Instructor Resource
Dainton, Applying Communication Theory for Professional Life 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
Chapter 12: What Should a Communicator Do?
Test Bank
Multiple Choice
1. What is the theory stating that context influences expectations for how
interactions will occur?
A. social comparison theory
B. expectancy violations theory
C. accommodation theory
D. social exchange theory
2. Bakari is preparing his research study to determine how people evaluate their
interactions with others. Which of the following pairs of theories would he find to
be the MOST helpful to include as bases for his research?
A. expectancy violations theory and social exchange theory
B. face-negotiation theory and social comparison theory
C. uses and gratifications theory and expectancy violations theory
D. uncertainty reduction theory and uses and gratifications theory
3. Which of the following routes does the elaboration likelihood model suggest
will be taken by a person who is motivated (interested and involved) in
persuasion?
A. middle route
B. roundabout route
C. peripheral route
D. central route
4. Brad is experiencing difficulty in reconciling that he has less power that his
boss, Stephanie. It seems as though he is always adjusting his behavior when he
is in a conversation with her. Which theory might BEST explain Brad’s changes
when he is talking with Stephanie?
A. politeness theory
B. communication accommodation theory
C. uses and gratifications theory
D. expectancy violations theory
5. Hermione has discovered that after she began expanding her social media
network, her friends Harry and Ron began to use the same social network, even
before it became quite popular with other people. Which framework might explain
how Hermione influenced Harry and Ron to become early adopters of the
network?
A. agenda-setting
B. uses and gratifications
C. diffusion of innovations
D. symbolic convergence
6. According to Spitzberg and Cupach, competent communication means being
both ______ and ______.
A. stern; compassionate
B. monotone; lyrical
C. effective; appropriate
D. depth; breadth
7. According to the Adler and Proctor textbook, the more communicatively
competent a manager is, the more ______ employees are with that manager.
A. dissatisfied
B. satisfied
C. angry
D. disenchanted
8. Being direct is likely to be an effective choice because there is less room for
misunderstanding. This type of direct communication is known as which of the
following?
A. native
B. bald on record
C. obtrusive
D. assonant
9. Shaniqua’s boss asked her if she would have the weekly financial report
completed by the usual deadline of 4:00 pm on Friday afternoon. Shaniqua
replied that she definitely would have that report completed on time. This is an
example of which type of communication?
A. indirect
B. direct
C. circumventive
D. circular
10. Systems theory makes the general point that patterns of communication can
be ______ or ______.
A. indirect; direct
B. in violation; complementary
C. symmetrical; bald on record
Instructor Resource
Dainton, Applying Communication Theory for Professional Life 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
D. symmetrical; complementary
11. Communication accommodation theory suggests that ______ can be a
means of asserting power.
A. converging
B. reverting
C. diverging
D. inverting
12. Alfie and Romeo met a few months ago and, ever since, Romeo has begun
to mirror the ways that Alfie carries textbooks, sits when in the library, and buys a
certain beverage from the local coffee house. This mirroring is known as which of
the following?
A. reciprocity effect
B. redundancy effect
C. acclimation effect
D. go along to get along effect
13. Leader–member exchange suggests one’s ______ status with a manager
might increase supportive communication from that manager.
A. out-group
B. religious
C. marital
D. in-group
14. According to the Dainton and Zelley textbook, too much ______ might
exacerbate tensions between two groups in a workplace.
A. communication
B. cohesion
C. out-grouping
D. retrograde socialization
15. Which of the following suggests your expectations determine how you
evaluate your interactions with others?
A. in-and-out group theory
B. expectancy violations theory
C. social exchange theory
D. expectancy violations theory and social exchange theory
16. Which theory suggests that if you want to prevent a potentially damaging
counter-persuasive effort, the best thing you can do is to forewarn receivers to
expect the persuasive effort?
A. inoculation theory
B. expectation violations theory
C. uncertainty reduction theory
D. social exchange theory
17. ______ leaders are those skilled at understanding both themselves and
others.
A. Authoritative
B. Transformational
Instructor Resource
Dainton, Applying Communication Theory for Professional Life 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
C. Transitional
D. Linear
18. Erin has developed very strong beliefs and values in her life, but does not
always share information about herself with others. Which theory applies to Erin’s
keeping much of her personal information to herself?
A. communication privacy management theory
B. uncertainty reduction theory
C. servant leadership theory
D. linear communication theory
19. Which theory suggests that individuals will reveal or conceal risky behavior
based on the potential rewards for doing so?
A. communication privacy management theory
B. expectation violations theory
C. uncertainty reduction theory
D. uses and gratifications theory
20. Maja is not one to make demands of her employees. Instead, Maja tends to
create rules that are not so concrete and do not require her to go through several
layers of the organizational chart to have her rules followed. Maja is MOST likely
to be employing which theoretical framework?
A. self-control theory
B. expectation violations theory
C. uses and gratifications theory
D. organizational identification and control theory
21. According to Dainton and Zelley, uncertainty is often perceived as ______
and can drive a person to send or seek specific messages.
A. opportunistic
B. problematic
C. unresolved
D. unrecognized
22. Which of the following theories says heavy television viewers are
“mainstreamed” into believing television reality?
A. cultivation theory
B. expectation violations theory
C. uncertainty reduction theory
D. agenda-setting theory
23. The ______ suggests an individual’s values determine in part which stories
they find reasonable.
A. expectancy violations theory
B. narrative paradigm
C. cultivation theory
D. agenda-setting theory
24. According to Spitzberg and Cupach (1984, 1989), regarding the three
elements necessary for the development of communication competence, which
of the following refers to understanding how to act in an interaction?
Instructor Resource
Dainton, Applying Communication Theory for Professional Life 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
A. skill
B. motivation
C. intent
D. knowledge
25. Dainton and Zelley suggest that the biggest piece of advice culled from all the
theories discussed in their book would be that competent communicators are
those who take which kind of orientation to communication?
A. sender
B. linear
C. receiver
D. extraction
True/False
1. Expectancy violations theory suggests context plays a role in our expectations
for communication.
2. Uncertainty reduction theory predicts people are more likely to reciprocate
during times of greater certainty.
3. Being a feminist might cause you to avoid gender-neutral language.
Instructor Resource
Dainton, Applying Communication Theory for Professional Life 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
4. Anxiety/uncertainty management theory suggests that when in-group
members perceive they have power, anxiety about communicating with cultural
strangers lessens.
5. Organizational identification and control theory suggests cohesion can function
as a means of controlling employees.
6. Social cognitive theory suggests the media automatically always has our
attention in order to influence us to model what we see.
7. Communication is communication, regardless of any diversity between or
among communicators.
8. Media richness theory suggests richer media forms are required when the
message is ambiguous.
9. Members of different cultures hold different values and beliefs that influence
how people should communicate with members of that culture.
10. Being open to constructive criticism has no place in the development of
communication competence.
Essay
1. Explain what MDLs are and what they do for communicators.
2. Lucy recently took on a new job at a very large company with several levels of
supervision above her pay grade in the hierarchy. She seems to be constantly
meeting new people whom she perceives to have some control over her success
in the organization. This perception tends to cause Lucy a great deal of stress.
Instructor Resource
Dainton, Applying Communication Theory for Professional Life 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
Explain why it is more likely that Lucy will reciprocate than to compensate in
interactions with these people.
3. Fiona’s college is sponsoring an exchange program through which groups
from various organizations meet together to exchange ideas about incorporating
art in research data collection. Explain how anxiety/uncertainty management
(AUM) might be applied to this scenario.
4. Dainton and Zelley suggest that context can influence the nature of
communication as well as expectations for and understanding of communication.
Using this suggestion as a jumping-off point, create an example scenario in
which context influences the nature of communication, the expectations of that
communication, and the understanding of the communication.
5. Dainton and Zelley present the notion that both politeness theory and
communication accommodation theory suggest people are more likely to adjust
their behavior if they have less power than their interactional partner. Explain and
discuss why this is the case.
