Although words don't mean exactly the same thing to everyone, within a culture many symbols have an agreed-upon range of meanings

Joe knows that his relationship with Lauren is over. He doesn't want to hurt her feelings, so he sends the following text message: "U R a great girl and deserve better than me. Let's be friends, OK?" Has Joe communicated effectively?

a. No, because he has taken all the blame for the break-up. b. Yes, because he has allowed Lauren to save face. c. No, because he shouldn't use text messaging to convey important information. d. Yes, because text messaging is part of his and Lauren's culture.

Hearing only what we want or expect to hear is a form of __________ __________

Fill in the blank(s) with correct word