Deck 5: Language and Interpersonal Communication

Question 1

Which of the following accurately identifies a characteristic of language as a digital symbol system?

A) Language has the potential for universal meaning.
B) Language allows the expression of abstract ideas.
C) Language is relatively imprecise.
D) All of the above accurately identify characteristics of language.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

In the English language, the word "apple" is used to represent a piece of fruit with a stem, seeds, and a thin red skin that can be eaten raw or baked into a pie. There is no inherent reason, however, for calling this fruit an "apple." It could just as easily have been called an orange, a banana, or a tomato. What does this suggest about the nature of language?

A) Language is abstract
B) Language is ambiguous
C) Language is arbitrary
D) Language is consequential

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Language, in general, is abstract because it involves the use of symbols to refer to objects and concepts that are not physically present. What does it mean, then, to use concrete language?

A) Using words that have general meanings
B) Using words that refer to a range of events, objects, or actions
C) Using words that refer to specific events, objects, or actions
D) Using words that are open to a lot of interpretations

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following suggests that language has a tendency to give an incomplete or oversimplified version of reality that lacks detail and nuance?

A) Linguistic relativity
B) Reification
C) Sapir Whorf hypothesis
D) Totalizing

Question 5

You had a crazy dream last night! But when you tried to relate the details of your dream to your friend later that morning, much of what you experienced defies explanation. The parts of your dream that defy language fade from your memory, while the parts you can put into words become more solidified in your mind. Which of the following reflects this tendency for language to create an incomplete and oversimplified image of real experiences?

A) Reification
B) Totalizing
C) Linguistic Relativity
D) Ambiguity

Question 6

Which type of language rules refer to guidelines for structuring words and phrases?

A) syntactic rules
B) semantic rules
C) pragmatic rules
D) connotative rules

Question 7

Jack and Jill went out on their first date last weekend. During the evening, Jack said to Jill, "Will you marry me?" Jill did not understand what Jack what trying to convey because his question was inappropriate given the status of their relationship at this point. Which rules of language use were violated by Jack's request and explain why Jill did not understand the message?

A) pragmatic rules
B) semantic rules
C) syntactic rules
D) both a and c are correct

Question 8

Rajiv has been feeling ill for some time and finally went to see a doctor about his condition. When the doctor informed him that he had prostate cancer, Rajiv was overcome with emotion because his father had died from prostate cancer. Given Rajiv's emotional reaction to his diagnosis, what level of meaning influenced Rajiv's reaction to the doctor's message?

A) semantic meaning
B) syntactic meaning
C) denotative meaning
D) connotative meaning

Question 9

Which of the following refers to the goals or actions that can be performed through language?

A) cooperative principle
B) speech acts
C) semantics
D) none of the above

Question 10

Which of Grice's maxims suggests that communicators should make contributions to conversation that are pertinent to the topic?

A) Maxim of quantity
B) Maxim of quality
C) Maxim of relevance
D) Maxim of manner

Question 11

Which statement correctly defines Grice's maxim of manner?

A) Communicators should provide enough information to advance a conversation, and avoid providing too much or too little information.
B) Communicators should say things that are truthful.
C) Communicators should make contributions that are pertinent to the conversation topic.
D) Communicators should avoid being vague, wordy and disorganized.

Question 12

What is the cooperative principle?

A) The assumption that people who are talking to each other are working together to advance the conversation.
B) The assumption that people always provide sufficient information to advance the conversation.
C) The assumption that people always make pertinent contributions to the conversation.
D) The assumption that people should be clear organized and to the point.

Question 13

Which of the following statements correctly defines the concept linguistic relativity?

A) It is the assumption that different languages reflect and create culture differences in conceptions of reality.
B) It is the assumption that language neglects nuances in real-life experiences.
C) It is the assumption that people response to labels as though they are inherently real.
D) None of the above is correct.

Question 14

Which of the following statements summarizes the relationship between power and language use?

A) When the other person has more power, we try to minimize the negative impact of our words.
B) People who are lower power are more polite when speaking to people with higher power.
C) People with higher power are more likely to address someone with lower power using their first name.
D) All of the above are correct.

Question 15

Margaret's third grade teacher told her that she was bad at math. The fact that her teacher used _____ to describe Margaret's understanding of math is a problem because it put's Margaret in a box: "Not good at math." In real life, experiences and understanding are more complex than that.

A) Euphemism
B) Emotive language
C) Polarizing language
D) Global words

Question 16

All of the following are verbal cues that INCREASE the politeness of a message, EXCEPT:

A) Directness
B) Hedging
C) Conditional language
D) Use of past tense

Question 17

Which of the following is true about the role of intimacy in language use?

A) Couples who are more intimate use more pluralistic pronouns ("we, us", etc.).
B) Couples who are more intimate use more individualistic pronouns ("I, you," etc.).
C) Rates of pronoun use do not differ according to relational intimacy.
D) Couples who are more intimate use fewer idioms.