8 – Communication Problems Reported
The central issue for most people who have hearing loss and for their communication partners is breakdown in communication. Both the person who has hearing loss and his or her communication partner(s) contribute to difficulties in communication, and both need to cooperate in attempting to prevent or reduce these problems.However, in order to even begin to minimize communication problems stemming from hearing loss, both the person speaking and the person listening need to understand the major causes of communication problems. They also need to understand that hearing loss is only one causal factor and that most of the other causal factors can be prevented or reduced.
When consumers know the variety of causes of communication problems, several beneficial things happen. First, they stop blaming their hearing loss or hearing aids for all communication breakdowns they experience. Second, they are better able to pinpoint the cause of specific communication problems. Third, they are then able to suggest solutions for problems they experience. Fourth, they are able to anticipate potential problems in the future and plan strategies for preventing or reducing them.
Gaining better understanding of the factors involved in communication situations and having strategies for increasing understanding both have a powerful, positive effect on increasing self-esteem and self-efficacy.
Factors that Influence Understanding
- Speaker Factors – Something about the person who is talking
- Environmental Factors – Something about the place/situation in which the message is being delivered
- Listener Factors – Something about the person receiving the message
Speaker Factors that Influence Understanding
- Does not first get the listener’s attention
- Does not face the listener while talking
- Covers face while talking
- Talks too rapidly or too slowly
- Talks too softly or too loudly
- Does not enunciate clearly
- Uses too little or too much facial expression
- Uses too little or too much body language
- Has a foreign accent or regional dialect
- Has distracting mannerisms
- Has an untrimmed beard or mustache
- Has a boring delivery or message
Environmental Factors that Influence Understanding
- Background noise
- Poor lighting
- Poor room acoustics
- Too far from source of sound
- Visual or auditory distractions
- Objects interfere with seeing speaker
- Poor seating arrangements
- Inadequate ventilation
- Lack of assistive listening systems
- Lack of alerting systems
- Lack of visual aids-overheads, CART, etc.
- Illegible visual aids
Listener Factors that Influence Understanding
- Severity of hearing loss
- Type of hearing loss
- Use of hearing aids
- Use of assistive listening devices
- Attention level
- Emotional status
- Level of emotional arousal
- Distracting sensations
- Distracting thoughts
- Fatigue level
- Motivation to hear
- Expectations about ability to understand