Question 1

Communication that involves a small number of people who share a common goal or objective and interact is known as

Accepted Answer

Small-group communication involves a small number of people who share a common goal or objective and interact. Public communication refers to communication with a larger audience, while intrapersonal communication is communication with oneself. Dyadic communication involves two people interacting.

Question 2

While explaining her new idea at a meeting, Katie noticed Ted and Jasmine were nodding their heads up and down, smiling, and leaning forward. Ted and Jasmine's was an effective way to communicate their feelings, and encouraged Katie to continue describing her thoughts.

Accepted Answer

Ted and Jasmine's nonverbal cues of nodding, smiling, and leaning forward indicate they are actively participating in the conversation and showing positive feedback to Katie, which encourages her to continue sharing her idea.

Question 3

Although a group wants to reach a consensus, they do not want to do so to the point that they stop critically analyzing ideas. They want to avoid

Accepted Answer

Groupthink is a phenomenon where a group's desire for harmony and conformity results in irrational or dysfunctional decision-making. This can occur when group members prioritize agreement over critical evaluation of ideas. Therefore, the group wants to avoid groupthink by continuing to critically analyze and evaluate ideas even as they work towards reaching a consensus. The other choices (emergence, reinforcement, conflict) are not directly related to the phenomenon of groupthink.

Question 4

For the past 20 years during football season, Scott, Jay, Jason, and Bob have been meeting at Bob's house to watch Monday Night Football. Which type of group do these men belong to?

Accepted Answer

The group of Scott, Jay, Jason, and Bob meets to watch Monday Night Football, indicating a focus on socialization and camaraderie, rather than problem solving, personal growth, or knowledge gaining. Therefore, the best choice is C (Social).

Question 5

The League of Women Voters, the library's book club, a photography class, and a self-defense group are formed to help the members learn; these are examples of what type of group?

Accepted Answer

The groups listed are all focused on helping members learn and gain knowledge, making them knowledge-gaining groups.

Question 6

Each member of a group has a set of expected behaviors they must follow whether they are a friend, a parent, a supervisor, or a student. This is the group member's

Accepted Answer

Roles are the set of expected behaviors that group members must follow in their particular position. Tasks refer to specific jobs or duties to be completed, norms are the shared expectations for behavior within a group, and place refers to physical location.

Question 7

The _____ phase of a small group discussion is a time for establishing a comfortable communication climate and becoming familiar with the topic.

Accepted Answer

The orientation phase is the first phase in a small group discussion where group members establish a comfortable communication climate, become familiar with the topic, and define the purpose and objectives of the discussion. This phase is critical because it sets the tone for the entire discussion and is essential for the group to achieve its goals. Conflict, emergence, and reinforcement are other phases that may occur later in the group discussion, depending on the nature of the topic and the group dynamics.

Question 8

Emmalee, Greg, April, and Jorge put in long hours on their small group project. Although disagreements occurred when they first started to meet, as the weeks went by, they began to work together with enthusiasm and a sense of purpose. The members of this group demonstrated

Accepted Answer

Cohesiveness refers to the degree to which group members are attracted to one another and share goals and perspectives. Since the group members began to work together with enthusiasm and a sense of purpose, they demonstrated cohesiveness. While consensus, commitment, and closure may have also been present, B is the best choice because it directly addresses the group dynamic of working together effectively.

Question 9

When a member of the group dominates the discussion, using ________ can maintain your involvement, refocus the group's attention, or provide direction for a discussion that has strayed from the main point, and draw other members of the group into the discussion.

Accepted Answer

Questions can redirect the conversation and encourage other members to participate in the discussion, even when one member is dominating the conversation.

Question 10

We fulfill task roles when we

Accepted Answer

Task roles are concerned with achieving the group's goal or objective. This involves organizing, planning, and coordinating the group's activities to ensure that the task is completed successfully. Task roles are important for the group's success and productivity.

Question 11

Julie and Aaron have a son with autism. They joined a support group that meets once a month to discuss the difficulties of raising a special-needs child. It is a comfort to Julie and Aaron to be able to share their feelings with others in their situation, and they find that by attending these meetings, they feel less stress and more hopeful. What type of group does this describe?

Accepted Answer

This group is described as a personal growth group because it focuses on providing emotional support and a sense of community for its members, helping them to cope better with their personal challenges and grow emotionally.

Question 12

We play ________ when we are concerned about other people's feelings, creating a positive communication climate, and solving or mediating conflicts.

Accepted Answer

Maintenance roles refer to behaviors in a group that focus on creating and maintaining positive social relationships, promoting a positive communication climate and solving conflicts within a group.

Question 13

At group meetings, Nick is often sarcastic and uses inappropriate humor. What role is Nick playing?

Accepted Answer

Nick is playing an individual role, as he is not contributing to the group's goals or fostering team cohesion through his behavior.

Question 14

Joy and her group are working hard on their small group project, but they are frustrated by Jessie, who always arrives late and unprepared for group meetings. This behavior violates which two group communication variables?

Accepted Answer

Jessie's behavior violates the group's norms (expected behaviors) and commitment (dedication to the group's goals and tasks).

Question 15

Aara, Seamus, Mateo, and Trecie were anxious to reach a decision about what communication concept they would use for their interpersonal movie analysis. Their gradual shift toward reaching a consensus is common in the phase.

Accepted Answer

The gradual shift toward reaching a consensus indicates that the group is in the emergence phase, where ideas and opinions are being shared and evaluated in order to reach a decision. The reinforcement phase is characterized by the group's commitment to their decision, conflict is when there are disagreements and tension within the group, and orientation is when the group is first getting to know each other and establishing the task at hand.

Question 16

When we are thinking about placements like sitting in rows, around a conference table, or on the floors and couches in someone's living room, we are considering the group's what?

Accepted Answer

The placement of group members in a physical space is referred to as the group's arrangement.

Question 17

A _____ group comes together to answer a question or provide a solution to a problem.

Accepted Answer

A task-oriented group is specifically focused on completing a particular task or reaching a specific goal, such as answering a question or solving a problem. Social groups are more focused on building relationships and connections, personal growth groups are focused on individual development, and knowledge-gaining groups are centered on acquiring new information or skills.

Question 18

Now that the Young Republicans group has noticed that their earlier dissent about how to best get out the youth vote theme has all but vanished, they are much more positive and able to show support for each other. They have reached the

Accepted Answer

The mention of the Young Republicans group noticing a change in attitude and being able to show support for each other suggests that they have found common ground and are reinforcing each other's beliefs and behaviors. This aligns well with the definition of reinforcement, which involves strengthening a behavior through rewards or consequences.

Question 19

The phase of small group decision-making that is characterized by disagreements and tension over opposing ideas is called the

Accepted Answer

The conflict phase is when group members express disagreements and opposing ideas, which can create tension and disagreements among group members. The emergence phase is when group members begin to express opinions and ideas, the orientation phase is when the goals and purpose of the group are established, and the argument phase is not a commonly recognized phase of group decision-making.

Question 20

Playgroup officially begins at 9:00 a.m. but all the group members know not to show up until 9:15 a.m. because the group leader won't be there on time to open up the doors. Arriving late is this group's rule, also known as a

Accepted Answer

The described behavior is a norm, which is a shared expectation or pattern of behavior within a group or society.

Quiz 9: Communicating in Small Groups