Best Online Learning Platform

12 Types of Nonverbal Communication Definition and Examples

This article explains the 12 Types of Non-verbal Communication are Physical Appearance, Paralinguistics, Body Movement, Gestures, Posture, Facial Expression, Eye Contact, Proxemics, Haptics, Chronemics, Artifacts, and Environment.

Nonverbal Communication Definition

Nonverbal communication means transmitting messages through nonverbal elements, such as physical appearance, eye contact, facial expression, body movement, gesture, and posture. Therefore, it is also known as a non-verbal cue. The four types of communication contexts are verbal, nonverbal, visual, and written.

Nonverbal communication generates and transmits messages without spoken words. On the other hand, verbal communication means conveying a message through written and spoken words. The combination of both verbal and nonverbal cues generates effective interaction between the sender and receiver. Effective communication relies on using both verbal and nonverbal communication cues.

Using verbal and nonverbal cues during interaction can make communication more effective and efficient. There are several types of noise in communication: physical, physiological, psychological, and environmental. The combination of verbal and nonverbal communication reduces the noise of communication and makes the interaction more effective. The researchers have mentioned nonverbal communication cues as the components of the communication process.

Example of Nonverbal Communication

For example, Rose types on a laptop while interacting with her senior Boss. Simultaneously, the Boss asks her when she wants to submit the company's new business report. Rose raises two-finger focusing his eyes on the laptop. The Boss leaves the place saying all right. Rose intends to complete the business report at 2 PM, and the Boss completely understands the message. Raising two fingers is a nonverbal communication example that conveys the message in this context.

Similarly, the Boss shows a thumbs-up gesture when Rose says she has emailed the report before 2 PM. Here, a thumbs-up conveys a good job message from Boss to Rose. There are thousands of nonverbal communication examples: eye contact, gesture, posture, silence, angry face, anxious mood, smiles, talking fast, and many more.

Types of Nonverbal Communication

The 12 Types of Nonverbal Communication are:

1. Physical Appearance
2. Paralinguistics (Vocalics)
3. Body Movement
4. Gestures
5. Posture
6. Facial Expression
7. Eye Contact
8. Proxemics (Space)
9. Haptics (Touch)
10. Chronemics (Time)
11. Artifacts
12. Environment (Context)

Many scholars term the types as components and examples of nonverbal communication.

Nonverbal Communication Types

1. Physical Appearance Nonverbal Communication

Physical appearance is one of the significant types of nonverbal communication that conveys a strong message about who you are and where you study or work. A proverb says "The first impression is the best information." People assume others' education, attire, hygiene, professionalism, success, moral character, social position, and trustworthiness by physical appearance.

According to a statistical report, people take less than ten seconds of the first meeting to determine other people. Clothes are significant elements in conveying messages to other group members. Casual attires are more acceptable in informal meetings because of the belief in trustworthiness. On the other hand, a professional appearance is well-accepted in business meetings and formal group presentations. However, research shows that good-looking people make more money and get promoted more often than average looks.

Physical Appearance Examples

For example, two people are walking on the road wearing different dresses. The first person wears a formal dress, and the second person wears a jersey and shorts. Most people will be able to guess their profession with the dress. Usually, employees follow official dress, including shoes and hairstyle.

On the other hand, football players wear jerseys, shorts, boots, and socks. The dress conveys a message about their profession without spoken words. So, physical appearance is a significant type of nonverbal communication that transmits a strong message regarding the communicator.

2. Paralinguistics Nonverbal Communication

Paralinguistics refers to the meta-communication elements of nonverbal communication that modify the message's meaning. It is also known as vocalics, paralanguage, or voice in nonverbal communication. Paralinguistics explains how we use our voices while speaking to someone.

In addition to physical appearance, paralinguistics is another crucial type of nonverbal communication that significantly changes the meaning of the speaker's speech. Examples of paralinguistics are inflection, tone, pitch, filler words, indicators, volume, rate, and articulation. People have more than 630 muscles but use around 72 different muscles conjointly to deliver a speech. The tongue is the most significant and robust muscle among them. People use this tongue to generate these paralinguistic elements during nonverbal communication.

Paralinguistics Nonverbal Communication Examples

3. Body Movement Nonverbal Communication

Body movement refers to the communication process through the head, hand, and hand movement, known as nonverbal communication using body angles. The body angles between two people express the relationship between them. People tend to lean on the speaker when interested in the discussion topic. On the other hand, people tend to orientate away from the speaker when they do not like the discussion topic. The same things happen when the audience likes and dislikes the speaker personally. People use their bodies mostly in interaction; therefore, it is a crucial type of nonverbal communication.

Body Movement Nonverbal Communication Examples

For example, males tend to lean towards females in confined conditions, and females face away.

Body movement is also part of body language or Kinesics nonverbal communication. Kinesics' nonverbal communication includes body movement, facial expression, gesture, and posture. According to the statistics report, people use 7% of words, 38% of voice, and 55% of body language in communication.

Elements of Kinesics in Nonverbal Communication

Kinesics is the symbolic meaning of body movements. Ekman and Friesen (1969) developed five types of components of Kinesics, also known as body movements.

Five Types of Kinesics in Communication

The five types of Kinesics Communication are Emblems, Illustrators, Affect Displays, Regulators, and Adaptors.

1. Emblems

Emblems are body movements that can carry information without using verbal communication. For example, a thumbs-up means OK, waving a hand means goodbye, and the Logo represents something.

2. Illustrator

Illustrators are body movements that transmit a complete message with or without verbal communication. Communicators link illustrators with oral action to make the interaction more effective. For example, a person is showing directions on how to reach the Bank and explaining verbally.

3. Affect Display

Affect displays are body movements that relate to your emotions. For example, a slumping body, a relaxed body, and a confident body.

4. Regulators

Regulators are body movements that emphasize further action. It also determines turn-taking in conversations—for example, control communication, a nod of the head.

5. Adaptors

Adaptors are body movements to adapt to a situation and the current environment. For example, it reveals nervousness, fixing clothes, nose scratches, stress, and anxiety.

4. Gestures Nonverbal Communication

Gestures are a form of nonverbal communication that includes waving hands, nodding heads, and pointing fingers. The gesture makes communication more lively and effective. The speakers may be perceived as boring, stiff, and unanimated if they cannot show gestures while speaking. Head nods and raking fingers inside through hairs are the form of gesture.

Gestures Nonverbal Communication Examples

For example, the Deaf community develops and uses various sign languages worldwide.

5. Posture Nonverbal Communication

Posture is one of the crucial types of nonverbal communication that is related to body position. It represents numerous messages through the way people walk, talk, stand, and sit. Posture denotes the body position in nonverbal communication.

Posture Nonverbal Communication Examples

For example, standing erect but not rigid and leaning slightly forward communicates to your audience that you are approachable, receptive, and friendly. Additionally, speaking with your back turned or looking at the floor or ceiling should be avoided; it communicates disinterest to your audience.

6. Facial Expression Nonverbal Communication

Facial expression is one of the most common nonverbal communication influencing interaction. It plays a crucial role in regulating the interaction and conveying the message. Facial expression includes the mouth, eyebrows, and facial muscles. Facial expressions demonstrate approval or disapproval of the topic being discussed. The audience's facial expression shows whether the speech is exciting or not. The five universal facial expressions are Happiness, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Surprise.

People have over 30 muscles on the face to help smile or frown; for example, 17 muscles to smile and 43 muscles to frown.

Facial Expression Nonverbal Communication Examples

For example, people open their mouths and extend their eyebrows when surprised.

7. Eye Contact Nonverbal Communication

Eye Contact is a significant type of nonverbal communication that regulates and controls communication. It is also known as oculesics, meaning the study of eye behavior. Eye muscles are the busiest muscles in the body. Scientists estimate that the eyes move more than 100,000 times a day.

Eye Contact Nonverbal Communication Examples

8. Haptics in Nonverbal Communication

Haptic communication occurs when people interact with the sense of touch. It plays a significant role in the communication process. It refers to the touch that conveys the crucial message. Therefore, haptics is another type and example of nonverbal communication that represents information involving touch.

Haptics Nonverbal Communication Examples

The most noteworthy examples of haptic are holding hands, hugging, tickling, also kissing.

9. Proxemics in Nonverbal Communication

Proxemics refers to the interpersonal space during communication that affects the interaction. It is a familiar type of nonverbal communication that represents the seating arrangements. Proxemics are very significant factors in the workplace. It also plays an influential role in describing your position and attitude.

For example, dominant group members position more centrally in the group's space. However, task- and socially-oriented leaders maintain space ratio or territoriality during the exhibit group meeting.

Proxemics Nonverbal Communication Examples

Interpersonal Spaces

In 1969, Hall introduced the Four Types of Interpersonal Spaces Intimate, Personal, Social, and Public Distance.

1. Intimate distance ( 0-18 inches (45.72 cm): For example, close friends, some family members, and lovers maintain close distance; therefore, it is also a private zone.

2. Personal distance (18 in. – 4 ft (1.22 m), an arm's length away): For example, friends and acquaintances follow personal maintain this distance when interacting with each other.

3. Social distance ( 4 – 8 ft (2.44 m): For example, strangers maintain social distance as they do not have intimate relationships.

4. Public distance ( >8 ft (2.44 m): A speaker presents to a larger audience.

10. Chronemics in Nonverbal Communication

Chronemics refers to the role of time during nonverbal interaction. It is not spoken speech; instead represents the gap between communication. Therefore, it is another example of nonverbal communication that denotes how much time to talk and elapses when interacting with others. For example, how many members speak and how much time they let elapse before responding to other group members.

In 1976, Edward T. Hall introduced the monochronic versus polychronic times to distinguish one culture from another. Monochronic shows the representative who is punctual and active. On the other hand, polychronic represents lazy people.

Chronemics Nonverbal Communication Examples

For example, in most countries, bosses come to the meeting after employees. The employees think that they must present at the meeting before the Boss arrives. The employees are active and join the discussion early. In contrast, the person will be termed as lazy if they enter the meeting late. Bosses can defer or cancel the appointment.

The lower-status person is willing to wait for the higher-status person. The higher-status person talks more than the lower-status person, and they dominate communication. Lower-status people are reluctant to interrupt communication.

11. Artifacts Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal artifacts in communication refer to the physical objects of the person, including the brand of clothes and shoes, mobile phones, laptops, car brands, tattoos, piercings, and jewelry. It is also known as the belongings owned by the communicator. However, artifacts assist the audiences strongly in forming a perception of the speakers. The audience can identify the speaker's personality through artifacts.

Artefacts nonverbal communication examples

For example, a person uses a BMW car, representing that the person is wealthy. Similarly, if the person uses a good brand of clothes and diamond jewelry, these artifacts also notify that the person is wealthy. Likewise, sportspeople and singers use tattoos more than ordinary people. Tattoos denounce the social groups they are in. People with expensive jewelry represent their personality and socio-economic conditions.

In 2024, people think that rich people use the latest smartphones like the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, and Google Pixel 8 Pro. In a business context, smartphones are influential artifacts that help to shape perceptions about the person who belongs to them.

12. Environment Nonverbal Communication

The environment of nonverbal communication refers to the surrounding context of communication. The context in communication denotes the environment of the discussion.

It mentions the physical environment of the discussion. Aneurin Bevan, a British political leader, recognized that the color of the conference room affected the political campaigns. He noticed that party conferences get more successful if they are organized in a bright color room instead of a depressing room. The environment conveys the message to motivate others.

Environment Nonverbal Communication Examples

The customers build negative concepts about the company and products. For example, potential clients would not be interested in buying the products if the management set a meeting in a dirty room. In contrast, the customers feel interested in buying the products when the meeting is held in the office room. The environment conveys both positive and negative messages based on the situation.

Conclusion

The twelve types of nonverbal communication are Physical Appearance, Paralinguistics, Body Movement, Gestures, Posture, Facial Expression, Eye Contact, Proxemics, Haptics, Chronemics, Artifacts, and also Environment. However, there are many more types of nonverbal communication in the world, such as Silence and Olfactics.

Citation For This Article(APA-7th)

Kobiruzzaman, M. M. (2024). Nonverbal Communication: 12 Types of Nonverbal Communication Examples. Newsmoor- Best Online Learning Platform. https://newsmoor.com/nonverbal-communication-types-12-types-of-nonverbal-communication-example/

The 7 Types of Noise in Communication With Examples

The Seven Types of Noise in Communication are Physical, Physiological, Psychological, Semantic, Cultural, Organizational and Technical Noise.

Communication Noise

Communication noise means any barrier to the effective communication process. Noises bar the effective communication process between senders and receivers. The different types of noise in communication are physical or environmental, factual, physiological, psychological, semantic, cultural, organizational, and technical noise.

These noises distract the sender and receiver of the communication process from listening to the message effectively. Noise bars the effectiveness of the communication process; therefore, it is also known as a barrier to effective communication. It is one of the unwanted communication elements, followed by Context, Sender, Encoder, Message, Channel, Decoder, Receiver, and Feedback.

Communication noises are presented in all communication contexts, such as face-to-face, group, organizational, and technical communication. The researchers have mentioned the noises as an element of every type of theory including linear, interactive, and transactional communication models.

Shannon and Weaver's communication model introduced noise initially in the linear communication model in 1949. Later, many researchers include the noise in their theories. A comprehensive communication model includes noise and feedback to explain the communication process.

The communication process gets more effective, productive, and interactive if there is no noise. Many scholars are researching to find out the solution to overcome noise in communication. Researchers have identified that in the U.S.A., business organizations are losing billions of dollars due to noise in communication.

Different Types of Noise in Communication

Types of Communication Noise — Seven Types of Noise in Communication

Real-Life Example of Noises in Communication

Hearing a loud horn during a phone call is a real-life example of noise in communication. Vehicle horns always bar the receiver from receiving and processing information. For example, Elly is very sick; hence, calls her husband (Jack ) to bring some medicines over a phone call. At the same time, a driver honks the horn to get a dog out of the way. Therefore, Jack could not understand clearly what his wife said to bring. So, he asks his wife again to be confirmed.

The horn sounds are physical noise, and her sickness is an example of physiological noise. Both noises interfere with the communication process.

Types of Noise in Communication

The author studies several articles published in reputed journals including Sage and the International Journal of Communication. These articles demonstrate different types of noises for example, Brogan explains semantic noise in communication in 1974. In this article, the author gathers all types of noises mentioned in academic journals and represents them with real-life examples.

Seven Types of Noises in Communication are:

Physical Noise
Physiological Noise
Psychological Noise
Syntactical Noise
Cultural Noise
Organizational Noise
Technical Noise

The seven types of noise in communication are physical or environmental, factual, physiological, psychological, semantic, cultural, organizational, and technical noise. However, some additional noises in the communication process include group communication noise, syntactic, emotional, medium, encoding, decoding noises, etc.

1. Physical Noise in Communication

Physical noise is the external and unnecessary sound that is an obstacle to effective communication. It is also a communication disturbance created by the environment. Therefore, physical noise is also known as environmental or factual noise in communication. Factual noise comes from ambient background noise in the environment.

Example of Physical Noise

For example, rain, thunderstorms, phone ringing, horns, airlines sound, whispering, outside building sounds, and sounds from fans, lights, and windows are the best examples of physical or environmental noise. Besides loud music, barking dogs, and noisy conflict nearby, vehicle sounds are examples of physical noise. These are also examples of factual noise in communication.

Factual Noise Example

"Image the top management professionals organizing a meeting to amend company rules and regulations, the HR manager tried to propose a list of new rules related to working time. However, the meeting room was filled with factual noise as employees whispered and raised issues related to pension and lunch break rules. Despite the HR managers trying to steer to the working time issue, the factual noise interfered and persisted decision-making process".

2. Physiological Noise in Communication

Physiological noise is a barrier created by the communicator's physical and physiological condition. Mental and Physical illness and weakness produce physical noises, which is an obstacle to effective communication.

Example of Physiological Noise

For example, Ela is having headaches; therefore, she can not concentrate in class. Here, a headache is a physical illness that hinders the listening process of communication. Also, deafness and blindness are physical weaknesses or physiological noises that hinder listening. Talking too fast or slow and the high or low temperature in the room also generate physiological noise.

3. Psychological Noise in Communication

Psychological noise is a communication barrier created by the communicator's psychological factors, for example, values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. This type of noise interrupts our minds from concentrating on listening. People don't like to listen or talk about those topics that make them down or not enjoyable. Apart from that, ethnocentrism, prejudices, stereotypes, and discrimination are also examples of psychological noises. These factors bar effective communication in a group or team. The four noises in group communication are ethnocentrism, prejudices, stereotypes, and discrimination. Psychological noises in communication interfere with respect and accept other opinions.

Example of Psychological Noise

For example, Elly is a Muslim girl who does not like to listen to any criticism of Islam. Therefore, she became distracted when her lecturer was talking about anti-Islam issues. Any sensitive issues like religious, ethnic, and political are examples of psychological noise. Apart from that, financial crisis, missing a beloved person, and an exhausting schedule may cause psychological noise.

4. Semantic Noise in Communication

Semantic noise is a communication barrier created by confusion over the meaning of words. It comes from complex, technical, autochthonous, or grammatical errors in communication. Semantic noise occurs because of different message definitions between the sender and receiver. It also refers to the wrong grammatical sentence that makes the receiver unable to understand the meaning. Scholars term it as a syntactical barrier or noise.

Syntactical noise is a grammatically wrong sentence in which the receiver cannot accomplish the proper meaning. Using complex language during computer programming is an example of syntactical noise. It is also in contrast to syntactic sugar.

Example of Semantic Noise

Ela is an international student who studies at the University of Putra Malaysia. She is listening to lectures from her Malaysian lecturer. In the meantime, her lecturer says, " I believe SEMUA understand this topic." SEMUA is a Malaysian word that means everyone. Ela does not understand the meaning of SEMUA as she is not a Malaysian student. It is an example of semantic noise.

Similarly, a lecturer says the natural causes of climate change and global warming are different facts. However, a few students are confused about the lecturer's statement. The confusion has come from semantic noise. These students believe that climate change and global warming are the same phenomena. Finally, the lecturer describes global warming as raising the environment's temperature. On the other hand, climate change points to both increasing and decreasing the global temperature. It is also an example of semantic noise.

Additionally, jargon words, mispronunciations, unique words, and grammatically wrong sentences are Semantic Noise examples.

Examples of Semantic Noise

1. Jargon or Technical Language: Semantic noises can be portrayed when a speaker uses a technical term, specialized language, idiom, or abbreviation. Receivers might not understand if they are not familiar. For example, a lecturer orders their student to write an SOP example as a final assignment and submit it before the final exam. SOP might short form of standard operating procedures or a statement of purpose. It makes students confused.

2. Ambiguity: Ambiguous language conveys confused messages that generate misunderstanding. For example, if an applicant says "I will email a resume with cover letter soon". In this scenario, Soon might not specify the timeframe exactly when the applicant will email the resume.

3. Slang or Colloquialisms: The use of slang or colloquial language might convey confused information. These terms bar the communication process depending on the receivers' age and context. For example, the word "cool" might convey confused messages to the older generation.

4. Misinterpretation of Nonverbal Cues: Nonverbal communication cues including body language, gestures, and artifacts may lead to misinterpretation of the message. For example, a smile might signal friendliness and ignorance depending on context.

5. Cultural Noise in Communication

Cultural noise is a communication barrier created by cultural dissimilarities explaining another person’s behaviors differently. This noise can be produced due to the wrong meaning of messages; therefore, it is known as semantic noise. Especially cultural noise is created from the nonverbal communication of people from different cultural backgrounds. The basic kinds of nonverbal communication cues are posture, gesture, eye contact, space, touch, and dress-up. The meaning of nonverbal cues is not the same in every culture and society. The conflicting message in communication is one of the cultural noises.

Cultural noises can be depicted in various forms, including language barriers, nonverbal communication, cultural stereotypes, cultural norms and values, and cultural differences.

Cultural Differences: The same language and words depict different meanings in different cultures. For example, the phrase "Thumbs up" indicates a positive indication in the USA and European countries. Contrastingly, the phrase "Thumbs up" indicates negative meaning in Middle Eastern countries including Iran and Afghanistan.

Example of Cultural Noise

Jon is a Russian citizen who is studying at the University of Putra Malaysia. He offers his Malaysian woman friend to handshake, but she denies it. It makes Jon feel very embarrassed. Later, he understood that women do not like to handshake with men in Malaysia, which is a cultural norm.

6. Organizational Noise in Communication

Organizational noise occurs when the communication flow gets impeded because of organizational structure, information overload, and demographical and cultural differences among employees. It also happens depending on the lack of sensitivity, knowledge, and communication skills among new and existing employees. The new employees hold low communication skills, insufficient knowledge of the subject, emotional interference, etc. According to Geert Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, monochronic members in an organization prefer to complete tasks on time; in contrast, polychronic members are continually late to complete office tasks.

Example of Organizational Noise

For example, new employees do not know to whom they should submit the monthly report. In this scenario, noise occurs for complex organization hierarchical structure. A flat and decentralized organizational structure provides great freedom for employees to make decisions. Netflix's flat organizational structure reduces communication noises.

7. Technical Noise in Communication

Technical noise occurs when the sender and receiver converse through defective communication channels and tools. The barriers come from faulty technological equipment like a mobile, laptop, slow internet connection, microphone, and web camera. It is related to information and communication technology and electrical devices including email delivery problems, television signal interference, and webpage loading errors.

Therefore, it is known as electrical noises in technology-based communication. Electrical Noise differs in shot and thermal barriers. Shot noise originates from the audio output of receivers. Thermal noise is generated from the random movement of electrons in the electronic device.

Example of Technical Noise

For example, a lecturer conducts online classes through Google Meet. A student can not hear the lesson because of a slow internet connection. Another student is unable to hear the class due to a headphone problem.

Apart from these five basic types of noises, the additional noises in the communication process are technical noise including shot and thermal noise, organizational noise, and noise in group conversation.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Communication Noise

Advantages of Communication Noise

Despite its negative aspects, communication noise can sometimes offer advantages in certain contexts including enhancing creativity, enriching communication studies, increasing awareness, and facilitating innovation. The following strengths of communication noise are adopted from ChatGPT.

Enhanced Creativity: Communication noise influences people to be creative to resolve problems. Human beings find alternative ways when they encounter barriers. Hence, communication noise makes people creative, innovative, and critical thinkers.

Enrichment of Communication Studies: Researchers conduct more research on noise in communication; therefore, it enhances the learning opportunity. Many scholars studied to reduce communication barriers. These researches enrich the literature of communication context.

Increasing Awareness: Scientists invented noise-related problems, including anger, sickness, and stress. Many researchers articulated that environmental noise such as loud sounds above 70 dB can damage the eardrum. It highlights social awareness.

Facilitation of Innovation: Finally, communication noise triggers individuals to innovate solutions to overcome noise as barriers to effective communication process. It fosters a culture of innovation in society and organizations.

Disadvantages of Communication Noise

The five disadvantages of communication noise are the effect on physical and mental health, miscommunication, reduced message clarity, damage organization's reputation, and communal violence.

Noise Effects on Physical and Mental Health

Firstly, noises make people exhausted, anxious, irritated, dissatisfied, tense, angry, and sick. Babies and ill people cannot sleep due to environmental noise. People can become deaf if they stay with a loud noise for a long time. Noise above 70 dB damages the eardrum. In 2022, researchers at HARVARD Medical School identified that people encounter autonomic stress reactions when they wake up from a loud sound (Environmental Noise); and it might cause cardiac arrest.

Miscommunication

Noise bars effective communication and generates misunderstanding. Sometimes, psychological and semantic noise spreads misleading information. Organizational noise leads to damage to the company's reputation.

Reduced Message Clarity

Noise reduces the clarity of the message by introducing distortion. It affects the receiver to interpret meaning accurately. In some scenarios, noise in communication can lead to losing important messages.

Damage Organization Reputation

Noise hampers organizations financially by reducing employees' productivity. The workers cannot concentrate appropriately due to noise. The organizational noise occurs due to a faulty communication channel. Communication noise can tarnish an individual's or organization's reputation.

Create Communal Violence

Semantic noise spreads misleading information among people. Sometimes, it creates communal violence if the message comes from political or social leaders. Political group members are indulged in spreading fake information and creating communal riots.

Noise in Group Communication

Barriers to Group Communication are disturbances that hinder interactive communication among group members. The barrier in group communication usually hinders understanding other members of the group or team. The four types of barriers in group communication are Ethnocentrism, Stereotyping, Prejudice, and Discrimination. The group discussion has many stages, tensions, conflicts, etc. According to Tuckman's Theory, the five stages of group discussion are Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning. Members must overcome all these stages to achieve the independent and interdependent goal.

Difference Between Noise and Barrier

Noise and Barriers in conversation denote the same meaning, although people use them in different interaction contexts. For example, people use the word noise when encountering face-to-face or group communication obstacles. On the other hand, people use the word barrier when facing corporate communication or mediated communication obstacles. Noise refers to the hindrance during the interaction between sender and receiver. However, many people, including scholars, described them as noise barriers. People also term them a distraction, distortion, disturbance, etc.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the 7 types of communication noises are Physical, Physiological, Psychological, Semantic, Cultural, Organizational, and Technical Noise. Noises adversely impact personal, social, political, and organizational contexts. Hence, communicators should reduce noise as much as possible to make communication more effective, productive, and efficient. These communication noises are prevalent in every context of the communication process, such as barriers in face-to-face communication, mediated communication, corporate communication, and group communication. Noise is an unwanted element of the communication process.

The Five Types of Noise in Communication Image:

Citation for this Article (APA 7th Edition)

Kobiruzzaman, M. M. (2024). Types of Noise in Communication. Newsmoor- Best Online Learning Platform. https://newsmoor.com/communication-noise-5-types-of-noise-in-communication-barriers/

References:

Brogan, J. A. (1974). Semantic Noise. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication, 4(4), 315-322. https://doi.org/10.2190/9174-347D-EKM5-5RCV