Deck 1: About Communication

Question 1

According to the text, which of the following characteristics is not typically associated with some type of social stigma?

A) being homeless
B) being alcoholic
C) having HIV
D) having cancer

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The fact that some people lie in order to take advantage of others refutes which of the following myths of communication?

A) more communication is better
B) communication is inherently good
C) communication can break down
D) communication can be used to solve any problem

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Studies involving communication between infants and caregivers have reliably demonstrated that

A) Without sufficient interaction, infants will likely develop severe mental illness later in life.
B) Human interaction, specifically touch, is critical for development and health.
C) Infants' language acquisition occurs whether or not their caregivers communicate with them.
D) Only a child's biological parents are able to influence his or her social development.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which of the following is an example of feedback that someone might provide in response to a message?

A) Nodding to show that he is paying attention to and understanding the message.
B) Looking at her watch anxiously as someone else is talking.
C) Rolling his eyes or sighing in the middle of someone's comments.
D) Each of these is an example of feedback.

Question 5

Which type of noise is associated with distractions that result from a loud environment?

A) physical noise
B) psychological noise
C) physiological noise
D) none of these results from a noisy environment.

Question 6

When people engage in communication about their communication, they are engaging in a process called:

A) perceptual identity checking
B) communication assurance
C) metacommunication
D) understanding maximization

Question 7

According to research, what is the most powerful predictor of happiness in life?

A) physical attractiveness
B) income
C) health
D) marital happiness

Question 8

To say that words are symbols accurately reflects which of the following ideas?

A) people are necessary to give communication its meaning
B) words are representations of ideas
C) words can mean different things to different people
D) all of these are correct

Question 9

According to the text, which of the following is NOT a necessary characteristic of interpersonal communication?

A) it defines relationships
B) it happens over time
C) it relates to intimate information
D) it occurs between people

Question 10

What term is used to describe anything that interferes with the accurate decoding of a message?

A) channel
B) noise
C) feedback
D) context

Question 11

In the United States, most people understand that they are expected to form a line and wait for their turn. That is an example of what type of rule?

A) a culture-bound rule
B) an explicit rule
C) an implicit rule
D) an orderly rule

Question 12

As defined in the textbook, communication can help us grow spiritually in all of the following areas except:

A) developing a sense of our values
B) articulating morals (beliefs about right and wrong)
C) discouraging the spirituality of others
D) finding a meaning for life

Question 13

Which of the following best defines a stigma?

A) An individual who is incapable of taking on the perspectives of another person.
B) Communication that occurs in the context of marginalized or overlooked populations.
C) A characteristic that discredits a person because he or she is seen as abnormal or undesirable.
D) A pattern of interaction in which one person perpetually criticizes or condemns others because of characteristics that are out of their immediate control.

Question 14

Which of the following tools are useful in helping individuals develop and maintain their identity?

A) comparing self to other
B) responding to the way others treat us
C) understanding when and how identity should be adapted
D) each of these is correct

Question 15

When your roommate says "We're out of detergent again" and you take that as a criticism, you are paying attention to which aspect of the message?

A) context dimension
B) relational dimension
C) representative dimension
D) content dimension

Question 16

A sign in the library that reads "No Talking Allowed" would constitute an example of what?

A) perceptual filter
B) relational dimension
C) explicit rule
D) unintentional communication

Question 17

Which of the following would be considered an instrumental need that can be met through communication?

A) developing a romantic relationship with someone you find attractive
B) convincing your roommate to turn off her music by midnight each night
C) talking with your grandfather on the telephone after not speaking with him for a while
D) making small talk with a stranger you just met at a party

Question 18

This model considers both people in a conversation to be senders and receivers simultaneously:

A) action
B) transaction
C) interaction
D) none of these

Question 19

Communication context includes all of the following except:

A) the number of people who might overhear the conversation
B) the emotional climate of the situation
C) the connotation of the message
D) the location where communication occurs

Question 20

Which of the following is an example of a channel-rich communication context?

A) writing a letter to someone
B) interacting in an online chat room
C) using text messaging on a cell phone
D) none of these is an example of channel-rich communication

Question 21

The concept of perceptual filters states that everyone will derive the same meaning from any given message.

Question 22

A sense of morality and the judgment of right and wrong are known as:

A) competence
B) sincerity
C) cognitive complexity
D) ethics

Question 23

Words have inherent meanings.

Question 24

Metacommunication occurs when individuals discuss the meaning or subtext of their messages.

Question 25

In the communication process, noise can be either physical or psychological.

Question 26

Ethical communication generally involves treating people fairly, communicating honestly, and avoiding immoral behavior.

Question 27

Researchers use this term to describe how aware people are of their own behaviors:

A) cognitive complexity
B) self-monitoring
C) adaptability
D) self-disclosure

Question 28

Competent communication must be both effective and appropriate.

Question 29

Human interaction is critical for the health of both infants and adults.

Question 30

This aspect of communication relates to how well a message meets its goals:

A) effectiveness
B) clarity
C) appropriateness
D) ethics

Question 31

The ability to take another person's perspective, and to think and feel as that person does, is called what?

A) ethics
B) sympathy
C) empathy
D) self-awareness

Question 32

Having empathy means feeling sorry for someone else.

Question 33

Instrumental needs are the least important needs served by communication.

Question 34

Imagine that you have just called a friend, but your friend didn't take the call and it went to voicemail. At first, you assume your friend was simply away from the phone or busy, but you start to wonder if he might be angry with you or ignoring you. This exercise is an example of what?

A) self-monitoring
B) cognitive complexity
C) communication competence
D) interpersonal communication

Question 35

Context and feedback are aspects of the action model of communication.

Question 36

Lack of effective communication is the most commonly cited reason for relationship failure.

Question 37

Using concrete examples, explain how two of the following needs are served by communication: physical, relational, identity, spiritual, instrumental.

Question 38

Research shows that biology plays almost no role in how we communicate.

Question 39

Different cultures have different standards that define competent communication. This cultural variation speaks to which element of communication competence?

A) effectiveness
B) sensitivity
C) appropriateness
D) responsibility

Question 40

Most people in the United States believe they are above-average communicators.

Question 41

Communication scholars have developed three different models that can be used to analyze interactions: the action, interaction, and transaction models. What elements do these models have in common? How are they different? Even though the transaction model is the newest and perhaps most developed, can you think of any situations in which it might be useful to analyze an interaction using either the action or interaction model? Identify two different examples and justify your choices.

Question 42

Compare and contrast effective and appropriate communication, giving examples of each.

Question 43

There is a long-standing debate in the field of communication about whether or not messages need to be intentional in order to convey meaning. Take a position in that debate. How important do you think intentionality is in communication? Are there instances in which someone is not communicating?

Question 44

One cultural myth about communication is that it can solve any relational problem. Offer reasoned speculation as to why people believe that idea. Do our shared social experiences lead us to think communication is a cure-all? How is that idea reinforced in our society? What role do the mass media play in perpetuating that idea? Finally, offer a brief but reasoned argument refuting this myth.

Question 45

Explain the primary differences between the action, interaction, and transaction models of communication.

Question 46

Communication can be used to meet a variety of needs in everyday interaction. Explain why it is important that people use communication to meet their needs. Next, pick any two of the five needs that communication can meet. For each of those needs, provide a definition of the idea behind the need and be sure to identify how communication can meet that need. Finally, provide a clear, concrete example of an interaction that would satisfy those needs.

Question 47

Explain the idea behind Chesley's "spillover" hypothesis and how it relates specifically to communication technology.

Question 48

Using specific examples, explain the idea that "meanings are in people."

Question 49

In face-to-face interactions, people utilize several channels simultaneously to convey meaning. Identify any four different channels that might be at work in a face-to-face interaction. Discuss how those channels might be used together to create a message. How might they contradict one another? Finally, of the channels you have identified, pick one that you would identify as the most important in face-to-face interactions. Why did you pick that one? Use examples to illustrate why that channel is particularly important.

Question 50

Define and illustrate two of the following characteristics of competent communicators: self-awareness, adaptability, perspective-taking, cognitive complexity, ethics.

Question 51

Interpersonal communication is governed by both explicit and implicit rules. First, define each of these terms and point out how they are similar and how they are different. Next, identify two distinct examples of explicit communication rules that were enforced in your household while growing up. Indicate what each rule was, how it was conveyed/reinforced in your home, and what happened (or would have happened) when it was violated. Finally, identify one example of an implicit communication rule that was enforced in your home. Indicate what the rule was and how you came to be aware of it (given that it was implicit).