Chapter 06 Communication and Human Relations
True / False Questions
1.
(p. 130)
The ability to communicate well on the job is an important job skill for employees.
TRUE
2.
(p. 131)
The personalization and “tone” of messages can get lost in brief e-mail or text messages.
TRUE
3.
(p. 132)
Information overload is one of the fallouts of selective listening.
FALSE
4.
(p. 133)
Prejudice can overlap with jealousy.
TRUE
5.
(p. 133)
The process of doing business can be badly hampered by prejudice.
TRUE
6.
(p. 133)
Red flag words contribute to reducing instances of miscommunication.
FALSE
7.
(p. 133)
Some red flag words can have implied meanings beyond their literal meaning.
TRUE
8.
(p. 133)
Active listening involves high tolerance for distractions.
FALSE
9.
(p. 133)
A major cause that underlies poor listening habits is that most people from childhood are
taught that listening requires energy, attention, and organization.
FALSE
10.
(p. 134)
Timing can be a major factor when a message becomes distorted and misunderstood.
TRUE
11.
(p. 134)
Emotional timing refers to the emotional quotient of a listener.
FALSE
12.
(p. 134)
Situational readiness refers to the emotional readiness of a listener to hear a message.
FALSE
13.
(p. 135)
Bad situational timing can ruin an otherwise good business undertaking.
TRUE
14.
(p. 135)
Relevance timing means that communication should fit the other topics being discussed.
TRUE
15.
(p. 135)
Filtering reflects what a person decides to hear only what he or she wants to hear.
TRUE
16.
(p. 135)
When listeners engage in filtering, they receive messages correctly because they filter out
the noise involved in the communication process.
FALSE
17.
(p. 135)
Written communication is a method of delivering nonverbal messages.
FALSE
18.
(p. 135)
Nonverbal communication is also related to communication skills.
TRUE
19.
(p. 136)
Much of what a person communicates is done unconsciously.
TRUE
20.
(p. 137)
When you communicate unconsciously, your internal climate is likely to give you away.
TRUE
21.
(p. 137)
While greeting a person, variations in facial expression rarely carry any significance.
FALSE
22.
(p. 138)
Your self-esteem level is indicated by the verbal mode of communication and not the
nonverbal communication signals.
FALSE
23.
(p. 138)
Illustrators are the gestures that are used to control the flow of communication.
FALSE
24.
(p. 139)
Displays involve facial expressions and general body movements.
TRUE
25.
(p. 140)
In the context of proxemics, Americans preserve the third bubble for close friends.
FALSE
26.
(p. 140)
In the United States, eighteen inches to four feet is the accepted distance when
communicating with business associates and casual acquaintances.
FALSE
27.
(p. 141)
Horizontal messages are the messages that need to go through a chain of command in an
organization.
FALSE
28.
(p. 141)
Grapevine is best described as a gossip network that produces false information.
FALSE
29.
(p. 142)
In a high-context culture, one must be very careful about cultural norms and nonverbal
behaviors on both sides.
TRUE
30.
(p. 146)
People in high-context cultures need to know how to put you into context.
TRUE
Multiple Choice Questions
31.
(p. 130)
Which of the following statements is true about communication?
A.
If a speaker’s nonverbal signals disagree with the words being said, it is best to believe
the words.
B.
Communication includes listening as well as speaking.
C.
In a formal communication, nonverbal expressions should ideally be avoided.
D.
The main cause of selective listening during communication is lack of information.
32.
(p. 132)
While having dinner with his friends in a crowded restaurant, Michael consciously ignores
the noise around him. He makes an attempt to pay attention to his friends’ discussions. In
doing so, Michael is engaging in:
A.
groupthink.
B.
C.
vertical communication.
D.
selective listening.
33.
(p. 132)
In the case of selective listening:
A.
a listener deliberately chooses what he or she wants to hear.
B.
a listener deliberately tunes out distractions.
C.
a listener’s subconscious mind decides which part of a conversation to register.
D.
a listener’s subconscious mind tunes out distractions.
34.
(p. 132)
Selective listening is justifiable when:
A.
the listener assumes that a subject is too difficult or easy to understand.
B.
the listener wants something to be true so badly that he or she interprets the message
so as to make it true.
C.
the listener is overwhelmed with incoming information and has to decide which
information will be processed and remembered.
D.
the listener refuses to listen to other people due to prejudice.
35.
(p. 132)
A listener is overwhelmed with incoming data and has to decide which data will be
processed and remembered. This situation is an example of:
A.
procrastination.
B.
self-efficacy.
C.
D.
information overload.
36.
(p. 132)
Which of the following reflects poor listening caused by bad communication habits?
A.
Deciding which information will be processed and remembered when the listener is
overwhelmed with incoming information
B.
Allowing the mind to wander because the speaker is speaking at a speed that is much
lower than the average capacity for listening
C.
Choosing to believe the nonverbal signals sent by a speaker when the signals conflict
with the words being said
D.
Attempting to feel another person’s feelings, attitudes, or thoughts while listening to
that person
37.
(p. 132)
The Ebbinghaus curve shows that:
A.
we remember less than half of what we’ve heard after an hour and about one-fourth
after a week.
B.
we are capable of recalling two-thirds of the information we receive on the day after
receiving the information.
C.
we remember more than two-thirds of the information we receive after an hour, about a
half after a day, and about a third after a week.
D.
we cannot remember half of what we hear after an hour, they can remember about a
two-third after one day of receiving the information.
38.
(p. 132)
People have a tendency to allow their minds to wander while attending a conference or a
business seminar because:
A.
much of what people say is expressed by nonverbal.
B.
people are in the habit of indulging in selective listening.
C.
most humans have a capacity for listening at a speed that far exceeds the ability of the
fastest speaker.
D.
from childhood, most people are trained to listen with less tolerance for distractions and
more feedback to the speaker.
39.
(p. 133)
Which of the following statements is true about red flag words?
A.
Red flag words mostly communicate false information.
B.
Red flag words typically evoke positive emotions in a listener.
C.
Red flag words are used to reduce noise in a communication channel.
Red flag words bring an immediate emotional response.
40.
(p. 133)
How do red flag words affect listening?
A.
They begin a flood of emotions that prevent some people from hearing anything else for
quite a while.
B.
They overwhelm a listener with information and force him or her to decide which
information will be remembered.
C.
They make people forget half of what they have heard after an hour, about a third after
a day, and about one-fourth after a week.
D.
They put a listener in a position where he or she has to decide which information will be
processed and remembered.
41.
(p. 133)
According to the listening expert Anthony Allesandra, which of the following is the major
cause that underlies most poor listening habits?
A.
Most people are trained to use red flag words to bring out strong emotional response
from the listener.
B.
In modern society, everyone is constantly bombarded with messages and no one can
possibly give full attention to every message.
C.
Most people are taught from childhood that talking requires energy, attention, and
organization, but listening is a passive behavior.
D.
Most people hear only what they want to hear because of their low self–esteem.
42.
(p. 133)
According to Dr. Allesandra, which skill should be taught in schools to improve people’s
ability to listen?
A.
Selective listening
Active listening
Nonverbal communication
43.
(p. 134)
Which of the following refers to the emotional readiness of a listener when a message is
received?
A.
Situational timing
B.
Internal locus of control
C.
Emotional timing
D.
Emotional quotient
44.
(p. 134)
Jeremy, the manager of a manufacturing company, is in a very bad mood over a contract
that the company lost. In this situation, one of his employees asks him for a day off. Jeremy
refuses to listen to the employee’s reason for the leave application and rejects the request.
The employee’s failure to communicate the reason for the leave application can best be
attributed to:
A.
relevance timing.
B.
prejudice.
C.
selective listening.
D.
emotional timing.
45.
(p. 134)
Which of the following best describes situational timing?
A.
It refers to a listener’s situation when a message is received.
B.
It refers to the emotional readiness of a listener to hear a message.
C.
It is a method listeners use to hear only what they want to hear in a given situation.
D.
It means that communication should fit the other topics being discussed in a particular
situation.
46.
(p. 135)
When Jack proposed an excellent business idea to his boss in a crowded elevator, his boss
just nodded his head and then forgot all about the idea. Jack’s idea did not receive the
response he had expected because of:
A.
information overload.
B.
C.
bad situational timing.
D.
poor filtering.
47.
(p. 135)
When Caira joined her friends for lunch at their favorite restaurant, they were excitedly
talking about a movie that released the week before. Caira suddenly shifted the discussion
to her office politics. None of her friends responded well to this and were annoyed as their
discussion was abruptly brought to an end by Caira. What could be the most likely reason
for this reaction?
A.
Caira’s poor emotional timing
B.
Caira’s poor relevance timing
C.
Caira’s poor selective listening
D.
Caira’s cognitive dissonance
48.
(p. 135)
People typically filter the messages they receive because:
A.
they have a capacity for listening at a speed that far exceeds the ability of the fastest
speaker.
B.
they are overwhelmed with incoming information and have to decide which information
will be remembered and processed.
C.
they can’t give full attention to every message due to information overload.
D.
sometimes they want something to be true so badly that they interpret the message to
make it true.
49.
(p. 135)
During his performance appraisal meeting, Roger’s manager appreciated that he was being
proactive. However, Roger was also advised to improve his interpersonal skills. Roger
chose to hear and retain only the good part. As a result, he decided to tell his colleagues
only about the good feedback he received from the manager. This is an example of:
A.
self-efficacy.
B.
C.
filtering.
D.
active listening.
50.
(p. 136)
Which of the following statements is true of nonverbal communication?
A.
Nonverbal gestures can cause miscommunication if they are not recognized by a
speaker or listener.
B.
Nonverbal communication includes the use of e-mails and letters.
C.
Nonverbal expressions should ideally be avoided in a formal communication.
D.
Nonverbal expressions and gestures are universally understood.
51.
(p. 137)
According to Albert Mehrabian, which of the following is a function of nonverbal
communication?
A.
Reducing information overload
B.
Reducing instances of selective listening
C.
Clarifying messages
D.
Improving passive listening
52.
(p. 138)
Which of the following is an example of nonverbal communication?
A.
Gestures
B.
E-mails
C.
Letters
D.
Grapevine communication
53.
(p. 138)
Which of the following is a type of a gesture?
A.
Prosody
B.
Intonation
C.
Syntax
D.
Illustrator
54.
(p. 138)
Which of the following best defines illustrators?
A.
Gestures that are used to control the flow of communication
B.
Gestures that are used like nonverbal punctuation marks
C.
Gestures that are used to clarify a point
D.
Gestures that are used in a specific manner because they have a specific meaning
55.
(p. 138)
Which of the following is an example of a regulator gesture?
A.
Pointing the way down the street when giving directions
B.
Raising a hand in a class to get the instructor’s attention
C.
Pounding one’s fist on a table
D.
Peace signs used by war protesters