A First Look At Communication Theory, 10e (Griffin)
Chapter 35 Face-Negotiation Theory
1) The term “face” is defined as:
A) a psychological image that can be granted and lost and fought for and presented as a gift.
B) the public self-image that every member of society wants to claim for himself/herself.
C) the projected image of one’s self in a relational situation.
D) All of the answers are correct.
2) A classic example of a collectivistic culture is:
A) the United States.
B) Japan.
C) England.
D) Australia.
3) According to Harry Triandis, which of the following statements is true of the Japanese?
A) They assume that every person is unique, and they reduce uncertainty by asking questions to
the point of cross-examination.
B) They believe that group-based information is less important than unique individual
differences.
C) They value collective needs and goals over individual needs and goals.
D) They are governed by the personal rules of a freewheeling self that is concerned with
individual rights.
4) Which of the following statements is true of face-restoration?
A) It is the typical face strategy across collectivistic cultures, particularly in Japan.
B) It is the face strategy used to preserve autonomy.
C) It is used to defend and support other person’s need for inclusion.
D) It often involves self-effacement.
5) Identify a true statement about face-giving.
A) It is the characteristic face strategy across collectivistic cultures.
B) It is the facework strategy used to stake out a unique place in life.
C) It is used to defend against loss of personal freedom.
D) It is likely to cause embarrassment or humiliation of others in public.
6) In response to conflict, individuals who are members of collectivistic cultures and who score
high on other-face concern usually choose the ________ conflicting style.
A) integrating
B) dominating
C) obliging
D) compromising
7) The conflicting style that is NOT typical of individuals from collectivistic cultures is:
A) avoiding.
B) dominating.
C) obliging.
D) compromising.
8) In the context of the five styles of conflict management, which of the following best describes
“integrating”?
A) competing to win when people’s interests conflict
B) accommodating or giving in to the wishes of another in a conflict situation
C) conflict management by negotiating or bargaining
D) problem solving through open discussion
9) Self-construal refers to:
A) Americans’ concern for self-face.
B) the relational connectedness that is emphasized by an interdependent self.
C) the degree to which people conceive of themselves as relatively autonomous from, or
connected to, others.
D) the type of face maintenance that an individual chooses to deal with conflict.
10) A criticism of the research methodology used by Ting-Toomey and John Oetzel involves:
A) their reliance on an American sample.
B) the use of self-report survey data.
C) their use of an interpretive lens for analysis.
D) a very limited subject pool.
11) The we-identity of Americans is similar to the I-identity of the Japanese.
12) In the context of self-construal, the interdependent self values we–identity and emphasizes
relational connectedness, and is therefore closely aligned with collectivism.
13) In a conflict, people from collectivistic cultures are more likely to focus on face-restoration
than on face-giving.
14) Unlike people with a mutual-face concern, people with an other-face concern will favor an
integrating strategy of apologizing, private discussion, remaining calm, problem solving, or
showing respect.
15) Stella Ting-Toomey and her colleagues were surprised to discover that Asian students were
more partial to integration than were their American counterparts.
16) Knowledge is the most important dimension of facework competence.
17) Members of individualistic cultures tend to rely on the conflict resolution style of
dominating.
18) Oetzel and Ting-Toomey claim that ethnic or cultural background is a better predictor of
conflict styles than self-construal.
19) A low-context culture wherein people look out for themselves and their immediate families
is referred to as a(n) ________.
20) Classic examples of collectivistic cultures are ________.
21) In the context of conflict styles, accommodating or giving in to the wishes of another in a
conflict situation is known as ________.
22) Compare individualistic and collectivistic cultures, particularly with respect to conflict face-
negotiation theory.
23) Discuss and provide an example each of face-restoration and face-giving. How are they
related to culture?
24) Ting-Toomey maintains that certain cultural types choose particular styles of negotiating
conflict. Discuss these styles with respect to the cultures.
25) Reflect on a conflict that you experienced or are currently experiencing. How would you
describe the facework and modes of conflict management employed? Are Ting-Toomey’s
predictions supported or undermined by your experience?
26) Are the strategies of emotional expression, passive aggression, and third-party help viewed
positively or negatively by most Americans? Can you think of situations in which one or more of
these strategies might be more effective than any of the traditional five styles (avoiding, obliging,
compromising, dominating, and integrating)?
27) How might gender affect an individual’s facework? What might be the implications of
gender differences within cultures for face-negotiation theory?
28) Explain Oetzel and Ting-Toomey’s recent discovery that self-construal is a better predictor of
conflict styles than ethnic or cultural backgrounds.
29) How might Baxter and Montgomery respond to Ting-Toomey’s face-negotiation theory?
30) In Griffin’s presentations of both constructivism and face-negotiation theory, studies
considering problems with undependable group members are featured. Compare the results of
the two experiments and the theories they are meant to test.
31) How might Mead, Pearce, Cronen, or other social constructionists view Ting-Toomey’s
notion of face? How is it a socially constructed phenomenon?