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chapter 9
Indicate the answer choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
1. The various communication behaviors used to keep a relationship strong and satisfying constitute
a. supportive communication.
b. relational maintenance.
c. communication rules.
d. relational dialectics.
2. Bill was raised in a family where communication was devalued. Sensitive topics and issues were not talked
about and, instead, only safe topics such as the weather and current events were discussed. Bill’s family could
be described as having a focus on which characteristic?
a. Stability
b. Privacy
c. Protection
d. Autonomy
3. Altman and Taylor use an apple to describe the process of self-disclosure in our relationships.
a. True
b. False
4. If you text your relational partner “cu soon; can’t wait,” you are using assurances.
a. True
b. False
5. Most people believe that it is acceptable to use mobile phones during “quality time.”
a. True
b. False
6. Our relationships are more satisfying when partners act in ways that increase uncertainty.
a. True
b. False
7. Carlos and Jazmin often speak to one another about future plans, events, and holidays. What relational
maintenance strategy are they illustrating?
a. Self-disclosure
b. Intimacy
c. Positivity
d. Assurances
8. One way to provide competent supportive communication is to offer advice.
a. True
b. False
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9. Which of these uses an onion as a metaphor to explain self-disclosure in personal relationships?
a. Social penetration theory
b. Communication privacy management theory
c. Communication rules
d. Relational maintenance
10. Selena likes to disclose almost all of her personal feelings and attitudes with her girlfriend Leona; also, she
likes to be the recipient of such disclosures. However, Leona prefers to keep things to herself. What relational
dialectic are Selena and Leona experiencing?
a. autonomy versus connection
b. openness versus protection
c. novelty versus predictability
d. disclosure versus privacy
11. When engaging in supportive communication, you should avoid asking open-ended questions.
a. True
b. False
12. Competing tensions or impulses experienced with a relational partner are known as
a. relational maintenance.
b. communication rules.
c. relational dialectics.
d. privacy management.
13. Which of these is defined as communication that is cheerful and optimistic?
a. Assurances
b. Supportive communication
c. Relational maintenance
d. Positivity
14. Which statement about self-disclosure is TRUE?
a. It reduces stress and results in greater mental health.
b. It occurs more online than face-to-face.
c. Studies suggest that men are more likely to self-disclose to women.
d. All of the options are correct.
15. Liam and Emma have decided that past relationships are a taboo topic and one that is not to be discussed in
their relationship. What are they illustrating?
a. Protection
b. Communication privacy management theory
c. Communication rules
d. Autonomy
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16. Euro-Americans tend to self-disclose more frequently than Asians, Hispanics, and African Americans.
a. True
b. False
17. Relational dialectics are competing tensions and impulses with our relational partners.
a. True
b. False
18. According to social penetration theory, the central layers include core characteristics of your self, including
self-esteem, values, and personality traits.
a. True
b. False
19. If you and your friend talk about many different topics in great detail, your self-disclosure has
a. Low breadth and low depth.
b. High breadth and high depth.
c. High breadth and low depth.
d. Low breadth and high depth.
20. Which is true about the relational dialectic of novelty versus predictability?
a. Relational partners want to increase uncertainty.
b. Relational partners want to decrease uncertainty.
c. Relational partners want to avoid new, interesting experiences.
d. Relational partners need not be concerned with this dialectic.
21. Your younger sister struggles with her desire to spend time with her friends and pressure to spend time with
family. What dialectic tension is she experiencing?
a. Novelty versus predictability
b. Autonomy versus connection
c. Openness versus protection
d. Family versus friends
22. The dialectic of autonomy versus connection is most pronounced in romantic and family relationships.
a. True
b. False
23. Positivity, assurances, and self-disclosure can all be used to help maintain our relationships.
a. True
b. False
24. By revealing one’s height and biological sex, one is engaging in self-disclosure.
a. True
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b. False
25. Which of the following statements about relational dialectics is TRUE?
a. Relational dialectics naturally occur in our interpersonal relationships.
b. Relational dialectics involve competing tensions.
c. Relational dialectics are only bad if not dealt with.
d. All of the options are correct.
26. By communicating demographic information such as birthplace, age, and ethnic background, you are in the
outermost layer, according to social penetration theory.
a. True
b. False
27. Sophia prefers her alone time and doing activities without her partner Ethan, while he prefers to do
everything with her. What relational dialectic is challenging their relationship?
a. Self-interest versus self-disclosure
b. Novelty versus predictability
c. Openness versus protection
d. Autonomy versus connection
28. We create information boundaries by monitoring the private information we disclose to others, according to
a. relational maintenance theory.
b. relational dialectics theory.
c. social penetration theory.
d. communication privacy management theory.
29. If your friend discloses that his girlfriend just broke up with him, what would be an appropriate response?
a. Offer advice.
b. Compare his breakup to yours.
c. Remind him that you predicted this.
d. Use people-oriented listening.
30. People tend to self-disclose more in face-to-face interactions than in online interactions.
a. True
b. False
31. Which statement is TRUE regarding self-disclosure in online interactions?
a. People self-disclose more online than they do face-to-face.
b. Online interactions seem less intimate than face-to-face interactions.
c. Online interactions make it easier to accurately perceive responses than in face-to-face interactions.
d. In online interactions, the consequences of self-disclosure are clearly visible.
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32. Brian feels the need for excitement and spontaneity in his relationship with Elena, yet sometimes he wants
stability. This situation illustrates which relational dialectic?
a. Connection versus autonomy
b. Openness versus protection
c. Novelty versus predictability
d. Stability versus change
33. Which of these is NOT part of social penetration theory?
a. Intermediate layer
b. Depth
c. Positivity
d. Breadth
34. Expression of emotional support and personal assistance to your relational partner are both part of
a. positivity.
b. assurances.
c. supportive communication.
d. relational maintenance.
35. What level of self-disclosure fosters the most intimacy?
a. Low breadth and high depth
b. High breadth and low depth
c. Low breadth and low depth
d. High breadth and high depth
36. Which statement about self-disclosure is TRUE?
a. Men disclose more than women.
b. Women disclose more than men.
c. Both men and women are more likely to self-disclose to women than to men.
d. Both men and women are more likely to self-disclose to men than to women.
37. All of these are good suggestions for effective supportive communication EXCEPT
a. make sure your partner is ready to talk.
b. give advice.
c. find the right place and time.
d. legitimize; don’t minimize.
38. Which statement about self-disclosure is TRUE?
a. Breadth is more important than depth in self-disclosure.
b. Self-disclosure always leads to intimacy.
c. More self-disclosure is always better.
d. It is important to disclose information that is appropriate.
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39. Which of these is NOT an important strategy for maintaining healthy relationships?
a. Positivity
b. Protection
c. Self-disclosure
d. Assurances
40. It is important to listen actively when others disclose to you.
a. True
b. False
41. Which is NOT an effective way to enhance your self-disclosure skills?
a. Remember that women are more comfortable disclosing than men.
b. Be sensitive to cultural differences regarding self-disclosure.
c. Actively listen and express empathy when others disclose to you.
d. Be sure to communicate true thoughts and feelings.
42. Depth refers to disclosing increasingly personal information, and breadth refers to revealing more at each
layer.
a. True
b. False
43. Self-disclosure can lead to increased intimacy.
a. True
b. False
44. Self-disclosure is particularly integral to the “coming apart” stages of a relationship.
a. True
b. False
45. Shelby craves tradition. Each Christmas Eve she and her family go to Midnight Mass, come home, eat a
pork dinner, and then each family member opens one present. They open the remainder of their presents on
Christmas morning. These Christmas traditions exemplify which characteristic?
a. Predictability
b. Novelty
c. Connection
d. Openness
46. Which is NOT a relational dialectic?
a. Self-disclosure versus self-esteem
b. Autonomy versus connection
c. Openness versus protection
d. Intimacy versus separation
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47. What is an example of supportive communication?
a. Introducing communication rules
b. Disclosing your experiences with an ex
c. Telling your partner how he or she should feel
d. Asking your partner open-ended questions
48. Your workplace has a formal, impersonal culture and communication style. Most employees prefer memos
and emails over face-to-face communication or texting. What characteristic does your workplace demonstrate?
a. Autonomy
b. Openness
c. Connection
d. Protection
49. Messages that communicate how much a relational partner means to you are
a. assurances.
b. positivity.
c. supportive communication.
d. intimacy.
50. Mark’s sister Lily recently disclosed to him that she is involved in a same-sex relationship. Mark feels
pressured between his need to maintain his sister’s confidence and his perceived obligation to disclose this
information to his parents. What relational dialectic is Mark experiencing?
a. Novelty versus predictability
b. Autonomy versus connection
c. Openness versus protection
d. Family versus friends
51. Marta and Jackson have agreed not to discuss their past relationships and to only focus on the present and
future of their relationship. This is an example of negotiating communication rules.
a. True
b. False
52. Studies suggest that both women and men prefer self-disclosing to women rather than
to men.
a. True
b. False
53. Feelings of closeness between you and others are called
a. self-disclosure.
b. openness.
c. positivity.
d. intimacy.
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54. Intimacy can be achieved as long as at least one relational partner engages in self-disclosure.
a. True
b. False
55. When Jack offers his partner compliments including “You look really nice in that suit,” what relational
maintenance strategy is he using?
a. Positivity
b. Intimacy
c. Self-disclosure
d. Openness
56. Communication rules are
a. likely to result in conflict.
b. negotiated between lovers or friends.
c. relational dialectics that may be difficult to navigate.
d. unnecessary in healthy relationships.
57. Revealing private information about yourself to others is called
a. intimacy.
b. connection.
c. self-disclosure.
d. protection.
58. Information boundaries allow us to carefully choose the kind of private information we reveal to others.
a. True
b. False
59. Self-disclosure is most effectively used as a relational maintenance strategy when you
a. criticize your partner when he or she discloses to you.
b. disclose your self and encourage disclosure from your partner.
c. hide important information from your partner.
d. share your partner’s disclosures with other people.
60. Conditions that govern what couples can and cannot talk about are called
a. relational maintenance.
b. relational dialectics.
c. communication rules.
d. self-disclosure.
61. What is self-disclosure?
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62. What relational dialectic is most challenging in romantic relationships?
63. Describe how relational partners can increase the effectiveness of their self-disclosure.
64. What are three strategies relational partners can use to help maintain their relationship?
65. List two examples of communication rules.
66. What steps must relationship partners take in order to ensure that self-disclosure leads to intimacy?
67. Explain social penetration theory and how it relates to self-disclosure.
68. Identify the three layers of social penetration theory.
69. What are the three relational dialectics, and why are they important in relationships?
70. Provide two examples of using assurances as a strategy for maintaining relationships.
71. Identify three ways to enhance self-disclosure skills.
72. What relational dialectic is most closely related to communication privacy management theory?
73. Identify the two relational dialectics that are most applicable to family relationships.
74. Identify three benefits of using self-disclosure.
75. Describe and provide an example of three relational maintenance strategies.
76. Briefly describe at least three strategies by which we can ensure that we provide competent, effective,
supportive communication for our relational partners.
77. What are three guidelines for competent supportive communication?
78. Why is the relational dialectic of autonomy versus connection most challenging in family relationships?
79. Identify three ways in which self-disclosure, when not done competently, can undermine relational
maintenance.
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Answer Key
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