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Difficulty: MediumBarriers to Effective Communication

During a village panchayat consultation regarding a newly proposed watershed development project, a field officer who previously received severe public criticism feels defensive and anxious. As a result, when a community representative asks a neutral, clarifying question about the construction timeline, the officer misinterprets the query as a personal attack on their competence and abruptly stops listening. Which type of communication barrier is primarily demonstrated in this situation?

  1. A psychological barrier arising from emotional defensiveness and perceptual filteringAnswer
  2. B
    An environmental noise barrier resulting from acoustic disruption in the meeting venue
  3. C
    A paralinguistic barrier caused by improper vocal pitch and modulation by the speaker
  4. D
    An assertive communication barrier resulting from firm boundary setting by the representative

Answer

A psychological barrier arising from emotional defensiveness and perceptual filtering
The correct answer accurately identifies that the communication breakdown is driven by the officer's internal emotional state (anxiety and defensiveness). Psychological barriers occur when a person's emotions, past experiences, or mental biases color their perception, causing them to misinterpret neutral messages.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the source of the communication failure in the scenario.
The failure stems from the officer's inner apprehension, anxiety, and defensive mindset created by prior reprimands.
Identifying whether the breakdown is caused by external environment, language/code, physiological factors, or internal mental states is the core step.
2
Classify the barrier based on communication theory.
Internal mental states, emotional biases, pre-conceived notions, and defensiveness fall under Psychological (or Intrapersonal) Barriers.
Psychological barriers influence how a message is decoded, often causing perceptual bias or emotional noise.

Key Concept

Psychological Barriers to Communication
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Topics

Barriers to Effective Communication

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