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KEY
Chapter 9: Communicating in Groups
Multiple-Choice Questions
1. “A collection of more than two people who share some kind of relationship with one another, who
communicate in an interdependent fashion, and who collaborate toward some shared purpose” defines which
term?
2. Which of the following is not a characteristic of a group?
3. Which of the following would not be considered a group?
4. Your family would be considered what kind of group?
5. A campus-wide committee is established to tackle the issue of diversity. Its mission is to create a more
comfortable campus climate; recruit more diverse students, faculty, and administrators; and improve retention
among minority groups. What type of group is this?
6. A group that works together to carry out a project or specific endeavor, or to compete against other groups, is
referred to as a
7. During which stage of a group’s development do the members try to negotiate who will be in charge and what
the group’s goals will be?
8. “Recurring patterns of behavior or thinking that come to be accepted in a group as the ‘usual’ way of doing
things” is a definition associated with which term?
9. During the group’s third meeting, George noticed a pattern emerging: Every time the group members were
close to making a decision, someone would ask him if he agreed. As the meeting came to a close, someone
asked him what time the next meeting would be held and if there was anything in particular they should bring
to the next meeting. George wondered if the group had begun to recognize him as their leader. Based on this
information, what stage of development does George’s group appear to be in?
11. A small subgroup of individuals who have bonded together within a group is called a
12. Danni and Michelle were the co-captains of their high school’s small environmental action club, and now that
they are at college, they have joined a large club with a similar mission. However, Danni has noticed that
Michelle’s behavior changed once they joined up with a larger group of students. Once a passionate and tireless
worker, Michelle now seems content to sit back and let others do the work. Which of the following terms seems
to describe the change in Michelle’s behavior?
13. A network in which communication passes from one person to another rather than being shared among
members is referred to as a/an
14. Roles that are concerned with the accomplishment of a group’s goals are referred to as
15. A person in a group who helps keep the conversation on track is referred to as a/an
16. A gatekeeper is a group member who
17. During committee meetings, Michael repeatedly commented to the effect, “I’ve been on this committee for
years and I’ve organized a number of professional development workshops that went great, so trust me on this
one—what our administration is really looking for is. . . .” What antigroup role does Michael appear to be
exemplifying?
18. Brad recently relocated from his company’s main offices in Detroit to be a regional manager in Minneapolis.
While the new job is a step up for him professionally, he tells his assistant, “There just isn’t the same
enthusiasm here. Back in Detroit, everybody was excited about the work we were doing, and nobody quit in the
whole time I was there—it was just a really close group.” Brad’s comments seem to reveal that his former
group at the corporate headquarters had a higher level of __________ than the group in Minneapolis.
19. __________ is a situation in which group members strive to minimize conflict by refusing to critically examine
ideas, analyze proposals, or test solutions.
3. A focus group is a group of people who have been brought together to focus on solving a particular problem.
4. Social groups are not considered true groups because they do not have a clear enough common goal or purpose.
10. Adding even one person to a group can make the relationships between the group members more complex.
11. Group members may feel less commitment to participate in a larger group in part because there are limited
15. In Josie’s family, her mom has the greatest amount of centrality. She is the one everyone shares information
with, and she then makes sure everyone else who needs that information gets it. We would describe Josie’s
16. Information seekers create problems for a group because they bog down the group’s progress toward
17. A gatekeeper can help build cohesion in a group and minimize social loafing by ensuring that all members of
18. Less cohesive groups are usually more effective than more cohesive groups because there is less social loafing.
21. While conflict can become a challenge to a group, it can also be helpful in preventing groupthink if it is
Short-Answer Questions
1. Define the term group.
H = Characteristics of Groups (p. 190); C = knowledge; D = 2
2. What three characteristics do all groups have in common?
3. Provide an example of a problem-solving group.
H = Group Types (p. 191); C = comprehension; D = 2
4. List the five stages that groups go through as they develop.
H = Group Development (pp. 192‒194); C = knowledge; D = 3
5. Describe one of the norms that has developed in one of your groups.
H = Norming (p. 193); C = comprehension; D = 3
6. Name three challenges a group faces as it grows larger.
H = Size and Complexity (pp. 194‒195); C = knowledge; D = 2
7. Contrast what is meant by a clique and a countercoalition.
H = Size and the Formation of Cliques (p. 196); C = comprehension; D = 2
8. Define social loafing.
H = Group Size and Social Loafing (p. 196); C = knowledge; D = 1
9. What is the difference between centrality and isolation in a network?
H = Group Networks (p. 197); C = comprehension; D = 1
10. Briefly describe a hypothetical chain network.
H = Chain Networks (pp. 197‒198); C = comprehension; D =2
11. In a/an __________ network, all members are an equal distance from one another and all members interact with
one another.
H = All-Channel Networks (p. 198); C = knowledge; D = 1
12. What purpose does an elaborator serve in a group?
H = Task Roles (p. 199); C = knowledge; D = 2
13. A/An __________ seeks to smooth over tension in a group by settling differences among members.
H = Social Roles (p. 200); C = knowledge; D = 1
14. List two antigroup roles.
H = Antigroup Roles (p. 200); C = knowledge; D = 2
15. How does your textbook suggest that you can determine the cohesion of a group?
H = Cohesion (p. 202); C = comprehension; D = 2
16. Define groupthink.
H = Groupthink (p. 202); C = knowledge; D = 2
17. In a/an __________ culture, members of a group seek consensus and group harmony.
H = Cultural Factors (p. 205); C = knowledge; D = 1
18. What are the three identified causes of communication apprehension within a group communication context?
H = Communication Apprehension (p. 207); C = knowledge; D = 3
Essay Questions
1. List and explain the characteristics that all groups share. Analyzing a group that you belong to, explain how
each of these characteristics plays out in that group.
C = comprehension and application; D = 1
2. Use a group that you have belonged to, either in the past or currently, to illustrate how a group moves through
each of the five stages of group development. Describe specific examples to illustrate how the group functioned
at each stage.
C = comprehension and application; D = 1
3. Explain the ways in which an increase in group size affects communication among group members.
C = comprehension; D = 1
4. Synthesizing what you have learned throughout the chapter, how do you think that an increase in group size and
the type of network a group uses affect cohesion and climate?
C = synthesizing and analysis; D = 3
5. Describe a group you have participated in—anything from an informal study group to a highly structured team.
How cohesive was the group? What factors do you believe encouraged or discouraged cohesion? Describe the
group’s norms.
C = comprehension and analysis; D = 2
6. List and describe the task roles and social roles that help a group function effectively. What roles do you think
are most important to group cohesion? Are there any roles that you think a group can function well without?
Why?
C = comprehension and evaluation; D = 3
The additional questions are meant to give the student an opportunity to demonstrate critical thinking—there
are no definitive answers based on what is discussed in the text.
7. Joan has recently taken over as chair of a highly disorganized and dysfunctional committee. She’s passionate
about the group’s mission, and she knows others are, too. However, every meeting seems to devolve into chaos
and they never get anything done. What would you explain to Joan about antigroup roles and other common
challenges that groups face to help her understand what is preventing her group from succeeding?
C = comprehension and analysis; D = 2
8. Define groupthink, and synthesize what you learned throughout this chapter to explain what you think a group’s
leader can do to prevent groupthink from interfering with the success of his or her group in accomplishing its
goals.
C = synthesis and evaluation; D = 3
9. Synthesizing what you have learned throughout this chapter, what do you think a group leader can do to set a
group up to succeed?
*This question can also be used to synthesize information learned in other chapters by rephrasing it as:
Synthesizing what you have learned in this chapter and others, what do you think a group leader can do to set
up a group to succeed? What verbal, nonverbal, and listening skills would you suggest a group leader use to
foster cohesion and a positive group climate, and to ensure that the goals of the group are clear?
C = synthesis and analysis; D = 2‒3
10. Synthesizing what you have learned about culture and gender from this chapter and others, describe some of the
ways that culture might influence communication within a group.
C = comprehension and synthesis; D = 3
