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Test Bank
Chapter 4: The Environmental Context
Multiple Choice
1. The amount of information contained or perceived in the environment per some unit of time is
also referred to as ______.
a. the built environment
b. one's monochronic time orientation
c. one's polychronic time orientation
d. the information rate
2. Which list of terms best describes an environment with a high load?
a. certain, redundant, and probable
b. fast-paced and quick
c. crowded, immediate, and dense
d. sluggish, slow, and lingering
3. Which list of terms best describes an environment with a low load?
a. certain, redundant, and probable
b. fast-paced, and quick
c. crowded, immediate, and dense
d. sluggish, slow, and lingering
4. Many Western societies believe that nature is ______.
a. to be controlled, domesticated, and subjugated
b. an omnipotent force that is unmanageable
c. consistent, orderly, and cyclical
d. random, chaotic, and disorderly
5. The built environment consists mainly of ______.
a. high load situations, including randomness
b. low load situations, including patterns
c. the physical geography of the earth, including climate
d. adaptations to the terrestrial environment, including housing
6. Which of the following best describes fixed-feature space?
a. moveable space such as furniture and seating
b. permanent space such as walls, floors, and windows
c. perceptual space that varies according to the movement of the interactants
d. psychological space such as monochronic and polychronic orientations
7. Which of the following best describes semifixed space?
a. moveable space such as furniture and seating
b. permanent space such as walls, floors, and windows
c. perceptual space that varies according to the movement of the interactants
d. psychological space such as monochronic and polychronic orientations
8. Which of the following best describes informal space?
a. moveable space such as furniture and seating
b. permanent space such as walls, floors, and windows
c. perceptual space that varies according to the movement of the interactants
d. psychological space such as monochronic and polychronic orientations
9. According to Hall's classification of social distances, personal space is defined as ______.
a. that which is reserved for intimate contact, including touching
b. a comfortable distance that is about an "arm's length"
c. public distance that is reserved for public speaking situations
d. the spacing people practice at social gatherings and in working situations
10. According to Westin's classification of privacy, solitude refers to ______.
a. the state of being free from observation of others
b. a state of being with another person, but free from the outside world
c. the state of being unknown, even in a crowd
d. the state in which a person employs barriers to control unwanted intrusion
11. Which of the following statements best describes a monochronic time orientation?
a. Time is not tangible, multiple activities can be performed simultaneously, and little emphasis
is placed on scheduling.
b. Time is compartmentalized but multiple activities can be performed simultaneously.
c. Time is compartmentalized, schedules are paramount, and time is tangible and valuable.
d. Multiple activities can be performed simultaneously, but scheduling is paramount.
12. Which of the following statements best describes a polychronic time orientation?
a. Time is not tangible, multiple activities can be performed simultaneously, and little emphasis
is placed on scheduling.
b. Time is compartmentalized but multiple activities can be performed simultaneously.
c. Time is compartmentalized, schedules are paramount, and time is tangible and valuable.
d. Multiple activities can be performed simultaneously, but scheduling is paramount.
13. Perhaps the most important consequence of a monochronic time orientation is that ______.
a. it requires a great deal of time to practice
b. it complies with the natural and gradual progression of human communication
c. it conflicts with the terrestrial and built environments
d. it denies the natural context and progression of human communication
True/False
1. An environment that has a high information rate has a high load, whereas one with a low
information rate has a low load.
2. The terrestrial environment for all cultures is the planet Earth.
3. An individual’s vulnerability to a natural disaster is influenced by the social hierarchy within
which that individual exists. In this sense, natural disasters are as much social phenomena as they
are natural ones.
4. The psychological environment of any culture consists mainly of adaptations to the terrestrial
environment, including architecture, housing, lighting, and landscaping.
5. Fixed-feature space includes that which is moveable (usually within semifixed-feature space),
such as furniture.
6. Although the need for privacy is innate and universal, the degree to which an individual
human feels the need for seclusion varies considerably across cultures.
7. The 1974 Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, also known as the Buckley
Amendment, allows colleges and universities to disclose academic records without student
approval.
8. People with a polychronic time (or P-time) orientation emphasize schedules—the
compartmentalization and segmentation of measurable units of time.
9. People with a monochronic time (or M-time) orientation allow the natural context to guide
behaviors and stress multiple activities with little emphasis on scheduling.
10. Due to their lack of focus on time, many people within a monochronic time-oriented culture
are unable to tell time.
11. Polychronic time oriented cultures tend to wear Rolex watches whereas people in
monochronic time oriented cultures tend to wear Timex watches.
Essay/Short Answer
1. Compare and contrast high and low load environments.
2. Kluckhohn argues that cultures can be described as having one of three orientations toward
nature. List and provide a brief description of each one.
3. Explain how the physical structure of your home, school, or work environment illustrates your
culture’s perception and use of space.
4. Compare and contrast monochronic and polychronic time orientations.
