A receiver bias is how
a person reacts to the message that the sender is trying to send. Basically, each
person has his or her own personal bias of the information that is delivered.
The five different types of receiver bias are; stereotypes, symbols,
semantics, peer groups, and the media.
Stereotypes are how
individuals group people together based on their opinion. Stereotypes can range from the color of your skin to where you were raised. Stereotypes
are based on an individual’s perception of others. Stereotypes can affect
communication in several ways. For example, if a person is
dressed professionally in a suit, their message is more likely to be taken seriously; opposed to if the person were wearing jeans and a
t-shirt. Stereotypes, especially as the way we dress, can definitely hinder the
communication process.
Symbols are
used in communication everywhere in the world. Most symbols become
world renowned, such as the Olympic rings that are displayed every two
years for both the summer and winter Olympics. Everyone knows when they see the
Olympic rings that the Olympics are near. The Olympic rings don't cause any
confusion in the communication process because they are so well known.
Semantics are
certain words that are used within the communication process that could possibly
be confusing to the receiver. For example, the word crash can be used in
several different ways. A car crash is very different from the stock market
crashing. Semantics can cause noise in the communication process when words
that are used have different meanings to them. People in the PR field need to
be sure that they are using clear and understandable words.
Peer groups can be
helpful to PR professionals however they can also be dangerous. The
main idea is that when people are in groups and a majority of them believe a
certain piece of information, those who are unsure what to think, will usually
fall under the majority of people. The problem with peer groups is that they
can cause a lot of false information to be spread around and cause a lot a
noise to be developed between the sender and receiver.
The Media most
often creates noise within the communication process when they deliver messages
that are not necessarily truthful. The media often uses spinning to avoid
having the stories they release sound bad to the receivers. Most often, people
are not able to develop an opinion based on facts because the media doesn't
always include the facts in their messages. However, if the media were to be
truthful within their communication then no problems would occur in the
process.
