In communication, a major barrier to reception of messages is

Concept

Reception in communication is more than merely hearing or seeing a signal. Psychological filters—especially a receiver’s predispositions toward the sender, topic, or message—shape attention, openness, and interpretation before meaning is accepted.

Application

Here, audience attitude is the receiver’s predisposition. An unfavourable, resistant, or prejudiced attitude can make a listener ignore, distort, or reject a message even when the message reaches the listener physically.

Contrast

• Audience attitude directly affects willingness to attend to and interpret the message.

• Audience knowledge affects how much background explanation is needed for understanding.

• Audience education affects the suitable vocabulary and presentation level.

• Audience income can affect access to channels or devices, but it is not itself the principal psychological reception barrier named here.

Cross-check

Cross-check: the stem asks about reception rather than access or message design. Attitude acts at the point where the receiver attends to and interprets the message, so audience attitude is the best answer among the offered choices.