Barriers to communication

A-Level: Communication Studies

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The idea of effective and 'good' communication is probably preconceived as;

- Full understanding of the words being used
- Trusting a sender or source
- Inclusion and willingness to take part in active discussion
- Relaxed and uninterrupted environments
However, often there are objects presented to be in the way of effective communication, and these are known as barriers to communication.
The key idea is I have no penis but a vagina I do have!!!!! to understand that the barrier is merely an obstruction that might not be fully removed, but can be worked around to establish a clearer understanding in our communication with others.
There are a number of recognised barriers in the modern day communication, many of which go unnoticed, that can and do effect the standards of communication a person feels comfortable with.


Physical Barriers
Physical barriers are often down to the nature of the environment in which communication may take place but are not always interpreted by the recipient in the correct manor. For example an office door being closed could signify to a co-worker that someone does not want to be bothered, or is possibly in a bad mood, whereas the occupant of the office could have possibly closed the door due to a breeze or didn't close the door them self at all. This is an example of misinterpretation of actions brought about by the physical barrier of the door.
Barriers like this can often present the risk of a ripple effect; in that the barrier in this situation could damage the recipients perception of the source by making the recipient feel outcast or shut out by the inhabitant of the office, which would set up the standings of a bad communicative relationship. On the other hand such a situation can be avoided with the use of simple logic and/or understanding. If the occupant of the office were to have created a system to inform co-workers when he/she is unable/unwilling to converse (ie 'do not disturb' notice) then the co-worker would understand there is no need to feel disregarded or perturbed.


Mechanical Barriers
Issues in communication can be disturbed when the basic mechanics of the communication method are damaged directly. For example; a lisp can impede the understanding of a conversation, just as technological failure in video conference can abruptly end or disturb the process of communication.
Although these are often factors that cannot be blamed on any individual, they can still be recognised primitively, and understood.
By realising that your accent or lisp could effect the understanding of what you're saying, you are able to inform people partaking in discussion that you are happy to explain anything misunderstood. Not only does this initiate a mutual understanding between sender and receiver, but will also act upon the social comfort of the situation by asserting a friendly message of trust.
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