Chapter 2
Multiple-Choice Questions
1. According to the textbook, all of the following are among the defining elements of culture
EXCEPT
a. values.
b. symbols.
c. language.
d. ethnicity.
2. The process by which cultural traditions are passed from one generation to the next is known
as what?
a. enculturation
b. cultural adaption
c. cultural transmission
d. acculturation
3. Which concept of culture includes judgments about how good, desirable, or beautiful
something is?
a. symbols
b. values
c. norms
d. language
4. A group of students who attend the same high school and all belong to the school’s computer
club would be an example of what?
a. cultural norming
b. enculturation
c. a co-culture
d. cultural adaptation
5. Which of the following is true in highly collectivistic cultures?
a. People are expected to look out for themselves.
b. People take an indirect approach to handling conflict.
c. Children are taught that they are special and unique.
d. Individual achievement is more important than group harmony.
6. In a low-context culture, people are taught to
a. speak in an ambiguous manner.
b. avoid offending people.
c. criticize others only in private.
d. share personal opinions.
7. Which of the following statements is NOT true about high-context cultures?
a. Maintaining harmony is important.
b. Offering personal opinions is valued.
c. Offenses are to be avoided.
d. Environmental cues are important for understanding messages.
8. The idea that “all people are created equal” would be characteristic of which type of culture?
a. high-power-distance culture
b. high-context culture
c. low-power-distance culture
d. low-context culture
9. Which of the following statements most accurately reflects the attitude of someone from a
low-power-distance culture?
a. It is necessary to look for the deeper meaning in someone else’s statements.
b. It is unacceptable to question a boss, especially in front of co-workers.
c. It is acceptable to engage in aggressive behavior to achieve personal success.
d. It is a person’s individual right to question authority.
10. Which of the following statements is NOT true regarding feminine cultures?
a. Feminine cultures value nurturance.
b. Feminine cultures emphasize achievement.
c. Feminine cultures value quality of life.
d. Feminine cultures do not strongly differentiate between male and female roles.
11. Idioms and gestures are examples of
a. communication codes.
b. cultural truisms.
c. cultural speech development.
d. communication power-distance.
12. A verbal phrase whose meaning is purely figurative, such as “shake a leg” or “kick the
bucket,” is called what?
a. oxymoron
b. idiom
c. pun
d. idiosyncrasy
13. Which of the following would be considered very specific communication codes, such as
those used by doctors and dentists?
a. idiomatic expressions
b. specialized codes
c. jargon
d. clichés
14. Which gender role combines aspects of masculinity and femininity?
a. bisexuality
b. Turner’s Syndrome
c. androgyny
d. asexuality
15. Which of the following do NOT factor into determining an individual’s biological sex?
a. psychological differences
b. genetic differences
c. anatomical differences
d. social differences
16. Which sexual orientation refers to a lack of interest in sexual relationships?
a. asexuality
b. heterosexuality
c. celibacy
d. bisexuality
17. Some researchers believe women and men grow up in different speech communities.
According to that idea, men are taught to do ________ and women are taught to do
________.
a. intimate talk; expressive talk
b. instrumental talk; expressive talk
c. social talk; personal talk
d. expressive talk; intimate talk
18. Which of the following is true regarding sex differences in verbal communication?
a. Women are not more talkative than men.
b. Women interrupt more than men do.
c. Men use more disclaimers and hedges than women do.
d. Women ask fewer questions than men do.
19. Which of the following linguistic patterns is associated with powerful speech?
a. disclaimers
b. hedges
c. offering opinions
d. asking questions
20. According to the distinctions between men’s and women’s linguistic styles, men are more
likely to
a. use modifiers to reflect the intensity of their statements.
b. talk in shorter phrases.
c. rely on the use of inclusive pronouns such as “we.”
d. withhold opinions.
21. Among adults, which of the following is true about touch behavior?
a. Women touch men more than men touch women.
b. Opposite-sex touch is more common than same-sex touch.
c. In same-sex pairs, men touch each other just as much as women do.
d. None of these statements is true.
22. Which of the statements about touching behavior involving children is true?
a. Among children, same-sex touching is more common than opposite-sex.
b. Women are more likely than men to initiate touch with children.
c. Boys and girls are equally likely to be touched.
d. All of these statements are true.
23. Which of the following is NOT an example of an affiliation behavior?
a. head nods
b. warm vocal tones
c. talking in short phrases
d. Each of these is an affiliation behavior.
24. With respect to sex differences in emotion, which of the following is true?
a. Women are less likely to express positive emotions than men are.
b. Men are more likely to express sadness and depression than women are.
c. Women and men report experiencing the same amount of emotion.
d. Men and women do not differ from each other in how they express jealousy.
25. Studies of affectionate communication have shown that
a. highly feminine individuals are likely to express affection.
b. highly masculine individuals are likely to express affection.
c. both highly masculine and highly feminine individuals are likely to express affection.
d. None of these statements is true.
26. Culture consists of the shared symbols, language, values, and norms that distinguish one
group of people from another.
27. English is the most commonly spoken language in the world.
28. People from different cultures sometimes experience difficulty in understanding one another
because they think differently.
29. “I gotta be me” might be the motto in a collectivistic culture.
30. In a low-context culture, people are expected to be direct and say what they mean.
31. In a low-power-distance culture, people are expected to choose friends or mates from within
their own social class.
32. The use of idioms is primarily a North American behavior.
33. Biological sex is genetically determined, whereas gender roles are socially constructed.
34. Transsexual individuals are always born with one or more chromosomal abnormality.
35. On average, men express more opinions than women do.
36. Research suggests that women are more likely than men to use self–references, such as “me”
and “I.”
37. Men are more likely than women to initiate touch with other adults, but women are more
likely than men to initiate touch with children.
38. Most research has shown that femininity is positively related to affectionate communication,
whereas masculinity is negatively related to it.
39. Explain the concept of co-cultures, using examples of co–cultures with which you identify.
40. Compare and contrast the concepts of high-power-distance and low-power-distance as they
41. Identify and briefly define each of the four sexual orientations articulated in your text.
42. Using concrete examples, define and discuss the concepts of instrumental talk and expressive
43. Your text offers three possible reasons that women may be more affectionate than men.
Essay Questions
(Answers will vary.)
44. Assume that you’ve just met someone whose cultural background is very different from your
own. What cues would you pay the most attention to when forming an evaluation of that
person? How would you engage in the process of checking or confirming your perceptions?
Bloom’s: Evaluate
45. Forming in-groups and out-groups based on cultural cues is a common practice. Make an
argument for why that behavior occurs. Next, suggest at least three ways that people might
be more flexible when defining these groups.
Bloom’s: Analyze
46. Describe your own culture in terms of whether it is individualistic or collectivistic, high–
context or low-context, and high-power-distance or low-power-distance. Use concrete
examples. Next, provide a brief critique of each of those characteristics of your culture. What
do you find to be positive about it? Negative about it?
Bloom’s: Evaluate
47. Although it can be easy to identify masculine and feminine gender roles, it is often difficult
to determine where these ideas come from. Identify at least three different sources or
influences that you think are important for defining gender roles in American culture. How
important are each of those individual sources in defining gender roles? Next, identify three
ways that you have seen gender roles change in your lifetime. How influential have the
sources you identified been in bringing about those changes?
Bloom’s: Analyze
48. Consider the notion that “masculine” and “feminine” are different cultures. First, explain
what is meant by that idea, making reference to the concepts of speech communities and
gender clash in your explanation. Next, articulate a reasoned argument in favor of that idea
(i.e., why we should consider the genders to be different cultures), and finally, articulate a
reasoned argument against it.
Bloom’s: Evaluate
49. People in positions of power frequently use words as a form of violence. How and why does
that happen? Imagine that you are a friend of someone who has been subjected to linguistic
violence. What would you tell that person? Now imagine that a friend of yours uses words as
a form of violence. What would you say to this friend?
Bloom’s: Analyze