ASSIGNMENT

FACTORS AFFECTING COMMUNICATION

AND
BARRIES OF COMMUNICATION

Factors Affecting Communication

Factors

that influence communication

depend on the elements and

components of communication. Suppose their are two terminals of life units

A and B of communication. That is 'intention ' of A which becomes 'attention
'at end B and for a true communication duplication at' B' must take place
for what emanated at 'A'. Thus factors influence intention, attention

and

duplication and absence of any one leads to incomplete communication.

The following are the factors affecting communication

Factors Related to sender

i. The sender's perception of the receiver.
ii.
The sender's concept of the environment.
iii.
The sender's self concept, self knowledge etc.
iv.
The audiences perception of sender.
v.
The psychological readiness of sender.
vi.
Personal factors like age, interest, health, skills etc.
Factors Related to Learner.
i. Intelligence
ii.
Gender and age
iii.
Needs and motivation
iv.
Attitudes, beliefs and values
v.
Self -esteen
vi.
Perception of learner about the sender.
Factors Related to Atmosphere
i. Openness and supportiveness
ii.
Empathic and sympathetic.
iii.
Devoid of noise.
iv.
Positiveness
v.
Climate conducive to communication .
Factors Related to Messages
Verbal
i. Simple, easy to understand words
ii.
Accuracy and precision in use of words
iii.
Simplicity and clarity
iv.
Imagination and orginality
Non verbal

i.
ii.

Style and posture

Language -speech delivery, intonation.

iii.
iv.
v.

Gestures and body movements

Facial expression and emotions
Clothing and presentation

Barriers of communication
The quality and effectiveness of the process of communication is affected
through

the presence

of some intervening variable lying

between

the

source and the receiver. The variables according to their nature obstructing
or distorting the message may be termed as barriers of communication.
Barriers to communication can be classified into following categories :
1. Physical Barriers
Environmental.

The overall environment of the place where in the communication is

taking

place

has

an

effect.

The

atmosphere

cordiality,

temperature, etc, have a profound effect on communication

Noise

The noise is any type of disturbance that interferes and reduces the
clarity. Noise acts as a distraction and withdrawal of attention.
Invisibility/Distance.
A physical distance between sender and receiver respecially in oral
communication may

lead to distortion of messages. Invisibility may

mar the reception of nonverbal communication. The loudness may

not be sufficient to reach the person at a distance.
Physical Discomfort /Ill-health

If the seating arrangement is improper and chairs are of poor

quality, the learner may be more concious of it rather than
concentrating on the message. Ill-health

may mar the sender's

and receivers ability and capacity to communicate.

Distraction
At times, the media selection may prove to be a distraction as
attention is diverted. Also the outside influences may hamper
communication process.
Improper time
The best of communication done at an improper time may
prove to be ineffective.
2. Language Barriers
Verbosity and verbolisum
At times the language used by the communicator would be very
high

and

bookish

making

it

difficult

to

comperhend.some

communicators have the habit of talking uninterrupted, making the

speech boring.

Language Inadequacy.
Some times there might exist a language barrier since both
sender and receiver don't comperhend each other 's language. Also
the sender may not be proficient in the language making this
message unclear.

Unclear Graphics and symbols

During written communication, if the sender uses some
symbols which are not commonly used, then the receiver gets a
wrong picture. Internationally there are some symbols and
graphics.

Any

understanding.
3. Psychological Barriers.

others

when

used

may

lead

to

improper

"Interpersonal

communication the psychological factors like interest,

attention, motivation, concentration of both sender and receiver have an

impact. No one can be forced to perceive what he does not want to. It could
lead to a situation wherein a person would be physically present but mentally
absent. Negative attitudes and prejudices mar one's participation. Positive
emotions of love, compassion and we feeling help in

smooth flow of

messages.
4. Background Barriers
Previous knowledge and Experiences
If the student has missed a link between post and present experiences
/communication. He would fail to appreciate the message. If past
experiences have been dissatisfying and unrewarding the effect would
spill over into the present communication.
Cultural Disparities and Generation Gap.
If there is a cultural lag and generation gap between sender
and receiver, it could lead to a distortion of message.

5. Organisational Barriers

Rules and regulations

Strict enforcement of rules, discipline may create an atmosphere

wherein communication becomes formal and rigid.

Hierarchical Relationship and Lack of co-operation
If there is a gap in the hierarchical positions, the communication.
Choice of media
Some message may require personal communication and yet others
may require use of audiovisual aids. Hence choice of media has a
substantial influence on communication.

 Group size
The type of communication to be used depends on the group size. A
communicator cannot think of the receivers as a "single mass ". Each
student is different from the other and the individual differences have
an impact on communication.
Communication is not one way traffic . It is a joint process. It
depends on a large number of factors in order to be effective. In all
kind

of

communication,

there

are

psychological,

sociological,

philosophical, economic and physiological factors that are take into

account for prompting effectiveness. Some of these factors prove to be
a barrier and some of them are accelerators.