978-0134202037 Test Bank Chapter 1

Beebe, Beebe and Redmond – Interpersonal Communication, 8e Testbank

Chapter 1: Introduction to Interpersonal Communication

Multiple Choice Questions

1) What three elements distinguish interpersonal communication from other forms of

human communication?

A) It is a distinctive, transactional form of human communication involving mutual influence

for the purpose of managing relationships.

B) It involves treating people as objects, responding to roles rather than the person, and

distinctive conversations.

C) It is a mechanical, transactional form of human communication, where each person has a

role

to perform.

D) It involves communicating with someone you care about, communicating in an I-It

relationship, and treating people as individuals.

2) When Sandy and Annie discuss what issues in their relationship are acceptable to discuss

in front of friends and which are acceptable only to discuss between themselves, they are

engaging in

A) impersonal communication.

B) metacommunication.

C) content communication.

D) asynchronous communication.

3) Alicia tells Zoe that “this is NOT the place to tell Fred that he failed to qualify for the

interview.” She is referring to

A) feedback.

B) complication.

C) context.

D) decoding.

2

4) When Gladys says, “I’m sorry, Pete. I take it back. Your new haircut isn’t REALLY

atrocious,” she is forgetting that communication

A) is irreversible.

B) is complicated.

C) is governed by rules.

D) involves both content and relationship dimensions.

5) Beth sends Julian an e-mail asking him to meet her at the bank at 2:30 p.m. When she gets

to the bank, Julian doesn’t arrive until 3:15 p.m. When she asks him why he is late, he

replies, “I came as soon as I got your message.” The problem they are encountering may

stem from the

fact that a message sent by e-mail is

A) synchronous.

B) instantaneous.

C) asynchronous.

D) unreliable.

6) A hyperpersonal relationship is an electronically mediated relationship that is

A) more personal than a face-to-face relationship.

B) less personal than a face-to-face relationship.

C) energetic.

D) charismatic.

3

7) The theory that emotional expression is severely restricted when we use only text-based

messages to communicate is called ________ theory.

A) media richness

B) cues-filtered-out

C) diminished capacity

D) transactional interference

8) Which of the following is defined as “the process of acting on information”?

A) human communication

B) interpersonal communication

C) communication

D) impersonal communication

9) Communication author Virginia Satir calls________ “the largest single factor determining

the kinds of relationships [people make] with others.”

A) context

B) ethics

C) family communication

D) content

4

10) Bob went to dinner with his good friend Megan. They stayed at the restaurant for hours

simply because they were enjoying each other’s conversation. Their relationship is best

described as

A) I-It.

B) It-Thou.

C) I-Thou.

D) It.

11) Sammy and Jo are considering moving in together. Sammy is unsure, so she sits down

to make a list of the pros and cons of cohabitating with Jo. This is an example of which

form of communication?

A) interpersonal communication

B) impersonal communication

C) intrapersonal communication

D) intermediate communication

12) Which form of communication occurs when someone communicates the same message to

many people at once but the creator of the message is usually not physically present?

A) mass communication

B) public communication

C) small group communication

D) intrapersonal communication

5

13) When we create a message without giving much thought to the person who is listening,

we

are engaging in

A) thinking.

B) egocentric communication.

C) ethics.

D) interpersonal communication.

14) Communication as ________ is the oldest and most simplistic of the models of human

communication.

A) action

B) interaction

C) transaction

D) contraction

15) Which of the following models is considered by the authors to be the most realistic model

of interpersonal communication?

A) communication as action

B) communication as interaction

C) communication as transaction

D) communication as contraction

6

Beebe, Beebe and Redmond – Interpersonal Communication, 8e Testbank

A) the physical and psychological environment for communication

B) the filters through which messages pass

C) anything that interferes with the message being interpreted in the way it was intended

D) the transmission of a thought or feeling

20) Gary has decided to break up with Hortensia and has decided to break the news at a

high-class restaurant in hopes of avoiding an unpleasant scene. Even though this might

not work, Gary’s decision reflects his understanding of the importance of which

component of communication?

A) noise

B) feedback

C) context

D) episodes

21) Monica is being punished by her teacher because the teacher didn’t care for the way

Monica

said, “Yes, Ma’am.” Her nasal rendition of “yes” and the long drawn out

“Ma’am” suggested a

lack of respect that the teacher considered unacceptable. The

teacher’s dissatisfaction with Monica’s statement demonstrates which characteristic of

interpersonal relationships?

A) Interpersonal communication has both systems and processes.

B) Interpersonal communication has both content and relationship dimensions.

C) Interpersonal communication is irreversible.

D) Interpersonal communication is governed by social rules.

8

Beebe, Beebe and Redmond – Interpersonal Communication, 8e Testbank

B) Synchronous communication

C) Social presence

D) Ethical communication

1) Impersonal communication differs from interpersonal communication in that it treats

people

as objects rather than unique individuals.

2) There is one definition of communication with which most experts agree.

3) The receiver is the person who decodes and attempts to make sense out of what the

source

encoded.

10

Beebe, Beebe and Redmond – Interpersonal Communication, 8e Testbank

11

Answer: TRUE

Chapter number: 01

Module number: 1.5

Learning Objective: 1.5 Discuss the role of electronically mediated communication in

developing and maintaining interpersonal relationships.

Topic: Interpersonal Communication and Social Media

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Remember the Facts

9) Research shows that the lack or loss of a close relationship can lead to ill health and

even death.

10) Interpersonal communication does not apply in work relationships.

11) All interpersonal relationship problems are communication problems.

12) Mediated communication is a new, recent form of communication.

12

13) Receiving a tweet from a friend letting us know what he or she is doing at that moment gives

us the feeling of being instantly connected to that person. This is known as social presence.

14) If you can memorize the characteristics of a good listener, you will be a good listener.

15) A relationship is a connection established when you communicate with another person.

1) Describe the differences between impersonal and interpersonal communication.

13

2) What makes interpersonal communication inescapable?

3) Define ethics and discuss the behaviors of an ethical communicator.

4) Define explicit and implicit rules in interpersonal communication, and give your own

example

of each.

15

8) Discuss in which communication model the sources can be both sender and receiver.

9) What are some disadvantages of using electronically mediated communication in a

particular relationship?

10) You want to talk to your neighbor about sharing the cost of carpooling, and prefer to discuss

it with her without the other carpoolers present. Describe a conversation you might have with

her that incorporates the strategies of being effective and appropriate.