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Communication noise refers to negative influences on effective communication that alter the interpretation of conversations. The reason individuals communicate is to achieve understanding. Anything that prohibits this understanding is referred to as noise. While often over looked, communication noise can have a profound impact on an individual's perception of interactions with others, as well as impact whether or not individuals consider themselves to be effective communicators.

Common forms of communication noise include psychological noise, environmental noise, physical noise and semantic noise. There are other forms of communication noise that impact successful communication such as "phubbing" and information overload. All these types of noise subtly influence communication with others, and are vitally important to understand in order to be a competent communicator.

The Communication Model

Model of Communication of a message

A sender encodes/communicates a message through a channel to a receiver. The receiver then decodes/interprets the message. Distractions known as noise can prohibit understanding during any part of the communication process. The most recognizable model of communication was designed by Shannon and Weaver in the mid 1900s.

History of Communication Noise

In the 1940s, Shannon and Weaver were among the first people to relate noise to communication. Their goal was to take mathematical theorems and apply them to communication in order to help information be disseminated more efficiently. The duo had the idea that the more redundant a message was, the less likely noise would be to deter from the specific message. For example, if a teacher were to remind his/her class about the expectations for the school year on a daily basis, the message would be less likely to get lost due to noise because it has been repeated multiple times. Shannon and Weaver acknowledged that noise is more than that of our surroundings, but can also come from our own minds. An example of this would be a football coach reviewing a game winning play to the team, but the quarterback is too nervous to listen. His nerves would be considered noise because they are prohibiting him from clearly understanding what is being communicated to him.

Psychological Noise[edit]

Psychological noise results from preconceived notions we bring to conversations, such as racial stereotypes, reputations, biases, and assumptions. When we come into a conversation with ideas about what the other person is going to say and why, we can easily become blinded to their original message. Filtering a message results when an individual only hears what they want to, not necessarily all of what what was said. An example of psychological noise is when a boss talks down to his resentful employee, the employee's attitude can block effective communication. Most of the time psychological noise is impossible to free ourselves from, and we must simply strive to recognize that it exists and take those distractions into account when we converse with others.

Influences of Psychological Noise

• Sincerity: truthfulness of a message
• Empathy: The ability to understand where the other person is coming from
• Self Perception: How effective of a communicator an individual believes they are
• Role Perception: If individuals agree on what role they are playing in a conversation
• Efforts to Distort a Message: Individuals, consciously and subconsciously, alter messages in their mind based on preconceived notions
• Images: The sender and receivers image of one another plays a factor
• Culture: Diverse racial heritages and backgrounds can cause individuals to interpret messages in different ways

Environmental Noise[edit]

Environmental noise is when an individuals surroundings disturb the flow of communication. This type of noise can be distracting, and result in not fully understanding the message conveyed.

• Noise pollution
• Transportation
• Industrial and recreational activities
• A construction site

Physical Noise[edit]

Physical noise is any external or environmental stimulus that distracts us from receiving the intended message sent by a communicator.

• Background conversations
• Background music
• A startling noise
• A telephone ringing
• Acknowledging someone outside of the conversation
• Trying to talk on the phone in a football stadium

Semantic Noise[edit]

This is noise caused by the sender. i.e., the encoder. This type of noise occurs when grammar or technical language is used that the receiver (the decoder) cannot clearly understand. It occurs when the sender of the message uses a word or a phrase that the receiver does not know the meaning of, or which we use in a different context than the speaker. This is usually due to the result that the encoder has failed to understand his/her audience. The type of audience should determine the jargon one will use. If a receiver does not understand the communicators words, they will not understand the message.

• A doctor using medical jargon to explain a patients' condition
• A professor using terms that their students do not understand

Phubbing as Noise

"Phubbing" is the term of snubbing + phone

Phubbing is when you ignore someone who is conversing with you by looking at you phone as if you are snubbing them. The term was first used in Australia's Macquarie Dictionary in May 2012. It is safe to assume that the majority of people have phubbed, or been a victim of it. Technology today has made it easier to engage with people through mobile devices, rather than having intimate, face-to-face interaction. Typically when people are phubbed, they turn towards social media because they feel neglected and they don't seek to be included. A recent study called "My life has became a major distraction from my cell phone," shows that ignoring companions by using mobile devices can decrease satisfaction in relationships, especially between life partners. The study also showed that there is a higher chance of depression among partners who are commonly phubbed. A different study revealed that when mobile devices are present during face-to-face communication, i.e. sitting in your lap, you are less invested in the conversation. The main way to stop phubbing is through awareness. Having the knowledge that mobile devices can contribute to disconnecting individuals conversing can help prevent the problem. Studies show that the most intimate nonverbal cue in communication is eye contact. It gives the ability to sense and understand what people are feeling during a conversation, and phubbing has made eye contact less common.

Information Overload as Noise

Having too much information disseminated at one time is an example of communication noise because it can be hard to determine what the most important messages are. In todays world, with the help of technology, there are many competing messages. It is our job to sort through them and choose what we want to accept and reject. In a recent study, participants were examined by how they react when a lot of information was given to them versus when little information was given to them. The results showed that the more information individuals received, the less likely they were to engage. The participants stated it was because they had a harder time sorting through what was meaningful and what was not. They also claimed that they were unable to follow all the information being disseminated, therefore their chances of understanding was lowered. This is especially likely to occur during group conversation when there are numerous things being communicated at the same time.

How to Overcome Noise While Communicating

In order to have the most effective communication possible, it is important to realize that noise plays a factor in many conversations. When noise occurs in a conversation, identify the source. When having a conversation, be aware that noise can interrupt the message. Pick a secluded location to have an important conversation whenever possible. After communicating, get feedback from who you are communicating with. It is also imperative to ask questions when you feel you don't understand something that was said. This will help to ensure that the message communicated matches the messages that was received.