Communication fidelity: According to Berlo (1960), Fidelity is the faithful performance of communication process by all its elements: communicator, message channel and receiver. Noise and fidelity, the production of noise reduces fidelity. The basic concern related to noise and fidelity is the isolation of that factor within each of the ingredients of communication which determine the effectiveness of communication.
The communication fidelity can be explained as the extent of desirable changes in receivers’ behavior as a result of communication. The desirable changes are in receivers’ knowledge, attitude and action. The objective of any communicative effort is to have communication fidelity as high as possible.

Credibility:  Credibility is the degree to which a communication source is perceived as trustworthy and competent by the receiver. An individual’s attitudes change is positively related to the credibility with which he perceives the source of a persuasive message. If a client perceives that a change agent possesses relatively higher credibility than various other sources and channels, the client will be more receptive to messages from that change agent. The credibility is limited to” how to” information and does not usually extend to an ability to persuade the individual to a favorable attitude towards innovation.

Feed back:  Extension communication is never complete without feedback information. Feedback means carrying some significant responses of the audience back to the communicator. Communication work is not an end in itself. The extension agent should know what has happened to the audience after the message has reached them.
Feedback has the following characteristics:

1. Feed back is source oriented ,
2. Feedback varies indifferent communication situations,
3. Feedback affects the source or communicator,
4. Feedback exerts control over future messages,
5. Feedback affects communication fidelity, and
6. Feedback maintains the stability and equilibrium of a communication system.

Adequate and correct feedback is essential for purposeful communication.
Feedback information provides the communicator an opportunity to take corrective steps in communication work, helps in identifying subsequent activities, and act as a pathfinder for need-based research

Empathy:
Empathy is the ability on the part of one person to understand the other person internal frame of mind and reference, and accept the same. This acceptance does not mean agreement. Empathy is also defined as the ability of an individual to project oneself into the role of another person, to be able to appreciate the feelings, thinking and actions of another person (Rao 1993).
An extension agent who is empathetic shall be able to understand and appreciate the farmer’s situations and communicate with them effectively. Similarly, an empathetic farmer shall be able to communicate with the outsiders to get the desired information. Empathy is an indispensible skill for people moving out of the traditional settings

Factor affecting the communication process:

Communication is simple. At its simplest, it’s the art of…
Getting the right information to the right people at the right time in the right format via the right channel.
There are five distinct factors involved:
Information
From advertising campaigns to job interviews or brochures to newspaper TV listings, it’s all the same: someone needs to get a message across to someone else.
People
Could be your staff, your clients, your mum and dad. Whoever needs to be given the message, as long as the message is relevant.
Time
Timing is simply picking the best moment to pass on the message.
Format
Think about whom you are passing the message onto and then ask yourself what the best way is to tell them. An email or a letter? Or maybe a short video or radio advertisement?
Channel
Face to face or over the phone? Can it be done online? The channel is what delivers the message.You can break each one down and more detail.
When we communicate with each other, all we want to do is pass on a message to someone else at the right time and in a way that’s understandable.

Barriers in communication:
Extension workers and farm advisers often find to their disappointment that farm people do not seem to show the desired response after a message has been communicated. They wonder what went wrong and where. There can always be something that can stand between you and the person with whom you are communicating, which prevents the easy and complete transfer of the information. This is the problem in communication. You must be to able to trace out what and where this block is and remedy it as soon as you can.

Communicator
Insufficient information sometimes you fail to provide complete information one way out of this would be to put yourself in the position of the receiver and ask yourself, if I were him, what is the information I would like to have on this subject?
Information overload will be creating a strong problem to the reception and understanding of the information by the receiver
Overconfidence  as a block appears when things are taken for granted that communication is clear and people understand you all right, little suspecting that the opposite may be the case. Trying out the material before hand on a person typical of the audience can help you in getting over such a block to some extent
Language or code becomes a problem in communication, if the sender and receiver do not understand each other’s language. The problem of semantics is created between them.
Not listening has to be preceded by a desire to listen. Besides, a listening audience is a voluntary audience, not a captive one, and it is not bound to give you rapt attention. Even while seeming to listen, the listener may be thinking of something else, in which case he is giving you as good as a deaf ear.
Too ahead of audience understanding.  The information you provide may be far ahead of the situation they are in. If your information is on the treatment of seed, and if the audience is not aware that the seed carries disease germs on its coat, you are one step ahead of their understanding, and thus the information does not get taken in.
Lack of empathy There is the failure on your part to see the other person’s point of view. You may with all sincerity advice fertilizer use but the audience may have a deep-rooted feeling that fertilizer burns the corps. Unless you are able to clear this point, your information on fertilizer application will meet with a strong block.
Disorganized communication Organize you material for communication with care. Disorganized communication will only lead to confusion and misunderstanding, which will be the strongest problem of them all. Planning the information in an organized and orderly in a logical sequence is the basis of effective communication

Receivers
Closed dogmatism (rigidity) some farm people have the preverbal ‘closed mind’. Generally when anything new is suggested, they withdraw into their shells. Unless you first try to draw them out with strong appeals, information communication will be completely blocked.
Prejudices Do not let your own prejudices or dislikes influence your communication. If people do not need information on certain points, satisfy them rather than ignore them just because such information is unnecessary or unimportant in your opinion. Quite likely, such information is both necessary and important to them.
Beliefs Do not ignore the beliefs, customs, prejudices, dislikes and habits of the people with whom you are communicating. These are a strong block against your communication. You have to help get over these gradually. Use tact when your message has to go against any of their beliefs, and shape your information in such a manner that you do not hurt them.
Inarticulateness Some people prefer to remain silent and do not give vent to their feelings and emotions. This creates barrier in communication.

Process
Physical environment Noise due to telephonic interruptions, or noise created by the machines can cause distraction. Whispers or even the movements of people can come in the way of effective communication.
Interaction If the pairs of individuals interacting are of Homophily, i.e. have similar attributes such as beliefs, values, social status, education etc the communication is likely to be effective than Heterophily, i.e. who differ in their attributes.
Communication fidelity is the faithful performance of communication process by all its elements. Elimination of noise in elements increases fidelity.
Frame of reference and experience should be common. More is the overlapping effective is the communication
Perception is a process by which an individual maintains contact with the environment. It is selective and it is influenced by the environment in which communication takes place. Hence it is not intrinsic quality, but how people individually and collectively perceive is very important in extension communication.
Life positions Proper mindset is essential for effective communication. If people communicate from the life position “I am OK, you are not or I am not OK you are OK. Communication is bound to become crooked. The ideal life position for effective communication is I am OK, you are OK. Egoism, complacency, over-confidence, Dogmatism and the feeling of omniscience that one knows everything:
Ignoring the leaders
The key people or the leaders in a community exert a certain influence over others. If you ignore them or do not take them into confidence or do not direct your communication at them, you are bound to fail. This block will be a strong one, and it is always good to keep in mind the role these key people play in the community while preparing for your communication. This is also called the concept of opinion leadership.

BARRIERS IN COMMUNICATION

• According to phases
• Senders level
• Wrong choice of channels
• Receivers level

During communication we often hear people say that there was some misunderstanding, which mean the receiver has not understood properly what the sender wants to communicate. Such misunderstanding or misinterpretation happens because of some obstacle or barriers in communication. In technical terms anything that obstructs free flow of communication is called as noise. As the process of communication involves sender channels and receiver, the problems of communication could be with either one or more of them.

The barriers of communication may be classified according to 1) phases of communication 2) type of problems and 3) nature of problems

1. According to phases of communication
   Every communiction process has at least three phases. Common problems being faced at each phase of communication are as follows:

(a) Relating to communicator

1. Ineffective environment: The environment created by the communicator influences his effectiveness. The physical facilities, air of friendliness, respect for other’s view, recognition of accomplishments of others, permissiveness and rapport in general are all important ingredients of climate conductive to effective communication.
2. Unorganised efforts to communicate: To make sense, the communication efforts must be organized according to some specific form or pattern. Unorganised efforts will distort the message and it will not reach its destination as intended.
3. Standard of correctness: This involves the proper selection of the message and its level of accuracy. The message must have correct contents or facts. Communicator must be very careful in selecting and testing the local applicability of this message.
4. Standard of social reponsibility: This refers to that when one communicates, one assumes responsibility for the effect of one’s communication on the respondents and the society. Awareness of this fact will force the communicator to be more careful, serious and honest.
5. Cultural values and social organizations: Cultural values and the social organizations are determinants of communication. Communicator must have the knowledge of the cultural and social values of these listeners for an effective communication.
6. Inaccurate symbols: The systems of symbols used to represent ideas, objects or concepts must be accurate and used skillfully. The crucial point in the use of the symbols to convey idea is to select those that accurately represent the idea to be conveyed and are understood by the audience. Symbols are meaningful to a person only when he understands what they stand for.
7. Wrong concept of communication process: A common mistake committed by the communicator is the identification of the part with the whole or the ‘part fallacy’. Successful communication in programme of rural development is not a single unit. It requires a series of unit acts. The way one thinks about communication will influence its quality.

(b) Relating to the transmission of message
Many obstructions can occur at the interpretation level. These are often referred to as ‘noise’ that is some obstruction that prevents the message from being heard by or carried over clearly to the audience.
Noise emerges from a wide range of sources and causes which affect the interpretation of the message.

1. Wrong handling of the channels: If a meeting, tour, radio programme or other channels are not used according to good procedure and technique, their potential for carrying a message is dissipated.
2. Wrong selection of channels: All channels are not equally useful in attaining a specific objective. Failure to select channels appropriate to the objective of a Communicator will interrupt the interpretation of the message in a desired way to the intended audience.
3. Physical distraction: Failure to avoid physical distractions often obstructs successful message sending,because they create physical barriers between the communicator and the audience.
4. Use of inadequate channels in parallel: The more channels a communicator uses in parallel or at about the same time the more chances has he for the message getting through and being properly received.

(c) Relating to receiver

1. Attention of the listeners: An unfortunate tendency of the people is not to give undivided attention to the communicator. This is a powerful obstruction for the communicator, which prevents the message from reaching their desired destination.
2. Problem of cooperation, participation and involvement: Both the communicator and the receiver must be brought into act. Hence,the listener must work a little;learning is an active process on the part of the listeners. Unless the listener is on the same wave-length, the character 0; what is sent out hardly governs the communication process. So,it takes both the communicator and the listener to make communication.
3. Problem of homogeneity: The more homogeneous the audience is the greater are the chances of successful communication. Likewise,the more a communicator knows about his audience and pinpoints its characteristics, the more likely is he to make an impact.
4. Attitude of the audience towards the communicator: An important but little studied factor in the effectiveness of communication is the attitude of the audience towards the communicator. Indirect data on this problem come from studies of ‘prestige’ in which subjects are asked to indicate their agreement with statements which are attributed to the different individuals.

Barriers in Communication

• Physical
• Mechanical
• Mental
• Cross- cultural
• Socio-psycholoical
  

Physical Barriers
Environmental Disturbances like traffic noise, loud sound, passing train etc.
Time and Distance
Personal Problems of health
Poor hearing (due to defective hearing)
Poor presentation due to speech defects like stammering, lisping etc.
Poor verbal skills

Mechanical Barriers –
Noisy transmission (unreliable messages, inconsistency)
The different media (machines or instruments) used for communication, very often becomes the barrier. Non-availability of proper machines or presence of defective machines.
Wrong channels or medium

Mental Barriers – From the sender’s point of view
Ignorance of the language and
confused thinking are the mental barriers.

From the receiver’s point of view
Ignorance of the language,
Limitations in ability, intelligence and understanding
Divided attention
are the serious mental barriers

Semantic Problems occur when people use either the same word in different ways or different words in the same way. The choice of words or language in which a sender encodes a message will influence the quality of communication. Because language is a symbolic representation of a phenomenon, room for interpretation and distortion of the meaning exists. Meaning has to be given to words and many factors affect how an individual will attribute meaning to particular words. It is important to note that no two people will attribute the exact same meaning to the same words.
Misreading of body language, tone and other non-verbal forms of communication
Receiver distortion: selective hearing, ignoring non-verbal cues .
Voice control – Pitch, modulation of voice helps in making communication effective.
Communicators thinking should be clear.

Cross Cultural Barriers – Effective communication requires deciphering the basic values, motives, aspirations, and assumptions that operate across geographical lines. Given some dramatic differences across cultures in approaches to such areas as time, space, and privacy, the opportunities for mis-communication while we are in cross-cultural situations are plentiful.

Socio-psychological
Values, Attitudes and Opinions
Pre-conceived notions: We judge people before they speak by allowing our opinions and ideas of them come in the way of trying to know what the speaker is saying.
Assumptions: assuming others see situation same as you, has same feelings as you
Status effects: power struggles
Defensiveness: distorted perceptions, guilt, projection, transference, distortions from the past, negative emotions
• Distrusted source, erroneous translation, value judgment, state of mind of two people.

Perceptual Biases: People attend to stimuli in the environment in very different ways. We each have shortcuts that we use to organize data. Invariably, these shortcuts introduce some biases into communication. Some of these shortcuts include stereotyping, projection, and self-fulfilling prophecies. Stereotyping is one of the most common. This is when we assume that the other person has certain characteristics based on the group to which they belong without validating that they in fact have these characteristics.

Interpersonal Relationships: How we perceive communication is affected by the past experience with the individual. Perception is also affected by the organizational relationship two people have. For example, communication from a superior may be perceived differently than that from a subordinate or peer.