ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the barriers to effective communication and how people might overcome these by empathetic listening. Communication is central to all human life and interaction. In all communication, gender matters and men and women often have different objectives when communicating. Intimacy and love are dependent on effective communication and the clear and unambiguous messages sent and understood by both parties. Communication accommodation theory explains significant differences and other barriers in communication. The transactional nature of communication refers to the process of feedback by both sender and receiver. Personality traits like cognitive complexity and dogmatism also play a role in judging communications. Barriers to communication include common stereotyping of gender, ideas or culture. Spoken and written languages are the dominant means of communication in human culture. Listening is the most important channel of communication. Barriers to effective communication can also be a consequence of personality traits, beliefs and attitudes, although the contextual situation is more powerful.
