Chapter 3
Intercultural Communication
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Culture shock _______
2. Intercultural communication _______
3. Matthew lives his life by Christian principles, attends church twice a week, and he is in a Bible
study. When faced with choices in his life, he asks what the right choice is based on his faith.
Matthew’s religion is an example of _______
4. Cultural identity _______
5. If a person sees it as normal that they must approach their boss in a much different way than
they approach other co-workers, they probably come from a(n)
_______
6. Jerry is more likely to be a member of a collectivist culture if he _______
7. Which of these can be a co-culture?
8. If someone prefers concrete and specific language and predictability, they are likely to be from
a
______
9. If you come from a culture characterized as having high power distance, _______
10. If you come from a culture characterized as having low power distance,
_______
11. A person who values a company’s health and retirement plans more than the base salary is
probably from a _______ culture.
12. Ashlee likes that she is small, has long hair and enjoys wearing dresses. However, she also
likes to wear men’s jeans, is a construction worker, and does not intend to have children.
Based on this information, Ashlee is probably from a _______ culture.
13. Sharon works at a retail store in the U.S. Even though the transactions take longer and are
more difficult when she serves a customer who does not speak much English and have
different cultural norms, Sharon is patient and realizes these interactions are inevitable and can
still result in satisfaction for both the customer and her. Sharon is doing what suggested
behavior to improve intercultural communication?
14. If Yolanda was upset because she was unable to get a hamburger and French fries for lunch
one day during her study abroad to Guatemala, her attitude would be demonstrating _______
15. When Miriam noticed that a group of Asian women in the cafeteria had an increased loudness
or pitch to their speech, she assumed that they must be arguing. Which of the following is she
demonstrating?
16. Johanna and Alexis are friends and co-workers. When Alexis gets a promotion and becomes
Johanna’s boss, Johanna suddenly begins to speak more formally with her. Alexis doesn’t
understand why her friend is acting so distant, but Johanna feels that she is simply acting
more respectful of Alexis’s new position. Which of the following communication barrier are
they experiencing?
17. Anthony is on vacation and declares that “the food at home is so much better.” He is taking
part in ______
18. If, in a communication setting, the receiver is expected to understand the message based on
the time, place, and way the message is delivered, the speaker is probably from a ______
19. Intercultural empathy is _______
20. When Elizabeth moved from New York to Savannah, Georgia, she had a hard time adjusting to
the slower pace, to people opening doors for her, and to people calling her ma’am. She felt
that what others intended as friendly gestures invaded her personal space. Elizabeth
experienced _______
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1. Intercultural communication does not occur unless you leave your home country.
2. Ethnicity and race are the same thing.
3. Someone from a low-context culture uses more gestures and unwritten rules to convey their
message.
4. Assumed similarity helps us communicate interculturally because we usually communicate
better when we understand others in terms of ourselves.
5. Altruism means being insensitive to cultural differences.
Essay Questions
1. Assume you are involved in a conflict at work. Discuss three ways in which you might
approach this conflict if you were from a collectivist culture, and explain how your approach
differs from the approach someone from an individualistic culture might take.
2. Identify a cultural saying or proverb from a culture of which you are a member or have
knowledge. What does the saying mean? Choose one of the dimensions of culture discussed in
the text and explain how that saying illustrates that aspect of the culture.
3. What factors should be considered when investigating barriers to intercultural communication?
Name and describe at least three barriers.
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