Barriers to Communication

Noise: Barriers to Communication

Literacy skills

Language and semantics

Time constraints/pressure

Personal bias

Cultural bias

QUESTIONS

1. Study the scenario below and then answer the questions that follow.

Dr. Haldane Blake, a heart specialist, is speaking to a group of teenagers from the Mile High Youth Club about the dangers of smoking.

(a) List FOUR aspects of the communication process that he must consider before he commences his speech. (4 marks)

 

(b) State two of the aspects listed in (a) above and explain why EACH is important and should be considered in preparing his speech. (4 marks)

 2.

(a) During his speech, Dr. Blake notices that some of the teenagers are yawning while others are having their own conversations. Suggest TWO reasons related to the delivery of his speech that might account for their teenagers’ behaviour. (2 marks)

 

(b) The coordinator of the Youth Club, Mrs. Brown, has suggested that the members of the club should pass on the information given by Dr. Blake to the various school bodies to which they belong.

Suggest TWO means that club members could use to capture the interest of their fellow students. (2 marks)

  WHY WERE THE VIDEOS BELOW BANNED?

Contexts of Communication

 

Intrapersonal Communication is the communication process within an individual or 'a person's internal dialogue,' according to Reference.com. Intrapersonal skills include the ability to master the internal dialogue and to understand and control one's behaviours and actions. Examples of intrapersonal communication are:

• day dreaming, fantasizing, working out a problem in your head
• writing one's thoughts or observations
• speaking aloud to oneself
• making gestures while thinking
• nocturnal dreams

Interpersonal communication is the process by which people exchange information, feelings, and meaning through verbal and non-verbal messages: it is face-to-face communication. Interpersonal communication is not just about what is actually said - the language used - but how it is said and the non-verbal messages sent through tone of voice, facial expressions, gestures and body language, summarizing, paraphrasing, questioning, listening, etc.

Transactional Model of Communication

 

According to Adler and Rodman (2000):  

Despite its simplicity, the linear model doesn’t do a very good job of representing the way most communication operates. The transactional communication model below presents a more accurate picture in several respects.

v  Simultaneous Sending and Receiving

 The transactional model reflects the fact that we usually send and receive messages simultaneously. The roles of sender and receiver that seemed separate in the linear model are now superimposed and redefined as “communicators.” This new term reflects the fact that at a given moment we are capable of receiving, decoding, and responding to another person’s behavior, while at the same time that other person is receiving and responding to ours. 

Consider, for instance, the significance of a friend’s yawn as you describe your romantic problems. Nonverbal behaviour like this shows that most face-to-face communication is a two-way affair. The discernible (visible) response of a receiver to a sender’s message is called feedback. Not all feedback is non-verbal, of course. Communication is therefore a two-way affair.

Another weakness of the linear model is the questionable assumption that all communication involves encoding. We certainly do choose symbols to convey most verbal messages. But what about the many nonverbal cues that occur whether or not people speak: facial expressions, gestures, postures, vocal tones, and so on? Cues like these clearly do offer information about others, although they are often unconscious and thus don’t involve encoding.

For this reason, the transactional model replaces the term encoding with the broader label behavior, because it describes both deliberate and unintentional and unintentional actions that can be observed. 

Communication Is Fluid, Not Static: Adler and Rodman (2000) emphasized that the transactional model reflects the fact that it’s difficult to isolate a single discrete “act” of communication from events that precede or follow it.

The way a friend or family member reacts to a sarcastic remark you make will probably depend on the way you have related to one another in the past. Likewise, the way you’ll act toward each other in the future depends on the outcome of this conversation. 

Communication is Relational, Not Individual: The transactional model shows that communication isn’t something we do to others; it is an activity to do with partners. Like dancing, communication depends on the involvement of a partner and like good dancing communication isn’t something that depends just on the skill of one person.

A great dancer who doesn’t consider and adapt to the skill level of his or her partner can make both people look bad. In communication and dancing, even two partners do not guarantee success. Finally, relational communication—like dancing—is a unique creation that arises out of the way in which the partners interact.  The way you dance probably varies from one partner to another because of its cooperative, transactional nature. Likewise, the way you communicate, according to Adler and Rodman, varies with different partners.
 

 

Linear Model of Communication

 

In this linear communication model, communication is like giving an injection: a sender encodes ideas and feelings into some sort of message and then conveys them by means of a channel (speech, writing and so on) into a receiver, who decodes the message…The linear model also introduces the concept of noise—a term used by social scientists to describe any forces that interfere with the effective communication process. Three types of noise can disrupt communication—external, physiological, and psychological (Adler & Rodman, 2000).

External Noise (also called physical noise) includes those factors outside the receiver that can make it difficult to hear, as well as many other kinds of distractions. For instance, too much cigarette smoke in a crowd might make it hard for you to pay attention to another person, and sitting in the rear of an auditorium might make it difficult for you to hear the speaker. External noise can disrupt communication almost anywhere in our model—in the sender, channel, message, or receiver.  

Physiological Noise involves biological factors in the receiver or sender that interfere with accurate reception: illness, fatigue, and so on.

Psychological Noise refers to forces within a communicator that interfere with the ability to express or understand a message accurately. For instance, a student might become so upset upon learning that she failed a test that she would be unable or unwilling to understand clearly where she went wrong.

According to Adler and Rodman (2000), ‘A linear model shows that communicators often occupy different environments—fields of experience that help them understand others’ behaviour. In communication terminology, environment refers not only to a physical location but also to the personal experiences and cultural background that participants bring to a conversation. 

 

 

Communication Cycle & Channels

 

Ø    Ronald B. Adler and George Rodman (2000) noted that “communication refers to the process of human beings responding to the symbolic behavior of other persons.”

 

Ø    Sharon K. Ferrett (2006) said, “Communication is the giving and receiving of ideas, feelings, and information.”

 

Ø    Stanley J. Baran (2009) stated, “In its simplest form communication is the transmission of a message from a source to a receiver.”

 

Ø    Shirley Taylor (1999) highlighted: “Communication may be defined as giving, receiving or exchanging information, opinions or ideas by writing, speech or visual means, so that the material communicated is completely understood by everyone concerned.”

 

Ø  Harold Lasswell (1948) noted that the convenient way to describe communication is to answer these questions:

Who?                     Says what?                   Through which channel?              To whom?

Key Stages in the Communication Cycle

Shirley Taylor (1999)

 

Sender

1.                 Conceive the message: ‘Don’t open your mouth only to put your foot in it!’ When you have something to say, consider the best means of putting your message across, and bear in mind that time is important. Consider your recipient carefully and aim your message to suit their specific needs.

2.                 Encode the message: This stage involves putting the information into an appropriate form suitable to the sender, the recipient and the aim. Think before reaching for your phone or putting fingers to keyboard.                                               

Decide first what specific outcomes you want from the communication. This will help you choose whether words will suffice, whether a printed record is necessary and whether graphics are appropriate. It will also help you choose appropriate language and tone.

3.                 Select the appropriate channel: This stage is where the message is actually sent and the information is transferred. The technological revolution has brought about a wide range of telecommunication methods.                                                                               You must consider all aspects: speed, cost, quick receipt, printed record, confidentiality etc., and make an intelligent decision before sending your message. Time and money can be wasted if the wrong medium is chosen.

Recipient

4.                 Decode the Message:  Because so many messages arrive in offices today, it is important to ensure that they are routed promptly and are given the attention they deserve. To achieve this success at this stage it is also important to take the trouble to ensure that the recipient will understand the language of the vocabulary used.

5.                 Interpret the message: Very often it is necessary to ‘read between the lines’. It is always important to consider carefully the tone and register used in your communication so that the correct message is received.                  

                                      

For example, you do not want to risk antagonizing a good customer by using a harsh tone. Distortion of the message may occur if the sender has not carefully encoded the communication, in which case the recipient will interpret the message differently from how it was intended.

 

6.     Feedback: The communication process cannot be successful without appropriate feedback. In oral communication this is often immediate, in meetings the audience may nod or smile to show understanding and agreement. But with written messages courtesy and discipline are important to acknowledge receipt of the messages until a full and appropriate response can be given.

                               Channels of Communication

• Formal Channels: used for official matters; disseminate vital info e.g. HR manager's letter to staff.

• Informal Channels: used between people who contact each other regularly e.g, phone call to a colleague to check a customer's address.

• Unofficial Channels: Grapevine is an informal, unofficial and personal communication channel within an organisation. This social network results from rumour or gossip.

Different Channels of Communication: WOVE

WRITTEN:  reports, memos, itineraries, bulletins, letters, ads

ORAL: interviews, meetings, conferences, radio, television, telephone      

VISUAL: charts, pictures, body language, multimedia presentations

ELECTRONIC: teleconferencing, videoconferencing, email, telephone and fax 

Types  of Communication Based on Communication Channels