Eye contact and physical proximity can still be affected by noise. The ability to effectively see and hear a person increases people’s confidence in their abilities to receive and process information. Even though the person may not have demonstrated any leadership abilities, people subconsciously gravitate toward speakers that are nonverbally accessible. You may recall from Chapter 4 “ Nonverbal Communication” that when group members are allowed to choose a leader, they often choose the person who is sitting at the center or head of the table.
In general, listening is easier when listeners can make direct eye contact with and are in close physical proximity to a speaker. Some seating arrangements facilitate listening, while others separate people. A room that is too dark can make us sleepy, just as a room that is too warm or cool can raise awareness of our physical discomfort to a point that it is distracting. Environmental and Physical Barriers to ListeningĮnvironmental factors such as lighting, temperature, and furniture affect our ability to listen. In the following section, we will explore how environmental and physical factors, cognitive and personal factors, and bad listening practices present barriers to effective listening. At the responding stage, a lack of paraphrasing and questioning skills can lead to misunderstanding. At the evaluating stage, personal biases and prejudices can lead us to block people out or assume we know what they are going to say.
At the recalling stage, natural limits to our memory and challenges to concentration can interfere with remembering.
At the interpreting stage, complex or abstract information may be difficult to relate to previous experiences, making it difficult to reach understanding. At the receiving stage, noise can block or distort incoming stimuli. Discuss common ineffective listening behaviors.īarriers to effective listening are present at every stage of the listening process.Explain how cognitive and personal factors can present barriers to effective listening.Discuss some of the environmental and physical barriers to effective listening.
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