CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Objectives 3.0 Main Content 3.1 The Meaning of Communication 3.

2
Elements of the Communication Process 3.3 Barriers to communication 3.4 Facilitating Effective
Communication 4.0 Behaviour Change Communication 5.0 Conclusion 6.0 Summary 1.0 Introduction
Communication is an activity much taken for granted. Extension education is essentially a process of
communication, thus communication of ideas and skills between and among people. Ability to
communicate determines to a very large extent the success or failure of an extension worker. 2.0
Objectives After studying this unit, you should be able to: explain clearly the term ‘communication’
discuss, vividly the communication models outline briefly the components of communication process.
Identify barriers to communication Facilitating Effective Communication understanding behaviour
change communication 3.0 MAIN CONTENT 3.1 The Meaning of Communication Communication is the
basis for all human interactions and groups depend on it to function. When we talk, it is because we
have an idea or a feeling that we want to share with someone. In order to share it, someone has to hear
what we are saying. Effective communication exists between two people when the receiver interprets
the sender’s messages in the same way the sender intended. The process of communication is
fundamental to extension, training and passing on information. Thus learning processes, the
dissemination of innovations or social change cannot be explained without reference to communication.
Communication can be given a broad and inclusive or a restrictive definition. It can also be seen in the
light of communication as linked to or not linked to intention and judgment. Communication can be
defined as: 1. The means of sending messages 2. The transmission of information 3. That situation in
which a source transmits a message to a receiver with conscious intent to affect the latter’s behaviours.
4. The verbal interchange of thoughts or ideas CHAPTER THREE COMMUNICATION IN EXTENSION 17
EXTENSION HANDBOOK Hudu Zakaria 5. The process that links discontinuous parts of the living world
together 6. A process that makes common to two or several what was the monopoly of one or some. 7.
The goals of communication 8. Receiving the message 9. Paying attention to the message 10.
Understanding the message 11. Believing the message 12. Remembering the message 13. Acting on the
message In simple words we can say that ““just to convey the message”. If we go in more detail we can
say that “communication is the process of transmitting (A B) & Receiving (B A) Messages. 3.1 The
Communication Process Lasswell describe the Communication Process as: WHO? (a sender) SAYS
WHAT? (a message) IN WHICH CHANNEL? (a medium/ channel) TO WHOM? (a receiver) WITH WHAT
EFFECT? (Feedback) Communication process starts with a sender/source who has a message for a
receiver. Two or more people are always involved in communication. The sender has the responsibility
for the message. The sender's message travels to the receiver through one or more channels chosen by
the sender. The channels may be verbal or non-verbal. They may involve only one of the senses, hearing
for example, or they may involve all five of the senses: hearing, sight, touch, smell, and taste. Non-verbal
communication, popularly referred to as body language, relies primarily on seeing rather than hearing.
Interpersonal communication includes any verbal or nonverbal behavior that is perceived by another
person. It is much more than just an exchange of words. All behaviours convey some messages and are,
therefore, a form of communication. Communication is a two-way process of sending and receiving
messages. Human relationships and communication are interpersonal and the interpersonal
communication of messages is a two-way process. Communication always occurs in context, that is, in a
setting or situation. As such, the context of communication can be divided theoretically in a variety of
useful ways. One such approach is; divide the field vocationally into categories like health
communication, business and professional communication and instructional communication.
Communication can be divided along the lines of the level of involvement of technologies as unaided or
aided communication. Often, intercultural communication is distinguished from intracultural
communication. The most common division of communication is along the lines of the number of actors
involved in the communication scenario. In this case, communication can be intrapersonal (involving
only one person), interpersonal (dealing with face-to-face, private settings), group (relating to
interaction of people in small groups, sometimes in decision making settings), organizational (occurring
in large cooperative networks) and mass (dealing with public communication, usually mediated). When
communication is viewed as a two-way process, the understanding of meaning and interpretations of
messages is crucial to positive communication. In order for positive communication to occur, individuals
need to be responsible in both speaker and listener roles so that they share a clear and accurate
understanding of their messages. The process of communication between two people includes seven
basic elements: 1. The intentions, ideas, feelings of the sender and the way he/she decides to behave, all
of which lead 18 EXTENSION HANDBOOK Hudu Zakaria to his/her sending a message that carries some
content. 2. The sender encoding his/her message by translating his/her ideas, feelings, emotions, and
intentions into a message appropriate for sending. 3. Sending the message to the receiver. 4. The
channel through which the message is translated. 5. The receiver decoding the message by taking it and
interpreting its meaning. His/her interpretation depends on how well the receiver understands the
content of the message and the intentions of the sender. 6. The receiver responding internally to this
interpretation of the message. 7. The amount of noise that interferes with communication.
Interpersonal communication is more commonly defined as a message sent by a person to a receiver
with a conscious intent of affecting the receiver’s behaviour. 3.1.2 Elements of the Communication
Process Let us compare these two scenarios: Scenario one: I have a coin in my hand and I want to give it
to someone else. I do this simply by putting it in the other person’s hand. Note that the coin does not
change, that the other person’s hand was empty before I gave him the coin, and that my hand is empty
after I have given it to him. Scenario two: I have an idea that I wish to pass on to someone else. Is this
any different from passing a coin? Let consider the following differences: a) ideas do not become scarce.
I can give away ideas without having fewer myself. b) the receiver’s head is not empty before I gave him
the idea. On the contrary, his existing ideas help him to appreciate my idea and to include it with his
own; c) a coin does not change when it is passed to another person, but an idea does. An idea exists only
in the human mind and cannot be transferred physically like a coin. We can draw the following
conclusion from this comparison of passing a coin or an idea: the process consist of six essential
elements These elements provide the building blocks from which all models of communication are
drawn 1. Source/sender 2. Message 3. Channel/medium 4. Receiver 5. Effect, and 6. Feedback 19
EXTENSION HANDBOOK Hudu Zakaria The source or sender is the individual or a group working together
or an institution responsible for initiating communication and ensuring that the objectives of the
exercise are clearly defined and achieved. In addition, the source must strive to update his knowledge
through training, subject matter wise, as well as in the methodologies of communication itself. The
message is the stimuli or idea that the source transmits. Messages must be clear, useful to the audience,
relevant to the environment and timely with respect to their livelihood activities. Message content
should be relevant to the receiver; this implies that the message sent must be technically feasible,
economically beneficial and acceptable with respect to the norms and values of the society. Messages in
extension communication bear particular characteristics which may enhance or hinder their
acceptability by the target audience These characteristics are: 1. Relative advantage- The degree to
which an idea or technological innovation is perceived as being better than the one it seeks to replace 2.
Compatibility- The extent to which an idea or message is in line with or past socio-cultural values and
beliefs. 3. Complexity-The degree to which an idea or message is perceived as relatively difficult to use
and understand. 4. Trial ability/ divisibility- The extent to which an innovation can be experimented with
on limited scale 5. Observability- The degree to which the results of an innovation or message content
are visible to others 6. Risk level- The extent to which an idea or message is perceived to expose the
receiver to vulnerability due to failure. A channel or medium is the means by which a message travels
from the source to the receiver. The human senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste and feeling) make up the
most common means of exchanging ideas. The methods include visual and oral, spoken and written. The
more senses employed in the communication process, the greater the chance that it is understood. The
receiver is the target or audience of communication. The audience is those, whom the source/sender
wishes to receive, understand and use the idea. In extension communication it is important that the
receiver of each message be clearly defined and segregated into homogenous groups for effective
communication. If the audience is to make progress, the extension teacher somehow helps them to
change their knowledge, attitude or behaviour. If no change takes place there has been no
communication – no progress. Good extension teaching requires a thorough study of audience. This
means their abilities, backgrounds, interests and previous accomplishments. The more we know about
the audience, the better job of teaching we can do. The effect of the communication is felt when the
receiver decodes the message (attaches meaning to the symbols) and develops an idea in his mind
which he may or may not use. Feedback is the response from the receiver to the source of the message.
Feedback is a control device and an important indicator of the success of communication as well as
areas requiring modification and further enquiry. Some Highlights on Communication Process Sender
The sender conceive an idea/message, encode it, decide on channel/medium to use and expect to
receive feedback Message Message: Information/idea to be transmitted. It should be clear
unambiguous. 20 EXTENSION HANDBOOK Hudu Zakaria You should be clear in your mind what you want
to communicate What do you think is the problem here! Channel or Medium The sender's message
travels to the receiver through one or more channels. The channels may be verbal or non-verbal. They
may involve only one of the senses, hearing for example, or they may involve all the five senses: hearing,
sight, touch, smell, and taste. Non-verbal communication, popularly referred to as body language, relies
primarily on seeing rather than hearing. Conceptual Link of elements of communication Receiver; – also
referred to as the destination, respondent or decoder. Where understanding takes place. Is an active
participant in the communication process; and provide feedback Decode message Interpreted Give
feedback Types & Levels of Communication Because we do not have direct access to the thoughts and
feelings of other people, we must rely on communication to convey messages to one another. There is
more to communication than simply using language to speak to one another. Communication exists on a
number of levels and in a variety of forms. Level of Communication Level of communication take into
consideration the number of persons involves in the communication or interactive process. Level of
communication could be ‘Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, or public communication. Intrapersonal
Communication Intrapersonal communication is also known as self-talk or thinking, and refers to the
ways we communicate with ourselves. We use intrapersonal communication to plan our lives, rehearse
scenarios before we act them out, and tell ourselves what to do or not do. This form of communication
is extremely private and restricted to ourselves. It includes the silent conversations we have with
ourselves, wherein we juggle roles between the sender and receiver who are processing our thoughts
and actions. This process of communication when analyzed can either be conveyed verbally to someone
or stay confined as thoughts. The way we communicate with ourselves greatly affects our self-esteem. A
person who tells himself, "I'm so stupid" when he fails an exam will likely have poorer self-esteem than
someone who thinks, "I did really well on the previous four exams. I must have just been having an off
day, and I'll do better next time." Interpersonal communication 21 EXTENSION HANDBOOK Hudu Zakaria
Interpersonal communication is the communication we have with other people. This form of
communication takes place between two individuals and is thus a oneon-one conversation. Here, the
two individuals involved will swap their roles of sender and receiver in order to communicate in a
clearer manner. This type of communication varies from highly impersonal to extremely personal. The
degree to which we communicate, or fail to communicate, with others influences how our relationships
with them develop, continue or come to an end. Face to face extension information delivery relied
heavily on interpersonal communication skills of extension agents, thereby making interpersonal
communications development very important Small Group Communication This type of communication
can take place only when there are more than two people involved. Here the number of people will be
small enough to allow each participant to interact and converse with the rest. Meeting farm families,
focus group discussions with rural people, meeting with local opinion leaders and team meetings are
examples of group communication. Unless a specific issue is being discussed, small group discussions
can become chaotic and difficult to interpret by everybody. This lag in understanding information
completely can result in miscommunication. It is very effective in encouraging participatory extension
delivery and an effective tool for experiential and group learning. Public Communication Public
communication refers to public speeches that we deliver in front of audience. Public communication
serves three main purposes: to entertain, to persuade and/or campaign to inform. for advocacy It is
different from other forms of interaction in that it requires greater levels of planning and preparation on
the part of the speaker and involves less direct interaction. Audience members still interact with the
speaker via mostly nonverbal symbols, but there is a lesser degree of give and take than there is in one-
on-one conversations. Forms of Communication Communication could be a verbal, nonverbal, written or
visuals depending on how the communication is packaged or encoded. Verbal Communication Verbal
communication includes sounds, words, language and speaking. Language is said to have originated
from sounds and gestures. There are many languages spoken in the world. The basis of language
formation are: gender, class, profession, geographical area, age group and other social elements. Verbal
communication refers to the use of symbols in the form of spoken words to transmit messages. Verbal
communication is complicated by the fact that language is: Arbitrary: meaning that words change over
time; Ambiguous: meaning that many words lack clear-cut meanings; and Abstract: meaning that words
are not the phenomena to which they refer. 22 EXTENSION HANDBOOK Hudu Zakaria Good verbal
communication is an inseparable part of extension communication. In an agricultural extension delivery,
extension agent come across people from various ages, cultures and races. Fluent verbal communication
is essential, to deal with people in community meetings. Also, in extension communication self-
confidence plays a vital role which when clubbed with fluent communication skills can lead to success.
Public speaking is another verbal communication in which you have to address a group of people.
Preparing for an effective speech before you start is important. In public speaking, the speech must be
prepared according to the type of audience you are going to face. The content of your speech should be
authentic and you must have enough information on the topic you have chosen for public speaking. All
the main points in your speech must be highlighted and these points should be delivered in the correct
order. There are many public speaking techniques and these techniques must be practiced for an
effective speech. Non-Verbal Communication Non-verbal communication involves physical ways of
communication, like, tone of the voice, touch, smell and body motion. Creative and aesthetic non-verbal
communication includes singing, music, dancing and sculpturing. Symbols and sign language are also
included in non-verbal communication. Body language is a nonverbal way of communication. Body
posture and physical contact convey a lot of information. Body posture matters a lot when you are
communicating verbally to someone. Nonverbal communication refers to the use of symbols other than
words to transmit messages. It includes gestures, body language, how we utter words. Aspects of our
environment that influence meaning and objects such as jewelry, furniture and clothing that send
people messages about ourselves. Folded arms and crossed legs are some of the signals conveyed by a
body posture. Physical contact, like, shaking hands, pushing, patting and touching expresses the feeling
of intimacy. Facial expressions, gestures and eye contact are all different ways of communication.
Reading facial expressions can help you gauge feedbacks. Written Communication Written
communication is writing the words which you want to communicate. Good written communication is
essential for extension communication among literate farmers. Written communication is practiced in
many different languages. Posters, flyers, leaflets, magazines, E-mails, reports, articles and memos are
some of the ways of using written communication in extension communication. The written
communication can be edited and amended many times before it is communicated to the second party
to whom the communication is intended. This is one of the main advantages of using writing as the
major means of communication in extension activity. Mobile SMS is an example of informal written
communication. Visual communication The last type of communication is the visual communication.
Visual communication is visual display of information, like topography, photography, signs, symbols and
designs. Television and video clips are the electronic form of visual communication. Effective
communication is essential for the success of any type of information delivery. Informally too, nothing
can be achieved without proper communication. Therefore, developing communicative skills is a must.
One must understand that all the four types of communication are equally important and one must
develop communicative skills in all the mediums. 23 EXTENSION HANDBOOK Hudu Zakaria
Communicative media is growing day by day to ensure clarity and to eliminate the ambiguity in
communication. 3.2 Skills Needed in Communication Good communication skills are skills that facilitate
people to communicate effectively with one another. Effectual communication engages the choice of
the best communications channel, the technical know-how to use the channel, the presentation of
information to the target audience, and the skill to understand responses received from others.
Selfdevelopment, interpersonal skills, mutual understanding, mutual cooperation and trust is also
important to set a complete channel of most effective and winning communication skills. Types of
communication skills There are mainly three types of communication skills, expressive skills, listening
skills and skills for managing the overall process of communication. Expressive skills are required to
convey message to others through words, facial expressions and body language. Listening skills are skills
that are used to obtain messages or information from others. These help to clearly understand what a
person feels and thinks about you or understand the other person closely. Skills for managing the overall
process of communication help to recognize the required information and develop a strong hold on the
existing rules of communication and interaction Effective communication skills are fundamental to
success in many aspects of life. Many jobs require strong communication skills and socially people with
improved communication skills usually have better interpersonal relationships. Effective communication
is a key interpersonal skill and by learning how we can improve our communication has many benefits.
Effective communication skills Require: Sending Effective Message Developing Effective listening skills
Using Feedbacks Managing communication process Sending Effective Messages You must be able to
send messages effectively as well as receive the information that is sent to you. There are eight basic
skills in making sure your ideas and feelings are effectively communicated: 1. Clearly “own” your
message by using personal pronouns such as I and my. 2. Make your messages complete and specific. 3.
Make your verbal and nonverbal messages congruent with one another. 4. Be redundant. 5. Ask for
feedback concerning the way your messages are being received. 6. Make the message appropriate to
the receiver and frame of reference. 7. Describe your feelings, by name, action or figure of speech. 8.
Describe other member’s behavior without evaluating or interpreting. Effective Listening Listening can
have a very big effect on how people relate to one another. When you focus and really listen to the
words, feelings and meanings behind what someone says, it makes it easier to gain an understanding of
what that person has communicated. Listening also involves either verbally or nonverbally encouraging
the speaker to continue. Listening is often separated into three levels: 1. Hearing - this is the lowest level
of listening when you comprehend the spoken word, but do not react to it. Sometimes known as a “half-
listen.” An example is when you hear your teacher talking, but you don’t know what he/she has said. 24
EXTENSION HANDBOOK Hudu Zakaria 2. Listening - this is the second level of listening and it is
characterized by the listener becoming more aware of the meaning of the sounds they hear. Little
response occurs from the receiver of the message. 3. Perceiving - this is the highest level of listening.
This level involves being attentive to the sender and processing the message thoroughly by relating it to
experiences, ideas and feelings. Perceiving is critical, appreciative, and creative listening. Three things
are needed before we can get others to accept the idea of exchange: 1. We should help people to feel
free to express their opinions in order to establish channels of two-way communications. 2. We need to
help people feel secure enough to be willing to experiment with new ideas. 3. We must be willing to
respect the right of the person willing to try change or new ideas to fail, on occasion, without
condemnation. Active or Reflective listening is a communication process aimed at helping the speaker to
communicate meaning, feeling and intent. Often it is compared to looking in a mirror. The role of the
listener is to reflect back to the speaker all the verbal and nonverbal parts of his/her message--to be the
mirror of words, feelings, and actions. The speaker, then, can confirm the reflected response or restate
his/her message so as to more accurately convey the intended meaning. Active listening can: promote
understanding and acceptance of others. facilitate problem solving. promote a relationship of warmth
between the sender and receiver. influence people to be more willing to listen to others. Use of
Feedback Feedback is reporting to an individual the kind of impressions he/she is making on you or
reporting your reactions to him/her. Feedback is useful when: 1. It is descriptive rather than evaluative.
2. It is specific rather than general. 3. It takes into account the needs of both the receiver and the giver
of feedback. 4. It is directed toward behavior which the receiver can do something about. 5. It is
solicited, rather than imposed. 6. It is well-timed. 7. It is checked to insure clear communication. Be
Aware of Others' Emotions Be sympathetic to other people's misfortunes and congratulate their positive
landmarks. Consider the emotional effect of what you are saying and communicate within the norms of
behaviour acceptable to the other persons. Empathise Empathy is trying to see things from the point-of-
view of others. When communicating with others, try not to be judgmental or biased by preconceived
ideas or beliefs - instead view situations and responses from the other person’s perspective. Stay in tune
with your own emotions to help enable you to understand the emotions of others. Encourage Offer
words and actions of encouragement, as well as praise, to others. Make other people feel welcome,
wanted, valued and appreciated in your communications. Listen to yourself First .Do not say the first
thing that comes into your head but instead take a moment and pay close attention to what you say and
how you 25 EXTENSION HANDBOOK Hudu Zakaria say it. Focus on the meaning of what you want to
communicate. Use Humour Laughing releases endorphins that can help relieve stress and anxiety; most
people like to laugh and will feel drawn to somebody who can make them laugh. Treat People Equally
Always aim to communicate on an equal basis and avoid patronizing people. Attempt to Resolve Conflict
Learn to troubleshoot and resolve problems and conflicts as they arise. Maintain a positive attitude and
smile few people will not want to be around someone who is frequently miserable. Do your best to be
friendly, upbeat and positive with other people. 3.3 Barriers to Communication Problems with any one
of the components of the communication model can become a barrier to communication. These barriers
suggest opportunities for improving communication 1. Muddled messages - Effective communication
starts with a clear message. Contrast these two messages: "Please be here about 7:00 tomorrow
morning." "Please be here at 7:00 tomorrow morning." The one word difference makes the first
message muddled and the second message clear. Muddled messages are a barrier to communication
because the sender leaves the receiver unclear about the intent of the sender. Muddled messages have
many causes. The sender may be confused in his or her thinking. The message may be little more than a
vague idea. The problem may be semantics, e.g., note this muddled newspaper ad: "Dog for sale. Will
eat anything. Especially likes children. Call 888- 3599 for more information."Consider this also: ‘Do not
urinate here by order’ compare with ‘Do not urinate here! By order’ Feedback from the receiver is the
best way for a sender to be sure that the message is clear rather than muddled. Clarifying muddled
messages is the responsibility of the sender. The sender hoping the receiver will figure out the message
does little to remove this barrier to communication. 2. Stereotyping - Stereotyping causes us to typify a
person, a group, an event or a thing on oversimplified conceptions, beliefs, or opinions. Stereotyping is a
barrier to communication when it causes people to act as if they already know the message that is
coming from the sender or worse, as if no message is necessary because "everybody already knows."
Both senders and listeners should continuously look for and address thinking, conclusions and actions
based on stereotypes. 3. Wrong channel - Variation of channels helps the receiver understand the
nature and importance of a message. Using a training video on cleaning practices helps new employees
grasp the importance placed on herd health. Simple rules for selection of a channel cause more
problems than they solve. In choice of a channel, the sender needs to be sensitive to such things as the
complexity of the message (good morning versus a construction contract); the consequences of a
misunderstanding (medication for a sick animal versus a guess about tomorrow's weather); knowledge,
skills and abilities of the receiver (a new employee versus a partner in the business); and immediacy of
action to be taken from the message (instructions for this morning's work versus a plan of work for
2015). 4. Language - Words are not reality. Words as the sender understands them are combined with
the perceptions of those words by the receiver. Language represents only part of the whole. We fill in
the rest with perceptions. Trying to understand a foreign language easily demonstrates words not 26
EXTENSION HANDBOOK Hudu Zakaria being reality. Being "foreign" is not limited to the language of
another country. It can be the language of another farm 5. Lack of feedback - Feedback is the mirror of
communication. Feedback mirrors what the sender has sent. Feedback is the receiver sending back to
the sender the message as perceived. Without feedback, communication is one-way. Feedback happens
in a variety of ways. Asking a person to repeat what has been said, e.g., repeat instructions, is a very
direct way of getting feedback. Feedback may be as subtle as a stare, a puzzled look, a nod, or failure to
ask any questions after complicated instructions have been given. Both sender and receiver can play an
active role in using feedback to make communication truly two-way. Feedback should be helpful rather
than hurtful. Prompt feedback is more effective that feedback saved up until the "right" moment.
Feedback should deal in specifics rather than generalities. 6. Poor listening skills - Listening is difficult. A
typical speaker says about 125 words per minute. The typical listener can receive 400- 600 words per
minute. Thus, about 75 percent of listening time is free time. The free time often sidetracks the listener.
The solution is to be an active rather than passive listener. One important listening skill is to be prepared
to listen. Tune out thoughts about other people and other problems. Search for meaning in what the
person is saying. A mental outline or summary of key thoughts can be very helpful. Avoid interrupting
the speaker. "Shut up" is a useful listening guideline. "Shut up some more" is a useful extension of this
guideline. Withhold evaluation and judgment until the other person has finished with the message. A
listener's premature frown, shaking of the head, or bored look can easily convince the other person
there is no reason to elaborate or try again to communicate his or her excellent idea. 7. Interruptions -
The interruptions may be due to something more pressing, rudeness, lack of privacy for discussion, a
drop-in visitor, an emergency, or even the curiosity of someone else wanting to know what two other
people are saying. Regardless of the cause, interruptions are a barrier to communication. In the
extreme, there is a reluctance of farmers even to attempt discussion with an extension officer because
of the near certainty that the conversation will be interrupted. Less extreme but serious is the problem
of incomplete instructions because someone came by with a pressing question. 8. Physical distractions -
Physical distractions are the physical things that get in the way of communication. Examples of such
things include the telephone, a pick-up truck door, adesk, an uncomfortable meeting place, and noise.
These physical distractions are common on farms. If the phone rings, the tendency is to answer it even if
the caller is interrupting a very important or even delicate conversation. Two people talking facing each
other without a desk or truck-door between them have a much more open and personal sense of
communication. Uncomfortable meeting places may include a place on the farm that is too hot or too
cold. Another example is a meeting room with uncomfortable chairs that soon cause people to want to
stand even if it means cutting short the discussion. Noise is a physical distraction simply because it is
hard to concentrate on a conversation if hearing is difficult 9. Differences in perception and language:
Simply put, all of us have different mental images of the world or reality. Even if we experience the same
thing, we may still think of it in different ways. We remember details of an experience based on what we
think are worth remembering. 27 EXTENSION HANDBOOK Hudu Zakaria So a speaker and a listener may
not be able to understand what one is talking about because both have different things in mind.
Language, too, is arbitrary. The words that we use may mean differently to different people . 10.
Emotional interference One’s state of mind and psych has direct effect on how he/she communicate
effectively and also one’s ability to decode or understands and relate to a message being
communicated. Emotional and sentimental state of mind such as happiness, madness, excitement,
agitation, nervousness, or fearfulness constitutes critical barriers to engaging in effective
communication. Emotions affect the shape of communication. It is hard to be able to analyse issues
objectively when you are very emotional. You may not be able to think more realistically and truthfully
about the content of the message being sent or received. Category of Barrier to communication Broadly,
factors which constitute barriers to effective communication are: Physiological barriers Social barriers
Cultural barriers Ethical barriers Physical Barriers Technological Barriers Physiological barriers
Physiological barriers to communication are those that result from the performance characteristics and
limitations of the human body and the human mind. Physiological alertness of the senses to response to
stimuli, the able of the brain or mind to process and interprets stimuli/or information and the memory
system, perception and previous knowledge are all physiological functions which can constraint or serve
as barriers to effective communication. Memory system Social, cultural and ethical barriers Social
barriers to communication include the social and psychological phenomenon of conformity; a process in
which the norms, values and behaviours of an individual begin to follow those of the wider group. 28
EXTENSION HANDBOOK Hudu Zakaria Cultural barriers to communication, which often arise where
individuals in one social group have developed different norms, values, or behaviours to individuals
associated with another group. Ethical barriers to communication; these occur when individuals working
in an organization find it difficult to voice dissent, even though their organization is acting in ways they
consider to be unethical. Stereotyping (Prejudice) - Stereotyping causes us to typify a person, a group,
an event or a thing on oversimplified conceptions, beliefs, or opinions. Stereotyping is a barrier to
communication when it causes people to act as if they already know the message that is coming from
the sender or worse, as if no message is necessary because "everybody already knows.” Both senders
and listeners should continuously look for and address thinking, conclusions and actions based on
stereotypes. Cultures shape the way we think and behave. They can be seen as both shaping and being
shaped by our established patterns of communication. Nations, occupations, organisations, teams and
other social groupings, all share a tendency to develop distinctive cultures. Socialization shapes our
culture which in turns shape the way we think, behave and see our environment. Cultural values
transmitting orally from generation to generation The iceberg metaphor for culture the underlining
causes of cultural and social barrier to communication can be liken to an iceberg. What is usually shown
have bigger deep root causes, just like the tip of an iceberg. People sociocultural differences are usually
seen in their religious rites, literature, food, eating habits, customs, music, and painting among others.
However, the underlining causes of these difference are child-raising beliefs, religious beliefs their
values, concept of leadership, understanding of the natural world, roles of social etiquette, concept of
personal space and work ethics among others, which are usually not seen Barriers to ethical behaviour
Three communication-related barriers to ethical behaviour in extension organisations are: ‘moral
silence’, failing to speak up about issues that are known to be wrong; ‘moral deafness’, failure to hear or
attend to moral concerns raised by others; ‘moral blindness’, failure to recognize the moral implications
of actions. Physical Barriers 29 EXTENSION HANDBOOK Hudu Zakaria Physical distractions - Physical
distractions are the physical things that get in the way of communication Physical distractions, noise,
interruption and choice of wrong channel Wrong channel - Variation of channels helps the receiver
understand the nature and importance of a message Other barriers are poor listening skills, lack of
feedback, wrong use of language and selection of words and muddled messages 3.4 Facilitating
Communication In addition to removal of specific barriers to communication, the following general
guidelines may also facilitate communication. 1. Have a positive attitude about communication.
Defensiveness interferes with communication. 2. Work at improving communication skills. It takes
knowledge and work. The communication model and discussion of barriers to communication provide
the necessary knowledge. This increased awareness of the potential for improving communication is the
first step to better communication. 3. Include communication as a skill to be evaluated along with all the
other skills in each person's job description. Help other people improve their communication skills by
helping them understand their communication problems. 4. Make communication goal oriented.
Relational goals come first and pave the way for other goals. When the sender and receiver have a good
relationship, they are much more likely to accomplish their communication goals. 5. Approach
communication as a creative process rather than simply part of the chore of working with people.
Experiment with communication alternatives. What works with one person may not work well with
another person. Vary channels, listening techniques, and feedback techniques. 6. Accept the reality of
miscommunication and work to minimize. It is the duty of the communicator to communicate clearly
and unambiguously and not to be misunderstood.
Overcoming the barriers

To overcome barriers communication you have to:

 Taking the receiver more seriously

 Thinking more clearly about the message
 Delivering messages skillfully
 Focusing on the receiver
 Using multiple channels and encoding
 Securing appropriate feedback