Plain English Meaning

Talking in vague, general terms instead of pointing to specific things the student can clearly picture. When the instructor says too many fuzzy, big-idea words, each student imagines something different, and the message gets lost.

Full Definition

A barrier to effective communication that occurs when an instructor relies on words or phrases that refer to general ideas or qualities rather than to specific, concrete objects, actions, or events. Because abstractions do not point to one definite thing, different listeners form different mental pictures, and the instructor's intended meaning fails to transfer accurately to the student.

Context Anchor

Seen in flight instruction, ground lessons, and instructor training when discussing barriers that keep a message from being clearly understood.

Derivation

‘Abstraction’ comes from the Latin abstrahere, meaning ‘to draw away.’ An abstract word is one that has been drawn away from any specific example — it names an idea rather than a thing you can point to. Overusing such words leaves the student with nothing concrete to anchor the meaning to.