Professional Communication Skills Practice Test: Listening Skills - Barriers to Listening — Flashcards

Some barriers to effective listening include:
Environmental and physical barriers: A physical environment that is uncomfortable, such as being outside in the sun or in a crowded space, can make it harder to listen.
Cognitive and personal barriers: Cognitive limits and personal concerns can interfere with our ability to listen. This includes multitasking, daydreaming, and drifting off.
Prejudice: When a person is judged based on their identity or ideas, they usually stop listening actively and/or ethically.
Language barriers: This can exist when there is a language difference between the two individuals talking or when one person has a poor understanding of the spoken language.
Interrupting: The tendency to interrupt or talk over the speaker is one of the most common barriers to effective listening.
Psychological barriers: Our own mental preoccupations can be a major barrier to effective listening. For example, we might assume that someone is speaking to us because they want us to fix or solve their problem. 

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