A way of listening to understand interpret and evaluate what you hear is called?

There isn't a single, universally accepted term for the process of listening to understand, interpret, and evaluate what you hear. However, here are some terms that capture different aspects of this process:

1. Active Listening: This is the most common term, emphasizing the listener's engagement with the speaker. It includes paying attention, asking clarifying questions, and summarizing what you've heard to ensure understanding.

2. Critical Listening: This focuses on analyzing and evaluating the information you hear, considering its accuracy, validity, and potential biases. It involves questioning assumptions, identifying evidence, and drawing your own conclusions.

3. Empathetic Listening: This focuses on understanding the speaker's emotions and perspective, even if you don't agree with them. It involves paying attention to nonverbal cues and showing empathy for the speaker's feelings.

4. Reflective Listening: This involves reflecting back what you've heard to the speaker, both verbally and nonverbally, to demonstrate your understanding and encourage them to elaborate.

5. Comprehensive Listening: This term emphasizes the overall process of understanding, interpreting, and evaluating information, taking into account all aspects of the communication.

The best term to use depends on the specific context and the goal of the listening. If you're focusing on understanding the speaker's perspective, "empathic listening" might be most appropriate. If you're analyzing information for accuracy, "critical listening" would be more fitting.