Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
CHAPTER 5: CONNECTING THROUGH NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1) To say that nonverbal communication is ambiguous is to say that
A) it is difficult to misinterpret nonverbal behaviors.
B) nonverbal behavior is less believable than verbal communication.
C) we cannot assume that nonverbal behaviors have only one meaning.
D) very little attention is needed when interpreting nonverbal messages.
E) nonverbal behaviors include a learned “grammar” for using them.
2) While at the airport, ready to depart for college on the east coast, Angela turns to her childhood sweetheart
and says, “I’ll miss you,” and begins to cry and hold him tightly. This event illustrates which use of
nonverbal communication?
A) replacing
B) regulating
C) deceiving
D) complementing
E) substituting
3) If you tell a person to go north to find a newspaper stand, and point in that direction, your use of nonverbal
communication would be called
A) repeating behavior.
B) accenting behavior.
C) complementing behavior.
D) deceiving behavior.
E) regulating behavior.
4) When we use a “poker face” when playing cards to create false impressions or to convey incorrect
information, we are
A) regulating.
B) deceiving.
C) substituting.
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
D) repeating.
E) complementing.
5) Communication research indicates that in most situations
A) we spend less of our time communicating nonverbally than verbally.
B) verbal messages are more contextual in nature than nonverbal messages.
C) our verbal messages carry more meaning than our nonverbal messages.
D) our nonverbal messages carry more meaning than our verbal messages.
E) verbal behaviors are more ambiguous than nonverbal behaviors.
6) While studies comparing facial expressions have found that certain universal expressions are easily
understood, connotations for gestures can vary. Thus, interpreting nonverbal behavior requires understanding
A) the family relationships of the person we are communicating with.
B) the intent of the source.
C) the cultural norms governing it.
D) the grammatical syntax behind the behavior.
E) that verbal behavior carries most of the meaning in a message.
7) During a basketball game, one of the players puts her hands together, forming a “T,” in order to notify the
referee that the player’s team wants to call “time out.” What type of body motion is the player using?
A) illustrator
B) affect display
C) regulator
D) emblem
E) symbol
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
8) During a class discussion, Dr. Soliz shakes his head up and down as a way of indicating “I am interested in
what you are saying, please continue” to one of his students. In this instance, Dr. Soliz is using what function
of nonverbal communication?
A) repeating
B) deceiving
C) complementing
D) regulating
E) substituting
9) Which of the following is true regarding nonverbal communication?
A) It is relatively unimportant in both the development and termination of relationships.
B) It is governed by a set of rules.
C) It is rarely a source of miscommunication.
D) It is more likely than verbal communication to be spontaneous and unintentional.
E) It occurs naturally and is therefore uncontrollable.
10) During a medical examination, Dr. Smithe discovers a serious problem, but attempts to hide her concern by
maintaining neutral facial expressions. In this instance, Dr. Smithe is relying on what function of nonverbal
communication?
A) deceiving
B) repeating
C) regulating
D) substituting
E) complementing
11)
Which type of nonverbal behavior is the first and primary characteristic most people notice about others,
according to some researchers?
A) paralanguage
B) eye behavior
C) body movement
D) hand gestures
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
E) use of space
12) A team of researchers devised a classification system that divides body movements and facial displays into
five specific categories. Which of the following does NOT belong to the five categories?
A) affect displays
B) adaptors
C) elaborators
D) illustrators
E) emblems
13) Knowing that she had a problem interpreting nonverbal communication, Kris would find which of the
following strategies most useful to help her improve?
A) jump as quickly as possible to conclusions
B) realize that nonverbal behavior is relatively unimportant in professional relationships
C) buy a self-help book for using nonverbal communication
D) use descriptive feedback
E) realize that nonverbal cues are always tied to verbal behaviors
14) If you were hoping to acknowledge another person according to the norms or rules of a society, which
category of touch would be most appropriate?
A) social-polite
B) love-intimacy
C) functional-professional
D) friendship-warmth
E) context-situational
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
15) When stepping off Air Force One, President Nixon would hold his hands up and use two fingers to convey a
“V” for victory. In this example, Nixon was using what form of body movement to convey meaning?
A) adaptor
B) regulator
C) emblem
D) illustrator
E) neutralize
16) When you are waiting in line at class registration and begin talking to the person in front of you about the
length of the wait, you roll your eyes and sigh. What type of behavior are you engaging in?
A) repeating behavior
B) substituting behavior
C) complementing behavior
D) deceiving behavior
E) regulating behavior
17) The notion that our direct eye contact with a friend may differ in meaning compared to direct eye contact with a
stranger illustrates which characteristic of nonverbal communication?
A) Nonverbal communication is the primary means of expression.
B) Nonverbal communication is dependent on context.
C) Nonverbal communication is more believable than verbal communication.
D) Nonverbal communication is less believable than verbal communication.
E) Nonverbal communication is constantly occurring.
18) If you were a communication researcher examining how each nonverbal cue interacts and works with the
others to perform various communicative functions, you would be applying the
A) functional approach.
B) cultural approach.
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
C) independent approach.
D) interpretative approach.
E) isolation approach.
19) According to the text, gender differences in touching behavior suggest that
A) women tend to touch more than men do.
B) men view touching as a hostile behavior.
C) men tend to be touched more often than women.
D) women seem to value touch more than men do.
E) women view touching as a purely romantic behavior.
20) Sean pounded on the table during his persuasive speech to emphasize a point. After his speech, the audience
applauded. Later that evening, Sean used the same fist-pounding strategy when trying to emphasize to his
partner that he did not want pasta for supper. In this case, Sean received a negative reaction. This example
illustrates which characteristic of nonverbal communication?
A) Nonverbal communication is a primary means of expression.
B) Nonverbal communication depends on context.
C) Nonverbal communication is ambiguous.
D) Nonverbal communication occurs constantly.
E) Nonverbal communication is related to culture.
21) The replacing of one facial expression with another that is considered more appropriate for the situation is
referred to as
A) deintensifying.
B) masking.
C) highlighting.
D) intensifying.
E) neutralizing.
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
22) Rolling your eyes, making eye contact with another person, and staring would be classified as
A) linguistics.
B) osteopathics.
C) olfactics.
D) paralanguage.
E) oculesics.
23) According to anthropologist Edward T. Hall, which of the following spaces is NOT included in the study of
proxemics?
A) public space
B) social space
C) intimate space
D) personal space
E) universal space
24) Of the nonverbal behaviors discussed in your textbook, which is considered the most important source of
emotional information?
A) facial expressions
B) movement
C) paralanguage
D) gestures
E) olfactics
25) Which mode of kinesics attempts to avoid emotional expression?
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
A) deintensifying
B) masking
C) affect displays
D) intensifying
E) neutralizing
26) Which category of haptics is most likely exemplified through the action of a police officer frisking a
perpetrator?
A) friendship-warmth
B) social-polite
C) love-intimacy
D) sexual arousal
E) functional-professional
27) Nonverbal communication, such as ________, adds emphasis to the meaning of words.
A) sign language
B) tone of voice and volume
C) facial expression and written words
D) connotation and denotation
E) grammar and syntax
28)
According to communication scholar Dale Leathers, eye behavior can indicate six important communication
functions. Which of the following is NOT one of them?
A) establish culture
B) indicate degree of attentiveness, interest and arousal
C) indicate power and status
D) regulate interactions
E) express emotions
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
29) The most difficult nonverbal cues to interpret, ________, refer to body motions that help us feel at ease in
conversations. Examples could include playing with a pencil, touching your hair, or playing with a ring.
A) illustrators
B) regulators
C) adaptors
D) affect displays
E) masking techniques
30) When Nia must meet with new clients in their home, she carefully dresses in an attractive suit, wears
understated jewelry and carries a slim briefcase. These aspects of Nia’s appearance are referred to as
A) proxemics.
B) social cues.
C) artifacts.
D) environment.
E) tactile identifiers.
TRUE/FALSE
1) Verbal communication is more believable than nonverbal communication.
2) Pitch refers to how high or low the voice is.
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
3) Credibility is not related to attractiveness.
4) Sign language provides an ideal example of nonverbal communication.
5) Nonverbal messages are much more difficult to control than verbal messages.
6) It is believed that the human face can produce more than a thousand different expressions.
7) Regulating behaviors are nonverbal cues that express a message identical to the verbal one.
8) Of all the body motions, facial expressions convey the most information.
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
9) Physical characteristics play an insignificant role in nonverbal communication.
10) An adaptor would be considered a body movement.
SHORT ANSWER
1) List and describe two forms of nonverbal communication.
2) What is a regulator?
3) Describe what emblems represent in nonverbal communication. Provide at least one example.
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
4) What is an illustrator? Provide an example.
5) What is an affect display? Provide an example.
6) What is deintensifying? When does it occur?
7) Describe what facial management techniques are.
8) Define paralanguage and provide two examples.
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
9) Explain the relationship of space and culture. Give an example to illustrate your explanation.
10) What is the relationship between touch and context? Give an example to support your answer.
11) Briefly describe two gender differences in touching behavior and explain why these differences occur.
12) Explain how time can be viewed as nonverbal communication. Provide an example to support your
explanation.
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
13) Explain how environment relates to nonverbal communication. Provide an example to support your
explanation.
14) Provide an example from a recent experience from your own life that depicts how you used nonverbal
communication to intensify verbal communication. Explain your example.
15) Explain what you can do to improve how you send nonverbal communication.
16) Explain the differences between complementing nonverbal behaviors and repeating nonverbal behaviors.
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
17) Explain how silence is a form of nonverbal communication. Provide an example to support your explanation.
18) What is friendship-warmth touch and why should you be careful with this type of touch?
19) Define and provide an example of the term “haptics.”
20) Explain what you can do to improve how you interpret nonverbal communication.
ESSAY
1) Explain why you can’t separate nonverbal communication from the total communication process.
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
2) Describe the four facial management techniques. Provide an example of how you have used each technique
in your own life.
3)
Explain the best method to use for improving your interpretation of nonverbal communication. Give an
example illustrating how you would use that method.
4) “Nonverbal communication cannot always be interpreted from one culture to another.” Explain this statement
and provide two examples that support your explanation.
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition
5) The various degrees of touch/haptics can all be misconstrued by the receiver of the touch. Outline three
categories of touch and give an example of how each could be misconstrued for another category.
Test Bank for Communication: Making Connections, Tenth Edition