Chapter 9—Nonverbal Communication: The Messages of Action, Space, Time, and
Silence
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. If you scowl because you are angry, or frown because you are sad, what function of nonverbal
communication are you engaged in?
a.
expressing internal states
b.
regulating interaction
c.
repeating
d.
conforming display
e.
informing
2. If a person say’s “ok” while gesturing with a ‘thumbs-up’ or ‘a-ok’ sign, what is the function o the
nonverbal communication?
a.
regulating
b.
repeating
c.
substituting
d.
creating identity
e.
conforming display
3. If a server asks you if you’d like a refill and you nod in agreement because your mouth is full, what is
the nonverbal communication function demonstrated by the nod?
a.
regulating
b.
repeating
c.
substituting
d.
conforming display
e.
B and D
4. The definition of nonverbal communication offered by the authors of the text includes all of the
following concepts except:
a.
all nonverbal stimuli with potential message value generated by the source
b.
all nonverbal stimuli with potential message value generated by the receiver
c.
all nonverbal stimuli with potential message value generated by the source through his or
her use of the environment
d.
A and C
e.
A, B, and C
5. Identify the “unintentional” example of nonverbal communication:
a.
smiling to let a friend know you’re happy
b.
giving a “thumbs up” sign when asked about how you did on your intercultural
communication test
c.
looking at your watch because you want to leave a conversation
d.
looking at your watch to see what time it is
e.
A and C
6. If you scratch your head because you have an itch, but an observer thinks you are scratching your head
because you’re confused about something, what type of nonverbal communication has occurred?
a.
unintentional
b.
intentional
c.
emergent
d.
non-emergent
e.
none
7. Most people smile when they are happy, but some people smile when they are nervous. This directly
reflects the idea that:
a.
multiple factors influence nonverbal communication
b.
nonverbal communication includes cultural universals
c.
nonverbal communication can be ambiguous
d.
A and C
e.
A, B, and C
8. According to the text, which of the following is true about beauty?
a.
what is beautiful in one culture may be hideous in another
b.
although the U.S. tends to view muscular men and tall slender women as beautiful, this is
not true in all cultures
c.
throughout history, people have done things to their body in the name of beauty
d.
A and B
e.
A, B, and C
9. Which of the following is true regarding the nonverbal message value of clothing?
a.
it can convey social and economic status
b.
moral standards
c.
belief system
d.
athletic abilities or interests
e.
A, B, C, and D
10. While all people use various movements to communicate,
a.
some movements are more common than others
b.
culture teaches people how to use and interpret those movements
c.
actors are better at it than others
d.
it is only those movements that are innate
e.
A, C, and D
11. Gestures include all of the following except:
a.
crossing your fingers
b.
thumbs up
c.
laughter
d.
pointing at a person
e.
A, B, and D
12. Gestures that are found in one culture and are a property of that specific culture are referred to as:
a.
idiosyncratic gestures
b.
monomorphic gestures
c.
universal gestures
d.
proprietary gestures
e.
orts
13. The correct way to beckon or call someone over to you nonverbally is with:
a.
one hand palm up, fingers together, moving toward the body
b.
cupping a hand palm down pulling fingers in toward the body
c.
right hand up palm out fingers opening and closing
d.
A, B, and C
e.
it depends on the cultural rules
14. Which of the following is true about agreement gestures?
a.
they mean the same thing in every culture
b.
always indicates agreement
c.
are culturally based
d.
A and C
e.
none
15. Which of the following is true about smiles?
a.
a universal act
b.
people are born knowing how to smile
c.
what produces a smile is the same across cultures
d.
A and B
e.
A, B, and C
16. All of the following statements are true about eye behavior in the dominant U.S. culture except ____.
a.
direct gaze signals a positive connection
b.
direct eye contact reflects a lack of interest
c.
avoiding eye contact is often associated with deceit
d.
prolonged stare often perceived as a signal of interest or sexual suggestion:
e.
A and B
17. If you are getting your hair cut, what type of touch will the stylist be likely to use?
a.
professional
b.
accidental
c.
incidental
d.
social-politeness
e.
intentional
18. In the U.S., ____.
a.
women touch more than men do
b.
African Americans engage in more interpersonal touch than whites
c.
Black females touch each other twice as much as white females
d.
B and C
e.
A, B, and C
19. Vocal qualities include all of the following except:
a.
volume
b.
tempo
c.
dialect
d.
resonance
e.
none
20. Examples of vocal characteristics include:
a.
“ums”
b.
“errs”
c.
groans
d.
“uhhs”
e.
A, B, C, and D
21. Vocal segregates include:
a.
“ums”
b.
“errs”
c.
moans
d.
groans
e.
A and B
22. According the spatial rules of the dominant U.S. culture, two people standing approximately 3 feet
apart are likely to be:
a.
family or a close friend
b.
business acquaintances
c.
intimate partner or significant other
d.
strangers
e.
colleagues
23. The invisible bubble that surrounds a person expands and contracts based on a person’s relationship is
referred to as:
a.
intimate distance
b.
personal space
c.
mobile territory
d.
variable territory
e.
transitional territory
24. Identify which of the following statements regarding U.S. gender differences in use of space is/are
true:
a.
men more frequently walk in front of female partner
b.
men claim more space than women
c.
men more actively defend their territories
d.
under conditions of high density, men are more aggressive in their attempts to regain space
e.
A, B, C, and D
25. If a person in the U.S. tells a child, “I’ll be there in a minute,” what type of time are they referencing?
a.
formal
b.
social
c.
informal
d.
professional
e.
rational
26. A conceptualization in which time is viewed as a finite, scarce resource which must be rationed and
controlled is referred to as:
a.
m-time
b.
bounded time
c.
p-time
d.
unbounded time
e.
f-time
27. Cultures with a polychronic time orientation ____.
a.
view time as linear
b.
are not concerned about doing more than one thing at a time
c.
define time by events rather than a clock
d.
A and C
e.
B and C
28. All of the following are purposes of silence except:
a.
give participants time to think
b.
provide feedback
c.
reward
d.
punishment
e.
suppress an emotion
29. What recommendations do the authors offer to improve nonverbal communication?
a.
monitor nonverbal actions
b.
monitor feedback
c.
look for patterns of universality
d.
A and B
e.
A, B, and C
30. What dimension of nonverbal communication puts an increased burden on you whether you are the
sender or the receiver?
a.
nonverbal sensitization
b.
nonverbal ambiguity
c.
nonverbal monomorphism
d.
nonverbal polymorphism
e.
nonverbal sensitivity
31. Because communication is rule-governed, improving the nonverbal aspects requires:
a.
being sensitive to context
b.
knowing your culture
c.
being aware of nonverbal ambiguity
d.
monitoring feedback and your nonverbal actions
e.
A, B, C, and D
TRUE/FALSE
1. Many of the critical meanings generated in human encounters are elicited by touch, glance, vocal
nuance, etc., with or without accompanying words.
2. Whether it is fear, joy, anger, or sadness, your posture, face, and eyes convey your feelings without
you having to utter a word.
3. Nonverbal behavior has little role in regulating interactions.
4. If you say “good job” while giving the ‘thumbs up’ sign, you are substituting the message with
nonverbal communication.
5. Nonverbal communication is always intentional.
6. It is virtually impossible to separate verbal and nonverbal behavior into to separate and distinct
categories.
7. The majority opinion among scholars is that there are universal facial expressions for which people
have similar meanings.
8. Appearance is important because it often determines whether an interaction will occur or not.
9. Decorating the body appears to be a unique to certain cultures.
10. People use a person’s attractiveness to make inferences about that individual’s intelligence, gender,
age, approachability, etc.
11. Hijabs tend to generate more controversy in non-Muslim nations than Burqas.
12. There are so many nuances to bowing in Japan that young children begin to learn this nonverbal
behavior at a very young age.
13. Gestures are a nonverbal vocabulary that people use, both intentionally and unintentionally, to share
their internal states.
14. The “thumbs up” sign is considered positive in the U.S. as well as in Australia and West Africa.
15. An example of an idiosyncratic gesture would be the French, who often will pull the skin down below
their right eye to indicate distrust, disbelief, or suspicion.
16. Indians will indicate agreement by tossing their heads side to side, in contrast to Americans, who nod
up and down.
17. The Japanese and Chinese restraint of strong feelings is considered to be a sign of immaturity and
foolishness.
18. The many rules implicit in our culture about looking at others are a tacit admission that eye contact is
perhaps the single most important facial cue.
19. Mexican Americans consider sustained eye contact when speaking directly to someone as rude.
20. If a cashier touches your hand while giving you change, this is referred to as professional touch.
21. Muslim women seldom touch or are touched by members outside of their family.
22. African Americans tend to use less inflection and vocal range than most white Americans.
23. When we talk about the pitch, tone, rate, and tempo of speech, we are referring to vocal characterizers.
24. Umms, ers, likes, and you knows in a stream of speech are referred to as vocal segregates.
25. Laughing and crying are both considered vocal characteristics.
26. According to Hall’s distance zones, 4 ft. to 12 ft. is considered to be social distance.
27. Because of the business standard, American offices and furniture are arranged in much the same way
as they are in China, Japan, France, Germany, etc.
28. Scheduling a job interview for 2:00 pm is an example of formal use of time.
29. During negotiations, Americans have similar expectations with regard to small talk as their Japanese
counterparts.
30. People of the Asian world tend to think of time as something fixed in nature.
31. P-time, or polychromic time, is an orientation common in Arab, African, and Latin American cultures.
32. A silent reaction to a business proposal would seem negative to American, French, and German
executives, but not Arabic executives.
ESSAY
1. List and describe the functions of nonverbal communication. Provide an intercultural communication
example for each.
2. Explain the role of nonverbal communication in the formation of identity.
3. What is the role of intentionality in nonverbal communication?
4. Are there cultural universals in nonverbal communication? Justify your answer.
5. Discuss the relationship between culture and appearance. Include the concepts of beauty and skin
color.
6. Provide at least three examples of attire associated with the Muslim faith. Discuss the meaning of these
items within the culture as well as how they might be perceived by non-Muslim cultures.
7. How does the communicative value of body movement vary across cultures? Include examples of both
posture, and gestures.
8. Differentiate between idiosyncratic, agreement, and beckoning gestures. Be sure to demonstrate
cultural differences for each.
9. How does the frequency and intensity of gestures vary across cultures?
10. Identify at least three cultures which have different interpretations or rules of facial expression when
compared to the United States. Be sure to identify both the culture and the nonverbal “rule.”
11. Compare and contrast the concepts of eye contact, gaze, and staring. Include examples both within and
outside the U.S.
12. List and describe the six different types of touch identified in the dominant U.S. culture.
13. Compare the cultural norms of touch in the U.S. to at least two other cultures. Be specific.
14. What is paralanguage? What are its primary components?
15. Describe an interaction in which vocal qualities, vocal characteristics, and vocal segregates are
involved. Identify each instance and explain why they exemplify each concept.
16. Identify Hall’s distance zones for defining personal space rules in the U.S. How might individuals from
other cultures benefit from knowing them? How can it help with other cultures?
17. How do the rules of seating differ from culture to culture and what does seating communicate? Include
at least two specific examples.
18. Compare and contrast the concepts of formal and informal time.
19. What is meant by a culture’s orientation toward punctuality and pace? Define each concept and provide
examples.
20. Explain what is meant by monochronic time, or M-time. Name at least two cultures that have this
orientation and provide two examples that demonstrate the relationship.
21. What is meant by the term polychromic time, or P-time? Identify two cultures that share this
orientation and provide examples that demonstrate the relationship.
22. What is the role of silence in communication? How is it used in different cultures?
23. Based on the recommendations offered in the text, what steps should you take to help improve your
nonverbal communication skills?