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Discuss some of the barriers to effective communication

Discuss some of the barriers to effective communication

Answers

Monica
a) MATERIAL OR PHYSICAL BARRIER---Physical barriers to effective communication may include: environmental barriers……these may include too much humidity in the atmosphere, light in excess, lofty temperature or bad ventilation; Challenging Stimulus……If there is loud music or noise in the background and there is the distance between sender and receiver then it becomes very difficult to send the correct message by the sender to the receiver; Subjective strain….. Due to bad health, too much mental stress, lack of proper sleep, or consumption of medicines, the receiver can never understand the message appropriately; Media ignorance….. Receiver not being conversant with the medium by which sender is sending his message. For example, explaining things to people by maps or charts with which they are not familiar will hinder effective communication. Communicators should choose conducive environments and appropriate mediums of communication to enhance effective communication.
b) LINGUISTIC BARRIER--- Language is vague in nature and its words are symbols that seldom represent only one meaning. The meanings of these symbols or words are understood by the sender and receiver in their own way which can result in misinterpretation. If a communicator uses difficult or inappropriate words or if a message is not explained in a proper manner then it can result in misinterpretation. It is thus important for the communicator to use language with which the recipient is familiar with to facilitate effective communication.
c) CULTURAL BARRIER--This communication barrier arises when the two people involved in communication belong to different cultural orientations. In addition, there are many other factors of cultural barrier such as age, social-economic status, political views, mental differences, values and rules, ethics or standards, motives, and priorities. The communication done without mixing any culture will not miss its meaning, but once a culture is mixed up with the communication, then it may lose its exact meaning. For effective communication to take place there is a need for communicators to take into consideration the cultural orientation of their recipients.
d) EMOTIONAL BARRIER---We all have different perceptions of situations, circumstances, and events depending on our subjective experiences. Thus, our unique ways of expressing emotions can become a strong base for communication, and a potential barrier to effective communication. Such emotions may include anger, fear, or hostility among others. to be effective communicators, Emotional intelligence is a necessary prerequisite.
e) MAKING ASSUMPTIONS---We tend to make certain assumptions about our listeners. Assumptions alter our behavior with our listeners because of the assumptions we make. These assumptions could be based on gender, level of education, age, and ethnic group among other such variables. For effective communication to occur it's important that we deal with assumptions by being open to our listeners regarding the assumptions we have of them and establishing from them if such assumptions have any element of truth.
Chatelaine answered the question on June 16, 2021 at 07:21

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