Chapter 5. Language

Fariba is frustrated,,,, (Find the mediated communication)

",,,Sent him a text"

Soledad arrives in health class and sits down next to Harun. (Find the euphemism)

",,,birds and the bees?"

Raj took his son to the hardware store... (Find the cliche)

",,,chip off the old block

Soledad arrives in health class and sits down next to Harun. (Find the Slang)

",,,sick"

Mia leaned over,,,, (Find the symbols that qualify as language.)

",,,tapped a message"

Raj took his son to the hardware store. (find the weasel words)

"Experts love them"

"Some friends invited me to go skydiving the other day," (Find the probe)

"How did that make you feel?"

"Graham, grab my wallet off that table, please." (Find the abstract term.)

"a guy"

Alia tried to convince her neighbor Karen that the three bordering both of their properties must be cut down... (Find logos)

"kill other good plants and poison out relationship."

Which of the following is true about how names define and differentiate us?

*A name is an important component of your sense of self. *We gain information about others through their names. *We represent ourselves to others to others through our names.

When judging a newspaper journalist's credibility, which of the following should you consider?

*Ability to communicate *Expertise

Which of the following are suggested ways to use language to comfort people in times of loss?

*Acknowledge the loss *Express sympathy *Offer a positive reflection *Offer assistance

Which of the following accurately describe language?

*Ambiguous language can be interpreted in more than one way. *It varies in clarity.

Language is bound by which of the following?

*Context *Culture

The following list includes both concrete and abstract words. Which are concrete words?

*Dog *Puppy

Which of the following statements are true about humor that is used in a negative manner?

*It can cause embarrassment or distress when told at another's expense. *It can be demeaning to individuals and social or cultural groups. *It can qualify as harassment.

Which of the following are ways that humor can enhance our communication with others?

*It can diffuse stress. *It can make social interaction more pleasant and enjoyable. *It can reinforce people's feelings of intimacy.

Language is which of the following?

*It is a system of symbols. *It uses symbols called words. *It is used to communicate meaning.

Which of the following may be true about hate speech?

*It is based on race, disability status, religion, sexual orientation, or political or moral views. *It involves calling people derogatory names, intimidating them, and advocating violence against groups of individuals. *It is meant to degrade, intimidate, or dehumanize people.

Why are hate laws and regulations controversial, according to those who oppose them?

*It is difficult to tell what is hate speech and what is not. *Restricting speech violates the First Amendment of the constitution.

Which of the following is true about communicating affection?

*It is good for people. *It is good for relationships.

Which of the following are among researchers' criticisms of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis?

*It is possible that our thoughts shape and constrain our languages just as much as our language shapes and constrains our thoughts. *Just because people may not have a word for a particular experience doesn't mean they don't have that experience. *If language determined thought, then people who doesn't acquire language would not be able to think, count, or interact with others.

Which of the following are true about language?

*Language is bound by culture. *Use of language varies by culture. *The values of a society are reflected in its use of language.

Which of the following statement is true about language?

*Language is symbolic. *Words can represent objects.

The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis embodies two specific principles. Match the principle to the correct definition.

*Linguistic determination=> The structure of language determines how we think. *Linguistic relativity=> People who speak different languages will see the world differently.

In constructive I-statements, the speaker does which of the following?

*Offers an alternative to the behavior that is prompting his feelings *Expresses responsibility for his own feelings. *Identifies the behavior that is prompting his feelings *Points to the characteristics of the behavior that is prompting his feelings.

Which of the following are true about onomatopoeia?

*Onomatopoetic words have iconic connections to their meanings. *It is exception to the rule that language is arbitrary. *The sounds of the words reflect their meanings.

Which of the following are types of confirming messages?

*Recognition *Acknowledgement *Endorsement

Which of the following are example of the positive use of slang?

*Referring to a "hail Maty" play with your fantasy football league members *referring to your guitar as an"axe" with your fellow band members. *Calling your umbrella a "brawley" when you're with your British friends.

Which of the following are examples of using profanity?

*Referring to a woman as a "bitch" *Referring to homosexual man as a "fag"

What are some of the negative aspects of euphemism?

*They can be used as doublespeak *Excessive use can desensitize people.

Equivocal language is often used in which of the following situations?

*When we face dilemmas *When we are put on the spot.

According to communication accommodation theory, which of the following is true regarding the relationship between dialect and credibility?

*When we speak to an audience with a different dialect, they may view us as outsiders and therefore question our credibility. *We gain credibility with our audience when we speak to them in a familiar dialect.

Which of the following are positive ways to use language to comfort ourselves?

*Write about positive feelings for a loved one. *Keep a journal of feelings.

Which of the following describes the most important aspect of humor?

A violation of our expectations

What is onomatopoeia?

A word formed by imitating the sound associated with its meaning.

A word that is ___________ refers to a broader category or organizing concepts of objects.

Abstract

Anna has worked with Harold for many years, and their relationship has grown steadily closer to the point that,,,

Affection

When you tell someone you love them, you are using language to express____

Affection

A(n) ___________ implies that a claim is true without exception.

Allness statement

A(n) _______ implies that a claim is true without exception.

Allness statement.

Which of the following describes statement that we can interpret to have more than one meaning?

Ambiguous language

Match the naming practice with its culture and/or religion.

Catholic culture: Males are often given a feminine middle name, such as Maria. Sikh culture: Girls are given the surname Kaur and boys are given the surname Singh. Mexican culture: Children are given two last names, including their father's last name and their mother's maiden name. American culture: Traditionally, women adopt their husband's last name when they marry.

We use words to _________ people we care about when they are in distress.

Comfort

Emotional tone of relationship is called

Communication climate

Which of the following is true about language?

Concrete words are specific.

A word's implied meaning is called its _______ meaning.

Connotative meaning

Which of the following describes the extent to which others perceive us to be competent and trustworthy?

Credibility

Language that harms a person's reputation or paints a negative image of that person is known as

Defamation

Categorize the following types of messages as either defensive or supportive.

Defensive Message Types: *Superiority, control, neutrality, evaluation, strategy. Supportive Message Types: *Description, spontaneity, equality, problem orientation, empathy.

According to the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, if a language has no word to describe empathy, then people who speak that language will not experience empathy. This exemplifies the principle of linguistic ____________.

Determinism

The two principles of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis are linguistic_____, which argues that language structure affects how we think, and linguistic _______, which argues people who speak different languages will see the world differently.

Determinism & relativity

Which of the following describes the language variation shared by people of a certain region or social class?

Dialect

The symbolic nature of language is illustrated by the fact that different languages have ________words for the same thing.

Different

Behaviors that imply a lack of respect or value for others are _______ messages.

Disconfirming

Using euphemisms specifically to disguise or distort meaning it known as _________.

Doublespeak

Which of the following describes language that disguises the speaker's true intentions through strategic ambiguity?

Equivocation

When a speaker strives to have his audience regard him as trustworthy, his is appealing to

Ethos

The term used to describe a vague, mild expression that symbolizes something more blunt or harsh is ________.

Euphemism

Match the defensive message type with its example.

Evaluation: "This is the worst pie you've ever baked." {An evaluation expresses an opinion on the value or worth of another person's behaviors.} Control: "You can't have your friends over tonight. I'm going to be using the living room." {Control-oriented messages manipulate others to act only in a specific way.} Strategy: "Are you staying in tonight?" {Strategic messages withhold information in an attempt to control the listener. Why does speaker want to know if the other person is staying in? Neutrality: "I heard you didn't get the promotion. That's the way the cookie crumbles." {Neutral statements imply a lack of concern for the well-being of others.} Superiority: "You're doing that incorrectly." {Messages of superiority encourage division and an "us vs. them" mentality rather than emphasizing inclusiveness and minimizing status differences.}

______________ feedback offers an assessment of what the speaker has done.

Evaluative

Categorize the following statements as either factual claims or opinions.

Factual claims: 1.) My roses are blooming more this year because we have had more rainfall. 2.) My roses have more perfect bloom since I began staking them individually to improve the air circulation. Opinion: 1.) My roses smell better than my neighbor's roses. 2.) My roses are the prettiest on the entire street.

True or False: Verbal communication refers to spoken communication but not written communication.

False

____________ includes the verbal and nonverbal behaviors through which you convey your attention to a person's message.

Feedback

_____________ includes the verbal and nonverbal behaviors through which you convey your attention to a person's message.

Feedback

Which of the following describes profanity meant to degrade, intimidate, or dehumanize persons based on their sex, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, race, disability status, or political or moral views?

Hate speech

To decrease the chance of your listener becoming defensive, you should use __________-statements.

I

Rank the following types of discomforting messages in order from most to least disconfirming.

Impervious response Verbal abuse Generalized complaint Irrelevant response Impersonal response

Libel refers to defamatory statement made

In print

Which of the following is a risk of using affectionate language?

It can be misinterpreted.

Which of the following is true about the symbolic nature of language?

It evolves

Which of the following is true about language?

It has layers of meaning.

How does slang serve a social function?

It helps us identify who does and does not belong in our social groups.

The technical vocabulary employed by a certain occupation or profession is known as _______.

Jargon

Which of the following describes the characteristics of language that words mean whatever we choose for them to mean?

Language is usually arbitrary.

A(n) ___________ expresses a personal judgment or preference with which we could agree or disagree but that is not true or false in an absolute sense.

Opinion

When a speaker is appealing to people's emotions, she is appealing to ____________.

Pathos

The process of convincing others to think or act in a particular way is known as

Persuasion

The _______ language rules deals with the correct pronunciation of a word.

Phonological

Examine the following descriptions of linguistic rules. Match the descriptions to the correct type of rule.

Phonological rules=> Deals with the pronunciation of words Syntactic rules=> Deals with sentence structure Semantic rules=> Deals with the meaning of individual words Pragmatic rules=> Employ social and cultural information

The ________ language rule is concerned with the interpretations or implications of statements.

Pragmatic

Match the non-evaluative feedback technique with its example.

Probe: "Have you considered natural alternatives rather than prescription anti-depressants?" {Probe means asking questions to gain more information.} Paraphrase: "It sounds like you want to exhaust all the natural options before trying a prescription medication." {Paraphrasing is using your own words to restate what someone has said.} Offer support: "I'm not certain what route I would take, but I'm here to help no matter your decision." {You can offer support even if you don't agree with someone.}

Language that is vulgar, rude, or obscene in the context in which it is used is known as ___________.

Profanity

Which of the following are possible steps of effective evaluative feedback?

Provide praise Criticize constructively

To ________ means to make judgement about the world based on evidence, not emotion or intuition.

Reason

Select the types of confirming messages.

Recognition Acknowledgement Endorsement

Some social groups have recognized that they can _______ the negative effects of certain profane terms by using the terms themselves, or reclaiming the terms.

Reduce

Karen and Jim laugh over a meal in the cafeteria. (choose the right answer)

Reference

In the semantic triangle, the denotative meaning of a word is called the

Referent

What type of humor is seen as particularly attractive in others?

Self-deprecating

The ________ language rule deals with the meaning of individual words.

Semantic

Holly is up for the same promotion to chief surgeon as Orin,,,

Slander

Profanity can sometimes be a __________ when it is used to establish and maintain an informal social atmospheres.

Social lubricant

A person's feeling of being cared about and protected is called

Supportiveness

If we feel that others care about us and will protect us, we are experiencing

Supportiveness

The word "barn" does not actually look like a barn. In other words, the word "barn" is not the structure; rather, it is a _________.

Symbol

Language can be arbitrary because it is

Symbolic

The ________ language rule deals with the ordering of the words within phrases.

Syntactic

Al calls his friend Kris "sly" after Kris convinces his boss to give him a raise. Kris complains that "sly" has more of a negative than positive meaning. Kris is focusing on

The connotative meaning of the word "sly."

Who claims responsibility in a you-statement?

The listener

What does the semantic triangle help us understand?

The relationship between words and their denotative and connotative meanings

Who claims responsibility in an I-statement?

The speaker

Which of the following accurately describes opinions?

They express an evaluation about what "should be."

What does it mean when we describe onomatopoeia as iconic?

They serve as a representation of the meaning they symbolize

True or False: Factual claims are factual claims whether they are true or not.

True

True or False: The most important aspect of humor is a violation of expectations.

True

When a speaker uses terms and phrases that purposely mislead listeners by implying something that he doesn't actually say, he is using.

Weasel words

Communication scholars have shown that ______ can help reduce cortisol levels, resulting in stress reduction.

Writing about positive feelings for a loved one.

The meaning of words are situated where?

in the people who use them

Recognizing that a word only represents an object or idea but does not constitute the object or idea itself is to understand that language ____________

is symbolic

The ________ meaning of a word is known as its denotative meaning.

literal

Using the term "death panel" for a group that reviews the medical procedures a person can have under his or her health care coverage is an example of _________ language.

loaded

When a speaker associates an idea to a word with a strong connotative meaning in order to evoke a strong emotional reaction to the idea, the speaker is said to be using ___________ language.

loaded

In the semantic triangle, the word being communicated is called the

symbol