Misperception in Communication

[gL.edu] This article gathers contributions being developed by Vincent Maginot, within the context of the Conceptual clarification about "Information, Knowledge and Philosophy", under the supervisión of J.M. Díaz Nafría.

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Abstract: Misperception, and thus miscommunication, can hurt feelings or create conflict. This article focuses on how subjective experiences and interpretations can lead to misperception, and it introduces seven strategies for clear communication to avoid them. Active listening, channel choice and the positive sides of silence are some of them. Creating a culture of clear communication can foster strong relationships or reduce conflict, and allow effective teamwork.

In this article, it is assumed that the subjects, which are humans, do not have any perceptual filters, which means that no sensorial organ or part of the nervous subsystem reduces the capacity to observe the environment. Indeed, it is not related to the common problem of misperception when a subject is directly apprehending a reality through their own means. The problem rather concerns communication about a reality the receiver has no direct access to, and therefore it is the information provided in the communication process that conveys the means to perceive such reality (which accommodates to Floridi's approach to semantic information in his theory of truth as correctness).

Case

You are in a positive mood, sending a text message to your friend „I will be there tonight” and the reply is a single „k“. Now you are confronted with two facts: 1) He acknowledged your message and ended the conversation. 2) He was busy and unable to respond longer. The first you know and the second you don’t. Unknowing of this second fact, you are shaken up. You perceive the „k“ as dismissive. What went wrong in this communication chain?

Definitions

Communication

Any interaction between systems through a code, this "shared" (important: it has to be shared by both communication partners) code is a necessity for communication to work. It is quite complex and has many different layers, like physical, cultural, or semantic. In this article, the focus lies on merely the transmission of information from a sender to a receiver, but nowadays we could extend these interactions to a far more complex network.

Perception

An internal response to any kind of stimulus. First, the subject might only be a living observer, experiencing things, producing a following reaction which will likely produce a change in the structures of which the subject is aware of. The moment this happens, it (the system) becomes aware of the perceived and does not just perceive.

Keep in mind that the perception of an observation is partly the result of the viewpoint and methodology of the observer, so called perspective. All what seems to be objective perception of real facts and events is filtered by the biological features of the observer and their psychocultural achievements.

Same as with the many layers of communication there are also different layers of perception. Any kind of sense can be perceived and creates a response. Not only the outer senses, but also internal, for example, feelings and emotions can be perceived.

The relations among communication, perception, concepts and knowledge

The Influence of Perception and Misperception on Communication

A transmitter is sending a lot of information in their message, and the receiver won't be able to take it all in. Thus, the information gets selected based on our experiences, interests, and expectations. Basically the relations in our brain.

Should the transmitter and receiver have a different perception of the situation, two different realities allowing interpretation can be shared. This then means the code - mentioned under communication - is not shared, and thus misperception might arise.

The receiver will interpret the perceived information based on mentioned schemas and prejudices. Other typical psychologic effects for selecting information would also be the Halo-effect, similarity effect and contrast effect.

Concept and Percept

Let's further elaborate on this idea to understand the principle of the conceptual situation better. The inner understanding of everything is based on concepts. At the moment new information is received, the concept will be newly formed and the next perception is then again influenced by the built concept. A concept formed and consolidated through perception (and through the interaction with the reality perceived) will not suddenly change through new perception. Why is that? It is called survival mechanism. The constancy of perception is a condition for survival. A surviving system will always try to strengthen and stabilise the own perception algorithm. However, if the new information cannot be reconcile with the previous percept a new perception may arise capable to accommodate the new and the previous information in a coherent perception (representation of reality).

The Influence of Communication on Perception

This means, communication might change the perception of a subject’s reality and will allow new perspectives, and even subject's attitudes and beliefs.

Consequently, be careful how-to communicate. Negative and positive language can influence the perception of the reality being referred according to the connotation invoked which may lead to positive or negative feelings about that reality.

Knowledge

Communication must not assume a common perception by the transmitter and receiver. Thus, a message is a meaning offer from the transmitter, with a potential of change in the receiver which may end in a misperception.

Communication and perception are based on the knowledge a system has about the world and about the context of a situation. Missing information leads to misperception, wich can emerge through factors like the difference in perception through interpretation of the receiver or gaps in a person's knowledge.

Thus, effective communication has to avoid misperception. This is only possible through a very clear, even nonverbal communication. Besides, it is important to not underestimate empathy, the ability to put oneself in the other person's shoes.

Impact of Misperception and Strategies for Prevention

1. Social Issues

Limited information leads to inaccurate views. For instance, in the year 2008, there was a study on college students’ misperception of sex related peer norms. The study focused on how Singaporean college students misconceived their peers’ sexual attitudes and behaviours. In the results, it became obvious that students believe that their peers are significantly more active than it was the case. This view appeared to come in part from student’s media consumption.

Another typical misperception which is sadly far too present is found in the stereotyping of media in criminal cases. There are certain journalistic routines in place. Standardized story scripts, familiar stereotypes, so called “pack journalism” and the reliance on public officials. These lead to reporters creating less competitive news organizations, but a more homogeneous coverage. Looking at crime coverage, media routines tend to facilitate a pro-prosecution wall. This can lead to masses forgetting about the presumption of innocence and changing the term to a presumption of guilty. Without a discussion, there cannot be balance, but only unfair one-sided treatment. So 27 percent of suspects in crime stories get described using prejudicial information, and with that missing information which leads to misperception.

Education as a Strategy - Control Social Issues: Misperceptions most of the time arise to a lack of knowledge. The importance of media literacy and critical thinking skills in education is already emphasized through research. And there are even strategies around how to implement or improve education. ^, Students should be enabled to form their own informed opinions and challenge misperception. Evaluating sources, identifying bias and seeking factual information may be the foundation. Education which incorporates diverse perspectives and promotes open dialog could help students tackle complex issues and understand the nuances behind them. Education is essential for removing misperceptions.

2. Misperception in History

Historical actors often operate under incomplete information and biased interpretations. Even historical ideas themselves may be a source of misperception. And with this comes important implications, since historical beliefs are not usually immutable, it is very important to take effort in questioning harmful interpretations of history and avoid conflict causing perceptual distortions.

In most of these cases fear, and a strong belief on different opinions leads to immense danger and devastating consequences.

3. Misperception in Science Communication

Especially in science clear and accurate information are a must. Misperceptions can influence the public’s understanding of scientific advancements. The main problem lies in the gap between scientific complexity and public knowledge. Because of this, there are often myths which arise from conversation between individuals. It goes from questions like “why do we give vaccines for diseases we don’t see” to “vaccines give our kids autism”. Later statement might well be more of a correlation than a causation.

A quick side note, I also found the question “what if my child is one in a million?”. Is it not interesting how we humans have a hard of a time when it comes to exponential percentage changes?

Anyways, to underline this issue, let me tell you something. While researching this topic I am noticing it is very easy to find multiple statements about almost everything. But certified research, with terms the public understands, is rare. You could say there is a lot of information, but no certain knowledge.

Importance of Open Communication - in Science Communication and Misperception in History: In the case of science communication emphasizing the scientific consensus and tailoring messages to specific audiences, scientists can bridge the gap between knowledge and public understanding. This does create trust in science and empowers individuals to make informed decisions based on evidence. Open communication is a very powerful tool if the target group is the public mass.

4. Impact through Technological Advancements

While offering immense benefits, technological advancements can well create misperceptions. All these tools to connect us accelerate the spread of misinformation and disinformation. This is a smaller issue itself, but now algorithms often prioritize content that confirms existing beliefs, creating a sense of consensus on this misinformation. A known case is the fear of a robot takeover thanks to AI. To prevent misperception it is important to be exposed to diverse information.

Especially written texts, as we have seen at the very beginning in our introduction case can lead to misperception. A simple “haha” could be sarcastic, other short messages feel cold. I did not find a study, but after consulting with friends and family, which is obviously only a very small group, people seem to be significantly worse at detecting sarcasms in text messages, which can lead to hurt feelings or even generate conflict.

Texting also allows rushed and imprecise communication. A missing comma or a poorly phrased sentence can drastically alter the intended meaning.

Nonverbal Communication as a Strategy - Can we still use it? This strategy is completely useless in texting, but exactly here we can see the importance of it. The tone of voice, small facial expressions or body language are very important cues to perceive the message the sender tries to convey. Research by Albert Mehrabian even suggests that nonverbal communication accounts for a larger portion of a messages meaning than the words themselves.

Meanwhile studies by Paul Ekman highlight how facial expressions alone can universally communicate a range of emotions, promoting clearer understanding.

Even small signals like eye contact, nodding or open gestures can signal engagement, interest and may even allow us to adjust our way of communicating more towards the receiver.

Usage of a Smart Channel Choice in the Age of Technology. Based on the context and complexity of our information channel choice is equally important as nonverbal communication. A short statement may be a text, but cancelling an appointment might well be a call. Here the receiver can at least hear if the sender is upset or just stressed out. This will allow the receiver to have more clarity over the emotions. Should a sensitive conversation arise, having it face to face might just be the right choice. Besides the increased clarity, since we can use all ways of our nonverbal communication, it is also considerate and respectful.

Some topics are very notorious, here it may be worth to try to combine channels. Write a text and talk about it at the same time.

Avoid Assumptions, Clarity. Context and Feedback. By continuously avoiding assumptions and explaining the own thought, misperceptions can be greatly reduced. It will foster trust, strengthen collaboration, and thus progress relationships.

Never assume someone’s knowledge, intentions or even emotions. Someone might be sleeping in class and the professor will assume “he does not care”, meanwhile the student might have spent a rough night taking care of a sick family member. There is a high tendency to make interpretations, when lacking complete information.

Also looking out for not using technical terms if the listener is unfamiliar with the field. Sellers know more than buyers; workers tend to know more than employers. A doctor would never explain a complex treatment to a patient, who has limited medical knowledge, since it would spread fear or anxiety. We tend to assume our audience shares our understanding.

Always try to invite questions and work with concrete language and imagery, which will foster better comprehension. Active communication with the other party participating will minimize misperceptions.

Ask open ended question to gauge understanding, encourage the listener to rephrase your message in their own words.

5. Are you listening?

Embrace Silence. Misunderstandings often arise from the pressure to fill pauses or the urge to react impulsively. This is very common in our fast-paced constantly moving world. Silence plays a far more crucial role in social interactions than we are aware of. It gives individuals time to process information, formulate responses and understand emotions.

Silence may feel uncomfortable initially, but it creates a more thoughtful and connected communication style. By embracing silence, we create space for reflection.

But not only reflection. It also allows to ask clarifying questions, adjust the communication style, or emphasize a point. Sometimes it is even a way to signal disagreement.

Silence is also the foundation for the last and most important strategy “Active Listening”.

Active Listening. By pausing before responding we demonstrate attentiveness and encourage the other person to elaborate. This allows a clearer understanding of their message and prevents jumping to conclusions.

Absorb the whole message and consider its implications, and then start formulating a response. Also, by delaying our response, we avoid interrupting the speaker. This will allow them to fully express themselves.

The phrase "whole message" emphasizes to also focus on nonverbal communication. Active listening allows the receiver to recognize facial expressions, body language which offer valuable insights into the true intentions.

Pay close attention to what the other person is saying, both verbally and nonverbally. Ask clarifying questions to ensure you understand their perspective.

Conclusion

To summarize, misperceptions arise because transmitter and receiver don’t have the same perception of a message. Information gets filtered through subjective experience, interests, and expectations. To prevent misunderstandings, communication needs to become clear and absolute, verbal and nonverbal. Empathy, the ability to take the perspective of the other party is helpful. This article has focused on different areas where misperceptions can have negative results. Be it in social topics, historic events or in science communication. It also tries to find strategies to prevent, like open communication, the choice of the right channel and the usage of silence.

The benefit of effective communication which reduces misperception is the creation of a culture of clear communication. In such a culture, there will be fewer hurt feelings and thus a more empathetic environment, where people can take different perspectives. Promoting a more peaceful and harmonious world. This is the foundation to build trust and strengthen relationships which are needed to collaborate effectively and reach shared goals. An accurate exchange of information and ideas is also essential for tackling complex problems. It will also reduce stereotypes and prejudice, connecting different cultures and social groups.

How could communication be further improved to achieve a culture of clear communication? Let’s get back to our case from the start and see how we could handle the communication chain now, after learning about the eight strategies. One idea could be to choose a different channel. A quick phone call might work wonders. But in this case our friend was busy, so what now? Feedback! Don’t make an interpretation, a quick “is everything alright?” could be the solution. Keep in mind, even if we do use these strategies, there will still be times where a misperception will arise. Try to not fall into the trap and get worked up but use the strategies to clear them up!