Deck 6: The Great Communicators: Language and the Media

Question 1

When a word that has a neutral connotation becomes debased over time or takes on a negative or derogatory connotation over time, the process known as __________ has occurred.

A) symbolic annihilation
B) semantic derogation
C) cultural lag
D) linguistic substitution

Answer 1

semantic derogation

Question 2

"Linguistic sexism"

A) refers to ways in which language devalues members of one sex.
B) involves ignoring women all together.
C) includes the smaller problem of semantic derogation.
D) all of the above

Answer 2

all of the above

Question 3

Which is an example of linguistic sexism?

A) "he/man" used specifically for males
B) "Ms."
C) "humanity"
D) "Mrs. John Smith"

Answer 3

"Mrs. John Smith"

Question 4

Emphasis on the use of nonsexist language

A) is necessary because language signifies and reinforces the status of individuals and groups within a particular society.
B) downplays the more serious issues of the physical and economic oppression of women.
C) is trivial and misplaced.
D) both B and C above

Question 5

Research on sex differences in communication styles indicates that

A) women rudely interrupt others more than men to.
B) women talk more than men do.
C) men are more successful in focusing conversations on topics they introduce.
D) men stand farther away from members of the opposite sex when speaking to them than women do.

Question 6

Men's nonverbal communication style is best characterized as

A) passive.
B) supportive.
C) empathic.
D) dominant.

Question 7

Studies of same-sex conversations show that

A) men talk more than women.
B) women's conversations may be described as cooperative.
C) women strive for conversational control.
D) men's conversations are friendlier than women's.

Question 8

According to the reflection hypothesis

A) media content mirrors the behaviors, relationships, values, and norms most prevalent in a society.
B) the media actively shape and create culture.
C) the media are on the cutting edge of social change.
D) media content reflects the wishes of corporate sponsors who are rarely in tune with the views of the general public.

Question 9

The media practice of ignoring, trivializing, or condemning women is known as

A) semantic derogation.
B) symbolic annihilation.
C) linguistic alienation.
D) blatant sexism.

Question 10

Research of daily newspapers indicates that

A) women-centered events are usually reported as "soft" news.
B) symbolic annihilation is not a problem in the Washington Post and New York Times.
C) major newspapers are sensitive to the women's movement.
D) less personal information is given about women than men in news stories for reasons of protection.

Question 11

Research on popular women's magazines shows

A) many changes in the portrayal of women from 1949 to 1980.
B) there is less sexually explicit material in magazines today compared to magazines in the 1980s
C) in the 1980s, the most popular theme was "getting and keeping a man."
D) femininity typically is defined by these magazines as a narcissistic absorption with oneself.

Question 12

Based on your authors' study of men's magazines, a general rule for the cult of masculinity appears to be:

A) "Real men are free and adventurous."
B) "Real men are self-consumed with their personal appearances."
C) "Real men are not concerned with getting and keeping a woman."
D) both A and C above

Question 13

Television is an especially effective agent of socialization because

A) it is so widely available.
B) no special skills are required to use it.
C) all viewers, regardless of their personal or groups characteristics, are sent identical verbal and visual information.
D) all of the above

Question 14

Research on prime-time television indicates that

A) women are given more leeway in terms of their personal appearance than men are.
B) men are given more leeway in terms of their personal appearance than women are.
C) women tend to be older and more mature than men.
D) there has been a vast increase in the number of Hispanic women in central roles since 1970.

Question 15

On prime-time television

A) women are typically depicted as problem-solvers.
B) female characters tend to be younger than male characters.
C) the most favorable depictions are of old women.
D) female characters are more likely to hold the role of educated professional.

Question 16

Regarding women on TV, which of the following is true?

A) There are more women than men on prime-time TV.
B) Women's roles have dramatically increased since the 1950s.
C) Characters played by women tend to be younger and less mature than male characters.
D) both A and B are correct.

Question 17

With respect to the portrayal of the sexes on television today,

A) female characters are more likely to work outside the home than in the past.
B) male characters are more likely to be shown as honest.
C) male characters are shown as sensitive and supportive of wives.
D) both A and C are correct.

Question 18

One of the most significant changes on prime-time television since the 1970s has been

A) the incorporation of women's rights and gender equality themes.
B) that most programs became racially motivated.
C) strong feminists are now portrayed positively.
D) all of the above

Question 19

Studies show that the greatest move toward equality of the sexes on television has taken place on

A) local news programs.
B) network news programs.
C) situation comedies.
D) network mini-series.

Question 20

In television news programming

A) women of color fare especially well in off-camera positions.
B) all-male news desks are prevalent on local news programs.
C) generally, women anchors are older than their male counter-parts.
D) minorities remain dramatically underrepresented on the network news.

Question 21

The most common role for women depicted in advertisements is

A) business woman.
B) waitress.
C) housewife.
D) teacher.

Question 22

Viewers are more likely to see an extraterrestrial on prime-time television than a(n) ________ female character.

A) White
B) Hispanic
C) Asian
D) African American

Question 23

Research shows that advertisements that emphasize sex or that use women's sexuality to sell a product

A) appeal to and are effective with men.
B) are often appealing to teenagers of both sexes.
C) are ineffective with a large segment of female consumers.
D) all of the above
E) only A and B above

Question 24

Research on the impact of sexist media portrayals on people's actual behavior indicates that

A) heavy television viewers tend to be more sexist than occasional viewers.
B) heavy television viewers, particularly those who watch violent programs, tend to be less trusting and more alienated than occasional viewers.
C) television advertising affects females' real-life aspirations.
D) all of the above

Question 25

A study of television commercials by Geis and her colleagues indicates that

A) television can have only detrimental effects on viewers.
B) women's viewing of stereotyped commercials seemed to have little or no effect on their career aspirations.
C) nonstereotyped commercials can have a positive impact on women's aspirations.
D) print media are more frequently detrimental to women's career aspirations than they are a positive influence.

Question 26

Thomson and colleagues (2001) found that

A) men are less likely than women to use profanity in email messages.
B) online communications allow men to be more expressive than they would be in
Face-to-face communications.
C) men write more detailed email messages.
D) individuals adapted the gendered style of their communications to the perceived sex of the recipients.

Question 27

Current empirical evidence indicates that the relationship between viewing violent programs and engaging in actual violent behavior is

A) casual.
B) at least correlational.
C) spurious.
D) nonexistent (i.e., there is no relationship between these two variables).

Question 28

It has been argued by some that watching violence reduces the likelihood that viewers will actually behave violently themselves, since the viewing allows them to release the tensions that may lead to real-life violence. This theory emphasizes the __________ effect of violent viewing.

A) cathartic
B) catalytic
C) modeling
D) reinforcement

Question 29

______% of U.S. Households have at least one television set:

A) 50
B) 75
C) 80
D) 98

Question 30

The overwhelming majority of advertisements in Essence magazine are

A) professional fashion and accessories.
B) cosmetics
C) hair-care
D) B and C

Question 31

Popular male magazine themes include all but

A) politics
B) music
C) art and film
D) domestic jobs

Question 32

Portraying women on television as thin and physically attractive may have the following effect on female viewers:

A) decreased mood
B) decreased self-esteem
C) lower opinion of body image
D) all of the above

Question 33

Men are more likely to blog and use social networking websites.

Question 34

Regular reading of a daily newspaper is in a recent decline.

Question 35

Women are more likely than men to use online news sources.

Question 36

There is an increasing effort by major daily newspapers to recruit more gay men and lesbians to their newsroom staffs.

Question 37

Based on your authors' study, men's magazines focus on interpersonal relationships.

Question 38

Sexually exploitative use of women in advertising has increased since the 1970s.

Question 39

Gender stereotypes are still prominent on television.

Question 40

Individuals with physical disabilities make up about 10% of prime-time television characters.

Question 41

Studies indicate that women of color are making even more progress than White women in local television news.

Question 42

Women have more roles than men in prime-time television.

Question 43

The number of lesbian and gay characters on prime-time television has increased considerably in recent years.

Question 44

Symbolic annihilation is defined as symbolically ignoring, trivializing. or demeaning a particular group.

Question 45

The extent to which an individual viewer of violence is likely to imitate the violence that has been viewed is mediated by whether or not the violent model was rewarded for her or his violence.

Question 46

What is linguistic sexism? Give two examples to illustrate.

Question 47

What is symbolic annihilation and why is it a problem in the media? Using one type of media (newspapers, magazines, television, advertising), illustrate the problem of symbolic annihilation and speculate on its likely consequences.

Question 48

Compare and contrast the dominant themes in popular magazines for women and men.

Question 49

Discuss television as a gender socializer. What are the images of men and women that are portrayed? Make sure to include information about music videos and news broadcasting.

Question 50

Discuss gender messages in advertisements. Does sexism exist and if so, how can it be changed? How are racial and ethnic minorities portrayed differently than their White counterparts?

Question 51

What are the three major theories of the relationship between the viewing of violence and real-life violent behavior? Provide an example to illustrate the central principles of each perspective.

Question 52

Discuss the gender differences in use of social media and networking websites.

Question 53

Discuss the increase in gay and lesbian characters on prime-time television programs. How have they been portrayed differently than in the past? Cite an example to support your response.