Midterm Exam

One early study claimed that _________ percent of the emotional impact of a message comes from a verbal source.

7

Negative social comparison is more likely to occur on Instagram when we compare ourselves to whom?

A stranger

Your brother avoids eye contact when you ask him about his plans for the weekend. You're not sure how to interpret his behavior due to which characteristic of nonverbal communication?

Ambiguity

Which statement is TRUE about cultural norms that govern nonverbal expressiveness?

American emoticons focus on mouth expressions, whereas Japanese emoticons feature the eyes.

Because interpersonal communication can be draining, it's best to do what?

Be sure to schedule alone time.

Studies of social isolation and solitary confinement discussed in the textbook demonstrate the importance of which activity?

Communication

What do we call the affective dimension of empathy?

Emotional contagion

Calling someone big boned rather than obese is an example of what kind of language?

Euphemistic

You are excited to be studying abroad in France but feeling homesick. You are experiencing what an intercultural communication scholar calls a "draw back and leap" pattern. What should you do?

Expect progress and setbacks. These are a normal part of the process.

T/F?: "Girls are as good as boys at math" is a nonsexist statement.

False

T/F?: "Just be yourself" is the best advice for everyone at work.

False

T/F?: A perception check needs three parts to be effective.

False

T/F?: A type of communication that is competent in one setting will be competent in another.

False

T/F?: Disclaimers tend to decrease negative judgments of those who use them.

False

T/F?: Each of us enters the world with a strong sense of identity.

False

T/F?: First-order realities are those you consider most important.

False

T/F?: If you remain silent with a poker face, you are not communicating.

False

T/F?: In countries that welcome uncertainty, people have a strong need for clearly defined rules and regulations.

False

T/F?: In today's high-tech workplace, oral and written communication skills aren't as important as they once were.

False

T/F?: Lean mediated channels are a disadvantage for communicators who want to manage the impressions they make.

False

T/F?: Nonverbal communication more commonly serves practical than social functions.

False

T/F?: Race is a biological designation scientifically determined by physical traits, cultural traits, and ancestry.

False

T/F?: Research shows that men are generally more perceptive about interpreting others' nonverbal cues.

False

T/F?: Sign languages are considered nonverbal communication.

False

What type of apparel tends to enhance perceptions of credibility and expertise?

Formal dress

Which statement would be easier to express nonverbally?

I'm excited.

What does research on the online community of Wikipedia indicate about its language use?

If the Wikipedia community wants to grow, it should increase the number of female administrators.

Your friend was just awarded a scholarship to a top college, but she doesn't seem to be as happy as you'd expect. You tell her to literally jump for joy as a way of doing what?

Influencing herself

The death of someone you read about in the news affects you less than the illness of a friend because of which quality of interpersonal relationships?

Interdependence

Someone from ____________ is most likely to answer the question "Who am I?" by saying, "I am a mother" or "I work for ABC Corporation."

Japan

Posture and eye contact are subsets of which larger category of nonverbal communication?

Kinesics

Standing tall and walking proudly are examples of which category of impression management?

Manner

According to cross-cultural research, who might be expected to be comfortable with the smallest zone of personal space?

Marisol from Mexico City

When your friend calls the latest release from Coldplay lame, you reconsider this music that had sounded great at home alone. This shift in attitude occurs during which stage of the perception process?

Negotiation

What did Nelson Mandela mean when he said, "Where you stand depends on where you sit"?

No one perceives the world exactly as you do.

Using the plural "they" is one way of addressing an individual with what kind of identity?

Non-binary

According to research on texting, which response is most likely to be perceived negatively?

Okay

Who are significant others?

People whose evaluations are meaningful to us

You get up early eager to greet the day, but you know better than to attempt breakfast conversation with your mother, who barely utters a word before 10 a.m. Being either a "morning person" or a "night person" illustrates which influence on perception?

Physiological

Which of the following is an example of language that is neither sexist nor racist?

Police officer

Which is an initial goal when you first meet other people?

Reducing uncertainty

Which is the fourth stage of a self-fulfilling prophecy?

Reinforcing the original expectation.

What is the best example of a turn-taking signal that occurs at the end of a clause?

Rising or falling pitch

Which is an example of nonverbal communication whose meaning remains constant across cultures?

Smiling

After seeing the latest fashion trends on Instagram models, you immediately decide that you need to lose 15 pounds by summer. These feelings are likely a result of which phenomenon?

Social comparison

The Stars Wars character Yoda is famous for statements such as "Powerful you have become; the dark side I sense in you." Yoda is known for playing with what kind of linguistic rules?

Syntactic

Which statement is more likely to have been uttered by a woman?

The CEO really likes our sales pitch, but I'm anxious that she may not be ready to commit yet.

When you receive a B on a midterm, you question the validity of the exam because you are an A student. Your reaction illustrates which quality about the self-concept?

The self-concept resists change.

Which of the following is NOT a requirement for self-disclosure?

The sender must convey personal information never shared before.

You disclose your political views in rewarding discussions with close friends, but when you share these opinions with your neighbors, arguments ensue. Which principle of communication does this contrast illustrate?

There's no single "ideal" or "effective" way to communicate.

Why do some professional poker players wear sunglasses?

To hide the pupil dilation that may occur when lying.

T/F?: A side-to-side head shake, a nonverbal way of saying "no," is an emblem.

True

T/F?: Adaptability is so important that competence researchers call it "the hallmark of interpersonal communication skills."

True

T/F?: Consistent with an enduring stereotype, people from New York City are typically more assertive than those from the Upper Midwest.

True

T/F?: Criticism is rated more favorably when delivered in concrete rather than abstract terms.

True

T/F?: Evasive approaches can be attempts at politeness that save face for both senders and receivers.

True

T/F?: Even good times in a close relationship can leave you tired.

True

T/F?: Everyone has a daily cycle in which all sorts of changes constantly occur, including variations in body temperature, sexual drive, alertness, and tolerance to stress.

True

T/F?: Immigrants to the United States run the risk of being discriminated against because of their non-Anglo names.

True

T/F?: In highly interpersonal communication exchanges, the fate of the partners is connected.

True

T/F?: Low-context communicators value self-expression and persuading others to accept their point of view.

True

T/F?: Most Americans have fairly high self-esteem and rate themselves as generally "above average."

True

T/F?: Most people focus on positive features and omit or downplay negative details from their online profiles.

True

T/F?: Open-mindedness is especially important in intercultural work teams.

True

T/F?: Organizations have cultures that can be just as distinctive as those of larger societies.

True

T/F?: Research has found that people with cold dispositions have more difficulty interpreting and labeling the emotions of others than people with warm dispositions.

True

T/F?: Research suggests that whether they mean to or not, communicators often see the world through a gendered lens—and women are often perceived and treated unfairly.

True

T/F?: Those who identify as multiracial report greater self-esteem, well-being, and social engagement than multiracial people who identify with only one group.

True

T/F?: Tweets sent from mobile devices, compared to those sent from desktop computers, tend to be more negative in their wording and content.

True

T/F?: Women say "I'm sorry" more often than men.

True

Which is the best definition of communication?

Using messages to generate meanings

Balancing the demands of being a first-string quarterback and an "A" pre-med student reflects which characteristic of impression management?

We strive to maintain a multifaceted identity.

Which of the following is a second-order reality?

Your neighbor is an eco-conscious person.

Unusual names can be a symbol of solidarity with the African American community, whereas less distinctive names can be a form of __________ with the majority culture.

assimilation

Those who identify as queergender, transgender, bigender, or genderfluid resist __________ definitions of male and female.

binary

Perception checking helps save face and __________.

clarify meaning

Ritualized, stock responses to social situations are called __________.

clichés

Your math professor is concerned about the visible confusion on student faces as she attempts to explain a difficult statistical problem. This situation illustrates how it's often difficult to distinguish the sender from the receiver of a message, making __________ a better term for these roles.

communicator

The communication term "environment" is also called __________.

context

The dictionary meanings, or __________, of a word like "home," are often less important than its connotations, the feelings it evokes.

denotations

When others allow you to preserve your socially approved image, they are helping you save __________.

face

Asking for __________ helps address ambiguous language, which consists of words and phrases that have more than one commonly accepted definition.

feedback

Nonverbal communication is better suited to expressing __________ than it is ideas.

feelings

Whereas we may evaluate others critically, we tend to judge ourselves more generously. Social scientists use two theories to explain this phenomenon: self-serving bias and __________.

fundamental attribution error

Your blind date arrived at the restaurant a half hour late, and you were not impressed by the conversation that followed. Your early appraisal colored your subsequent perceptions of her due to the __________ effect.

horns

Employees with __________ should proceed with caution and consider the potential consequences of self-disclosure.

invisible stigmas

When attempting to communicate in an unfamiliar language, the __________ is especially high.

level of uncertainty

The first communication models characterized communication as a __________ process.

linear and one-way

Reba feels comfortable making suggestions to her manager. Reba is likely part of a ___________ culture.

low power distance

Ill-informed members of your group tour to Thailand continue to make blunders when interacting with locals. You wish that they had done more to learn about Thai culture and customs in advance to increase their __________.

mindfulness

Sociologist Erving Goffman compared facework to being a ____________.

playwright or actor

When a construction worker directs traffic, her nonverbal communication serves a __________ function, but when she smiles at you while doing it, her nonverbal communication serves a __________ function.

practical; social

After overhearing one person say to another, "I think we should break up," you expect a serious conversation to follow, but instead, they laugh and chat happily of other things. Clearly, this couple shares cues and experiences that shape their interpretation of what was said. In other words, they have their own __________ rules.

pragmatic

The __________ self is a public image, the way you want to appear to others.

presenting

Communication scholar Deborah Tannen views women's communication style as _________ talk, which is __________ oriented.

rapport; relationship

You receive a C on your analysis of Hamlet. You believe you deserved a much higher grade because you spent hours writing the essay and made a number of good points. This situation is challenging because the communicators do not share __________.

second-order realities

Using a physical environment to influence how others view us is known as a choice of __________.

setting

Cultural membership contributes to every person's ____________, the part of the self-concept that is based on membership in groups.

social identity

High-context cultures tend to value and emphasize ____________.

straight talk

With __________, you view the other person's situation from your point of view. With __________, you view it from the other person's perspective.

sympathy; empathy