Deck 3: Communicating Across Cultures: the Nonverbal Dimension

Question 1

Americans typically choose a distance of about __________ for normal conversations.

A) 6 inches
B) 1 foot
C) 20 inches
D) 3 feet

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Cultures that are more reserved in their use of gestures tend to view more exaggerated gesturing as __________.

A) aggressive
B) emotional
C) rational
D) sincere

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Examples of nonverbal communication include posture, hand gestures, and __________.

A) song
B) inflection
C) pitch
D) gaze

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Why is business gift giving not considered a "pure gift," as defined by Malinowski?

A) The gifts are always reciprocated.
B) It is expected and, therefore, not a true gift.
C) There is a mutually agreed upon limit to the gift's value.
D) It functions as a way to build or reinforce business relationships.

Question 5

Which of the following form of nonverbal communication is an example of an artifact?

A) bowing
B) business cards
C) proximity
D) social media

Question 6

Effective signs of a person's emotional state as well as his or her behavioral expectations of others can be gleaned from __________.

A) clothing
B) hand gestures
C) postural cues
D) olfaction

Question 7

How would your conversation with an Arab friend differ from a similar conversation with an American friend?

A) You would interrupt each other more often.
B) There would be more direct eye contact.
C) There would be more full arm and hand gestures.
D) You would stand further apart.

Question 8

Why must we be cautious of overgeneralization when studying nonverbal communication?

A) There is wide variation in nonverbal communication within each geographic region.
B) Men, women and children in all cultures have separate nonverbal communications.
C) Nonverbal communication is specific to the individual, and cannot be applied to a whole culture.
D) Nonverbal communication changes faster than speech, and is therefore an unreliable mode of communication.

Question 9

You are an American working in Saudi Arabia. In which of the following places would it be most important or beneficial to wear the traditional abayah?

A) on the plane
B) at home
C) at a luncheon with female colleagues
D) in a mixed-sex business meeting

Question 10

It is believed that only about __________ percent of communication between two people in the same speech community is verbal.

A) 5
B) 10
C) 30
D) 50

Question 11

What is the traditional function of hats as part of British women's dress?

A) The style of hat represents the social status of the wearer.
B) British religion dictates that women much cover their head at formal events.
C) It distinguishes British from American couture.
D) Hats protect a woman's hair from the damp British weather.

Question 12

In the U.S., the transition from "business formal" to "business casual" dress coincided with __________.

A) the widespread use of personal computers
B) an increase in indicators of executive status
C) the introduction of women to the workplace
D) the shift to telecommuting and flexible scheduling

Question 13

In addition to avoiding overgeneralization, we must also avoid the assumption that __________.

A) All people raised in that culture understand nonverbal cues .
B) Most nonverbal cues are intuitive.
C) All nonverbal cues are of equal importance.
D) All cultures have nonverbal communication.

Question 14

Which of the following individuals has a liminal role, linking together distinct and/or disparate groups?

A) a parent teaching their child appropriate social behavior
B) a tour guide showing visitors around a new city
C) a female instructor teaching a mixed-sex class of students
D) a member of a selective all-male country club

Question 15

The gesture of hands clasped over the head used by Soviet Premier Khrushchev in the 1960s was intended to be __________, but was perceived as __________.

A) hostile; sociable
B) challenging; apologetic
C) welcoming; threatening
D) friendly; aggressive

Question 16

What common message is communicated by raising the eyebrows in Borneo, thrusting the head forward in Malaysia, and rocking the head from side to side in India?

A) agreement
B) disagreement
C) greeting
D) parting

Question 17

What determines the depth and duration of a bow in Japanese culture?

A) relative social status of the two individuals
B) genders of the two individuals
C) nationality of the person being greeted
D) age of the person performing the bow

Question 18

Lowest levels of gaze during conversation have been found among __________.

A) Indians and northern Europeans
B) Asians and southern Europeans
C) Africans and people from Central America
D) Australians and people from South America

Question 19

An American practice known as __________ involves giving people just enough eye contact to acknowledge their presence, but immediately withdrawing that eye contact so the person is not singled out.

A) civil distraction
B) civil inattention
C) social distraction
D) social inattention

Question 20

An Indian colleague places her palms together at chest level, fingers pointed up, and says "Namaste." What is she communicating to you?

A) "thank you"
B) "good day"
C) "I'm sorry"
D) "excuse me"

Question 21

While GM found resistance to cubicle office environments in both American and Indian laboratories, the reasons for the discontent differed. Why?

A) The American employees were more concerned about privacy.
B) The American employees were more concerned about energy efficiency.
C) The Indian employees were more concerned about a quiet work environment.
D) The Indian employees were more concerned about status.

Question 22

Which of the following statements best represent the relationship between nonverbal communication and language?

A) Language and nonverbal communication can only be learned simultaneously.
B) Language provides less precise information than nonverbal communication.
C) Nonverbal communication is unconscious to a greater degree than language.
D) Nonverbal communication has less subcultural variation than language.

Question 23

Imagine that you are responsible for teaching new employees from Mexico about American social customs. With reference to Hall's typology of proxemics described in the chapter, write a short document that informs your new colleagues of American expectations for each category of distance.

Question 24

Which of the following statements is true of nonverbal communication and social roles?

A) Children use more nonverbal communication than adults.
B) Women are able to read nonverbal cues better than men.
C) Workers use nonverbal communication primarily to display rank.
D) Nonverbal cues are specific to social status within most cultures.

Question 25

You are a businessperson from the U.S.

Question 26

Elizabeth Würtz found different strategies for communication on McDonald's websites across cultures. How do these strategies correlate with high-and low-context cultures? Provide examples to support your explanation.

Question 27

Explain the appropriate technique for exchanging business cards with colleagues in Korea. What information is conveyed in this transaction, and why is this information important in this cultural context?

Question 28

Why has video conferencing never taken off as a tool for telecommuting in the U.S. and Europe?

A) It is prohibitively expensive.
B) People are concerned about privacy and etiquette.
C) Gestures and facial expressions do not significantly improve communication.
D) Seeing an employee's home through the video is considered inappropriate.

Question 29

What is the key shortcoming of drawings as a form of communication?

A) They are incomplete and may need further explanation.
B) Drawings are informal and therefore not appropriate for business situations.
C) They are of little help with working in multilingual groups.
D) Cultures are so variable that few drawings are mutually understandable.

Question 30

Are facial expressions primarily determined by biology or by culture? After considering the variations and common trends in facial expressions across cultures, make an argument for one side of this nature-nurture debate. Support your position with examples.