The Sender

The communication process begins with the sender, who is also called
the communicator or source. The sender has some kind of information—a
command, request, question, or idea—that he or she wants to present to others.
For that message to be received, the sender must first encode the message in a
form that can be understood, such as by the use of a common language or
industry jargon, and then transmit it.

The Message
The message or content is the information that the sender wants to relay to the
receiver. Additional subtext can be conveyed through body language and tone of
voice. Put all three elements together—sender, receiver, and message—and you
have the communication process at its most basic.

Feedback
The communication process reaches its final point when the message has been
successfully transmitted, received, and understood. The receiver, in turn,
responds to the sender, indicating comprehension. Feedback may be direct, such
as a written or verbal response, or it may take the form of an act or deed in
response (indirect).

The Receiver
The person to whom a message is directed is called the receiver or
the interpreter. To comprehend the information from the sender, the receiver
must first be able to receive the sender's information and then decode or
interpret it.

Channel

A communication channel is a type of media that is used to

transfer a message from one person to another. In business
specifically, communication channels are the way information
flows in the organization within, and with other companies.

Encoding is the process of turning thoughts into communication.

The encoder uses a ‘medium’ to send the message — a phone call,
email, text message, face-to-face meeting, or other
communication tool. The level of conscious thought that goes into
encoding messages may vary. The encoder should also take into
account any ‘noise’ that might interfere with their message, such
as other messages, distractions, or influences.

The audience then ‘decodes’, or interprets, the message for

themselves. Decoding is the process of turning communication
into thoughts. For example, you may realize you’re hungry and
encode the following message to send to your roommate: “I’m
hungry. Do you want to get pizza tonight?” As your roommate
receives the message, they decode your communication and turn
it back into thoughts to make meaning.

Barriers to Communication by Category

Language Barriers Clearly, language and linguistic ability may act

as a barrier to communication. However, even when
communicating in the same language, the terminology used in a
message may act as a barrier if it is not fully understood by the
receiver(s). For example, a message that includes a lot of specialist
jargon and abbreviations will not be understood by a receiver who
is not familiar with the terminology used. As nurses, we are
especially prone to making this mistake. We must remember to
use language that can be understood by the receiver.

Psychological Barriers The psychological state of the receiver will

influence how the message is received. For example, if someone
has personal worries and is stressed, they may be preoccupied by
personal concerns and not as receptive to the message as if they
were not stressed. Stress management is an important personal
skill that affects our interpersonal relationships. Anger is another
example of a psychological barrier to communication. When we
are angry it is easy to say things that we may later regret and also
to misinterpret what others are saying. More generally, people
with low self-esteem may be less assertive and therefore may not
feel comfortable communicating - they may feel shy about saying
how they really feel, or read negative sub-texts into messages they
hear.

Physiological Barriers Physiological barriers may result from the

receiver’s physical state. For example, a receiver with reduced
hearing may not grasp the entirety of a spoken conversation,
especially if there is significant background noise.

Physical Barriers An example of a physical barrier to

communication is geographic distance between the sender and
receiver(s). Communication is generally easier over shorter
distances as more communication channels are available and less
technology is required. Although modern technology often serves
to reduce the impact of physical barriers, the advantages and
disadvantages of each communication channel should be
understood so that an appropriate channel can be used to
overcome the physical barriers.

Attitudinal Barriers Attitudinal barriers are behaviors or

perceptions that prevent people from communicating effectively.
Attitudinal barriers to communication may result from
personality conflicts, poor management, resistance to change, or a
lack of motivation. Effective receivers of messages should attempt
to overcome their own attitudinal barriers to facilitate effective
communication.
4 types of noise that can disrupt communication
The four types of noise are physical, physiological, psychological, and
semantic.

As I describe those four types of noise, I’ll do so from a podcaster’s

perspective.

1. Physical noise interferes with communication

Physical noise is interference that is external to both speaker and listener; it
hampers the physical transmission of the signal or message.

Examples of physical noise:

 loud party at the neighbors while you’re trying to record

 loud kids who don’t want to take their nap
 irritating hum of your computer, air conditioner, or heater.

2. Physiological noise interferes with communication

Physiological noise is created by barriers within the sender or receiver.
Examples of physiological noise on the podcaster’s side:

 articulation problems
 mumbling
 talking too fast
 talking too slow
 forgetting to pause
 forgetting to breathe

An example of physiological noise on the listener’s side: hearing problems.

Maybe the listener can’t hear high tones as clearly as they used to. For
some, low tones are the problem. Their difficulty in literally hearing words
and sounds becomes physiological noise.

3. Psychological noise interferes with communication

Psychological noise is mental interference in the speaker or listener.

Three examples of psychological noise are wandering thoughts,

preconceived ideas, and sarcasm.

“Wandering thoughts” can be a kind of psychological noise

This is primarily a listener problem. If you’re trying to communicate a

concept in your podcast, “wandering thoughts” is an obstacle because your
listener may be distracted and have difficulty keeping up with you. This is
often a problem when talking about abstract ideas.

Sometimes as podcasters, we cause a listener’s thoughts to wander,

especially if we talk too fast, too slow, or fail to pause.

But occasionally “wandering thoughts” can be a podcaster problem, too.

Have you ever started talking about one point only to find yourself lost
talking about something completely unrelated? It takes a lot of
concentration (and maybe planning) to stay focused.

“Preconceived ideas” can be a kind of psychological noise

Another type of psychological noise is when people think they already know
something. That noise interferes with a listener’s willingness to hear a new
perspective.

Other preconceived ideas include biases, prejudices, presuppositions, and

closed-mindedness.

When there is psychological noise like this, you have to work harder than
usual to make sure you’re communicating clearly.

“Sarcasm” can be a kind of psychological noise

If you don’t care to actually persuade someone to see things your way,
then sarcasm is the easy way.
Sarcasm is noise to your listener unless your listener already agrees with
you.

If your listener disagrees with you, then sarcasm guarantees they won’t pay
attention to your message.

Sarcasm can also rile them up. When they come back at you with their
knee-jerk response, that’ll be noise to you.

And then true communication stops.

Finally, there is another type of noise that appears to be psychological, but

it’s actually linguistic and deserves its own category.

Semantic noise interferes with communication

Semantic noise is interference created when the speaker and listener have
different meaning systems.

Maybe when I use a word, you have a slightly different meaning in mind.
This can cause confusion.

Jargon can be semantic noise

Jargon is a fantastic linguistic shortcut. If everyone listening agrees and

understands the terminology, then jargon makes communication quicker
and clearer.

However, if listeners have different definitions of the terminology, then

jargon becomes noise. This is especially noisy to people outside your
particular job or field.

Abstract ideas can be semantic noise

Another kind of semantic noise is when your words and sentences are
nebulous or ambiguous.
Some people find it almost impossible to speak concretely.

This is a problem I have, which is one reason I need to write (even when
I’m podcasting). But even when I’ve written, I sometimes discover my
words were not concrete enough.

I’m actually concerned that I have been too abstract with my words in this
article. If I have, then you might have misunderstood me. And then my own
semantic noise has interfered with our communication.

Reducing the noise

All communication contains noise. You can’t get rid of the noise for every
person who listens to you.

But you can work to reduce the noise. Here are three ways.

1. Make your language more precise.

Choose words that you know will be understood by your listeners.

2. Practice
Practice speaking. Practice articulating. Practice using your recording and
editing tools.

3. Invite feedback
Sometimes listeners hesitate before they respond.

Noise can be external (a physical sound) or internal (a mental disturbance),

and it can disrupt the communication process at any point. Another way to
think of noise, says Alan Jay Zaremba, is as a "factor that reduces the
chances of successful communication but does not guarantee failure."
("Crisis Communication: Theory and Practice," 2010)
Kinds of Noise
"There are four kinds of noise. Physiological noise is a distraction caused by
hunger, fatigue, headaches, medication and other factors that affect how we feel
and think. Physical noise is interference in our environments, such as noises
made by others, overly dim or bright lights, spam and pop-up ads, extreme
temperatures, and crowded conditions. Psychological noise refers to qualities in
us that affect how we communicate and interpret others. For instance, if you are
preoccupied with a problem, you may be inattentive at a team meeting. Likewise,
prejudice and defensive feelings can interfere with communication. Finally,
semantic noise exists when words themselves are not mutually understood.
Authors sometimes create semantic noise by using jargon or unnecessarily
technical language." (Julia T. Wood, "Interpersonal Communication: Everyday
Encounters," 6th ed. Wadsworth 2010)

Noise in Rhetorical Communication

"Noise...refers to any element that interferes with the generation of the intended
meaning in the mind of the receiver...Noise may arise in the source, in the
channel; or in the receiver. This factor of noise is not an essential part of the
rhetorical communication process. The communication process is always
hampered to some degree if noise is present. Unfortunately, noise is almost
always present.

"As a cause of failure in rhetorical communication, noise in the receiver is second

only to noise in the source. Receivers of rhetorical communication are people,
and no two people are exactly alike. Consequently, it is impossible for the source
to determine the exact effect that a message will have upon a given receiver...The
noise within the receiver—the psychology of the receiver—will determine to a
great extent what the receiver will perceive." (James C McCroskey, "An
Introduction to Rhetorical Communication: A Western Rhetorical Perspective,"
9th ed.; Routledge, 2016)

Noise in Intercultural Communication

"For effective communication in an intercultural interaction, participants must
rely on a common language, which usually means that one or more individuals
will not be using their native tongue. Native fluency in a second language is
difficult, especially when nonverbal behaviors are considered. People who use
another language will often have an accent or might misuse a word or phrase,
which can adversely affect the receiver's understanding of the message. This type
of distraction referred to as semantic noise, also encompasses jargon, slang and
even specialized professional terminology." (Edwin R. McDaniel et al.,
"Understanding Intercultural Communication: The Working Principles."
"Intercultural Communication: A Reader," 12th ed., ed. by Larry A Samovar,
Richard E Porter and Edwin R McDaniel, Wadsworth, 2009)

Context refers to the setting in which communication takes place. The

context helps establish meaning and can influence what is said and how it
is said. There are at least four aspects in regards to this idea: physical,
cultural, social-psychological, and temporal (DeVito, 2005).