Communication Lecture #18

Communication Overcoming Roadblocks or Barriers to Effective Communication

Roadblocks Stereotyping Halo Effect Filtering Language Information Overload Conflicting Sources Lack of Listening Lack of _____________

Stereotyping A simplification of someone’s qualities An individual is identified with a group or a category of people

Stereotype Examples Jock Computer Geek Rah-Rah

Halo Effect A single trait or incident biases someone’s opinion Can be positive or negative halo

Halo Effect Wallet

Halo Effect Parking space

Filtering We tend to hear what we want to hear, and to see what we want to see

Language Jargon Slang Vernacular “Vernacular? That’s a doiby!”

Information Overload So much information coming in we can’t get a clear reading of the message

Conflicting Sources (Conflicting directives)

Lack of Listening Study conducted on college students in lecture hall

At any given time… 20% were thinking about ________ 60% were daydreaming about other topics Only 20% were actually listening to speaker

Lack of ______________

Lack of Feedback

International Concerns Translation of words Customs Gestures

General Motors Chevy Nova In South America, the name Nova is read as the Spanish “no va” GM changed the name of the car to Caribe

Ford Ford Pinto Ford changed the name to Corcel in Brazil Pinto was Brazilian slang for…

Coca-Cola In Chinese: Ke-kou-ke-la Bite the wax tadpole Female horse stuffed with wax

Coca-Cola Ko-kou-ko-le Happiness in the mouth

Pepsi-Cola Come Alive with the Pepsi Generation Chinese: Pepsi will bring your ancestors back from the grave

Schweppes Tonic Water In Italy, the name translated to Schweppes Toilet Water

T-shirts about the Pope A t-shirt maker in Miami printed shirts for the Spanish market which promoted the Pope’s visit. I saw the Pope (el Papa) (la papa) I saw the potato

United Kingdom Wheat Corn Maize Undergraduate Studies Graduate Studies

Gestures Olympics in Atlanta Dr. Joe’s PhD program

Customs Speaking to Asian elders Offering food with the Canadian and the Arab Waving good-bye