Deck 7: Personal Communication Effectiveness

Question 1

Ralph is an effective communicator, so he knows that communication barriers are the most likely to take place when messages are decoded.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Touching others in a non-offensive way who are about the same organizational rank is often used to convey agreement and reassurance.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

A recommended approach for using social media to create a positive impression in the workplace would be to ________.

A)post a few jokes about your employer
B)use texting-style writing to demonstrate that you are cool
C)use professional-level skills when you compose messages
D)make fact-based criticisms of company executives

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Leaning toward another person suggests you are favorably disposed to his or her message.

Question 5

A nonverbal indicator that a person is lying is likely to be ________.

A)a symmetrical smile
B)maintaining eye contact without constant staring
C)difficulty in maintaining eye contact
D)facial expressions that last about four or five seconds

Question 6

Your personal communication style reflects ________.

A)the signature you use on e-mail
B)your level of persuasiveness
C)listening skill
D)how you combine verbal and nonverbal communication

Question 7

Matilda wants to sends a warm and caring message to a teammate so it is a good idea for Matilda to deliver the message standing up, and closing her fist.

Question 8

Your personal communication style is such a key aspect of your behavior that it is a major component of your personality.

Question 9

The study of nonverbal communication has advanced to the point that a few nonverbal indicators of lying have been discovered that have an accuracy rate exceeding 98 percent.

Question 10

Total social distance covers from about four to twelve feet.

Question 11

Sales representative Dana sends a mixed message when she says she enjoys doing business with you and smiles enthusiastically at the same time.

Question 12

The first step in the communication process is ________.

A)choosing a channel
B)encoding the message
C)decoding the message
D)eliminating noise

Question 13

Most job mistakes and marital disputes are considered to be communication problems.

Question 14

Supervisor Jason is not making the most effective use of social media when he ________.

A)posts compliments about his employer
B)uses it as a method of helping others grow and develop
C)informs members of the team about legislation that could affect their work
D)uses these sites to eliminate face-to-face interactions with work associates

Question 15

We know that the communication cycle is complete only after the ________ step has been taken.

A)action
B)decoding
C)ideation
D)encoding

Question 16

A major justification for a company going to the expense of business travel is that ________.

A)building relationships in person is effective
B)business travel is fun for many workers
C)business travel is a tax deductible expense
D)many workers dislike electronic forms of communication

Question 17

Maria wants to use hand gestures to communicate a positive attitude, so she should ________.

A)keep her hands in her pockets when possible
B)make fists when speaking with people
C)place both hands on her head when asked a question
D)make frequent use of hand gestures

Question 18

Malcolm, the manager of a commercial bank, wants to communicate the message that the bank is serious and strictly business. A good idea would be for Malcom to have the bank painted with colorful murals, including drawings of wild animals and skateboarders.

Question 19

A lot of extra mental effort is required to lie frequently.

Question 20

Stan wants to use nonverbal behavior to convey the fact that he is intelligent. Stan could accomplish his goal best if he ________.

A)wore expensive clothing
B)developed a high-quality voice
C)wore gold jewelry
D)spoke in a whisper

Question 21

Using powerful words is a key principle of ________ communication.

A)wimpy
B)persuasive
C)controlling
D)helpful

Question 22

Erin cannot get satisfaction in resolving a dispute with her boss. A recommended tactic for Erin would be to share her dissatisfaction with her boss on Twitter and Facebook.

Question 23

An effective way of overcoming communication barriers is to send a self-centered message because this indicates that you are serious.

Question 24

A recommended technique for overcoming communication barriers is to ________.

A)state your message with force one time, and wave your fist
B)send the message when the intended receiver is multitasking
C)display a negative attitude to be dramatic
D)repeat your message assertively, using more than one channel

Question 25

The most frequent workplace use of social media is to post jokes, cartoons, and amusing photos to boost worker satisfaction and morale.

Question 26

Language barriers to communication can surface even when the sender and receiver are both native-speakers of English, such as the speaker being from the United States and the receiver from Scotland.

Question 27

A practical way of overcoming the potential communication barrier created by semantics is to ________.

A)emphasize nonverbal communication over verbal communication
B)carefully explain the meaning of potentially ambiguous terms
C)avoid almost all words with more than two syllables
D)rely more on written than spoken messages

Question 28

Trucking supervisor Chad learns this morning that a company truck jumped a curb, and crashed into a restaurant. Chad sends a text message to his boss, saying, "We had a small incident involving a truck this morning, but we are OK." He has therefore created the communication barrier of ________.

A)filtering of information
B)communication overload
C)improper timing
D)emotions and attitudes

Question 29

To effectively use mirroring, ________.

A)make sure that your appearance fits your presentation
B)look your listener straight in the eye
C)reflect back on what he or she says
D)imitate the other person in a subtle manner

Question 30

One form of a mixed signal in communication is when a person sends you a message about being well organized, but is disorganized himself or herself.

Question 31

To minimize the chances of erecting a communication barrier, wait until you are experiencing your strongest emotion before sending your message.

Question 32

People are more receptive to messages ________.

A)that promise to do something for them
B)they expected to hear
C)that contradict their beliefs
D)that require them to do something for someone else

Question 33

Judy's credibility is diminished because she often says one thing, but does another. Judy is guilty of ________.

A)semantics errors
B)distortion information
C)emotional communication
D)sending mixed signals

Question 34

A major purpose of defensive communication is to ________.

A)clarify meanings
B)get messages repeated
C)belittle the other person
D)protect one's self-esteem

Question 35

Communication barriers are most likely to occur when the message ________.

A)is delivered by an executive
B)clashes with the receiver's mental set
C)is emotionally neutral
D)is delivered in the morning

Question 36

The modern worker is advised to write text-style messages on work-related social media to display a high level of professionalism.

Question 37

A recommended approach to using social media in the workplace is to post information that will help work associates grow professionally.

Question 38

You empathize with another person when you ________.

A)feel sorry for his or her plight
B)understand his or her point of view
C)agree with his or her point of view
D)make him or her feel at ease

Question 39

When receiving a message, you should interpret feelings because ________.

A)most people are devious when communicating
B)facts are usually misleading
C)feelings often contain the true meaning of a message
D)most senders tend to color the truth

Question 40

Kate, a human resources specialist, wants to convince her boss, Quentin, to begin a program of pet health insurance for employees. Kate sends a self-centered message when she says to Quentin, ________

A)"I have a plan to boost employee morale."
B)"My plan will save the lives of many pets."
C)"You will make me a company hero if you accept my plan."
D)"My research shows that pet insurance is a winner."

Question 41

Looking for nonverbal indicators is a recommended way of understanding the feelings behind a message.

Question 42

Proper timing of a message includes taking into account the person's mental condition at the moment in which the message is to be delivered.

Question 43

A coworker says to Pam, "Our team is awesome." Pam displays the active listening technique of "accepting the sender's figure of speech" when she replies ________

A)"I like the way you talk like a teenager."
B)"In what ways are we awesome?"
C)"Tell me a couple of ways in which we are outstanding."
D)"I like your enthusiasm."

Question 44

Research suggests than men use the terms "I," "me," and "mine" much more frequently than do women.

Question 45

An effective mirroring technique is to imitate the breathing pattern of another person while the two of you are having a conversation.

Question 46

According to research, a gender difference in communication style is that women make more frequent use of the words, ________.

A)"a," "an," and "the"
B)"you know"
C)"you guys"
D)"I" "me," and "mine"

Question 47

Three words said by the listener that often shut down discussion are "no," "but," or "however."

Question 48

An example of a word or phrase by the listener that usually shuts down discussion is ________

A)"However."
B)"I hear you."
C)"Keep going, I'm listening."
D)"Are you serious?"

Question 49

Gender differences in communication suggest that men tend to be more directive and less apologetic in their conversation, whereas women are more polite and apologetic.

Question 50

Engaging in positive gossip ________.

A)creates substantial communication barriers
B)brings the person power and credibility
C)isolates the person who gossips from others in the organization
D)overcomes the communication problems of telecommuting