Chapter 03 – Communication Principles for Group Members
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Chapter 03
Communication Principles for Group Members
Multiple Choice Questions
1. (p. 48–49) Symbols
A. limit us to the here and now.
B. are finite representations of objects.
2. (p. 48–53) Which was NOT one of the communication characteristics discussed in Chapter 3?
D. Shared meaning is the responsibility of all members.
E. Communication involves content and relationship dimensions.
3. (p. 49–51) Transactional communication involves all of the following EXCEPT
A. simultaneous communication.
B. multi-directional communication.
4. (p. 49) “Communication is personal” means that
D. communication can only occur among people, not with inanimate objects or less complex
organisms than humans.
E. there are no neutral words.
5. (p. 48–49) Sterling tells Molly that her hair looks “bad,” meaning it as a compliment, but Molly
interprets this as a put-down. This is one of the disadvantages of
A. meanings being shared exactly the same by everyone.
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6. (p. 51–53) The content dimension of a message deals with the _____ of a message, while the
relational dimension of a message deals with the _____ of a message.
A. depth; breadth
B. nonverbal aspect; verbal aspect
7. (p. 51–53) The instructor explained that the students did not perform well on the exam, but he
did so in a very condescending tone, this refers to the _____ dimension of the message.
D. tonality
E. expressive
8. (p. 53) Which is the most accurate statement about the terms “listening” and “hearing” when
communicating in a group?
D. Both involve responding overtly to the source.
E. Hearing requires concentrated, intentional listening.
9. (p. 54–55) Listeners in a group who often give feedback about group goals and ways to achieve
those goals are
A. content-oriented listeners.
B. people-oriented listeners.
10. (p. 55) A listener who prefers information from perceived credible sources and is drawn to
analyzing the information she or he hears is called a(n)
D. action-oriented listener.
E. time-oriented listener.
11. (p. 55) When engaging in controversial group discussions, Deandre restates what the
speaker before him said in his own words. This active listening practice is called
A. analyzing.
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12. (p. 57) A person who pretends to be listening while thinking about something else is
engaged in
A. mind assaulting.
B. focusing on irrelevancies.
13. (p. 53) Listening is a process that includes
A. perceiving and responding.
B. hearing, recognizing, feeling, and responding.
14. (p. 53) Which of the following is a major factor that influences what words and actions mean
to us?
A. gender
B. age
15. (p. 54–55) Fong is a very task-focused listener, but sometimes Sally feels like he doesn’t care
about any of the group members. This illustrates which type of listening style?
D. time-oriented listeners
E. task-focused listeners
Fill in the Blank Questions
16. (p. 49) Transactional implies that members create mutual _____ for what words and
concepts mean.
17. (p. 51–53) The content dimension of a message involves the message’s ideas or the _____ of
the message, while the relational dimension of a message is _____ the message is expressed.
Chapter 03 – Communication Principles for Group Members
18. (p. 54) Listeners who focus on how their listening behaviors impact relationships are _____
listeners.
19. (p. 55) _____ listeners enjoy analyzing the things they hear.
20. (p. 55–56) A time-oriented listener values _____ and is focused on efficient discussion.
21. (p. 53) _____ is a four-step process that begins with perceiving a message, then interpreting
it, deciding what it means, and finally responding to it.
22. (p. 55) Sometimes a(n) _____ listener can seem overly critical.
23. (p. 57) When you interpret a speaker’s behavior using your own cultural rules you are
_____.
24. (p. 57) When a group member appears to be listening but is thinking about something else,
she or he is _____.
25. (p. 59) _____ takes many forms, like e-mail and chat room discussions.
True/False Questions
26. (p. 48) All words are symbols.
27. (p. 49–50) While engaged in discussion, members of a small group are simultaneously
senders and receivers of information.
28. (p. 49–50) Face–to–face communication is like a tennis game, with interaction going one way,
then the other.
29. (p. 51) Making communication productive in a group meeting is the responsibility of the
group’s leader rather than of all the members.
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30. (p. 54) People–oriented listeners can attend too much to others’ moods and get distracted
from the group’s task.
31. (p. 57) Sidetracking during a conversation is appropriate if you become bored with the
speaker.
32. (p. 53) “Hearing” and “listening” mean the same thing.
33. (p. 54–55) Action–oriented listeners are most concerned with time management in a group.
34. (p. 55) Accurate paraphrasing is a good sign of active listening.
35. (p. 55) Active listening tends to reduce the amount of time it takes to discuss an issue.
Essay Questions
36. (p. 48–53) We use communication to refer to the transactional process in which people
simultaneously create, interpret, and negotiate shared meaning through their interaction.
Name the five major characteristic and give an example of how each may occur in a small
group.
Answers will vary.
37. (p. 48–53) Explain what is unique about describing a process as “transactional.”
Answers will vary.
38. (p. 51–53) Give one example of something said or done by a group member recently in a
group you belong to. Identify the content dimension of the behavior and the relationship
dimension of the same behavior.
Answers will vary.
39. (p. 53–56) First, explain “listening” and “active listening.” Second, give one example of active
listening.
Answers will vary.
40. (p. 53) Explain the difference between hearing and listening. Why is it important to listen to
fellow members of a small group?
Answers will vary.
41. (p. 54–55) List and explain the four listening preferences and give an example of each.
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Answers will vary.
42. (p. 54–56) Identify one advantage and one disadvantage of each of the listening preferences.
Answers will vary.
43. (p. 57) List the six habits of poor listeners and give an example of each.
Answers will vary.
44. (p. 59–60) Explain computer-mediated communication (CMC). What might be some
advantages and disadvantages of utilizing this tool? Connect your answer to the five
characteristics of communication.
Answers will vary.
45. (p. 59–60) Describe how your group has used technology to communicate. Explain the type of
technology and how your group has used the technology. Then identify two ways in which
that technology has helped communication and two ways you think you could improve when
using that technology.
Answers will vary.