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Indicate the answer choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
1. Regulative rules define words’ meanings.
a. True
b. False
2. According to the cooperative principle, being relevant means speakers need to
a. present information in a straightforward fashion.
b. provide information that is appropriate.
c. offer information that is truthful.
d. use information applicable to the situation.
3. Language that focuses attention on and blames others is called
a. verbal aggression.
b. deception.
c. “you” language.
d. defamation.
4. What defines which words represent which objects?
a. Constitutive rules
b. Regulative rules
c. Connotative meanings
d. Cooperative principles
5. Prejudiced language is a form of stereotyping.
a. True
b. False
6. Which of these is a symbol?
a. Thoughts
b. Words
c. Deceptions
d. Meanings
7. Research suggests that people prefer those who use a dialect similar to their own.
a. True
b. False
8. Your friend is on an exciting trip to New Zealand and sends you photos of her travels. In response, you text
her: “I hate you!” Your friend understands that what you really mean is that you are jealous but happy that she is
having fun on her trip. What type of meaning is your friend applying?
a. Denotative meaning
b. Personal meaning
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c. Contextual meaning
d. Connotative meaning
9. Language helps people create and reinforce their cultural identity.
a. True
b. False
10. According Paul Grice, all of the following are characteristics of understandable verbal communication
EXCEPT
a. clarity.
b. empathy.
c. relevance.
d. honesty.
11. Andy knows when he receives a text message from his father that says “We need to talk” Andy has done
something wrong. This is an example of the denotative meaning of language.
a. True
b. False
12. Associated or implied meanings are called
a. denotative meanings.
b. symbols.
c. connotative meanings.
d. messages.
13. What is the most frequent form of deception?
a. Being vague
b. Misunderstanding
c. Deception
d. Concealment
14. Misunderstanding occurs frequently online due to a lack of
a. nonverbal cues.
b. “you” language.
c. connotative meaning.
d. honesty.
15. What is the term for items that represent other things?
a. Rules
b. Meaning
c. Messages
d. Symbols
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16. Defamation can be described as
a. slander, when spoken.
b. false communication.
c. libel, when in written form.
d. All of the options are correct.
17. Public figures must be able to prove that sources of false statements acted with malice in order to
successfully sue for
a. verbal aggression.
b. deception.
c. defamation.
d. discrimination.
18. Women’s verbal communication has been stereotypically associated with all of these EXCEPT
a. indirectness and tentativeness.
b. flowery adjectives.
c. wordiness.
d. clarity.
19. Language that attacks a person’s unique attributes is
a. defamation.
b. verbal aggression.
c. deception.
d. prejudiced language.
20. Face-to-face communication is better than email or texting when you need to deliver important or
potentially controversial messages.
a. True
b. False
21. In comparing gender and culture and their impact on verbal communication, we can conclude that
a. both gender and culture strongly impact verbal communication.
b. gender has a greater impact than culture on verbal communication.
c. culture has a greater impact than gender on verbal communication.
d. gender and culture have little impact on verbal communication.
22. Symbols can have multiple meanings, which can lead to misunderstanding.
a. True
b. False
23. Constitutive rules guide spelling, grammar, and conversational structure.
a. True
b. False
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24. Which strategy can be used to achieve cooperative verbal communication?
a. Use less “I” language.
b. Use more “we” language.
c. Use more “you” language.
d. Use less “we” language.
25. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word “set” has more definitions than any other English
word. What type of meanings are these definitions?
a. Connotative meanings
b. Denotative meanings
c. Contextual meanings
d. Symbolic meanings
26. Language that emphasizes ownership of thoughts and feelings is called
a. “I” language.
b. “you” language.
c. clear language.
d. informative language.
27. Concealing information and being overly vague are forms of deception.
a. True
b. False
28. Symbols tend to derive their meaning from people and their experience. What type of meaning does this
illustrate?
a. Denotative meaning
b. Connotative meaning
c. Contextual meaning
d. Intentional meaning
29. The intentional use of language to misrepresent or mislead others is
a. verbal aggression.
b. deception.
c. defamation.
d. prejudiced language.
30. “You” language places blame on other people.
a. True
b. False
31. What is NOT a characteristic of all verbal aggression?
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a. The goal is to intentionally hurt someone’s feelings.
b. The attack targets a person’s individual attributes.
c. The message often includes profanity.
d. The communication includes shouting or raised voices.
32. What governs how language is used?
a. Constitutive rules
b. Connotative meaning
c. Regulative rules
d. The cooperative principle
33. Dialects include differences in accents.
a. True
b. False
34. All languages have their own rules regarding spelling, grammar, and pronunciation. What are these rules
called?
a. Connotative rules
b. Denotative rules
c. Constitutive rules
d. Regulative rules
35. Literal, dictionary-based meanings are
a. symbolic meanings.
b. cooperative meanings.
c. connotative meanings.
d. denotative meanings.
36. Which aspect of Grice’s cooperative principle focuses on using truthful information?
a. Be informative.
b. Be honest.
c. Be relevant.
d. Be clear.
37. Men’s verbal communication has been stereotypically associated with all of these EXCEPT
a. directness.
b. clarity.
c. conciseness.
d. wordiness.
38. Sarah is upset because her significant other broke up with her. When her friend Kim asks her what’s wrong,
Sarah replies, “Nothing.” Which component of cooperative verbal communication is Sarah violating?
a. Be informative.
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b. Be honest.
c. Be clear.
d. Be relevant.
39. There are significant differences in verbal communication between men and women.
a. True
b. False
40. Intentionally false communication that harms a person’s reputation is known as
a. defamation.
b. deception.
c. verbal aggression.
d. prejudiced language.
41. Ahmed is concerned that his friend Mark has been smoking cigarettes. Of the possible responses below,
which one best reflects the cooperative principle?
a. “I’m worried about your health.”
b. “Bro, that’s gross, man!”
c. “Hey bud, how are your lungs?”
d. “Get a hobby.”
42. When one person misperceives another’s verbal communication, what occurs?
a. Verbal aggression
b. Misunderstanding
c. “I language”
d. Prejudiced language
43. To make your communication more understandable, you should
a. abide by the cooperative principle.
b. question constitutive rules.
c. concentrate on connotative meanings.
d. switch your dialect to that of your listeners.
44. Habitually attacking a person online is
a. defamation.
b. prejudiced language.
c. verbal aggression
d. cyberbullying.
45. Which of these expresses connection with others?
a. “You” language
b. Denotative meaning
c. “We” language
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d. Regulative rules
46. If someone from the north says they are going to the shore, while someone from the south says they are
going to the beach, what characteristic of language is being illustrated?
a. Cooperation
b. Denotation
c. Dialect
d. Connotation
47. Language that expresses contempt, dislike, or disdain for a group or its members is called
a. prejudiced language.
b. defamation.
c. deception.
d. verbal aggression.
48. Which of the following is NOT a type of deception?
a. Concealment.
b. Lying.
c. Avoidance.
d. Prejudice.
49. Research suggests that during verbal communication, men and women respond in a similar manner 99
percent of the time.
a. True
b. False
50. The exchange of spoken or written language is
a. the cooperative principle.
b. verbal communication.
c. constitutive rules.
d. denotative meaning.
51. Which is NOT a competent way to manage verbal online aggression?
a. Create a draft message, and then save and revisit it.
b. Remember to use “you” language.
c. Review and revise before finally sending the message.
d. Make sure your message is honest, informative, and clear.
52. Regulative rules apply only to spoken conversation.
a. True
b. False
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53. In the textbook example of the potential multiple meanings of the symbol “table,” what principle of
language is being illustrated?
a. Language conveys meaning.
b. Language is symbolic.
c. Language is rule-governed.
d. Language and culture are intertwined.
54. Verbal aggression typically involves attacking someone’s group affiliation.
a. True
b. False
55. Deception is unethical because it denies others information they may need to make personal or professional
decisions.
a. True
b. False
56. Languages are collections of symbols.
a. True
b. False
57. What is considered to be the single most important characteristic of competent communication?
a. Information
b. Relevance
c. Clarity
d. Honesty
58. Variations in language rules shared by large groups of people are known as
a. ingroups.
b. dialects.
c. “we” language.
d. connotative meanings.
59. Compared to denotative meaning, connotative meaning is
a. more literal.
b. used more in close, personal relationships.
c. more likely to be found on dictionary.com.
d. less emotional and personal.
60. If your communication professor seems to really tailor his lectures and examples to the students in his class,
he is demonstrating the cooperative principle.
a. True
b. False
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61. In what ways do many Euro-American college students change their speech when talking with Asian and
Asian American students? What is the result of this tendency?
62. What two types of meaning can language convey?
63. How accurate are stereotypes about the effect of gender on verbal communication?
64. What strategies can be used to manage verbal aggression online?
65. Define and provide an example of denotative and connotative meaning.
66. What is the function of symbols in verbal communication?
67. What is defamation, and what are two types of defamation?
68. Give an example of “I” and an example of “We” language.
69. What are three types of prejudiced language?
70. Explain the four fundamental features of language.
71. Identify the four elements of cooperative language.
72. What are two strategies that can be used to be mindful of cultural differences in the use of verbal
communication?
73. Identify four types of deception.
74. How is verbal aggression different from prejudiced language?
75. List one challenge that can occur when trying to communicate cooperatively online?
76. How can one effectively manage prejudiced language?
77. Name one cause of verbal aggression.
78. List at least two strategies you can use to manage a verbally aggressive individual.
79. Identify four fundamental features of language.
80. How can you use verbal communication more cooperatively?
81. What is the function of symbols in verbal communication?
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Answer Key
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