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.

Accepted Answer

The characteristic of language as a digital symbol system that is accurately identified in option B is that it allows the expression of abstract ideas. The other options, while true to some extent, do not specifically relate to language as a symbol system. Option A, for example, could apply to other forms of communication as well, while option C may be true in certain contexts but does not necessarily apply to language as a whole.

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

Accepted Answer

The fact that the word "apple" could just as easily have been any other word to represent this particular fruit suggests that language is arbitrary, meaning that there is no inherent connection between the word and the object or concept it represents. The meaning of a word is agreed upon by a community of speakers and can change over time, making language an arbitrary system.

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

Accepted Answer

Using concrete language means using words that refer to specific events, objects, or actions that can be perceived through the senses, rather than using abstract or general terms. For example, instead of saying "animal," a concrete language user might say "dog," which refers to a specific and tangible animal.

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

Accepted Answer

Totalizing refers to the tendency of language to present an oversimplified version of reality, often ignoring complexities and nuances.

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

Accepted Answer

The tendency for language to create an incomplete and oversimplified image of real experiences is known as totalizing. This means that when we try to put our experiences into words, we often ignore or forget certain aspects of the experience that can't be easily expressed in language. This can lead to a distorted and simplified representation of the experience, which may not fully capture its complexity and richness.

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

Accepted Answer

Syntactic rules refer to guidelines for structuring words and phrases in a particular language. They dictate which words must come before or after others, how to properly form sentences and paragraphs, and how to use punctuation to convey meaning. Semantic rules refer to how words convey meaning in a language, pragmatic rules refer to how language is used in social contexts, and connotative rules refer to how words can have different subjective meanings based on the context in which they are used.

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

Accepted Answer

Jack's request violated pragmatic rules of language use, which involves using language appropriately according to the context and situation. As they were on their first date, proposing marriage was not an appropriate topic to bring up. This caused confusion for Jill as the question did not match the context of their relationship.

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

Accepted Answer

Connotative meaning refers to the emotional or cultural associations that words carry, and in this case, Rajiv's emotional reaction to his diagnosis is influenced by the connotative meaning of prostate cancer, as he has experienced the loss of his father due to the same disease.

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

Accepted Answer

Speech acts refer to the goals or actions that can be performed through language. The cooperative principle is a principle of conversation that involves speakers cooperating to convey meaning effectively. Semantics refers to the meaning of words and how they combine to form sentences.

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

Accepted Answer

The Maxim of Relevance suggests that communicators should make contributions to the conversation that are pertinent to the topic at hand. The other maxims include the Maxim of Quantity (contributing enough information), the Maxim of Quality (contributing truthful information), and the Maxim of Manner (being clear and avoiding ambiguity).

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.

Accepted Answer

Grice's maxim of manner states that communicators should avoid being vague, wordy, and disorganized in their contributions to a conversation.

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.

Accepted Answer

The cooperative principle is the assumption that people who are talking to each other are working together to advance the conversation. This principle was proposed by philosopher H.P. Grice and forms the basis for effective communication. It suggests that speakers have an obligation to make their utterances informative, truthful, relevant, and clear, while listeners have an obligation to interpret the utterances in the most reasonable and cooperative way possible.

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.

Accepted Answer

Linguistic relativity, also known as Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis, is the idea that the structure of a language affects its speakers' worldview or cognition, and that differences in language lead to differences in thought and behavior. Therefore, option A correctly defines linguistic relativity as the assumption that different languages reflect and create culture differences in conceptions of reality. Option B and C do not accurately define the concept. Option D is incorrect since one of the options 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.

Accepted Answer

All the statements (A, B, and C) correctly summarize different aspects of how power dynamics influence language use, indicating that individuals adjust their communication based on the perceived power relationship with their interlocutor.

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

Accepted Answer

The answer of Margaret's third grade teacher told her that...

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

Accepted Answer

Directness is not a verbal cue that increases the politeness of a message. In fact, indirect language is often used to be more polite. Hedging, conditional language and use of past tense are verbal cues that can increase politeness by expressing uncertainty, showing respect for the listener's perspective, and sounding more humble or apologetic.

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.

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that couples who are more intimate use more pluralistic pronouns, such as "we" and "us," to refer to themselves as a unit. This reflects a greater sense of interconnectedness and mutual understanding between partners.

Quiz 5: Language and Interpersonal Communication

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

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?

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

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

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

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

Which statement correctly defines Grice's maxim of manner?

What is the cooperative principle?

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

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

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.

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

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