investigate how supportive people and supportive listeners are described and 2) to assess similarities and differences among these categories. To answer our research questions, one group (n = 206) described unsupportive/supportive persons, and a second group (n = 211) described unsupportive/supportive listeners. Thought units from these data were then categorized and compared for similarities between these two types of supportive individuals. Results indicate supportive individuals, both listeners and persons, were described similarly, though several notable differences were identified. In general, the label supportive listening may be best described as a set of behavioral responses, whereas the term supportive person seems to represent a broader, overarching cognitive category used to organize various behaviors which include listening.