INEFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Communication is a complex, human endeavor. Sending and receiving data goes through numerous cognitive processes. Many of these steps can be high-jacked by cognitive and emotional distortions that act as filters, interrupting and coloring accurate processing of the messages. These distortions lead to serious miscommunication. Miscommunication will reinforce misunderstanding and hyper-arousal, which, in turn, increase ineffective responses by both the receiver and the sender of the messages. Dr. John Gottman has identified what he calls The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, which he has researched as the most destructive impediments effectively communicating, and Dr. Paul Standal has included them for your benefit.