Guerrero, Close Encounters, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
Chapter 2: Communicating Identity: The Social Self
Test Bank
Multiple Choice
1. Compared to prior generations, the current generation Y, also called
millennials, is ______.
A. less sexually active
B. lacking in confidence
C. more narcissistic
D. less preoccupied with image or identity
2. According to Generation MySpace, which of the following is true of the current
millennial generation?
A. If you’ve got it, don’t flaunt it. Be selective in what you post.
B. Success equals money. A great job is fine but a great salary is what really
counts.
C. Happiness is about contentment. Inner peace is the ultimate goal.
D. Entertainment rules! Life is about video games and social networking.
3. Which of the following is true of identity gaps?
A. They are abnormal.
B. They prevent growth in relationships.
C. They exist when there is conflict between identity lenses.
D. They remain consistent throughout life.
4. Social networking sites are used differently by extroverts and introverts.
Introverts use it primarily ______.
A. to promote their own image
B. for social enhancement
C. to substitute for interacting in face–to-face situations
D. to enhance their face-to-face relationships
5. ______ use social networking sites to send one-to-many messages and
interact infrequently on their sites.
A. Interactors
B. Spies
C. Broadcasters
D. Mediators
6. ______ refers to the qualities we understand ourselves to possess.
A. Self-esteem
B. Self-understanding
C. Facework
D. Identity
7. ______ refers to how positively or negatively we view ourselves.
A. Self-esteem
B. Self-understanding
C. Facework
Guerrero, Close Encounters, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
D. Identity
8. Charles Horton Cooley’s classic belief that our identity is affected by the
feedback we receive from others is termed ______.
A. self-reflexiveness
B. looking-glass self
C. interpersonal reinforcement
D. peer pressure
9. A/an ______ occurs when an expectation exists that something will happen,
and a person behaves in a way (often unconsciously) that actually makes it more
likely that the anticipated event will occur.
A. interpersonal reinforcement
B. front-stage activity
C. self-fulfilling prophecy
D. demand-action pattern
10. Anika considers herself to be a very athletic person. After a game one day,
her coach congratulates her on her performance during the game. However, she
hears some of her teammates saying that they think she is not very athletically
skilled. Which instance(s) of feedback is Anika likely to attend to?
A. only her teammates’ feedback—we attend to feedback from our peers more
frequently than from those of a different status
B. only her coach’s feedback—we usually attend to feedback that is consistent
with our own perception of identity
C. both her coach and her teammates’ feedback—we always consider both
positive and negative evaluations before determining which to believe
D. neither her coach nor her teammates’ feedback—once we have a perception of
our own identity, we do not attend to any feedback on that identity
11. In dating relationships, we tend to prefer ______ feedback on our identity, yet
in marriage relationships we tend to prefer ______ feedback on our identity.
A. positive; authentic
B. authentic; positive
C. overt; covert
D. covert; overt
12. ______ provides an explanation for how our identities are developed and
maintained as well as how our identity is intricately linked to group memberships.
A. The communication theory of identity
B. Self-expansion theory
C. The dramaturgical perspective
D. Social identity theory
13. According to ______, identity construction can be viewed through personal,
enactment, relationship, and communal frames.
A. the communication theory of identity
B. self-expansion theory
C. the dramaturgical perspective
D. social identity theory
14. When we view ourselves through an enactment frame, our identity is
constructed through ______.
Guerrero, Close Encounters, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
A. group memberships
B. communication with others
C. evaluation of our strengths and weaknesses
D. the types of relationships we share with others
15. Pat has spent weeks preparing for the dance recital. On the opening night,
Pat tells everyone “I twisted my ankle and might not be able to dance tonight.”
Pat is nervous and afraid of a potentially poor performance. Pat just used ______
as a method of preventive facework.
A. disclaiming
B. going off-record
C. verbal handicapping
D. cognitive repairing
16. The way we would greet a potential boss and try to impress her or him by
discussing ideas of ethics and company loyalty illustrates which aspect of
Goffman’s dramaturgical perspective?
A. condition of interaction
Guerrero, Close Encounters, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
B. negative face
C. backstage behaviors
D. front-stage behaviors
17. Which of the following is the best example of trying to protect negative face?
A. Hayley walks into a lamppost and hopes no one saw her.
B. Sam doesn’t want to feel obliged to go to his girlfriend’s house for
thanksgiving.
C. Kelly tries to prevent people from thinking that she is a “computer nerd.”
D. Colin wants to prove that he is a better golfer than his brother.
18. Terry claims not to care what people think about him. Sue manages her
identity to make her appear socially competent. They both say they don’t care
how an audience reacts to them. Terry and Sue are ______ people.
A. autonomous
B. competent
C. aware
D. strategic
Guerrero, Close Encounters, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
19. There are several elements that affect the severity of a face-threatening act
(FTA). Which of the following is NOT one of these elements?
A. the importance of the rule being violated
B. the power the receiver has over the sender
C. the esteem levels of the receiver and the sender
D. the responsibility of the actor for the behavior
20. Which of the following strategies for enacting a face-threatening act (FTA) is
typically used when task efficiency is a priority and the power/status difference
between individuals is large?
A. negative politeness strategy
B. going off-record strategy
C. positive politeness strategy
D. bald on-record strategy
21. Which of the following strategies for enacting a face-threatening act (FTA)
involves little attention to the task but primary attention to face?
A. going off-record strategy
B. positive politeness strategy
C. bald on-record strategy
D. negative politeness strategy
22. If Natalie begins a statement by saying, “I know this might not make you
happy, but . . .,” she is engaging in which kind of preventative facework strategy?
A. hedging
B. appeal for suspended judgment
C. cognitive disclaimer
D. sin license
23. If your friend pretends not to see you stumble over your own feet as you walk
down the street together, which corrective facework strategy is being employed?
A. avoidance
B. accounts
C. physical remediation
D. tactful recovery
24. People seek out relationships in order to gain more experience. They
terminate these relationships when they perceive that their identities are no
longer growing. This is the basic premise behind ______.
A. impression management theory
B. positive face theory
C. self-expansion theory
D. face preservation theory
25. The ability to manage your self-presentation flexibly in a variety of contexts is
one important aspect of ______.
A. relational maintenance
B. communication competence
C. uncertainty reduction
D. backstage behaviors
True/False
1. For young people, the number of friends they have on a Facebook site is
incredibly important to their identity.
2. Social networkers are composed of people who are similar in terms of
ethnicity, religion, age, and country of origin.
3. Self-esteem refers to how positively or negatively a person views oneself.
4. Rather than having two completely separate identities, people in close
relationships tend to merge identities.
5. The feedback we receive from others does little to shape our identities.
6. “Identity” has little to do with the type of feedback we receive from others.
Guerrero, Close Encounters, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
7. In good relationships, a person should always help maintain a partner’s former
identity.
8. Many gay, lesbian, and transgender people closet their real identities because
of fears of rejection and possible violence.
9. Identity incorporates expectations and guides behavior.
10. According to self-expansion theory, a successful relationship depends on
partners’ ability to broaden each other’s identity.
11. “Identity” is rarely communicated by a person’s Facebook site.
12. Identity is independent of our social relationships.
1. Social network sites help people establish and maintain connectedness;
however, there are potential dangers to networking. Identify two examples of the
dark side of social networking sites and discuss their impact on users.
2. How does identity guide behavior? Why is it difficult to assume another identity
or to behave in a way that is inconsistent with one’s identity?
3. There have always been shifts in communication patterns between
generations. The use of technology has changed the way millennials and
Generation Zers communicate. Identify and compare three ways technology has
changed the way they establish their identity.
4. What is self-expansion theory? What does it have to do with the shaping of our
identities?
5. According to the principles of identity management theory, identity impacts
how we perceive ourselves, how we perceive how others see us, how we
behave, and how we manage our relationships. Select and explain three of the
principles from this theory.
6. What is positive face and negative face? Why is it important to preserve your
own positive face and that of others?