Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
CHAPTER 4: CONNECTING THROUGH VERBAL COMMUNICATION
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1) In an argument with her roommate, Elissa angrily yelled out, “You never take your turn at washing dishes! In
fact, you never do any cleaning up around here!” Her roommate responded by yelling, “Oh yeah, well you
never help out with any groceries!” The escalation of their conflict best illustrates
A) indiscrimination.
B) indexing.
C) the pendulum effect.
D) the Hawthorne effect.
E) closure.
2) Language can best be described as
A) universal in meaning.
B) neutral.
C) unimportant.
D) inefficient.
E) subjective.
3) Words can represent people, objects, concepts and events; although the words are not actually the items. This
shows that language is
A) always abstract.
B) always concrete.
C) the same as communication.
D) a system of symbols.
E) a linear system.
4) There is a difference between the word “desk” and the actual object, because “desk” is just a word used to
name the object and is not the actual thing. This shows that language is
A) eclipsing. B) systematic. C) arbitrary. D) contrary. E) regulative.
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
5) The study of meaning, or the association of words with ideas, feelings, and context, is known as
A) genetic predispositions.
B) natural signs.
C) semantics.
D) physiological responses.
E) random noise.
6) If a government official describes an impending tax hike as a “positive economic inducement,” she is most
likely using
A) polarization.
B) metaphors.
C) analogies.
D) indexing.
E) doublespeak.
7) The boss asks you to get some information on absenteeism rates for the hourly employees. You check the
files from ten years back, collect the current time cards, and provide a 20-page report two weeks later. The
boss wanted an oral report the day after requesting the information. This example most clearly illustrates
A) identifying.
B) the pendulum effect.
C) indexing.
D) bypassing.
E) metaphoric language.
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
8) A car salesperson using the term flea to identify a person looking for a bargain, and prisoners using the term
shank to refer to a knife, are examples of
A) denotative meanings.
B) jargon.
C) bypassing.
D) polarization.
E) slang.
9) Tiffany says “let’s get going” to Arleen, meaning “let’s start,” but Arleen thinks Tiffany means “let’s leave.”
This exchange illustrates
A) indiscrimination.
B) bypassing.
C) indexing.
D) inference.
E) polarization.
10) Sam was talking to Juan about a teacher, and said, “My teacher is out to lunch!” Juan wasn’t sure if Sam
meant that the teacher was eating a meal, was unfair, was odd, or something else. Juan would have better
understood Sam’s message if Sam had been more
A) vivid.
B) ethnocentric.
C) accurate.
D) appropriate.
E) colorful.
11) Dr. Lane tells Sydney that he wants the paper turned in as soon as possible. Sydney turns in the paper a week
later. Dr. Lane actually wanted the paper within 48 hours. Which of the following terms best describes this
example?
A) semantic confusion
B) polarization
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
C) bypassing
D) jargon
E) indiscrimination
12) The director of human resources decides that he is unsatisfied with the use of the word “policeman” in the
job listing and decides to change the word from “policeman” to “police officer.” This statement best
demonstrates that language
A) can be metaphorical.
B) can be sexist.
C) can be gender-inclusive.
D) can clarify meaning.
E) can express commonalities.
13) Because some in the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities do not identify with any gender
labels, use of such terms is not always appropriate. Instead, you should
A) always avoid identifying language altogether.
B) honor a person’s wishes regarding the use of the pronouns “he” or “she”.
C) select a pronoun based on what you believe is the biological gender.
D) use more formal, less gender-identifying labels such as professional titles.
E) take your cue from the language of others, whether it’s inclusive or not.
14) The fact that there are over 300 languages in everyday use in the United States best illustrates that
A) English should only be a secondary language that students should learn.
B) communication is strictly objective.
C) communication rarely carries the potential for misunderstandings.
D) communication is a symbolic interaction rich in subtlety.
E) communication is a natural activity.
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
Skill: Understand the Concepts
15) If you say phrases like “out of the blue” or “sick as a dog” you are using
A) semantics. B) analogies. C) metaphors. D) fables. E) idioms.
16) According to the text, muted group theory suggests
A) status and power are equal among all people.
B) status and power are independent ideas.
C) status and power are linked.
D) language gives voice to women and minority groups.
E) language provides power and status to under-represented groups.
17) If I were in a serious car accident two years ago, the word “accident” may remind me of what happened,
regardless of how the word is actually being used. This is an example of how a word has
A) denotative meaning.
B) connotative meaning.
C) concrete meaning.
D) abstract meaning.
E) low-context meaning.
18) When individuals move between the language used by their co-culture and the dominant culture’s language,
it is known as
A) doublespeak.
B) denotation.
C) polarization.
D) style-switching.
E) jargon.
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
19) As Sally is writing her paper, she strives to use gender-inclusive language but becomes frustrated when she
realizes that she can only use he/him/his or she/her/hers when she is referring to people. Which statement
accurately reflects the frustration Sally is experiencing?
A) The English language is structured with an inherent bias in favor of women.
B) There is no difference in how men and women use language.
C) There are no singular gender-neutral pronouns in the English language.
D) Men use language primarily to establish and maintain social relationships.
E) Women use language primarily to assert status.
20) Laura asks her friend Analia, “Do you love or hate our communication professor?” This statement most
clearly illustrates
A) indexing.
B) polarization.
C) stereotyping.
D) a metaphor.
E) bypassing.
21) Communication is related to both language and speech. When reviewing the elements of language, the text
states communication involves
A) the same thing as speech.
B) strictly the use of nonverbal elements.
C) strictly the process of transmitting language.
D) an unstructured system of signs, sounds, and nonverbal behaviors.
E) the exchange of meaning.
22) When Brent told Scott he was thinking of running for Congress, Scott responded rather negatively by stating,
“Why? Politicians are crooks and liars.” Scott’s categorization of politicians reflects
A) polarization.
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
B) indiscrimination.
C) euphemism.
D) metaphorical language.
E) bypassing.
23)
At a companywide meeting, the CEO states that the company will be downsizing within the next month. The
term “downsizing” represents an example of
A) euphemism.
B) denotation.
C) connotation.
D) a concrete word.
E) an abstract word.
24) The fact that there are 87 different definitions for the word house illustrates that
A) words acquire meaning through context.
B) language is a natural activity, rather than a learned process.
C) words remain fairly consistent across different cultures.
D) not all words are symbolic.
E) language has very little to do with semantics.
25) When Ken comes to the United States to take a job, he is surprised that his coworkers conduct business lunches
with their clients. In his country, business is reserved for office settings. Ken likely comes from a(n)
A) Western European culture.
B) monochronic culture.
C) high-context culture.
D) low-context culture.
E) individualistic culture.
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
26) The study of meaning or the association of words with ideas, feelings, and contexts is called
A) phonetics.
B) tautology.
C) phenomenology.
D) grammar.
E) semantics.
27) “Words have only one precise meaning analogous to a standard dictionary definition.” This statement
illustrates what type of meaning?
A) social meaning
B) denotative meaning
C) epistemological meaning
D) grammatical meaning
E) connotative meaning
28) A culture in which the meaning of the communication act is inferred from the messages being sent and not
the location where the communication occurs is a
A) low-context culture.
B) collectivist culture.
C) monochromic culture.
D) polychronic culture.
E) high-context culture.
29) Active, direct language that brings excitement and urgency to a message is known as
A) vividness.
B) polarization.
C) metaphor.
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
D) appropriateness.
E) immediacy.
30) Which of the following sentences displays the highest amount of verbal immediacy?
A) I have heard that people like the vineyard.
B) I hope you like the movie; it’s supposed to be funny.
C) We should go on a date this weekend, as most people do.
D) We will have a great date on Friday.
E) You will enjoy the restaurant this weekend.
TRUE/FALSE
1) The impact of technology on language is strictly positive.
2) It is appropriate to use jargon when speaking in front of a group of listeners who have specific knowledge
about the subject matter of the presentation.
3) Using the word “cat” by itself has no meaning.
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
4) Leah mentions that her next birthday will be either the best day or worst day ever. This is an example of
indiscrimination.
5) Semantics is the study of meaning, or the association of words with ideas, feelings, and contexts.
6) Euphemisms are used to deliberately distort meaning and confuse people.
7) The statement “people often enjoy musicals” is more verbally immediate than saying “we will certainly enjoy
the musical.”
8) Larissa believes that her boyfriend should be more assertive and direct, and get to the point of what he is
saying. Larissa’s ideal style of communication reflects the language in a high-context culture.
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
9) Gender-inclusive language does not discriminate against males or females.
10) According to Deborah Tannen, women use language to assert status and to compete.
SHORT ANSWER
1) What does it mean to say that language is a system of symbols?
2) Define and give an example of denotation.
3) Define and give an example of connotation.
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
4) Describe two situations: one where jargon would be appropriate and one where jargon would be
inappropriate.
5) Define and give an example of bypassing.
6) Explain the difference between indexing and dating. Provide examples to illustrate your explanation.
7) Explain the importance of vividness in communication.
8) Define verbal immediacy and explain how verbal immediacy can aid in using language more effectively.
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
confident, and credible.
9) What is the difference between vividness and metaphorical language? Provide examples to illustrate your
answer.
10) What is metaphorical language? Provide an example to illustrate your answer.
11) What are some requirements and limitations of metaphorical language?
12) Explain how the misuse of language involves more than the misuse of words.
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
13) Define sexist language and gender-inclusive language. Describe an example of sexist language. Transform
that example into gender-inclusive language.
14) Explain muted group theory. Use examples to support your ideas.
15)
Explain and provide an example for two of the language-based barriers to communication.
16) How does technology negatively impact language usage?
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
17) Briefly explain the concept of the ladder of abstraction.
18) Explain the pendulum effect. How does the “pendulum” help explain a person’s perceptions?
19) Does the fact that rules of grammar exist limit the number of potential combinations of words into sentences?
Is it limitless? Why or why not?
20) How do commonalities between two people influence the sharing of meaning?
ESSAY
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
1) The textbook offers a number of suggestions for using language more effectively. What are those
suggestions? Identify how we can use language more effectively and provide an example for each strategy.
2) What is gender-inclusive language? Should our goal be to utilize gender-inclusive language? What are some
ways you can avoid gender exclusivity in your language use?
3) How is it possible that language can be a system with rules and meanings, yet still be arbitrary?
4) Explain how technology can impact language usage.
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
5) The textbook provides five guidelines that can be used to reduce bypassing. Identify them and outline a plan
for how you can reduce bypassing in your own life.
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition