A First Look At Communication Theory, 10e (Griffin)
Chapter 12 Communication Privacy Management Theory
1) Sandra Petronio prefers to use which of the following terms when describing the central action
of her theory?
A) disclosure of private information
B) interactive intimacy
C) self-disclosure
D) self-other revelation
2) According to communication privacy management theory (CPM), which of the following
statements is true about the five factors that play into the way people develop their own privacy
rules?
A) Abused children find it difficult to have an abnormal conversation when their confidants are
engaged in mundane activities.
B) Attraction and liking as interpersonal motives fail to loosen privacy boundaries.
C) Both men and women feel more hesitant to reveal private information to a woman than to a
man.
D) Cultures differ on the value of openness and disclosure.
3) According to communication privacy management theory (CPM), which of the following is
NOT one of the factors that play into the way people develop their own privacy rules?
A) culture
B) family background
C) motivation
D) risk-benefit ratios
4) Which of the following best describes a reluctant confidant?
A) a confidant who deserves access and control regarding private information and the rules for
sharing it
B) a confidant who is fully committed to not sharing private information if not desired by the
original owner
C) a co-owner of private information who did not seek it nor want it
D) a recipient who sought out private information to help others out
5) A ________ refers to a confidant who deserves access and control regarding private
information and the rules for sharing it.
A) reluctant confidant
B) deliberate confidant
C) shareholder
D) stakeholder
6) Pastor Rick seeks private information about the members of his church. He asks a lot of
questions to be able to know the members better. In this scenario, Rick most likely exemplifies
the role of a(n) ________.
A) deliberate confidant
B) intentional owner
C) induced discloser
D) reluctant confederate
7) When a recipient agrees to allow the original owner of private information to make decisions
regarding further disclosure and control, which of the following terms does Petronio use to
describe the recipient?
A) participatory owner
B) secondary owner
C) shareholder
D) silent partner
8) Erin tells her friend Keith about her intention to marry her long-distance partner and move to
another country. They agree that Keith can’t tell anyone in his family about this except his wife.
Which of the following is illustrated in this scenario?
A) boundary activation
B) boundary linkage
C) boundary ownership
D) boundary turbulence
9) In the context of boundary turbulence, which of the following situations best exemplifies
fuzzy boundaries?
A) when Simon discusses a sensitive case with his advocate in the presence of the advocate’s
neighbor
B) when Keith reveals Kyra’s secret relationship under the influence of alcohol to her friends
C) when Sean posts pictures of a trip that was supposed to be a secret on social media and tags
all his college friends
D) when Dorothy lies about her medical condition to avoid embarrassment
10) The interpretive criterion that CPM does NOT meet well is ________.
A) aesthetic appeal
B) clarification of values
C) communication of agreement
D) understanding of people
11) Petronio believes that no one truly owns his or her private information.
12) Sandra Petronio chooses to talk about the phrase “disclosure of private information” because
she feels that the phrase has a positive feel as opposed to the neutral connotation of the phrase
“self-disclosure.”
13) Disclosers must realize that the personal privacy boundary encompassing an information
morphs into a collective boundary that seldom shrinks back to being solely personal.
14) Once an individual becomes a co-owner of another person’s private information, each party
should have an equal say in how the information is managed.
15) Not all boundary ownership is 50-50, which suggests that not all co-owners come into
ownership naturally, intentionally, or willingly.
16) As a general rule of thumb, people who are highly eager to take on the role of confidant have
a high control over what they hear.
17) In the context of boundary linkage, it is unlikely that a recipient will deal with new
information the way the discloser wants when the discloser and recipient have a close, trusting
relationship.
18) Boundary turbulence is the result of failed coordination.
19) A confidant fully committed to handling private information according to the original
owner’s privacy rules is called a(n) ________.
20) The overall process of co-managing collective boundaries that Petronio envisions is not
simple and focuses on boundary ________, boundary ________, and boundary ________.
21) Instead of talking about self-disclosure, as many relational theorists do, Petronio refers to the
________.
22) Petronio’s theory is grounded in the assumption that people own their private information.
What does she mean by that? Why is ownership critical to the entire theory?
23) People become co-owners of information through different means. Explain at least two
routes to becoming a co-owner. What are the implications for the sense of responsibility that one
feels?
24) According to Petronio, once you know a piece of private information, you have rights and
responsibilities. What are they? What is coupled with ownership, and what must be negotiated?
25) Explain what is meant by boundary turbulence.
26) Is Petronio’s theory a communication theory or an information-management theory? What is
the difference?
27) How does CPM reflect a perspective of disclosure, privacy, and ownership?
28) According to Altman and Taylor’s social penetration theory, intimacy is established through
disclosure. Petronio seems to advocate that unmanaged disclosure is problematic. How do you
reconcile these positions?
29) How is privacy negotiated online? In keeping with Walther’s SIP, what boundaries are
unique to online relationships?
30) How does uncertainty affect boundary management? Think about uncertainty in the choice to
disclose or keep private, in negotiating shared information, and in turbulence. What would
Berger say?
31) Does information change when it is moved from being privately held to co-owned?
According to CMM, we are persons-in-conversation. Does something change when we dump our
proverbial trucks and share information with others?