Chapter 1
Foundations of Human Relations
Test Bank
1. According to your chapter, __________is/are the single factor most responsible for success
of failure in business and personal relationships.
a. love
b. satisfaction
c. effective interpersonal skills
d. variable coping skills
2. In John Gottman’s research on satisfaction and happiness in married couples’ relationships,
he can predict with a _____ percent accuracy whether a relationship will succeed or fail.
a. 10
b. 30
c. 50
d. 90
3. According to Howard Markham, _________________ account(s) for more than 60% of the
level of satisfaction and happiness in married couples’ relationships.
a. communication skills
b. experience with relationships
c. time dating before marriage
d. the number of children
4. Jessica and Marshall, a married couple in their 30s, agreed to participate in a study conducted
by John Gottman. After reviewing their taped interactions, he announced that based on
_______________, they could look forward to a successful marriage.
a. how they looked at each other
b. their patterns of communication with one another
c. their similar values
d. their complementary viewpoints
5. According to the 2003 employer survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges
and Employers, _____________ were considered even more important factors for hiring
college graduates than were analytical skills, computer skills, or GPA.
a. professional preparations such as internships
b. previous experience in related fields
c. interpersonal skills such as communication, teamwork, and relating well to others
d. courses taken in major field of study
6. You have $75 to spend and want to increase your chances of landing a terrific job upon
completing college. According to the 2003 employer survey conducted by the National
Association of Colleges and Employers, the best way to apply that money to your job search
is to
a. take a class on résumé writing.
b. buy a new suit.
c. take a class on interpersonal communication skills.
d. take a computer class to improve keyboarding.
7. Which of the following components is NOT related to context of an interaction between two
individuals?
a. Cultural background of the individuals
b. Personalities of the individuals
c. Situational factors involved in the interaction
d. Unrelated topics
8. Your text suggests that human relations is more accurately thought of as an art. Which of the
following best describes this statement?
a. Getting along with others is challenging because we have to consider the contexts of our
interactions.
b. Getting along with others just takes skills; applying skills indiscriminately, regardless of
the situation, will result in continued success.
c. Getting along with others is best described as love conquers all. If everyone loves me,
they will understand me, even if I lack interpersonal skills.
d. Getting along with others is a waste of time because individuals will only look at
credentials, such as GPA and computer skills.
9. Because Anna is afraid to tell her mother that she received an F on her report card, she waits
until the weekend when they will both have more time to talk about it. The fact that she
chose to wait to talk to Mom shows a key understanding of the ________ factor associated
with listening.
a. internal
b. external
c. listener
d. speaker
10. In general, individuals from Western cultures are more likely to value ___________ in
communication.
a. expectations
b. respect
c. cooperation
d. assertiveness
11. In countries with Eastern culture (e.g., Japan), hinting to one’s meaning rather than
expressing information directly in a conversation allows the listener to
a. critique the message.
b. debate the issue.
c. “save face.”
d. “get to the point.”
12. Sandra believes in speaking directly when working on a task with another student; Satoko
believes in politely hinting her meaning to help the listener make a connection. This
difference can best be described as a difference in
a. cultural norms.
b. power distance.
c. masculinity-femininity.
d. psychology.
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13. Psychology takes into account _________ such as personality and ________ such as social
factors that influence how a person evaluates a situation.
a. internal influences; external influences
b. external influences; internal influences
c. unstable influences; stable influences
d. social influences; personal influences
14. Jane wants to better understand why her friend Margaret chooses the boyfriends she does.
One way for Jane to gain insight into Margaret’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors is through
the study of
a. biology.
b. psychology.
c. ethics.
d. economics.
15. Researchers relying on _____ base decisions on data that have been collected from many
people using precise measurements.
a. intuition
b. personal experience
c. anecdotal evidence
d. empirical evidence
16. Empirical evidence differs from anecdotal evidence in that empirical evidence
a. makes sense.
b. is grounded in combined experiences or observations of many individuals.
c. is based on one person’s experience.
d. cannot be demonstrated in research.
17. Marcie wants to be able to interact effectively with diverse others in a variety of situations.
This is an example of the study of
a. verbal communication.
b. anecdotal evidence.
c. human relations.
d. human development.
18. Jason thinks using pick-up lines in bars is the best way to meet women. He bases this
information only on his friend Paul’s experience with meeting his girlfriend, Brenna. This is
an example of
a. empirical evidence.
b. anecdotal evidence.
c. personal experience.
d. cultural norms.
19. Understanding human relations begins informally as early as
a. childhood.
b. adolescence.
c. college age.
d. young adulthood.
20. Which of the following factors is NOT a characteristic of culture?
a. Nationality
b. Gender
c. Ethnicity
d. Genetics
21. The multiple definitions of culture, as well as the multiple disciplines that study culture (i.e.,
anthropology, sociology, history, etc.), suggest that culture is
a. individualistic.
b. complex.
c. idiosyncratic.
d. simplistic.
22. According to your text, although sexual modesty is a value, the idea that people should wear
clothing to preserve modesty is a(n)
a. attitude.
b. perception.
c. belief.
d. expectation of the situation.
23. Whenever Maya, an American, tries to talk to her British boyfriend, Daniel, about a
problem, he refuses and says, “It will fix itself.” The first step in understanding this cultural
difference in communication style may be to understand the _________(s) that form the
foundation of their culture.
a. attitude
b. perception
c. value
d. behavior
24. Marcus likes taking his Great Dane, Brutus, to the dog park because the community value is
keeping the park clean. He is often offended when other dog owners fail to clean up after
their pets. Feeling offended by their inaction is a(n)
a. attitude.
b. perception.
c. belief.
d. expectation of the situation.
25. Marcus likes taking his Great Dane, Brutus, to the dog park. Although the community value
is leashing all dogs, Marcus interprets this value as only applicable to those owners with
dangerous dogs. Therefore, Brutus walks leash-free. Another name for his interpretation of
the value is a(n)
a. attitude.
b. perception.
c. value.
d. expectation of the situation.
26. Amanda and Morgan were discussing premarital sex. Amanda believes that one should not
have sex before marriage. Morgan believes that having sex before marriage is permissible
under certain circumstances. Amanda replied suddenly, “Gee, Morgan. I thought you had
values.” What is Amanda really saying?
a. Morgan doesn’t have any values.
b. On the topic of premarital sex, Morgan doesn’t have any values.
c. Morgan’s values about premarital sex are similar to Amanda’s values.
d. Morgan’s values about premarital sex are different from Amanda’s values.
27. The biggest challenge in identifying the value behind another person’s behavior is to
a. figure out what positive outcome the person is aiming for.
b. investigate who taught them the behavior.
c. relating it to our own value system.
d. define it as a “good” or “bad” value.
28. “Do these jeans make me look fat?” Wendy often tells friends the truth, even when it hurts
their feelings. Maleka tells little white lies, reassuring her friends they look good, regardless
of the actual outcome. What value conflict is most likely at work here?
a. Honesty vs. dishonesty
b. Harmony vs. disharmony
c. Honesty vs. harmony
d. Understanding vs. lack of understanding
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29. Gwen is looking forward to getting married in May, a date that is quickly approaching. Her
mother reminds her, “Don’t forget what your grandmother said: Something old, something
new, something borrowed, and something blue.” This saying is an example of a(n)
a. survival challenge.
b. historical tradition.
c. population density.
d. independent algorithm.
30. Most cross-cultural researchers believe that a specific culture’s values are often related to
the natural resources available in a certain geographic region. For example,
a. when there are few natural resources, people may work more competitively.
b. when there are many natural resources, people become less interdependent.
c. when there are many natural resources, people become less independent.
d. when there are few natural resources, people become more interdependent.
31. Which of the following statements is true concerning the influence of population density on
social structure?
a. When people are crowded in a society, greater social structure is needed to maintain
order.
b. When people are crowded in a society, less social structure increases harmony.
c. When people live in sparsely populated areas, greater social structure is needed to
provide rules.
d. When people live in sparsely populated areas, greater social structure provides strict
hierarchies necessary to increase interactions.
32. _______ and _______ climates provide greater survival challenges and are, therefore,
influential to the values and practices of culture.
a. Moderate; cool
b. Hot; temperate
c. Very hot; very cold
d. Stable; unstable
33. Kala is from a country where education is a privilege, not a guarantee. If she had the
opportunity to attend a university, all other things equal, she would probably choose
a. a school far from home.
b. a school in another country.
c. a school close to home.
d. not to attend college.
34. All the men in Ryan’s family went to colleges or universities upon completing high school,
and his family expects the same from him. Which of the following best describes his future
plans?
a. The best university regardless of the distance from his family
b. A university close to his family
c. A trade school so that younger family members may attend college
d. Employment immediately after high school
35. Because humans are social as well as biological in nature, our chances of survival improve
when we
a. work independently.
b. belong to a group.
c. plan ahead.
d. focus on ourselves.
36. Rita is in her early 20s and rents a small apartment near town. Because she is Hispanic,
many of her friends assume she lives with her immediate and extended family. This is an
example of a(n)
a. value.
b. attitude.
c. stereotype.
d. comparison.
37. Assuming that just because a national culture has a certain value that every person who lives
in the culture shares that value is known as a
a. myth.
b. attitude.
c. cultural profile.
d. stereotype.
38. Twenty-six-year-old Anna began teaching at a large university immediately upon
completion of her Ph.D. One student said, “You can’t be our physics professor. You’re not a
middle-aged white guy.” His description of a professor can best be defined as a(n)
a. value.
b. attitude.
c. stereotype.
d. comparison.
39. According to your text, your individual ___________ includes such things as nationality,
gender, age, ethnicity, religion, hobbies, etc.
a. online dating profile
b. cultural script
c. cultural profile
d. résumé
40. When we make decisions based on how they will affect us individually versus how they may
affect others, we are using the ___________ value system.
a. individualism-collectivism
b. power distance
c. masculinity-femininity
d. population density