The Psychological Problems of Communication

We are living in a time often defined as the era of communication with reference to the crucial role played by this process of social exchange in the various spheres of human activities. The proliferation of ever more sophisticated means, channels and strategies of communication is a meaningful indicator of the centrality of this process, and, at the same time, a driving force in the field. This process of proliferation is matched by the increasing number of perspectives: anthropological, sociological, psychological, neurological, semiotic, linguistic, cybernetic, and so on by which the phenomenon is analyzed. We are dealing with transformations of a vast scale. These transformations are correlated, on one hand, to new and stimulating possibilities, expectations and hopes (at the geopolitical level, for instance, one thinks of the progressive opening up of frontiers and an increasing permeability of national borders), but, on the other, they are easily associated with sensations of loss of points of reference, models and values, creating a diffuse sense of precariousness and insecurity. In such a situation, the ability to communicate adequately and effectively has become a more and more pressing need in appreciating the advantages of change and, at the same time, in managing the uncertainties that change produces. In reality, this skill is not to be taken for granted, as it is not widely diffused. In fact, problems involving communication, both in its dynamic and developmental aspects, as well as in its psychological effects, can be observed at different levels (personal, interpersonal, intergroup, intercultural). Therefore, in dealing with the psychological problems of communication, one of the first things to do is to distinguish several macro areas of analysis: o dysfunctionality in communication especially at the level of verbal and nonverbal expression; o the problematic dimensions of the communication exchange; o psychological aspects correlated to problems of communication; o psychopathological problems created by communication. In practice, the current debate on assessment criteria, practical applications and the possibilities of intervention in various spheres, as well as in the various psychological, relational and social contexts, is anchored to these general aspects.