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Chapter 1
Multiple-Choice Questions
1. Studies involving communication between infants and caregivers have reliably demonstrated
which of the following?
a. Without sufficient interaction, infants will likely develop severe mental illness later in life.
b. Human interaction, specifically touch, is critical for development and health.
c. Infants’ language acquisition occurs whether or not their caregivers communicate with them.
d. Only a child’s biological parents are able to influence his or her social development.
2. Which of the following best defines stigma?
a. an individual who is incapable of taking on the perspectives of another person
b. communication that occurs in the context of marginalized or overlooked populations
c. a characteristic that discredits a person because he or she is seen as abnormal or undesirable
d. a pattern of interaction in which one person perpetually criticizes or condemns others
because of characteristics that are out of their immediate control
3. According to the text, which of the following characteristics is NOT typically associated with
some type of social stigma?
a. being homeless
b. being alcoholic
c. having HIV
d. having cancer
4. According to research, what is the most powerful predictor of happiness in life?
a. physical attractiveness
b. income
c. health
d. marital happiness
5. As defined in the textbook, communication can help us grow spiritually in all of the
following areas EXCEPT
a. developing a sense of our values.
b. articulating morals (beliefs about right and wrong).
c. discouraging the spirituality of others.
d. finding a meaning for life.
6. Which of the following would be considered an instrumental need that can be met through
communication?
a. developing a romantic relationship with someone you find attractive
b. convincing your roommate to turn off her music by midnight each night
c. talking with your grandfather on the telephone after not speaking with him for a while
d. making small talk with a stranger you just met at a party
7. Which term is used for anything that interferes with the accurate decoding of a message?
a. channel
b. noise
c. feedback
d. context
8. Which type of noise is associated with distractions that result from a loud environment?
a. physical noise
b. psychological noise
c. physiological noise
d. psychic noise
9. Which of the following is an example of feedback that someone might provide in response to
a message?
a. nodding to show that he is paying attention to and understanding the message
b. looking at her watch anxiously as someone else is talking
c. rolling his eyes or sighing in the middle of someone’s comments
d. Each of these is an example of feedback.
10. Communication context includes all of the following EXCEPT
a. the number of people who might overhear the conversation.
b. the emotional climate of the situation.
c. the connotation of the message.
d. the location in which communication occurs.
11. Which model considers both people in a conversation to be senders and receivers
simultaneously?
a. action
b. transaction
c. interaction
d. encoding
12. To say that words are symbols accurately reflects which of the following ideas?
a. People give communication its meaning.
b. Words are representations of ideas.
c. Words can have different meanings for different people.
d. All the answers are correct.
13. Which of the following is an example of a channel-rich communication context?
a. writing a letter to someone
b. interacting in an online chat room
c. using text messaging on a cell phone
d. chatting with friends at a party
14. When your roommate says “We’re out of detergent again” and you take that as a criticism,
you are paying attention to which aspect of the message?
a. context dimension
b. relational dimension
c. representative dimension
d. content dimension
15. When people engage in communication about their communication, they are engaging in a
process called
a. perceptual identity checking.
b. communication assurance.
c. metacommunication.
d. understanding maximization.
16. A sign in the library that reads “No Talking Allowed” would constitute an example of what?
a. perceptual filter
b. relational dimension
c. explicit rule
d. unintentional communication
17. In the United States, most people understand that they are expected to form a line and wait
for their turn. That is an example of which type of rule?
a. a culture-bound rule
b. an explicit rule
c. an implicit rule
d. an orderly rule
18. The fact that some people lie in order to take advantage of others refutes which of the
following myths of communication?
a. More communication is better.
b. Communication is inherently good.
c. Communication can break down.
d. Communication can be used to solve any problem.
19. According to the text, which of the following is NOT a necessary characteristic of
interpersonal communication?
a. It defines relationships.
b. It happens over time.
c. It relates to intimate information.
d. It occurs between people.
20. Which aspect of communication relates to how well a message meets its goals?
a. effectiveness
b. clarity
c. appropriateness
d. ethics
21. Different cultures have different standards that define competent communication. This
cultural variation speaks to which element of communication competence?
a. effectiveness
b. sensitivity
c. appropriateness
d. responsibility
22. Researchers use which term to describe how aware people are of their own behaviors?
a. cognitive complexity
b. self-monitoring
c. adaptability
d. self-disclosure
23. The ability to take another person’s perspective, and to think and feel as that person does, is
called what?
a. ethics
b. sympathy
c. empathy
d. self-awareness
24. Imagine that you have just called a friend, but your friend didn’t take the call and it went to
voicemail. At first, you assume your friend was simply away from the phone or busy, but you
start to wonder if he might be angry with you or ignoring you. This exercise is an example of
what?
a. self-monitoring
b. cognitive complexity
c. communication competence
d. interpersonal communication
25. A sense of morality and the judgment of right and wrong are known as
a. competence.
b. sincerity.
c. cognitive complexity.
d. ethics.
True/False Questions
26. Human interaction is critical for the health of both infants and adults.
27. Instrumental needs are the least important needs served by communication.
28. In the communication process, noise can be either physical or psychological.
29. Context and feedback are aspects of the action model of communication.
30. The concept of perceptual filters states that everyone will derive the same meaning from any
given message.
31. Words have inherent meanings.
32. Metacommunication occurs when individuals discuss the meaning or subtext of their
messages.
33. Most people in the United States believe they are above-average communicators.
34. Lack of effective communication is the most commonly cited reason for relationship failure.
35. Competent communication must be both effective and appropriate.
36. Having empathy means feeling sorry for someone else.
37. Ethical communication generally involves treating people fairly, communicating honestly,
and avoiding immoral behavior.
38. Research shows that biology plays almost no role in how we communicate.
Answer: False
Bloom’s: Understand
Short-Answer Questions
(Answers will vary.)
39. Using concrete examples, explain how two of the following needs are served by
communication: physical, relational, identity, spiritual, instrumental.
Bloom’s: Understand
40. Explain the primary differences between the action, interaction, and transaction models of
communication.
Bloom’s: Understand
41. Using specific examples, explain the idea that “meanings are in people.”
Bloom’s: Understand
42. Compare and contrast effective and appropriate communication, giving examples of each.
Bloom’s: Understand
43. Define and illustrate two of the following characteristics of competent communicators: self-
awareness, adaptability, perspective-taking, cognitive complexity, ethics.
Bloom’s: Understand
Essay Questions
(Answers will vary.)
44. Communication can be used to meet a variety of needs in everyday interaction. Explain why
it is important that people use communication to meet their needs. Next, pick any two of the
five needs that communication can meet. For each of those needs, provide a definition of the
idea behind the need and be sure to identify how communication can meet that need. Finally,
provide a clear, concrete example of an interaction that would satisfy those needs.
Bloom’s: Understand
45. Communication scholars have developed three different models that can be used to analyze
interactions: the action, interaction, and transaction models. What elements do these models
have in common? How are they different? Although the transaction model is the most
complete and widely used, consider situations in which it might be useful to analyze an
interaction using either the action or interaction model; and identify two different examples,
justifying your choices.
Bloom’s: Analyze
46. In face-to-face interactions, people utilize several channels simultaneously to convey
meaning. Identify any four different channels that might be at work in a face-to-face
interaction. Discuss how those channels might be used together to create a message. How
might they contradict one another? Finally, of the channels you have identified, pick one that
you would identify as the most important in face-to-face interactions. Why did you pick that
one? Use examples to illustrate why that channel is particularly important.
Bloom’s: Analyze
47. There is a long-standing debate in the field of communication about whether or not messages
need to be intentional in order to convey meaning. Take a position in that debate. How
important do you think intentionality is in communication? Are there instances in which
someone is not communicating?
Bloom’s: Analyze
48. Interpersonal communication is governed by both explicit and implicit rules. First, define
each of these terms and point out how they are similar and how they are different. Next,
identify two distinct examples of explicit communication rules that were enforced in your
household while growing up. Indicate what each rule was, how it was conveyed/reinforced in
your home, and what happened (or would have happened) when it was violated. Finally,
identify one example of an implicit communication rule that was enforced in your home.
Indicate what the rule was and how you came to be aware of it (given that it was implicit).
Bloom’s: Analyze
49. One cultural myth about communication is that it can solve any relational problem. Offer
reasoned speculation as to why people believe that idea. Do our shared social experiences
lead us to think communication is a cure-all? How is that idea reinforced in our society?
What role do the mass media play in perpetuating that idea? Finally, offer a brief but
reasoned argument refuting this myth.
Bloom’s: Analyze
