Test Bank
Chapter 9: Developing Intercultural Relationships
Multiple Choice
1. Which of the following statements best represents the fundamental assumption of uncertainty
reduction theory?
a. When strangers first meet, their primary goal is to reduce anxiety and increase the uncertainty
about the behavior of themselves and the other person.
b. When strangers first meet, their primary goal is to engage in nonverbal affiliative
expressiveness and reciprocity about the behavior of themselves and the other person.
c. When strangers first meet, their primary goal is to increase their sociocommunicative
orientation.
d. When strangers first meet, their primary goal is to reduce uncertainty and increase the
predictability about the behavior of themselves and the other person.
2. Which of the following strategies is most likely to be used by a person from a high-context
culture when trying to reduce uncertainty?
a. Ask a lot of questions.
b. Focus on the other’s social background.
c. Engage in direct eye contact.
d. Engage a variety of verbal strategies.
3. Which of the following is associated with increased uncertainty?
a. minimum tolerance
b. maximum tolerance
c. increased anxiety
d. decreased anxiety
4. The two communication dimensions of sociocommunicative style include ______.
a. assertiveness and responsiveness
b. similarity and reciprocity
c. similarity and responsiveness
d. assertiveness and reciprocity
5. The model of relational empathy assumes that ______.
a. people should develop empathic listening skills
b. similarity is key in developing empathy
c. interactants can accurately infer another’s thoughts or feelings
d. whenever two people come together and interact, they create a third culture
6. Byrne’s fundamental postulate is that attitude similarity leads to ______.
a. positive affect, which in turn leads to attraction
b. uncertainty reduction
c. intercultural communication competence
d. intercultural communication apprehension
7. The fundamental theme of Confucianism is that ______.
a. individuals participate in relationships to maximize their own self-interests
b. proper relationships form the cornerstone of society
c. individuals have maximum levels of tolerance
d. individuals have minimum levels of tolerance
8. According to Confucianism, an individual’s conduct in society should be guided by which four
principles?
a. tolerance, competence, reduced uncertainty, and similarity
b. reciprocity, responsiveness, assertiveness, and similarity
c. humanism, faithfulness, propriety, and wisdom
d. relational empathy, wisdom, communication, and affiliativeness
9. A major difference between Eastern and Western relationships is that ______.
a. Eastern cultures engage in long-term and asymmetrical reciprocity
b. Western cultures engage in long-term and asymmetrical reciprocity
c. Eastern cultures engage in short-term and symmetrical reciprocity
d. Eastern cultures engage in contractual reciprocity
10. Across cultures, which of the following is generally the most preferred characteristic in a
mate?
a. similar religious background
b. physically attractive
c. kindness and understanding
d. good earning capacity
11. Many East Asian cultures practice particularism—that is, ______.
a. the belief that particular or unique rules and guidelines apply to each individual relationship
b. where interactants try to treat others as equally as possible, regardless of status or intimacy
level of the partners
c. the practice of initiating interaction with persons of similar backgrounds
d. the practice of initiating interaction with persons of diverse backgrounds
12. Which of the following countries has the highest divorce rate?
a. United States
b. Italy
c. Ukraine
d. Sweden
True/False
1. According to uncertainty reduction theory, when strangers first meet, their primary goal is to
reduce uncertainty and increase predictability in their own and the other person’s behavior.
2. To reduce uncertainty, during initial interaction persons, from low-context cultures tend to ask
a lot of questions.
3. Responsiveness refers to one’s ability to make requests; actively disagree; initiate, sustain, and
terminate conversations.
4. Assertiveness refers to one’s ability to be sensitive to the communication of others, be a good
listener, and engage in comforting communication.
5. The model of relational empathy is based on the idea that whenever two people come together
and interact, they create a third culture of shared meaning and relational empathy.
6. Perceived similarity, sometimes called perceived homophily, is perhaps the most dominant
force in our motivations to approach and interact with others.
7. Approximately two thirds of interracial marriages end in divorce, compared with 40% to 50%
for all marriages.
8. Overall, the relational maintenance behaviors reported by gay and lesbian couples are quite
different than those reported by heterosexual couples.
9. Social media users in Mexico use Facebook more than any other social media site.
10. According to a number of legitimate sources, there are over 26 million arranged marriages
annually worldwide, representing just over 53% of all marriages.
Essay/Short Answer
1. How does intercultural communication apprehension (ICA) affect the uncertainty reduction
process?
2. Describe the essential differences in relationships in Eastern and Western cultures.
3. How might one’s sociocommunicative style affect the uncertainty reduction process?