Miscommunication
Miscommunication can happen even when we have the very best intentions especially within our closest relationships. To prevent miscommunications, one should first learn how they can take place and then practice good habits such as keeping an open dialog and practice effective communication skills. According to a recent study people, often believe they communicate better with their spouses than with strangers. That leads people to overestimate how well they communicate, a phenomenon called “closeness-communication bias." The study asked married couples to sit with their backs toward each other while they tried to figure out the meanings of different phrases. Although the speakers expected their spouses to understand them better than strangers, accuracy rates were statistically identical. According to study co-author Nicholas Epley, “Our problem in communicating with friends and spouses is that we have an illusion of insight. Getting close to someone appears to create the illusion of understanding more than actual understanding” (Close Relationships, 2011). I think the article highlights a very important part of human relationships, which is, as people get more comfortable with relationships they often take for granted how well they know each other and presume they do not have to try as hard to understand the other person. For example, after a long week of meetings and travel I was sitting on the couch with my husband. We were trying to unwind and relax while making small talk. I casually said, and I was looking forward to a relaxing weekend. The next day I was surprised to get a phone call while at the grocery store asking me to bring steaks home for a few of our friends. My husband had taken it upon himself to invite people over to hang out, which surprised me. I thought back to our conversation, and I was sure I had told him I wanted to have