Final answer:
Anticipatory socialization can hinder communication by causing individuals to constantly anticipate situations and people, leading to anxiety and preconceived notions. This barrier can result in confirmation bias and is often compounded by fundamental attribution error and language ideologies.
Step-by-step explanation:
The factor that can be an obstacle to communication and is defined as "anticipating situations and people all the time" is known as anticipatory socialization. Anticipatory socialization refers to the process where individuals prepare for future changes in roles or social situations, by adopting the norms or behaviors appropriate to those new situations or interactions. However, when someone constantly anticipates situations and people, they may become overly anxious and develop preconceived notions about future communications, which can become barriers to open and effective communication.
Being trapped in a cycle of anticipation can also lead to problematic communication behaviors such as the fundamental attribution error, where one is inclined to judge others based on personality traits rather than situational factors affecting their behavior. Additionally, such predispositions may also lead to confirmation bias, which is the tendency to focus on information that confirms one's preconceived beliefs, neglecting contradictory information which could lead to a more nuanced understanding in a discussion or decision-making process.
Moreover, societal pressures and certain language ideologies can further complicate communication by enforcing stereotypical expectations about how individuals should communicate based on gender or other social constructs, thus stifacing genuine conversation and exchange of ideas.