Question 1

Personal appearance is particularly important during what part of your presentation?

Accepted Answer

Personal appearance is crucial in creating a positive first impression on your audience. Therefore, it is particularly important during the opening moments of your presentation.

Question 2

While speaking to a large group at the annual Star Wars convention, John steadily maintains eye contact with just the two people in costume in the front row. Your speech teacher would consider John'stechnique effective.

Accepted Answer

Maintaining eye contact with only two people in a large group can make others feel left out or not important. Effective eye contact technique involves scanning the audience and maintaining eye contact with various individuals.

Question 3

Overall, speakers from ________ prefer a quieter, less flamboyant use of gestures.

Accepted Answer

Asian cultures tend to value restraint and modesty, which can be reflected in their use of gestures. In contrast, European and American cultures often place a higher value on expressive communication, including the use of more flamboyant gestures. While Mexico is a part of the Americas, the country's cultural norms may vary, so it is not a definitive answer.

Question 4

All of the following facial expressions are universal EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

Contempt has been found to not be universally recognized across cultures.

Question 5

Which of the following statements is the BEST guideline for using gestures in a speech?

Accepted Answer

Making gestures appropriate to the speaking situation is the best guideline for using gestures in a speech. This means that the gestures should match the message being conveyed and the tone and style of the speaker. Using too many gestures can be distracting, and keeping hands clasped can seem stiff and unengaging. While some emotions can be expressed through gestures, it is not a hard and fast rule, and every speaker may have their own unique gestural language.

Question 6

Movements such as standing or moving closer to listeners or coming out from behind a lectern can help to create a perception of _____ between you and your audience.

Accepted Answer

Immediacy refers to a sense of physical or psychological closeness between the speaker and the audience, which can be achieved through movements such as standing or moving closer to listeners. Constancy refers to consistency, recency refers to something that occurred recently, and urgency refers to a sense of importance or emergency.

Question 7

A politician who declines to comment on a reporter's question while holding up her hands to augment her verbal refusal is relying on a _____ gesture.

Accepted Answer

Complementing gestures are those that work in harmony with verbal communication to reinforce the spoken message. In this case, the politician's action of holding up her hands while declining to comment complements her verbal refusal, thereby strengthening the message of refusal.

Question 8

Which problem gesture consists of clasping hands in front of yourself, and letting them drop?

Accepted Answer

"The fig leaf clutch" involves clasping your hands in front of you as if holding a figurative fig leaf to cover your private parts. Letting your hands drop while in this position is a signal of discomfort or embarrassment.

Question 9

For North Americans, the most important aspect of delivery in a public speaking situation is

Accepted Answer

Eye contact is crucial in public speaking because it helps establish a connection with the audience and ensures their attention is maintained. It also helps convey confidence and sincerity. While gestures and credibility are important, they are not as crucial as eye contact in terms of delivery. Immediacy may be important in some situations but it is not a primary aspect of delivery.

Question 10

The minister pounds his fist on the podium when he says the words "sin" and "evil." What function does this form of nonverbal communication serve?

Accepted Answer

The minister's use of pounding his fist on the podium serves to emphasize the severity and importance of the words "sin" and "evil" in his speech.

Question 11

Your face and voice show your audience which emotion you are feeling; your posture communicates

Accepted Answer

Posture communicates the intensity of the emotion being felt.

Question 12

Aspeaker who pounds one hand into another is using a repeating gesture.

Accepted Answer

A speaker who pounds one hand into another is using an emphatic gesture, not a repeating gesture. Repeating gestures involve repeating the same motion or action multiple times.

Question 13

Standing in front of an audience with one hand on your hip is a problem gesture termed

Accepted Answer

The term "broken wing" refers to a problematic gesture where one hand is placed on the hip while standing, often perceived as defensive or less professional in public speaking or presentation contexts.

Question 14

When a speaker's nonverbal message contradicts the verbal message, listeners tend to believe the nonverbal message.

Accepted Answer

This is known as the "nonverbal communication principle," and it suggests that nonverbal cues such as facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language are more credible than the words themselves. Therefore, when there is a conflict between the verbal and nonverbal message, listeners are more likely to trust the nonverbal cues.

Question 15

Tom is speaking on a stage, behind a rather tall podium. His audience is made up of elementary school children. What does Tom need to do to immediately improve his speech?

Accepted Answer

Tom needs to reduce the physical barriers, specifically the tall podium, in order for the elementary school children to see him better and to engage with him more effectively. This will improve his speech by allowing the audience to have better visual access to him and his gestures, making him more relatable and personable to the children.

Question 16

Without uttering a word, you can hold up the palm of your hand to calm a noisy crowd. This is an example of a _____ gesture.

Accepted Answer

Holding up the palm of your hand to calm a noisy crowd without speaking is an example of a substituting gesture, as the gesture itself substitutes for verbal communication.

Question 17

Gestures that reiterate your verbal message, such as holding your hands out to show how long an object is, are termed

Accepted Answer

Gestures that reiterate or repeat the verbal message, like showing the length of an object with hands, are termed "repeating" because they serve to reinforce or clarify the spoken words.

Question 18

During a question-and-answer session, you can use regulating gestures to signal when you want to talk and when you want to invite others to do so.

Accepted Answer

Regulating gestures, such as raising a hand or nodding to signal agreement, can be used during a Q&A to indicate when you want to speak or when you are giving others the opportunity to speak.

Question 19

When Kelsey says, "How many of you have ever donated money to causes that support the homeless?" as she extends the palms of her hands toward the audience to invite a response. Kelsey's nonverbal communication serves what function?

Accepted Answer

Regulating nonverbal communication involves controlling the flow of communication. By extending her palms toward the audience, Kelsey is inviting a response, thus regulating the interaction by signaling it's the audience's turn to speak or react.

Question 20

It is acceptable to keep your hands in your pocket while delivering your speech.

Accepted Answer

It is not advisable to keep your hands in your pockets while delivering a speech as it can give a casual and unprofessional impression. It is better to use hand gestures to emphasize your points and engage the audience.

Quiz 17: Nonverbal Communication