Barriers of Communication

 Barriers of Communication

Physiological Barriers 
Physiological barriers may result from individuals' personal discomfort, caused, for example, by ill health, poor eye sight, or hearing difficulties. These may also affect one’s personality in many different and mostly negative ways. This can best be handled by working on developing a positive perception as certain physiological features contributing to barriers may not be curable. 

Physical Barriers/Environmental Distractions

Physical barriers include:

ü  Office doors, barrier screens, separate areas for people of different status

ü  Large working areas or working in one unit that is physically separate from others.

ü  Distance

ü  Time – adopt appropriate fast channels of communication

ü  Space – maintain the distance in the communication exercise as determined by the situation

ü  Place – Avoid overcrowded incommodious and ill-lit, ill- ventilated places to achieve effective communication

ü  Medium – Choose the appropriate medium oral / written (sign (audio/visual) medium.

Research shows that one of the most important factors in building cohesive teams is proximity. Proximity in different cultures is different and therefore needs to be taken in the right context. It has been observed that people coming from rural backgrounds with more physical space available may not feel comfortable in closed quarters as they tend to have larger personal spaces as compared to people living in urban conditions. This aspect alone can become a significant psychological barrier if they subconsciously feel “threatened” by inadvertent “invasion” of their personal space in case an urbanite approaches them in close proximity considering it as a
normal personal space.

1.6.3        Cultural Barriers

Understand and accept the cultural variations in individuals and groups. Appreciate them and adopt your communication style to them.  Culture prescribes behavior. Humans can adapt to different culture once we come to accept it and appreciate that cultures are different so that we can be recognized from others and that no specific connotations need to be attached to one culture or the other.

1.6.4        Language Barriers/ Linguistic Barriers

Language that describes what we want to say in our terms may present barriers to others who are not familiar with our expressions, buzz-words, and jargon. When we couch our communication in such language, it is a way of excluding others. In a global setting the greatest compliment we can pay another person is to talk in their language.

1.6.5        Interpersonal Barriers/ Social Barriers

Withdrawal is an absence of interpersonal contact. It is both refusals to be in touch with others.

1.6.6        Psychological Barriers

There are 3 types of psychological barriers. They are discussed below.

Perceptual barriers

The problem with communicating with others is that we all see the world differently. A bad experience would perceptually block out unpleasant things. This could be in the shape of avoiding it and if that is not possible by altering the behaviors i.e., response types in different ways. Similarly, retention filters out things that feel good, and gives the tendency to forget those things that are painful. It is very interesting to note that how our experiences taint or color our perceptions. Perceptual barriers can significantly alter our understanding and thus affect our communication. They are deep rooted and work in conjunction with our experiences.

Emotional barriers

One of the other chief psychological barriers to open and free communication is the emotional barrier. It is comprised mainly of fear, mistrust, and suspicion. As mentioned earlier the roots of our emotional mistrust of others lie in our childhood and infancy when we were taught to be careful what we said to others.

Experiential barriers

Experiential barriers on the other hand become barriers by virtue of not having experienced them leading to altered interpretation and comprehension. Our experience shapes our view of the world. For example, when children experience trauma at the hands of trusted adults (especially family members) their emotional link with the adult world is severed, creating distrust. They are left with three companions: guilt, fear and feelings of inferiority.