Chapter 09 Communicating in Small Groups Answer Key
Multiple Choice Questions
1.
A _____________can be defined as a collection 3 to 20 people working interdependently to
accomplish a task.
A.
small group
B.
task group
C.
working group
D.
cohesive group
AACSB: Reflective Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom’s: Remember
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 09-01 Define small group and identify examples of small groups.
Topic: Small Groups
2.
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of small groups?
A.
B.
Small groups are cohesive.
C.
Small groups avoid rules and norms.
D.
Small groups include individual roles.
Type of question: Analyze
3.
According to communication scholars, a small group is composed of at least _____ members
but no more than 15 to 20 members.
A.
2
B.
3
C.
4
D.
5
AACSB: Reflective Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom’s: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 09-02 List and summarize the similarities of small groups.
Topic: Small Group Size
4.
The size of a small group matters because most of us _____________ differently in larger and
smaller collections of people.
A.
make friends
B.
integrate
C.
work
D.
communicate
AACSB: Reflective Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom’s: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 09-02 List and summarize the similarities of small groups.
Topic: Small Group Size
5.
What term describes the scenario in which each group member influences, and is influenced
by, every other group member?
A.
independence
B.
interdependence
C.
codependence
D.
dependence
AACSB: Reflective Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom’s: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 09-02 List and summarize the similarities of small groups.
Topic: Small Group Interdependence
6.
Jack and Kate are working on a small group project for their political science class. They
disagree on how to complete part of the assignment, and the disagreement soon escalates to
a full-scale argument. Afterward, they find it difficult to work together, and the entire group is
affected. Jack and Kate are demonstrating ____________, meaning that their moods and
behaviors influenced, and were influenced by, each another’s in a way that affected the
group.
A.
interdependence
B.
conflict
C.
codependence
D.
escalation
AACSB: Knowledge Application
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom’s: Apply
Difficulty: Medium
Learning Objective: 09-02 List and summarize the similarities of small groups.
Topic: Small Group Interdependence
7.
Groups are interdependent if the members all influence one other, but groups are
____________ only if the members work together in the service of a common goal.
A.
successful
B.
effective
C.
cohesive
D.
influential
AACSB: Reflective Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom’s: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 09-02 List and summarize the similarities of small groups.
Topic: Small Group Cohesion
8.
In your algebra class, you are assigned to work in a small group. Most group members know
their specific tasks and follow through on them, but two members neglect their
responsibilities. As a result, your group’s _________ cohesion is low.
A.
social
B.
overall
C.
collective
D.
task
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom’s: Analyze
Difficulty: Hard
Learning Objective: 09-02 List and summarize the similarities of small groups.
Topic: Small Group Cohesion
9.
Which of the following is NOT a behavior that can cause a group to become dysfunctional?
A.
parasitism
B.
cohesion
C.
interpersonal aggression
D.
misuse of resources
Type of question: Analyze
10.
A group’s _________ are its explicitly stated principles for governing what its members can and
cannot do.
A.
norms
B.
standards
C.
rules
D.
guidelines
AACSB: Reflective Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom’s: Remember
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 09-02 List and summarize the similarities of small groups.
Topic: Small Group Rules and Norms
11.
Genevieve and her friends sit together every day at lunch. It is understood that they will meet
and sit in the same spot. Genevieve would never dream of bringing her lunch from home; in
her group everyone buys lunch at the cafeteria. If Genevieve wants to bring someone new to
join the group, she knows that she should consult her friends first. Even though these ______
were never explicitly stated, Genevieve knows how to manage her behavior based on
observing how her friends behave in the group.
A.
rules
B.
norms
C.
guidelines
D.
principles
AACSB: Knowledge Application
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom’s: Apply
Difficulty: Hard
Learning Objective: 09-02 List and summarize the similarities of small groups.
Topic: Small Group Rules and Norms
12.
Although the matter has never been discussed, it is understood that when someone in your
study group is going to be late, that person should send a text message. What term best
describes your study group’s unspoken understanding?
A.
norm
B.
rule
C.
guideline
D.
principle
AACSB: Knowledge Application
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom’s: Apply
Difficulty: Medium
Learning Objective: 09-02 List and summarize the similarities of small groups.
Topic: Small Group Rules and Norms
13.
What is your supervisor establishing when she tells your committee that your meetings will
begin at 10 a.m. on the last Tuesday of each month?
A.
a norm
B.
a guideline
C.
a rule
D.
a suggestion
AACSB: Knowledge Application
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom’s: Apply
Difficulty: Medium
Learning Objective: 09-02 List and summarize the similarities of small groups.
Topic: Small Group Rules and Norms
14.
Patterns of behavior that define a person’s function within a group are called
A.
positions.
B.
norms.
C.
functions.
D.
roles.
AACSB: Reflective Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom’s: Remember
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 09-02 List and summarize the similarities of small groups.
Topic: Small Group Roles
15.
If a committee has a designated chairperson and note-taker, these are what types of roles?
A.
assigned
B.
formal
C.
informal
D.
unassigned
AACSB: Reflective Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom’s: Understand
Difficulty: Medium
Learning Objective: 09-02 List and summarize the similarities of small groups.
Topic: Small Group Roles
16.
What types of roles most frequently reflect how well or poorly the group functions while
carrying out its mission?
A.
formal
B.
assigned
C.
informal
D.
unassigned
AACSB: Reflective Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom’s: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 09-02 List and summarize the similarities of small groups.
Topic: Small Group Roles
17.
Someone who is always making jokes in a group and trying to lighten the mood is taking on
what type of role?
A.
assigned
B.
unassigned
C.
formal
D.
informal
AACSB: Knowledge Application
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom’s: Apply
Difficulty: Medium
Learning Objective: 09-02 List and summarize the similarities of small groups.
Topic: Small Group Roles
18.
Ethan is a member of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society of two-year colleges.
He wears his lapel pin to all meetings and puts on his chapter shirt when the group goes into
the community for a project. At the start of each meeting, Ethan hugs other members instead
of offering a handshake or just saying hello. What do all of these actions serve to reinforce
with regard to Ethan’s Phi Theta Kappa group?
A.
cohesion
B.
identity
C.
interdependence
D.
communication practices
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom’s: Evaluate
Difficulty: Hard
Learning Objective: 09-02 List and summarize the similarities of small groups.
Topic: Small Group Functions
Topic: Small Group Identities
19.
Which practice is central to accomplishing any group’s mission?
A.
communication
B.
independence
C.
identity
D.
interdependence
AACSB: Communication
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom’s: Evaluate
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 09-02 List and summarize the similarities of small groups.
Topic: Small Group Communication
20.
In the film
Remember the Titans
, Coach Herman Boone (played by Denzel Washington) must
deal with racial issues on his football team. At one point, he wakes up his players at 3:00 a.m.
to go to Gettysburg, the site of a well-known Civil War battle. There, the coach gives a speech,
in which he concludes, “If we don’t come together, right now, on this hallowed ground, we too
will be destroyed just like they were. I don’t care if you like each other or not. But you will
respect each other.” What communication strategy is Boone using to bring his team together?
A.
role communication
B.
problem-solving communication
C.
consciousness-raising communication
D.
encounter communication
AACSB: Communication
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom’s: Evaluate
Difficulty: Hard
Learning Objective: 09-02 List and summarize the similarities of small groups.
Topic: Small Group Communication
21.
When two group members gossip about their weekend before a group meeting, they are
engaging in _____________ communication.
A.
consciousness-raising
B.
encounter
C.
problem-solving
D.
role
AACSB: Knowledge Application
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom’s: Apply
Difficulty: Medium
Learning Objective: 09-02 List and summarize the similarities of small groups.
Topic: Small Group Communication
22.
Some small groups communicate _________ because their members are located in different
cities or countries, so face–to-face communication is impractical.
A.
infrequently
B.
synchronously
C.
online
D.
offline
AACSB: Communication
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom’s: Understand
Difficulty: Medium
Learning Objective: 09-02 List and summarize the similarities of small groups.
Topic: Small Group Communication
23.
Which of the following is TRUE about small groups interacting online?
A.
Group members feel more confident in virtual rather than in face–to-face groups, in terms
of their ability to be productive.
B.
Because e-mail allows group members to interact in real time, members feel engaged and
involved in dialogue with other members.
C.
Individuals who interact with other group members online report being more committed to
the group and happier while working in it.
D.
Technologies such as e-mail, texting, and videoconferencing allow online group members
to interact whenever and wherever they choose.
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom’s: Evaluate
Difficulty: Medium
Learning Objective: 09-02 List and summarize the similarities of small groups.
Topic: Small Group Communication
24.
Which of the following is NOT a function of a small group?
A.
providing services and support
B.
discouraging social networking
C.
competing
D.
creating art and ideas
Type of question: Analyze
25.
In response to the worst oil spill in U.S. history in 2010, President Barack Obama set up a task
force charged with determining the rate of oil leakage and the appropriate response. The
group included leading industry experts, officials from BP (the company responsible for the
spill), and top government representatives. Because this group had a specific list of goals, it
was formed to
A.
focus on discrete tasks.
B.
create art and ideas.
C.
help us to learn.
D.
promote social networking.
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom’s: Evaluate
Difficulty: Hard
Learning Objective: 09-03 Describe the functions of small groups.
Topic: Small Group Functions
26.
When Tina Wells was a high school student, she wrote product reviews for a local newspaper.
Soon, so many companies started sending her products that she assembled a group of friends
to help her test the products. By the time she graduated from college, Wells had 250
teenagers reviewing products. Today, Wells is CEO of Buzz Marketing Group, a teen-focused
market research firm with nationally known clients. Wells recognized the power that small
groups had to do which of the following?
A.
focus on discrete tasks
B.
compete
C.
evaluate and advise
D.
create art and ideas
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom’s: Evaluate
Difficulty: Hard
Learning Objective: 09-03 Describe the functions of small groups.
Topic: Small Group Functions
27.
A string quartet and the cast of
Saturday Night Live
are both examples of how small groups
can effectively work together to do which of the following?
A.
promote social networking
B.
create art and ideas
C.
help us to learn
D.
compete
AACSB: Knowledge Application
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom’s: Apply
Difficulty: Medium
Learning Objective: 09-03 Describe the functions of small groups.
Topic: Small Group Functions
28.
Many companies and organizations use __________ groups, which are small groups of people
assembled to generate innovative ways of thinking.
A.
task
B.
support
C.
target
D.
brainstorming
AACSB: Reflective Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom’s: Remember
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 09-03 Describe the functions of small groups.
Topic: Small Group Functions
29.
Alcoholics Anonymous is an example of a __________ group.
A.
support
B.
task
C.
relational
D.
maintenance
AACSB: Knowledge Application
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom’s: Apply
Difficulty: Medium
Learning Objective: 09-03 Describe the functions of small groups.
Topic: Small Group Functions
30.
Which of the following is NOT a benefit of a support group?
A.
You can find people who understand your issue or problem because they have the same
experience.
B.
Listening to others’ stories may help you feel less alone.
C.
Listening to others’ problems may cause you to feel depressed or discouraged.
D.
Taking part in support groups for health conditions can improve health.
Type of question: Apply
31.
An online chat room where people converse about their favorite television show is an example
of a small group that
A.
provides service and support.
B.
creates art and ideas.
C.
helps us to learn.
D.
promotes social networking.
AACSB: Knowledge Application
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom’s: Apply
Difficulty: Medium
Learning Objective: 09-03 Describe the functions of small groups.
Topic: Small Group Functions
32.
Most collegiate athletic teams are formed for what purpose?
A.
creating art and ideas
B.
competing
C.
promoting social networking
D.
providing support
AACSB: Reflective Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom’s: Understand
Topic: Small Group Functions
33.
We join study groups because small groups can
A.
help us to learn.
B.
create art and ideas.
C.
promote social networking.
D.
provide support.
AACSB: Reflective Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom’s: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 09-03 Describe the functions of small groups.
Topic: Small Group Functions
34.
The first group most of us belong to is
A.
peers.
B.
friends.
C.
family.
D.
society.
AACSB: Reflective Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom’s: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 09-04 Summarize the reasons we join small groups.
Topic: Small Group Membership