Instructor’s Manual and Test Bank for Essentials of Human Communication, Eighth Edition
CHAPTER 8: MANAGING INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT
Multiple Choice Questions
1)
Conflict may be defined as interpersonal when the
A)
disagreement is between or among interdependent people.
B) goals of the individuals are compatible.
C) goals of the individuals are not related.
D)
disagreement may affect one party but not the other.
2)
Berle and Lo are arguing over when the civil war in the Sudan began. This argument is most clearly a
__________ conflict.
A)
relationship C)
big fight
B)
content D)
consequential
3)
Amy and Dustin are arguing over who should have the final decision concerning where they will
spend the holidays. This scenario BEST exemplifies a
A)
relationship
B)
content
__________ conflict.
C)
inconsequential
D)
social issues
4)
According to the text, negative consequences of interpersonal conflict may be due to
A)
unfair fighting methods.
B) close examination of the reasons for the conflict.
C) revealing one’s needs within a relationship.
D)
unequal power in a relationship.
5)
Minami, who comes from China, a collectivist culture, and Jason, who comes from an individualist
culture, are working together on a class project. As they work together, they need to consider some
generalizations regarding their cultural orientations toward conflict, such as:
A)
Minami may tend to disagree with statements that might violate her individual norms.
B)
Jason may tend to disagree with statements that violate group values.
C)
Jason is more likely to engage in a conflict when a person violates expected norms.
D)
Minami is more likely to engage in a conflict with a member of her own country than with Jason.
6)
Which of the following is true regarding gender and conflict?
A)
Men tend to withdraw from conflict more than women.
B) Men prefer to talk about conflict and resolve it.
C)
Research indicates that there are no conflict differences between the genders.
D)
Men use more prosocial strategies than women to resolve conflict.
7)
Peter never gives up when is he is dealing with a conflict. He argues his point until his wins, not
really taking his partner’s point of view into consideration. Which conflict style is Peter most clearly
using?
A)
competing C) compromising
B)
avoiding D) collaborating
8)
Quincy almost always backs down from any conflict. His friends call him a human doormat because he
lets other people walk all over him. Quincy’s conflict style can BEST be described as
A)
accommodating. C)
collaborating.
B)
competing. D)
compromising.
9)
Harriet and Maynard cannot decide which movie to see. Harriet wants to see the new action movie
and Maynard wants to see a foreign art film. After arguing for a while, they agree to go to another movie, a
Civil War drama, which both of them are mildly interested in seeing. This conflict BEST illustrates
which conflict style?
A)
avoiding C)
competing
B)
accommodating D)
compromising
10)
Providencia does not like conflict. Whenever a conflict arises, she either physically leaves the room or
sets up mental barriers, so she does not have to deal with the conflict. Providencia’s behavior BEST illustrates
which conflict style?
A) avoiding C) competing
B) accommodating D) compromising
11) The conflict strategies people choose are influenced by all of the following except
A)
family history. C)
their communication competence.
B)
the goals they wish to achieve. D)
their educational level.
12)
Physical flight, setting up physical barriers, or just mentally withdrawing are all examples of
A)
avoidance. C)
minimization.
B)
redefinition. D)
gunnysacking.
13)
Greer’s primary conflict strategy is to hammer away at her point until the other person just gives up.
Greer’s strategy is BEST described as
A)
negotiation. C) defensiveness.
B)
steamrolling. D) neutrality.
14) Fighting actively includes
A)
physical force. C) beltlining.
B)
owning your thoughts and feelings. D) bringing up old issues and problems.
15)
Which of the following statements would be the BEST descriptive alternative for the statement, “You
never call me!”
A)
“It seems to me that you never call.”
B) “I would think you could call me more often.”
C) “I think our relationship would be better if you could call me more often.”
D)
“I sure would enjoy hearing from you more often.”
16)
When you use strategy to try and get around other people or situations, especially when you conceal your
true purposes, you are using
A)
spontaneity. C)
neutrality.
B)
manipulation. D)
evaluative.
17)
When Pat and Terry argue, Pat’s all-too-frequent strategy is to belittle Terry for getting pregnant at an early
age, dropping out of high school, and giving up her baby for adoption. Pat knows these are sensitive and painful
issues for Terry. Pat’s behavior is BEST described as
A)
redefinition. C)
argumentativeness.
B)
minimization. D)
beltlining.
18)
A person who stores up grievances against another person and unloads these during a situation is
engaging in the unproductive conflict strategy known as
A)
avoidance. C)
silencing.
B)
gunnysacking. D)
blaming.
19) Verbal aggressiveness is
A)
a constructive conflict management strategy.
B) synonymous with argumentativeness.
C)
a conflict management strategy that may include inflicting psychological pain.
D)
a confirming conflict management strategy.
20) Argumentativeness is
A)
a constructive conflict management strategy.
B)
synonymous with aggressiveness.
C) unwillingness to see another’s point of view.
D)
a rejection strategy.
21)
All of the following suggestions should help facilitation of open expression, limiting the use of
silencers in conflict management, except
A) listen actively.
B) verbalize your appreciation for how the other person sees the conflict.
C) create or increase immediacy.
D) increase your self-disclosure.
True/False Questions
1)
People must be interdependent to engage in interpersonal conflict.
2)
Interpersonal conflict occurs only when relationships are in trouble.
3)
Interpersonal conflict can only lead to negative effects.
4)
Most conflicts contain elements of disagreement about content and relationship.
5)
In collectivistic cultures, conflicts most often involve violations of larger group norms and values.
6)
The consequence of the avoiding conflict management strategy is that both parties lose.
7)
The conflict management strategies people choose are generally NOT influenced by their family
histories.
8)
Generally, fighting actively is preferable to avoiding conflict.
9)
Neutrality is a supportive conflict management strategy.
Completion Questions
1) Interpersonal conflict is a disagreement between or among
__________ individuals.
2)
Conflicts over status differences or issues of control are best described as
__________ conflicts;
conflicts over events external to the parties involved are best described as
__________ conflicts.
3)
In
__________ cultures, conflicts are more likely to occur when people violated expected norms.
4)
Engaging in a collaborating conflict style generally results in an: I
__________, you __________
solution.
5)
The only real alternative to force is
__________
6)
People who enter into conflict with the attitude that they know it all are engaging in the defensive
strategy of __________
7) __________ refers to a special type of avoidance, where you refuse to discuss the conflict or listen to the
other person’s argument.
8) __________ refers to a quality that is productive in conflict resolution. It refers to your willingness to
press for your point of view; it is your tendency to speak your mind on significant issues.
9) Verbal aggressiveness
Matching Sequence
__________ the user’s credibility.
Match the conflict style to its orientation.
1)
I lose, you lose. A) competing
2)
I lose, you win. B) avoiding
3)
We both win some and lose some. C) compromising
4)
I win, you win. D) collaborating
5)
I win, you lose. E) accommodating