You thought they interrupted just by annoying. Psychology has discovered that it is more complex than that

We all know someone at work or in the social sphere that, while Another person is talkingkeep interrupting or trying to monopolize the conversation. If you don’t know anyone like that, it is the same that this person is you.

Although these interruptions are annoying for both those who are talking and for those who listen to it, they are not always the product of a lack of respect or bad education. Numerous psychological studies have studied this phenomenon and discovered that these interruptions may be influenced by psychological, social and even cultural factors.

Conversation shifts and interruptions

Conversation shifts are essential for verbal communication flows in an orderly and respectful way. When someone interrupts, there is a break in that flow that can negatively affect the group dynamics.

According to a study published in the Journal of Nonverbal Behavior By researchers From the University of Rochester (New York), the people who interrupted conversations were considered as less sociable and more assertive than those who did not interrupt. They were also perceived as more dominant, which did not always win the sympathies of the rest of the group.

The rupture of the shift system during conversation can generate frustration or feeling of injustice, since an imbalance is perceived in the exposure of ideas. According to collected The New York Times“For many of us, it can be perceived as a degrading and condescending attitude,” said Maria Venetis, associate professor of communication at Rutgers University

According to an investigation From the University of Neuchâtel (Switzerland), not all interruptions respond to an act of bad education but are the result of a narcissistic personality or a demonstration of power and, as noted scientific evidencewomen tend to be interrupted more frequently. A study from George Washington University he put a figure: he discovered that the men interrupt 33% more women than other men.

In the workplace, for example, interruptions are usually related to Hierarchies and power relations. Thus, the interruption can be a control or Authority statementmore than a simple lack of courtesy.

On the other hand, the group’s cultural factors also influence the frequency and meaning of interruptions. An investigation of the Pablo de Olavide University of Seville reveals that, in some cultures, the superposition of shifts and the interruptions signs of enthusiasm and participation are considered In communication, such and as he points out The psychologist Barbara Fredrickson, while in others they are interpreted as disrespect that dilutes the rhythm of communication.

What was I going to tell you …?

Not all interruptions have to do with power or culture. According to a Published article by the American Psychology Association Some interruptions originate from difficulties in attention, neurodivergencia or due to Anxiety features of who interrupts.

According to The essay Of the psychologists and humanists Carl Rogers and Richard Farson, “active listening requires that we understand, from the point of view of the speaker, exactly what is communicating to us.” This form of listening does not focus on responding or judging immediately, but on precisely understanding both the content as the feelings of the interlocutorand show him that he has been understood.

People with paintings Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD or ADHD) or with anxiety, they may have difficulty Keep this active listening And they go to the preparation phase of their speech. That is to say, answer before your interlocutor ends Your exhibition.

According to research of psychologist Russell Barkley, an expert on ADHD and ADHD, people with this disorder usually have control of the weakest verbal impulses and problems with working memory and metacognition. “They can interrupt and not remember to wait for their turn because they do not trust themselves to remember what they want to say later,” for that reason, they tend to interrupt during the conversations.

Taking into account that, according to Facilitated data By Francisco Montañés, head of psychiatry at the Alcorcón Foundation Hospital and coordinator of the Group of Special Interest in Attention/Hyperactivity Deficit Disorder (GEITDAH), “97% of adults with ADHD are not diagnosed.” Which means that, in all likelihood, those partners or friends who interrupt so much can be among that percentage of non -diagnosed population. Or that or that really They are not interested in what you tell them.

In Xataka | Some neuroscientists believe they have found the trick to solve the most complicated problems: take a nap

Image | Unspash (Yura Timoshenko), Pexels (Fauxels)