Leaders mainly create the dynamics of the group – not the followers.
Research has shown that poor listening is unrelated to perceived good leaders.
When initiating discussions, reducing primary tensions is not an important task for the
leader.
Recent studies have questioned the belief that computer mediated communication lacks
social presence.
Profanity has become acceptable in most task groups.
Task cohesiveness is less likely to produce groupthink than is interpersonal
cohesiveness.
The panelists should avoid disagreeing with each other during a panel group discussion.
“How can we convince the administration to put in a new parking lot?” is an effective
problem question.
Collaboration is suitable for all group conflict situations.
According to the Kolb Learning Cycle, individuals who learn best by directly observing
events or participating in activities possess the concrete experience learning style.
Leadership consists of behaving in ways that can be learned.
The distributive approach to leadership asserts that all group members are responsible
for supplying needed leadership functions.
During the introduction, you need to tell the audience specifically what points you will
be covering in the body of the speech to follow.
Group members’ attitudes toward the project are an example of a small group input
variable.
A very raunchy joke is a great way to get your audience’s attention at the beginning of
an oral presentation.
Brainstorming can be even more productive when done with a computer network than
by talking face-to-face.
Task and socioemotional concerns surface at predictable periods in a group’s life.
Describing an organization as a system of small groups is an invalid use of system
theory.
The relational dimension of a message is rarely a concern for task groups.
When group members experience moderate to high readiness to complete their task, the
leader should utilize the selling style of leadership.
“Deviants” can be helpful to the group.
Individuals from some co-cultures (e.g., Hispanic) use the backchannel more frequently
than do the majority of residents of the United States.
Group activity is not a preferred way to learn for any culture.
Statistics can bore an audience and should be avoided when giving a presentation.
Perceivers are like sponges; they tend to gather as much information as possible before
coming to any conclusions.
Leadership is a measurable personality trait.
Most groups experience predictable phases during the decision-making process.
While engaged in discussion, members of a small group are simultaneously senders and
receivers of information.
Polaroid photos make excellent visual aids.
Cultural differences are learned rather than inherited.
The purpose of a symposium is to give audience members a chance to voice their
opinions throughout the entire presentation.
“Agreement” means that members have “come together” on what certain events, ideas,
words, and so forth will mean.
Superiority statements react honestly to other’s opinions.
Which is the best example of feedback to a system?
A.the members’ knowledge of powerpoint.
B.the way the group handles complaints.
C.the way the group members address each other.
D.customer comment cards.
E.none of these.
When evaluating web-based sources, you should consider which of the following?
A.recency.
B.relatedness.
C.superiority.
D.connectedness.
E.worth.
Small groups usually consist of
A.3-7 members.
B.20-30 members.
C.8-15 members.
D.10-20 members.
E.14-18 members.
“Message” refers to
A.signals from human beings.
B.any set of signals interpreted as a whole by group members.
C.a set of signals structured so as to contain meaning.
D.the perceptions of a listener to a set of signals from any source.
E.a planned, structured, and encoded set of signals.
The three most important types of verbal supporting materials for a presentation are
A.examples, ethos, logos.
B.statistics, stories, humor.
C.examples, testimonies, jokes.
D.examples, statistics, statements from authorities.
E.testimonies, humor, scary stories.
“She is just a feminazi who is criticizing our country’s rich traditions.” This is an
example of using which of the following types of words?
A.appropriate.
B.loaded.
C.inappropriate.
D.emotive.
E.articulate.
The first step in evaluating information group members have gathered is to
A.determine what the speaker or writer meant.
B.distinguish facts from opinions and inferences.
C.identify and clarify ambiguous terms.
D.determine the credibility of all sources.
E.assess the relevance and importance of the information.
Critical thinking is characterized by
A.evidence to support opinions and generalizations.
B.use of facts to back a claim.
C.logical arguments to support all claims made.
D.all of these.
E.none of these.
Task conflict involves disagreement over:
A.ideas.
B.meanings.
C.issues.
D.task matters.
E.all of these.
Group members are arguing vociferously for three different recommendations the
committee might make. They are probably experiencing _____ tension.
A.primary
B.secondary
C.tertiary
D.role
E.uncertainty
Which of the following is clearly an absolute criterion?
A.The employee Wellness Center must cost less than $250,000 to build.
B.The band for the picnic should be able to play several kinds of music.
C.Employees should use the suggestion system.
D.How well will it sell?
E.The new design should be more attractive than the old one.
Most of the conflict management advice offered in your text is for an individualistic
culture, some of the suggestion of open disagreement may appear rude to which of the
following cultures?
A.low power distance.
B.low context.
C.collectivist.
D.common.
E.dominant.
Conflicts likely to be the most difficult to resolve are due to
A.differences in goals.
B.differences in values.
C.limited resources.
D.differing opinions about solutions.
E.misunderstandings.
Symbols
A.limit us to the here and now.
B.are finite representations of objects.
C.are restricted to words.
D.have a direct relationship to that which they represent.
E.none of these.
Convergence in Symbolic Convergence theory means
A.people tend to meet, or converge, in groups.
B.members of a group share everything to promote group harmony.
C.that members have come together on what certain events, ideas, words, etc. will mean
for all of them.
D.every member of the group gets an equal opportunity to speak.
E.one person, usually the leader, brings everybody together during a conflict.
Something that helps us navigate new territory and make decisions is called a/an
A.idea.
B.hypothetical.
C.theory.
D.GPS.
E.internal understanding.
The scholar who created General Systems Theory was
A.Ludwig von Bertalanffy.
B.Alfred Einstein.
C.Carl Rogers.
D.Eric Schlieman.
E.John Dewey.
Fong is a very task focused listener, but sometimes Sally feels like he doesn’t care about
any of the group members. This illustrates a drawback of which type of listening
preference?
A.action-oriented listeners.
B.people-oriented listeners.
C.content-oriented listeners.
D.time-oriented listeners.
E.task-focused listeners.
Which of the following is important in ensuring the group understands the fundamental
elements of the problem?
A.knowing all the members.
B.phrasing the discussion question clearly.
C.having an agenda.
D.starting the meeting on time.
E.having a designated leader.
Identify which one of the following choices is not a pattern of organization suggested
for the body of a presentation.
A.problem-solution.
B.nomological.
C.spatial.
D.cause-and-effect.
E.chronological.
The first group you encounter in your life is the
A.friend group.
B.religious group.
C.family group.
D.neighborhood group.
E.social group.
Asking group members why they prefer particular alternatives represents which
principle in the “principled negotiation” procedure?
A.Separate the people from the problem.
B.Focus on interests rather than on positions.
C.Invent new options that provide mutual gains.
D.Use objective criteria.
E.none of these.
Bill Clinton, Steve Jobs of Apple Computer and Sarah Palin are often considered these
types of leaders:
A.autocratic.
B.democratic.
C.transactional.
D.transformational.
E.charismatic.
A person who holds an official position as leader (e.g., “chair” or “coordinator”) of a
small group has _______ power as a result of that position.
A.reward
B.punishment
C.legitimate
D.expert
E.referent
Which is the best example of a small group?
A.three people waiting at a bus stop.
B.a married couple.
C.five telemarketers working in the same room.
D.a task force planning a new highway.
E.all are equally valid as examples of small groups.
Saying “ain’t” instead of “isn’t” is a difference between which of the following?
A.pronunciation.
B.dialect.
C.interpretation.
D.articulation.
E.misnomer.
A hockey team’s high morale may be due to the fact that the team has won most of its
games, fans cheered lustily, the captain is respected by all players, and the players enjoy
being together. Which systems principle does this example illustrate?
A.interdependence
B.multiple causes
C.feedback
D.openness
E.multiple paths
The following kind of social tension is similar to ‘stage fright.”
A.primary.
B.secondary.
C.tertiary.
D.role.
E.uncertainty.
Group members solving a problem benefit greatly from which of the following?
A.information about the problem.
B.procedural guidelines.
C.critical thinking.
D.creativity.
E.investigative skills.
Motivating your audience to listen is called the
A.motivation step.
B.attention step.
C.actuation step.
D.delivery step.
E.interest step.
Kirby thought she knew what Susana meant when Susana said the float should look
“patriotic.” When, in fact, Kirby did not understand what Susana meant. If Kirby didn’t
check her understanding she engaged in which of the following?
A.interpretation.
B.understanding.
C.paraphrasing.
D.bypassing.
E.quantifying.
Employees in a quality control group are excited about working on ways to improve
productivity in their plant. Their excitement indicates which characteristic of an
unsolved problem?
A.task difficulty.
B.solution multiplicity.
C.member familiarity.
D.intrinsic interest.
E.acceptance level.
Which of the following is a good use of a statistic so that the audience is not confused
and the statistic clearly makes a point?
A.light travels at about 186,000 miles per second.
B.the sun is 93,000,000 miles from the earth. That’s the equivalent of 31,000 plane
flights back and forth from New York to Los Angeles.
C.the average American’s yearly income is .0001234879 percent of the national debt.
D.a t-test revealed a statistically significant difference of factor 4, with a .01 degree of
confidence, showing that the salinity in brackish water is lower than in marine water.
E.the universe is now considered by scientists to be expanding at a rate of 2 light years
of distance every half decade.
Rules or standards of conduct and practice are referred to collectively as _______.
A(n) _____________ leader is likely to decide what goes on the agenda for each
meeting of a group.
__________ is a four-step process that begins with perceiving a message, then
interpreting it, deciding what it means, and finally responding to it.
Small groups of employees who volunteer to tackle problems affecting job performance
are called __________ circles.
Group creativity involves ____________ and ____________ thinking, each requiring
slightly different communication behaviors to succeed.
A private, unstated goal that a member wants to achieve through a group and which is
often harmful to group accomplishment is called a ________________ item.
For a group’s discussion to be effective, the discussion question must be
_________________.
Gender differences in ______________ involve how much somebody talks, interrupts
others, claims personal space, or otherwise calls attention to him- or herself in the
conversation.
When elements of a system mutually influence each other, they are said to be
______________.
Two principal components required for critical thinking: evidence and logical
_____________________.
Managing a conflict by giving in to an opponent is referred to in Communicating in
Groups as the _________________________ style.
________________ is the canon concerned with how the speech is put together or
organized.
Groups experiencing _______________, were expected to perform well, but did not.
The __________ model of group development accounts for the non-linear progression
of a group to accomplish its task.
_______________ listeners enjoying analyzing the things they hear.
The functional approach requires leaders to ________________ what functions are
needed and to supply them.
Feelings among members are an example of _______________, an intangible outcome.
The ________________ approach to leadership not only oversimplifies the
complexities of groups as open systems, but also implies that a particular group will
have the same needs over its lifetime.
The degree to which a person feels that another is actually present during an interaction
is called __________________.