An employee explains about his problem to the boss who is preoccupied with an important file. The boss does not understand the message.
Identify the category of psychological barrier in the above statement.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Lack of attention
Option (1) Premature evaluation — Incorrect. Here people judge the meaning before the sender finishes. The boss did not judge; he did not listen.
Option (2) Loss of transmission — Incorrect. This happens when a message passes through many levels and gets changed. Here the message went directly to the boss.
Option (3) Distrust — Incorrect. Distrust means the two sides do not believe each other. The case does not say so.
Option (4) Lack of attention — Correct. The boss is busy with an important file and does not grasp the message. His mind is busy elsewhere, so he is not listening. This is lack of attention, a psychological barrier to communication.
NCERT (2026-27 Edition): “(i) Premature evaluation: Some times people evaluate the meaning of message before the sender completes his message. Such premature evaluation may be due to pre-conceived notions or prejudices against the communication.” “(ii) Lack of attention: The pre-occupied mind of receiver and the resultant non-listening of message acts as a major psychological barrier. For instance, an employee explains about his problems to the boss who is pre-occupied with an important file before him. The boss does not grasp the message and the employee is disappointed.” “(iii) Loss by transmission and poor retention: When communication passes through various levels, successive transmissions of the message results in loss of, or transmission of inaccurate information. This is more so in case of oral communication. …” “(iv) Distrust: Distrust between communicator and communicate acts as a barrier. If the parties do not believe each other, they can not understand each others message in its original sense. …” |