BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION
'Barriers' are any obstacles or
difficulties that come in the way of communication.
They may
be physical, mechanical, psychological, cultural or linguistic in
nature.
In business communication, for instance, the major obstacles arise because of the set up- of an organization.
In business communication, for instance, the major obstacles arise because of the set up- of an organization.
the
organisational barriers-
· The
size of an organisation,
- The
physical distance between employees of an organisation,
- The specialization of
jobs and activities,
- The
power and status relationships,
are the
main organisational barriers. Besides, there are the barriers, raised by
interpersonal relationships between individual and groups, the prejudices of
both individuals and groups, and the channels they use to communicate.
In the
'jargon' of communication, all barriers whatever their nature are clubbed under
a common label- 'noise'.
A term from modern physics, it denotes not only
atmospheric or channel disturbance, but all barriers that distort
communications in any manner.
Is there such a thing then as 'perfect' communication free of all barriers? This is hardly ever true, except perhaps at higher spiritual or mystic levels where communication is transformed into a 'communion'. For us, mere mortals, the wrestling with imperfect communications must continue.
Is there such a thing then as 'perfect' communication free of all barriers? This is hardly ever true, except perhaps at higher spiritual or mystic levels where communication is transformed into a 'communion'. For us, mere mortals, the wrestling with imperfect communications must continue.
PHYSICAL BARRIERS
Four main kinds of distractions
act as 'physical barriers' to the communication process.
These are -
· The
Competing Stimulus in the form of another conversation going on within hearing
distance, or loud music or traffic noise in the background. The cawing of crows
or a plane passing overhead can, for example, drown out messages altogether.
· Subjective Stress: sleeplessness, ill health, the
effects of drugs and mood variations give rise to forms of subjective stress
that often lead to great difficulties in listening and interpretation
· Ignorance of the Medium: The various media for
communication in business are: oral, written, audio, visual and audio visual.
The use of a medium with which the communicators are not familiar would turn
the medium itself into a barrier.
PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIERS
Each of us has a certain 'frame of reference', a
kind of Window through which we look out at the world, at people, and events
and situations.
A frame
of reference is a system of standards and values, usually implicit, underlying
and to some extent controlling an action, or the expression of any belief,
attitude or idea.
No two individuals possess exactly similar frames of reference, even if they should be identical twins to large extent our frames of reference are influenced by our experiences, particularly our childhood experiences, and the cultural environment we have grown up in. Heredity too has a great influence.
No two individuals possess exactly similar frames of reference, even if they should be identical twins to large extent our frames of reference are influenced by our experiences, particularly our childhood experiences, and the cultural environment we have grown up in. Heredity too has a great influence.
However, learning and deeper experiences modify these 'mental sets' as we grow and mature, and develop diverse frames of reference to meet different needs - our own and that of the group we identify ourselves with. This is the 'reference group' whose attitudes towards religion, politics, education and so on we adopt as our own - without being fully aware that we are doing so.
SELF-IMAGE
Tied up with the term 'frame reference' is the term
'self- image' or 'self-concept' -i.e.,
the way
an individual looks at himself, or the picture he has of himself. It is this
'self-image that makes us always defend our point of view, to interpret
messages in the way we wish to interpret them, and to see 'reality' according
to our own preconceived notions.
That is why few people see things alike: Freud, Jung and Adler interpreted the same dream in three different ways; Indian historians differ on who was responsible for the partition', and people understand 'love', 'beauty', 'honour' and 'freedom according to what suits their self-image'.
That is why few people see things alike: Freud, Jung and Adler interpreted the same dream in three different ways; Indian historians differ on who was responsible for the partition', and people understand 'love', 'beauty', 'honour' and 'freedom according to what suits their self-image'.
The American poet Wallace Stevens wrote that there were 13 ways of looking at a blackbird. He was mistaken, for there were as many ways as there were cultural contexts.
Thus, we tend to listen attentively to, and interpret favorably those messages which give a boost to our self-image, and reject or misinterpret messages which threaten that same image.
The
consequence is: Communication selectivity. It is not only with regard to the
sending and receiving of messages that we are selective, but also in the extent
we remember them. For instance, we retain only that information that is
pleasant to us or reinforces our ego, and very conveniently forget details that
are unpleasant or humiliating.
RESISTANCE TO CHANGE
"The risk of being changed
is one of the most frightening prospects many of us can face" (Carl
Rogers).
No
wonder, we resist change in any form with all our might, except where we are
convinced it is to our benefit. So new ideas that do not support our own views
are resisted outright. In fact, most of the time we do not actually hear views
which conflict with our own. But we hear with rapt attention any communication
that reinforces our beliefs, and our self-image.
The effective communicator, therefore, does not wait till resistance builds up against but takes the people into confidence even at the planning stage. Instead of springing a surprise on them, he listens to their point of view with respect, involves them in the change; talks to them about the benefits the change will bring; assures them their job security will not be affected; and explains the reasons why the change is necessary.
DEFENSIVENESS AND FEAR
Closely related to the barrier
raised by our 'resistance to change' is the barrier of defensiveness.
One of
man's most compelling needs is to justify himself. Even when we are convinced,
we are wrong, few of us admit it, as it means a loss of face. More often than
not, therefore, we tend to 'rationalize (explain away) the mistakes we make,
the attitudes and opinions we hold so dear.
'Fear is an affect of great potency in determining what the individual will perceive, think and do' (Izard and Tomkins).
'Fear is an affect of great potency in determining what the individual will perceive, think and do' (Izard and Tomkins).
Indeed, together with the
allied emotions of nervousness, anxiety and tension, fear is the most
constricting of all the affects, resulting often in 'tunnel vision'
(near-blindness to a great part of the communication). It also gives rise
to slow and narrow thinking which selects and distorts communications.
During an
interview, a candidate's fear, tension and anxiety tells on his performance: he
fumbles for words, misinterprets questions and in general gives a poor show of
himself. During a written examination, nervous candidates misread the
instructions, misunderstand the questions asked. Some psychologists however,
are of the view that a little anxiety is good, for it brings into use
brain-cells otherwise inactive, and heightens attention, improves performance,
releases certain hormones, and facilitates learning by a greater spread of
nerve messages in the brain. In other words, fear and anxiety can be turned
into a source of energy and confidence.
LINGUISTIC & CULTURAL
BARRIERS
A language is the expression of
the thoughts and experiences of a people in terms of their cultural
environment.
When the
same language is made use of in a different culture, it takes on another
colour, another meaning.
When, for instance, English is employed in India, it comes under the influence not only of the accent of the local language, but also of the meanings and connotations of words, phrases, and idioms of that language, and of the culture that has given rise to it.
Each language shapes the reasoning of its speakers.
When, for instance, English is employed in India, it comes under the influence not only of the accent of the local language, but also of the meanings and connotations of words, phrases, and idioms of that language, and of the culture that has given rise to it.
Each language shapes the reasoning of its speakers.
Thus, English enforces
'either/or' thinking and reasoning, which Chinese does not. Indeed, 'no human
is free to describe nature with strict objectivity; he is a prisoner of his
language' and even the same language has to cross not only cultural and
generation gaps, but political and social gaps as well.
What is
more, 'in our own familiar environment we switch our type of language fairly
frequently, probably quite unconsciously; we modify it according to whom we are
talking to, where we are, and according to what we talk about; there is a
different language for discussing profit margins and for talking about the
merits of the domestic help.... we are aware of the situational differences. This
is equally true of non-verbal language: a nod of the head different
associations for urban and rural groups in India; the touching of an elder's
feet is a mark of respect in North India, but a mark of humiliation in other
cultures.
LANGUAGE AND MEANING
Language facilitates
understanding, but there are times when it can be a barrier to
communication.
In the
first place, a language (whether verbal or non-verbal) is ambiguous by nature.
The words of language, for instance, are mere symbols, and by themselves rarely
represent only one meaning. Further, these symbols are understood differently
by participants in communication.
words (or symbols) possess objective and
subjective meanings. While objective (or denotative or dictionary) meanings
point to objects, people and events, subjective (or connotative) meanings point
to emotional and evaluation responses.
The
favourable and unfavourable associations of a word depend upon the cultural
context in which it is used.
Take the words 'fascist', capitalist' or
communist' for example: they carry different associations in communist and
non-communist states.
Meanings,
therefore, exist not in words themselves but in the minds of people who use
them. Even simple words like 'love', freedom', 'happiness' and tragedy carry
numerous associations depending upon the political and cultural situations
people find themselves a part of.
MECHANICAL BARRIERS
Mechanical barriers are those
raised by the channels employed for interpersonal, group or mass communication.
Channels
become barriers when the message is interfered with by some disturbance,
which
- increased the difficulty in
reception or
- prevented some elements of
the message reaching its destination or both. The absence of
communication facilities too would be a mechanical barrier.
Technically, such barriers are clubbed together under one general term
'channel noise'.
This type
of barrier includes any disturbance which interferes with the fidelity of the
physical transmission of the message. A telephone that is in poor working
order, making demands on the yelling ability of Sender and Receiver, is a
mechanical barrier in interpersonal communication. So also, is 'cross-talk'
often heard over an 'intercom link in an office, or during long-distance calls
Thus, hearing is the physical act of receiving sound waves, a natural process.
Listening, however, is a skill that has to be learned and developed, requiring
hard work and practice.
In Group
Communication, a rundown or whistling microphone' and the wrong placement of
loudspeakers are disturbances which are mechanical in nature. (The communicator
who stands too close or too far from the mike is another matter). In mass
communication, mechanical barriers would include such disturbances as static on
the radio, smeared ink in a newspaper, a rolling screen on television, a barely
readable point-size, or a film projector or video that does not function
perfectly.
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