Important socio-psychological barriers to communication are as follows:
Communication to be effective should be free of barriers which obstruct the free flow of communication. Social and psychological factors are the most difficult barriers to communication. These consist of the following:
1. Attitude and opinions:
The personal attitude and opinions of the receiver often interfere with communication. If the message is consistent with the receiver’s attitude and opinion they receive it favourably. When the message is inconsistent with the receivers attitude and opinions, they are not likely to be received favourably.
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2. Emotions:
Emotions like fear, anger, worry, nervousness block the mind. It also blurs the thinking power and one fails to organise the message properly. When the message is not organised properly it cannot be conveyed effectively.
3. Status difference:
Status consciousness is a very serious barrier. Subordinates fail to communicate to with their superiors because either they are too conscious of their low status or too afraid of being snubbed off.
Similarly many executives keep distance from their subordinates thinking it too degrading to consult them.
4. In attention:
In attention arises due to mental preoccupations or distractions. These causes barriers to communication.
5. Closed mind:
A person with closed mind is not willing to listen and is not prepared to reconsider his opinion. As such it is very difficult to communicate with such person.
6. Distrust:
Distrust after fails to deliver the right message. When the receiver is biased or hostile towards the sender the message is – either ignored or misinterpreted.
7. Poor retention:
Successive transmission of the message are decreasingly accurate. In the process of transmission a part of the message is lost at every stage. This is because of poor retention on the part of the receiver. Thus incomplete message is conveyed.
8. Premature evaluation:
Premature evaluation prevents effective communication. Some people form a judgement even before receiving the complete message. And once judgement is already formed the mind is closed to the rest of the message.