Deck 3: Verbal and Nonverbal Messages

Question 1

Language is made up of symbols that take the form of

A) rules.
B) facial expressions.
C) gestures.
D) words.
E) objects.

Answer 1

words.

Question 2

English speakers use the word house and Spanish speakers use the word casa to indicate the same concept: a residence people live in. This is an example of how language

A) is governed by rules.
B) is symbolic.
C) has layers of meaning.
D) varies in clarity.
E) is ambiguous.

Answer 2

is symbolic.

Question 3

The syntactic rules of language

A) help us convey meaning.
B) help us interpret statements.
C) dictate the meaning of individual words.
D) govern the way words are ordered.
E) deal with the correct pronunciation of a word.

Answer 3

govern the way words are ordered.

Question 4

When someone says, "Have a nice day," we use ________ rules to determine what he or she means.

A) pragmatic
B) phonological
C) syntactic
D) semantic
E) symbolic

Question 5

In Ogden-Richards's theory of the semantic triangle, the word tree is the

A) referent.
B) reference.
C) denotative meaning.
D) connotative meaning.
E) symbol.

Question 6

A connotative meaning of the word family is

A) two married people and their children.
B) the people you belong to and who love you.
C) individuals related by blood, marriage, or adoption.
D) people with a common ancestor.
E) a basic unit of society.

Question 7

Wei is giving a presentation to his firm's CEO about the business's options for upgrading its facility. Wei says, "As you can see here, we have two options. Option One is the fastest, but will significantly interfere with operations. Option Two will take longer, but will be less disruptive." Wei's CEO responds by saying "I like that one."
Wei's CEO is using

A) symbolic language.
B) semantic language.
C) abstract language.
D) structured language.
E) ambiguous language.

Question 8

Which of the following terms would be considered the most concrete in Hayakawa's Ladder of Abstraction?

A) flowering shrub
B) rose bush
C) "Freedom" red rose
D) living thing
E) plant

Question 9

Which of the following statements about ambiguous language is true?

A) It is an essential part of language.
B) It is the most concrete form of language.
C) It will never occur if we use concrete words.
D) It will never occur if we use abstract words.
E) It can be explained through Hayakawa's Ladder of Abstraction.

Question 10

Words that are more concrete are more likely to be

A) meaningful.
B) symbolic.
C) broad.
D) specific.
E) confusing.

Question 11

Imagine that you have just listened to five people talking about five different topics. All you know about them besides their topics is their occupations. Given this information, whom would you consider most credible?

A) an airline pilot who talked about which team will win the big game
B) a mechanic who explained how to change a car's oil
C) an accountant who described how to build a safe campfire
D) a soldier who offered investment advice
E) a taxi driver who discussed adoption law

Question 12

Which of the following statements about language and its relationship to credibility is true?

A) People will always improve their credibility if they speak to their audience using clichés.
B) People will always diminish their credibility if they speak to their audience using a dialect.
C) People will generally lose their credibility if they make false statements about other people.
D) People will generally find that using loaded language does not affect credibility.
E) People will always enhance their credibility if they claim to be experts even when they are not.

Question 13

Using the word bubbler to describe a water fountain is an example of

A) a cliché.
B) libel.
C) slander.
D) loaded language.
E) a dialect.

Question 14

The phrase "the grass is always greener" is an example of

A) a cliché.
B) libel.
C) slander.
D) a dialect.
E) loaded language.

Question 15

A newspaper prints an article claiming that Jane Smith, a politician, is corrupt, but it has no evidence to support its claim. This is most likely an example of

A) loaded language.
B) cliché.
C) trigger words.
D) libel.
E) slander.

Question 16

Which of the following is an example of slander?

A) During a speech, a politician falsely claims her opponent is having an affair.
B) A magazine prints a story accurately accusing a judge of taking bribes.
C) A blogger posts the false accusation that a politician is financed by criminals.
D) A newspaper prints a photograph that was doctored to make it appear that a celebrity had plastic surgery.
E) During a speech, an activist claims correctly that an official used government funds for personal purchases.

Question 17

Trigger words are also known as

A) defamation.
B) loaded language.
C) libel.
D) slander.
E) clichés.

Question 18

Which of the following statements about libel is true?

A) It is one of five types of defamation that exist.
B) It will improve the credibility of the accuser.
C) It is a statement made in person within earshot of others.
D) It is a statement made up of only loaded language.
E) It is a statement made in print or another fixed medium.

Question 19

A politician uses the phrase "corporate welfare" when referring to his opponent's plan to give tax breaks to businesses. This is an example of using

A) slander.
B) loaded language.
C) defamation.
D) libel.
E) a cliché.

Question 20

Which of the following is true about loaded language?

A) It triggers only negative connotations.
B) It triggers only positive connotations.
C) It is considered to be defamatory.
D) It sets off an intense emotional response.
E) It helps improve a person's credibility.

Question 21

Factual claims are assertions that

A) express a personal preference.
B) cannot be verified with evidence.
C) can be shown to be true or false.
D) do not need to be separated from opinion.
E) are subjective assertions.

Question 22

Which of the following statements is an opinion?

A) Podcasts are growing in popularity.
B) Podcasts are fun to listen to.
C) Podcasts are available online.
D) Podcasts follow a similar format as radio.
E) Podcasts are an episodic series of audio files.

Question 23

Suppose that you work at a newspaper and you are writing an article about the health effects of drinking soda. Which of the following statements that you could include represents a factual claim?

A) Soda is responsible for both the moral and physical decay of society.
B) Many studies show that soda has harmful effects on our dietary health.
C) Companies that sell soda should be punished for inflicting harm on consumers.
D) There should be a large tax imposed on anyone who buys and drinks soda today.
E) Soda tastes disgusting and should be banned from all stores.

Question 24

A calculus teacher teaching a course to college freshman should be careful to use ________ in his or her lectures.

A) as much detail as possible
B) a lot of jargon
C) advanced concepts
D) complex sentences
E) simple language

Question 25

The advantage of using I-statements over you-statements is that I-statements allow communicators to

A) effectively highlight the other person's faults.
B) take responsibility for their thoughts and feelings.
C) express themselves vaguely to avoid conflict.
D) shift responsibility to the other person.
E) ignore their problems.

Question 26

What would be the best I-statement to use in place of the statement "You are making me mad"?

A) I am feeling hurt right now.
B) I am feeling ignored right now.
C) I am feeling confused right now.
D) I am feeling dismayed right now.
E) I am feeling angry right now.

Question 27

Powerful speech is often characterized by its use of

A) disclaimers.
B) hesitations.
C) interruptions.
D) intensifiers.
E) formal address terms.

Question 28

An example of using a hedge in powerless speech would be to include the

A) word ma'am.
B) word really.
C) word well.
D) phrase I could be wrong.
E) phrase I guess.

Question 29

Annette starts many of her statements by saying, "I could be wrong about this." This is an example of a(n)

A) disclaimer.
B) hedge.
C) hesitation.
D) tag question.
E) intensifier.

Question 30

Sheryl Sandberg suggests in her book Lean In that women should avoid using ________ in the workplace.

A) powerful language
B) powerless language
C) you-statements
D) factual claims
E) assertive speech

Question 31

People use their facial muscles to express their

A) identity.
B) attractiveness.
C) emotions.
D) age.
E) symmetry.

Question 32

An entrepreneur is presenting his business plan in front of a panel of judges, who will decide if his plan is worth investing in. What behavior would help him be as credible as possible?

A) Speak in a higher-pitched voice.
B) Fidget and tap his legs.
C) Act nervous to avoid appearing arrogant.
D) Stammer while talking.
E) Make eye contact with each panel member.

Question 33

In nonverbal communication, the study of movement is called

A) proxemics.
B) kinesics.
C) gesticulation.
D) oculesics.
E) haptics.

Question 34

Which of the following is an example of a ritualistic touch that would be common at a wedding reception in North America?

A) shaking the bride's hand
B) kissing the bride's cheek
C) slapping the bride hard on the back
D) patting the bride's bottom
E) pinching the bride's cheek

Question 35

Kinesics includes

A) pitch.
B) silence.
C) gestures.
D) tone.
E) inflection.

Question 36

Mumbling is an example of poor

A) articulation.
B) pronunciation.
C) inflection.
D) pitch.
E) rate.

Question 37

People in Western cultures are likely to maintain a(n) ________ distance when they first meet their coworkers.

A) social
B) personal
C) intimate
D) public
E) familiar

Question 38

An example of the halo effect would be hiring someone with fewer qualifications because he or she

A) knows a friend of yours.
B) speaks articulately.
C) appears confident.
D) is funny.
E) is attractive.

Question 39

Your boss makes you wait an extra 15 minutes before your meeting. This is an example of

A) chronemics.
B) kinesics.
C) haptics.
D) proxemics.
E) vocalics.

Question 40

Your boss's office is decorated with expensive furniture and decorative items. This is an example of using ________ to express our interests and status nonverbally.

A) haptics
B) chronemics
C) kinesics
D) proxemics
E) artifacts

Question 41

If a person is trying to improve his or her ability to interpret nonverbal communication, the first thing to do is

A) learn about cultural differences in nonverbal expression.
B) become more nonverbally expressive.
C) take part in games and expressive activities.
D) improve his or her verbal ability.
E) become intentionally aware of nonverbal messages.

Question 42

Which of the following is a skill that will help with deciphering nonverbal messages?

A) Role play characters in hypothetical situations.
B) Pay close attention to the words that accompany them.
C) Learn about cultural differences in nonverbal communication.
D) Take part in games that require expressiveness.
E) Spend time with highly expressive people.

Question 43

During a meeting, Maria notices that Pablo yawns and looks at his watch. She thinks he is trying to signal that the meeting is over. What is the most effective way for Maria to find out whether she has deciphered his nonverbal message correctly?

A) Mirror his actions by yawning and checking her watch.
B) Stand up and leave during the next pause in the conversation.
C) Send a different nonverbal signal back to him, such as drumming her fingers.
D) Wait until he says something directly.
E) Ask if he is ready to conclude their meeting.

Question 44

Jamila was raised in a different country from her coworkers, and she often finds their mannerisms unfamiliar. Which of the following strategies would be most helpful for Jamila as she deals with these confusing nonverbal behaviors?

A) Focus on body movements.
B) Consider the social situation.
C) Avoid highly expressive people.
D) Use chronemics.
E) Concentrate on touch behaviors.

Question 45

Which of the following is a nonverbal communication that means something different to the specified culture than it does in the United States?

A) Bulgarians shake their head to say yes.
B) In Belgium, people shake hands upon meeting.
C) Russians smile to indicate a good mood.
D) In El Salvador, family members greet each other with hugs.
E) In Britain, a thumbs up sign means approval.

Question 46

Which of the following strategies would be a good way to learn how to express yourself nonverbally?

A) Play solitaire.
B) Play soccer.
C) Play charades.
D) Play hide and seek.
E) Play board games.

Question 47

Who would most likely be a good person to spend time with to improve your ability to express nonverbal messages?

A) a librarian
B) an actor
C) a proofreader
D) a statistician
E) a computer programmer

Question 48

People who are very nonverbally expressive are most likely to choose ________ as their profession.

A) bookkeeping or accounting
B) grade school teaching
C) computer programming
D) digital archiving
E) data science

Question 49

Phonological language rules help us understand how to pronounce words.

Question 50

Words can have only one denotative meaning.

Question 51

In Ogden-Richards's theory of the semantic triangle, one connotative meaning of the word "cat"
is that it is a cute and cuddly creature.

Question 52

Hayawaka's Ladder of Abstraction starts with the most concrete concepts at the top and moves down the ladder to the most abstract reference.

Question 53

A politician publishes false rumors about her opponent in a prominent newspaper. This is an example of slander.

Question 54

People are more likely to listen to a politician who uses the phrase "think outside the box."

Question 55

National politicians who use regional dialects find that it does not affect their credibility in any way.

Question 56

Politicians who use trigger words may find that they set off an emotional response among their constituents.

Question 57

"Mac computers are better than other brands."
This is a factual claim.

Question 58

Speakers who use complex language while presenting to a broad audience may be seen as talking down to people.

Question 59

You-statements are more effective ways of communicating than I-statements.

Question 60

The words "very" or "really" are examples of disclaimers in powerless speech.

Question 61

Facial displays are the most informative channel of nonverbal communication.

Question 62

When a person's pupil size shrinks, it is often a sign that he or she is lying.

Question 63

At work, Ella often stands closer to Javier than he finds comfortable. This example relates to haptics.

Question 64

A speaker's tone of voice can tell listeners something different from what the person's actual words say.

Question 65

People who have difficulty interpreting nonverbal messages can be annoying to be around.

Question 66

Role-playing games are a good way to practice improving nonverbal expression.

Question 67

Focusing on cultural differences can make it harder to decipher nonverbal messages.

Question 68

Paying attention to other people's tone of voice will help you become aware of their nonverbal messages.

Question 69

Write up what the symbol, referent, and reference could be for the word fire, using Ogden-Richards's theory of the semantic triangle.

Question 70

Write up a sample Ladder of Abstraction for the category of mode of transportation, following Hayakawa's example in the book. This ladder should have a minimum of five rungs.

Question 71

A politician is preparing to speak out against her opponent. Write up four suggestions for specific forms of language that she should avoid using in her speech in order to make sure she appears credible to her audience, and give an example of each.

Question 72

Describe a hypothetical situation in which the use of a dialect might enhance credibility.

Question 73

Explain what powerless speech is, and then write an example of someone giving a presentation at work using powerless speech.

Question 74

Select a topic that interests you, such as sports, movies, or music. Create three statements of fact and three statements of opinion about your topic, correctly identifying each.

Question 75

Two people are having a fight. One says "You are driving me crazy! You're not listening to me. You really hurt my feelings. You don't know what you're doing."
How could you translate this into a series of I-statements?

Question 76

Isabel is meeting with her employee Bill in her office. Describe at least three ways that she could nonverbally express her authority, using examples drawn from oculesics, haptics, chronemics, or artifacts.

Question 77

Explain the different types of information conveyed by eye contact.

Question 78

Imagine you are starting a new job. On your first day, you give a thumbs up to your new coworker and then notice she is frowning. Describe at least two approaches you might use to decipher your coworker's nonverbal message correctly.