Instructor Resource
Dainton, Applying Communication Theory for Professional Life 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
Chapter 4: Individual and Social Approaches to
Communication
Test Bank
Multiple Choice
1. Suzanne believes that communication is based on social rules. When trying to deal
with a difficult group member, she often chooses to be nice rather than to be effective in
getting the group member to become more responsible. This reflects which message
design logic?
A. rhetorical
B. conventional
C. normative
D. expressive
2. A person who exhibits a ______ will pay close attention to other peoples’
communication in an effort to figure out others’ points of view.
A. behavioral uncertainty
B. conventional MDL
C. positive communicator reward valence
D. rhetorical MDL
3. Groups of individuals who share similar viewpoints, experiences, and understandings
of the world also share ______.
A. communibiology
B. role congruity
C. standpoints
D. emotional intelligence
4. All of the following are characteristics of the Millennial generation EXCEPT______.
A. heavy use of technology
B. low loyalty to the organization
C. prefers consensual leadership
D. satisfaction from receiving lots of recognition
5. Leaders who seek to inspire exceptional performance display which leadership style?
A. exchange-based leadership
B. socio-emotional leadership
C. transactional leadership
D. transformational leadership
6. Karen knows that a good leader makes an effort to establish positive attitudes among
employees and toward the tasks at hand. This feature of a transformational leader is
called ______.
A. inspirational motivation
B. idealized influence
C. individualized consideration
D. intellectual stimulation
7. With regard to message design logic, ______ logic is a sender-focused pattern.
A. conventional
B. rhetorical
C. pretzel
Instructor Resource
Dainton, Applying Communication Theory for Professional Life 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
D. expressive
8. This approach focuses more on nature. Our traits and temperaments, which are
genetic, influence our communication.
A. standpoint approach
B. communibiological approach
C. role congruity theory
D. emotional intelligence
9. The ______ level of communication is characterized as how the content should be
understood, particularly in terms of the relationship between the communicators.
A. punctuation
B. grammatical
C. relational
D. individualistic
10. One reasoning for why the United States hasn’t yet had a female president is
because some say there has not been a female candidate who had the agentic qualities
previous (male) presidents have had. This is known as ______.
A. double bind
B. communal qualities
C. prescriptive prejudice
D. descriptive prejudice
11. This approach focuses more on nurture. Our different social, economic, and
symbolic experiences influence our communication.
A. standpoint approach
B. communibiology approach
C. role congruity theory
D. emotional intelligence
12. This approach suggests that leadership is interpreted in masculine terms, which
leads to prejudice against women in leadership positions.
A. standpoint approach
B. communibiology approach
C. role congruity theory
D. emotional intelligence
13. Danny wants to go to out to a club Friday night and James wants to stay on campus
and hang out with friends. When trying to figure out where to go, James takes his time
and tries to make a compromise with Danny. Which message design logic is James’s?
A. expressive
B. conventional
C. rhetorical
D. persuasive
14. Courtney’s boss accuses her of something she did not do. The boss yells and uses
profanity and Courtney yells in response. When she goes back to her office, her co–
worker Carrie is quietly working. Courtney quietly goes back to work. Which message
design logic is Courtney’s?
Instructor Resource
Dainton, Applying Communication Theory for Professional Life 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
A. expressive
B. conventional
C. rhetorical
D. persuasive
15. ______ is the most sophisticated message design logic.
A. Expressive
B. Conventional
C. Rhetorical
D. Persuasive
16. Chet is the manager of his bank. He encourages his employees to express their
opinions openly, and in several instances he has come forward and acknowledged his
mistakes. What component of transformation leadership does Chet possess?
A. inspirational motivation
B. idealized influence
C. individualized consideration
D. intellectual stimulation
17. When choking, people will instinctively grab their throats. This is known as ______
communication.
A. digital
B. analogic
C. symmetrical
D. complementary
18. Tess finds her grandparents to be hysterical. Her grandfather is an extrovert and
commands attention. He often uses slapstick humor to gain attention. Meanwhile, her
grandmother will sit passively and make dry, sarcastic comments about the grandfather.
This is known as ______ communication.
A. digital
B. analogic
C. symmetrical
D. complementary
19. A.J. has trouble identifying with the new Millennial generation employees who come
into the organization. He thinks there should be a training session in place to eliminate
their “bad” tendencies. What perspective is A.J. coming from?
A. differentiating content and relationship levels
B. identifying the problem of punctuation
C. first-order change
D. second-order change
20. This generation is characterized by cynicism, entrepreneurship, and extrinsic
rewards.
A. Veterans
B. Baby Boomers
C. Generation X
D. Millennials
21. ______ is a process of intentionally seeking alternative perspectives to a problem.
A. Reframing
B. Second-order change
C. First-order change
D. Core value
22. A/an ______ is a position from which you view and understand the world.
A. visual acuity
B. communibiological approach
C. agentic quality
D. standpoint
23. ______ qualities include behaviors that demonstrate concern for other people
through the expression of affection and exhibiting sympathy, helpfulness, sensitivity,
nurturance, and gentility.
A. Agentic
B. Communal
C. Standpoint
D. Dispositional
True/False
1. Someone with a Conventional MDL will likely perceive someone with an Expressive
MDL to be rude or embarrassing.
2. Employers can expect members of the Millennial generation to have high loyalty to
the company or organization.
3. Having a high IQ is more powerful than emotional intelligence in terms of workplace
success.
4. Transactional leadership seeks to achieve solid, consistent performance from
subordinates through a process of bilateral exchange.
5. Historically, the communication discipline was focused on the nurture side of the
nature-nurture debate.
6. Social role theory provides a way to understand how social expectations for behavior
result in stereotypes.
7. Role congruity theory helps explain the prejudice men experience in leadership
positions.
8. The Rhetorical MDL is considered the most sophisticated.
9. The notion of punctuation suggests that interaction is understood by the people
involved in it as a series of beginnings and endings, of causes and effects.
10. Analogic communication refers to linguistic symbols that are arbitrarily linked to
meaning—usually words.
Essay
1. Maria has a Rhetorical MDL. Explain what this means. Also, explain what Maria
should expect when communicating with her co-workers, Tom, Emily, and Ron. Tom
has an Expressive MDL; Emily has a Conventional MDL, and Ron has a Rhetorical
MDL.
2. Ben, a Baby Boomer, just hired Caroline, a recent college graduate and member of
the Millennial generation. Identify and describe three generational differences that might
pose communication difficulties or problems between Ben and Caroline.
3. Explain what is meant when it is said that communication can be symmetrical or
complementary.
4. Explain the content and relational levels of communication.
5. Express the difference between first- and second-order change.