Communication Barriers

We explain what communication barriers are, what elements intervene in it and how they work.

A woman tries to talk on the phone but can't hear.
To communicate, the channel must be conducive to the transmission of a message.
Summary of Contents

What are communication barriers?

Communication barriers are the obstacles and difficulties that may exist during the communication process and that hinder the correct understanding of the message. These can be:

  • Physical barriers. They are environmental circumstances that distort the reception of the message.
  • Semantic barriers. They are linguistic aspects that hinder the transmission of the message.
  • Physiological barriers. They are medical conditions that can hinder correct communication between sender and receiver.
  • Psychological barriers. They are psychological or emotional aspects of the interlocutors that hinder communication.

Communication is a process of transmission of ideas and information, which involves a sender (who produces and encodes the message), a receiver (who receives and decodes it), a physical channel through which the message is transmitted and a code. common that interlocutors use to understand each other. Communication barriers, thus, are failures or inconveniences that involve these different elements and that disturb or impede the communication process.

For example, the channel must be conducive to the transmission of the message, that is, it must be open and free of noise, and the code must be shared by the sender and receiver. Furthermore, the latter must be willing to communicate, that is, active and willing. Any failure in this sense will reduce the effectiveness of the communicative act or prevent it completely.

Types of communication barriers

Communication barriers can be very different, depending on the type of communicative element they involve. That is, not all barriers occur in the same situations nor do they, therefore, have the same solution.

According to their nature, communication barriers can be differentiated as follows:

Physical barriers

The physical barriers are those that relate to the circumstances of the atmosphere in which communication occursthat is, with the communicative context and, therefore, also with the channel. These barriers are related to the material aspect of communication and affect the transmission of language signs, distorting or preventing the reception of the message, either totally or partially. Cases of technological impediments are part of this category.

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Some examples of physical barriers are:

  • A microphone that does not work and does not allow the speaker's voice to reach all listeners in an auditorium
  • The deterioration of the tape of a magnetic recording, which distorts the quality of the recording.
  • Environmental noises that overshadow the sender's voice, such as the roar of a motorcycle or a truck.
  • The presence of numerous transmitters at the same time in a place, whose voices overlap and become incomprehensible.

Semantic barriers

The semantic barriers are those that are related to the language and its usethat is, with the communication code. Since it is the representation system that the sender and the receiver use to understand each other, these barriers also have to do with cultural and dialectal aspects, since the same word can mean different things in different varieties of a language.

Some examples of semantic barriers are:

  • A tourist trying to communicate with a local, who speaks a different language.
  • A message written for a child who does not yet know how to read.
  • A person who uses language that is too technical for the interlocutor to understand.
  • A message formulated in an unclear or ambiguous manner, which the recipient cannot decipher.

Physiological barriers

The physiological barriers They are medical conditions of people that make proper communication difficult. between sender and receiver. These may be permanent conditions or temporary illnesses (such as the flu or dysphonia).

Some examples of physiological barriers are:

  • The deafness of the recipient, both partial and total.
  • The aphonia or lack of voice of the sender.
  • Vision problems that make it difficult for a person to read a written message.
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Psychological barriers

Psychological barriers are individual dispositions of the mind that can alter communication. Like physiological barriers, they affect the sender and the receiver, but in this case they refer to certain conditions specific to their emotionality or personality, which predispose them in some negative way for communication.

Some examples of psychological barriers are:

  • A person who is distressed or nervous and has difficulty concentrating on what is being said to them.
  • A person who feels prejudiced about his or her interlocutor and interprets the message in an erroneous or biased way.
  • A person who feels antipathy for another and makes little effort to understand or be understood.

Administrative barriers: In a business or corporate context, it is also possible to talk about administrative barriers that hinder the internal and/or external communication of the organization. These barriers are not directly linked to the elements of communication, but rather to issues specific to the hierarchical or organizational structure of each company. For example: excess bureaucracy, excessive verticality between boss and employee or information overload.

See also: Types of communication

How to avoid communication barriers?

two children try to communicate with two cans and a thread
Clarity in communication is essential for a message to be understood.

To avoid or reduce the effect of communication barriers, it is advisable:

  • Verify that the interlocutor uses the same code before speaking to them. This happens not only because of the language, but also because of the dialects of the same language, since the same expression can mean different things in different regions.
  • State the message as clearly as possible. Speech is usually eventful and improvised, but it is advisable to think in advance about what will be said and express it in a simple, understandable way, avoiding ambiguities and contradictions.
  • Choose the ideal context for a conversation. Since every interaction will be affected by the environment in which it occurs, it is advisable to choose the time and place that least hinder communication.
  • Seek effective feedback. This means exchanging the places of sender and receiver often, that is, the opposite of monologuing. In this way, the attention of the interlocutors is better maintained and it is verified that the message is being correctly understood.
  • Be aware of your mood. This refers to choosing the best time to communicate with the interlocutor, so that both your own and other people's emotions do not hinder the understanding of the message.
  • Check that the channel is conducive to starting communication. This involves verifying that the means you have chosen to communicate are available and active, for example, that a microphone is on during a conference.
  • Adapt the message to the interlocutor. This may involve using more or less technical language, using less local expressions or even resorting to simplified language, depending on whether one is going to address a child, someone who understands the subject, or a foreigner who does not speak the language well. .
  • Be aware of non-verbal language. This involves paying attention to body posture, facial gestures and other elements of the body that could reaffirm what was said and help the interlocutor understand it, or, on the contrary, send a signal contrary to what is being said.
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References

  • Ballenato Prieto, G. (2006). Effective Communication: Theory and Practice of Human Communication. Pyramid.
  • Berlo, D.K. (2000). The communication process. Introduction to theory and practice. The Athenaeum.
  • Soler, JI (2021). How to overcome communication barriers? Communication Tools. Sultana del Lago Editores.

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