Deck 4: Interpersonal Communication and the Self

Question 1

Which is the best metaphor for self-concept?

A) A mirror
B) A car
C) A suitcase
D) A book

Answer 1

A

Question 2

You consider yourself to be a rational, serious, and ambitious person. How you feel about these qualities determines your __________.

A) self-concept
B) self-esteem
C) self-attribution
D) self-assurance

Answer 2

B

Question 3

At school, he was teased for being a carrot top, but as an adult, significant others complimented Liam on the striking color of his hair, and he began to consider it one of his more attractive features. What does this illustrate about the self-concept?

A) Self-concept is present from birth.
B) While some features of the self are immediately apparent, the significance we attach to them depends greatly on the opinions of others.
C) We have no control over our reference groups.
D) Children recognize "self" as distinct from surroundings at about age 16 to 24 months.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

After seeing the latest fashion trends on Instagram models, you immediately decide that you need to lose 15 pounds by summer. These feelings are likely a result of which phenomenon?

A) Rumination
B) Problem orientation
C) Self-disclosure
D) Social comparison

Question 5

What do social scientists call others against whom you evaluate your own characteristics?

A) Second-order realities
B) First-order realities
C) Reference groups
D) Social comparison

Question 6

Negative social comparison is more likely to occur on Instagram when we compare ourselves to whom?

A) A stranger
B) A close friend
C) A sibling
D) A longtime neighbor

Question 7

Your online dating profile is fantastic, far more favorable than even a friend would create for you. This unrealistically positive self-appraisal illustrates which characteristic of the self-concept?

A) The self-concept resists change.
B) The self-concept is subjective.
C) The self-concept is flexible.
D) The self-concept is multifaceted.

Question 8

When you receive a B on a midterm, you question the validity of the exam because you are an A student. Your reaction illustrates which quality about the self-concept.

A) The self-concept resists change.
B) The self-concept is subjective.
C) The self-concept is flexible.
D) The self-concept is multifaceted.

Question 9

Neither past failures nor past successes predict future outcomes, yet we often act on the basis of __________.

A) social expectations
B) perfectionism
C) obsolete information
D) distorted feedback

Question 10

Who are significant others?

A) People whose evaluations are meaningful to us
B) People with whom we spend a great deal of time
C) People whom we view as highly competent
D) People to whom we're related

Question 11

Which is the fourth stage of a self-fulfilling prophecy?

A) Behaving in accordance with that expectation
B) Holding an expectation (for yourself or for others)
C) The expectation coming to pass
D) Reinforcing the original expectation

Question 12

What is impression management?

A) The process whereby you attempt to influence others' perceptions of you
B) The process of deliberately revealing information about yourself that is significant and that would not normally be known by others
C) The tendency to seek out information that confirms already existing opinions
D) The tendency to attach meaning to another's behavior

Question 13

The __________ self is a public image, the way you want to appear to others.

A) interpersonal
B) impersonal
C) perceived
D) presenting

Question 14

Sociologist Erving Goffman compared facework to being a ____________.

A) cyclist or runner
B) playwright or actor
C) pianist or violinist
D) doctor or surgeon

Question 15

After being unexpectedly fired, you are careful not to show any emotion as you pack up your desk. Back at your apartment, though, you break down in tears with your dog. In Erving Goffman's terms, your behavior differs because it involved ____________ and ____________ regions, respectively.

A) impersonal; personal
B) high; low
C) front; back
D) significant; insignificant

Question 16

When others allow you to preserve your socially approved image, they are helping you save __________.

A) face
B) facework
C) reflected appraisal
D) reappraisal

Question 17

Most job interviews and first dates are clear examples of which characteristic of impression management?

A) Unconscious impression management
B) Deliberate impression management
C) High-context impression management
D) Low-context impression management

Question 18

Balancing the demands of being a first-string quarterback and an "A" pre-med student reflects which characteristic of impression management?

A) Impression management is collaborative.
B) Impression management can be unconscious.
C) We strive to maintain a multifaceted identity.
D) Identity is shaped by reflected appraisal.

Question 19

Using a physical environment to influence how others view us is known as a choice of __________.

A) setting
B) appearance
C) manner
D) style

Question 20

Employees with __________ should proceed with caution and consider the potential consequences of self-disclosure.

A) confirmation bias
B) complementary conflict
C) dialectical tensions
D) invisible stigmas

Question 21

Changing privacy settings on your profiles, customizing who can see certain updates, and deleting unwanted information about yourself is a form of __________.

A) convergence
B) reputation management
C) divergence
D) differentiating

Question 22

Which quality of most digital communication allows it to serve as a tool for impression management at levels equal or superior to face-to-face communication?

A) High context
B) Low context
C) Asychronicity
D) Sychronicity

Question 23

Your friend asks you what you think of her new ride. You don't like it, but you tell her that it's a definite upgrade from her last car. This response balances your desire to be honest with your desire to __________

A) resolve conflict
B) maintain positive face
C) avoid uncertainty
D) achieve convergence

Question 24

Which of the following is NOT a requirement for self-disclosure?

A) It must contain personal information about the sender.
B) The sender must purposefully communicate this information.
C) Another person must be the target.
D) The sender must convey personal information never shared before.

Question 25

True self-disclosure must be __________.

A) hyperpersonal
B) detailed
C) honest
D) dialectical

Question 26

The __________ model examines __________ of self-disclosure.

A) Johari Window; authenticity
B) social penetration; breadth and depth
C) Johari Window; breadth and depth
D) social penetration; awareness

Question 27

Ritualized, stock responses to social situations are called __________.

A) facts
B) opinions
C) feelings
D) clichés

Question 28

Items in the __________ area of the Johari Window become public primarily through self-disclosure.

A) open
B) blind
C) hidden
D) unknown

Question 29

You didn't realize how rapidly you speak when you're nervous until your public speaking instructor points it out. What do scholars call information in this part of the Johari Window?

A) Open
B) Blind
C) Hidden
D) Unknown

Question 30

One person's act of self-disclosure increases the odds that the other person will reveal personal information in an act of __________.

A) reciprocity
B) reappraisal
C) self-clarification
D) catharsis

Question 31

You always look forward to the hair salon. You enjoy talking to your stylist about your opinions and feelings, discussions in which you typically gain some new insight. Which benefit of self-disclosure do you enjoy in this situation?

A) Self-validation
B) Catharsis
C) Self-clarification
D) Impression formation

Question 32

You are careful not to criticize your manager to a coworker who is likely to share your opinion with others. Which guideline for disclosure are you following?

A) Will the effect of the disclosure be constructive?
B) Is the disclosure reciprocated?
C) Is the risk of disclosing reasonable?
D) Is the disclosure honest?

Question 33

You tell a friend about your offer of a better job at another company. This friend shares the information with someone else who informs your current boss. Which risk of disclosure does this scenario illustrate?

A) Negative impression
B) Loss of control
C) Rejection
D) Loss of influence

Question 34

Which alternative to self-disclosure seeks a desired response from someone, often to spare this person from embarrassment?

A) White lies
B) Equivocation
C) Silence
D) Hinting

Question 35

Research indicates that __________ might be a better alternative to self-disclosure at the workplace, particularly when you have a potentially hurtful thought or feeling that is not being directly questioned.

A) silence
B) equivocation
C) white lies
D) hinting

Question 36

At about 6 or 7 months of age, infants begin to recognize "self" as distinct from surroundings.

Question 37

You cannot choose your reference groups.

Question 38

Most Americans have fairly high self-esteem and rate themselves as generally "above average."

Question 39

If you're in need of a self-concept change, the best prescription is to surround yourself with significant others who offer you accurate, affirming messages about who you are and who you're becoming.

Question 40

Competent communicators are multifaceted people with a variety of roles and identities-all of which are legitimately "you."

Question 41

People adopt the same impression management strategies across situations.

Question 42

"Just be yourself" is the best advice for everyone at work.

Question 43

Lean mediated channels are a disadvantage for communicators who want to manage the impressions they make.

Question 44

Most people focus on positive features and omit or downplay negative details from their online profiles.

Question 45

The majority of conversations focus on mundane topics and disclose little or no personal information.

Question 46

Facts about you reveal more than your opinions.

Question 47

People who disclose personal information are perceived as less likeable.

Question 48

In a series of experiments, over 90 percent of subjects chose to tell a face-saving lie rather than tell the truth or equivocate.

Question 49

Describe the cyclical effect of self-esteem on communication behavior.

Question 50

Explain the relationship between social comparison and reference groups.

Question 51

How does the perceived self differ from the presenting self?

Question 52

Name 4 guidelines for impression management in the workplace.

Question 53

Identify 7 characteristics of self-disclosure.

Question 54

What are 5 guidelines, expressed as questions, for self-disclosure?

Question 55

Describe self-fulfilling prophecies, identifying their four stages and two types.

Question 56

Identify 3 ways in which communicators engage in face-to-face impression management.

Question 57

Compare and contrast 2 major models of self-disclosure.