Midterm Study Guide

What does the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis address? A. the relationship between language and culture B. the relationship between environment and culture C. the history of writing D. the origin of different races

A. the relationship between language and culture

In ______ societies, people tend to be guided more by personal responsibility than by shaming one's group. A. high-context B. low-context C. collectivistic D. individualistic

B. low-context

The term ______ means "subject to change." A. rationality B. mutability C. goodness D. commodity

B. mutability

Which of the following is the study of our use of personal space? A. olfactics B. proxemics C. haptics D. kinesics

B. proxemics

People in the United States tend to believe the source of motivation should originate in ______. A. the family B. the individual C. society D. the group

B. the individual

Intensity (loud/soft), pitch (high/low), and extent (drawl and clipping) are all ______. A. audio qualifiers B. vocal qualifiers C. vocal markers D. audio markers

B. vocal qualifiers

North America was home to a diverse population of how many before the time of Columbus? A. 1 million B. 5 million C. 10 million D. 20 million

C. 10 million

What is the official language(s) of Hong Kong? A. English only B. Cantonese only C. Cantonese and English D. Cantonese, English, and Putonghue (Mandarin)

C. Cantonese and English

Who applied uncertainty reduction theory to intercultural communication by developing the concept of the "stranger"? A. Cohen B. Yosei Sugawara C. Gudykunst and his colleagues D. Boucher

C. Gudykunst and his colleagues

Which indigenous Northeastern American group may have influenced the U.S. Constitution? A. Inuit B. Cherokee C. Iroquois D. Dakota

C. Iroquois

______ are sometimes arbitrary in character, sometimes based on a real or fancied analogy, and usually simpler than symbols. A. Markers B. Words C. Signs D. Symbols

C. Signs

In Fragante v. City and County of Honolulu, the Supreme Court let stand a federal appeals court decision supporting an employee's termination based on ______. A. use of time B. physical appearance C. a heavy accent D. use of personal space

C. a heavy accent

"You're really pretty for a dark-skin girl" would be an example of ______. A. microracism B. macroracism C. a microaggression D. a macroaggression

C. a microaggression

Errors in translation can be avoided through ______. A. using an accurate dictionary B. the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis C. back translation D. computer translation

C. back translation

Cultures in which more of the meaning of communication is determined by the environment are called ______. A. low context B. individualistic C. high context D. immediacy

C. high context

The two different translations possible for such expressions as "read between the lines" or "my leg went to sleep" would be examples of what translation problem? A. vocabulary equivalence B. conceptual equivalence C. idiomatic equivalence D. experiential equivalence

C. idiomatic equivalence

Regional differences in the United States can be accounted for in part by ______. A. transportation systems B. communication media C. immigration patterns D. government boundaries

C. immigration patterns

In 2017, the use of English for Internet content was approximately ______. A. 52% B. 72% C. 32% D. 92%

A. 52%

How many distinct nations exist within the borders of the United States? A. 567 B. 155 C. 1 D. 5

A. 567

Michael Omi's statement that "You can be born one race and die another" is consistent with which perspective on race? A. sociohistorical B. scientific C. cultural D. biological

A. sociohistorical

Which early culture established that a year was 365.24 days long? A. Roman B. Maya C. Sumerian D. Egyptian

B. Maya

People in which industrialized nation are the most religious? A. England B. The United States C. Sweden D. France

B. The United States

Cultures strong in uncertainty avoidance are ______. A. neither active nor contemplative B. active C. both active and contemplative D. contemplative

B. active

According to Nisbett (2003), Eastern cultures ______. A. see a world of discrete, unconnected things B. are inclined to see the world as continuous masses of matter C. have an analytic view of focusing on objects and their attributes D. sense the world largely the same as other cultures do

B. are inclined to see the world as continuous masses of matter

Cultures differ in the ______ of conformity. A. valance and volume B. content and type C. material and importance D. value and weight

B. content and type

Which of the following is one of the skill areas of intercultural communication competence identified by Chen (1990)? A. social skills B. cultural awareness C. relationship strength D. financial responsibility

B. cultural awareness

When considering perception, sensation is ______. A. eternal rather than internal B. culturally marked C. a three-step process D. not affected by our brain

B. culturally marked

The totality of a group's thought, experiences, and patterns of behavior developed over the course of generations is part of a definition of ______. A. race B. culture C. cultural identity D. religion

B. culture

The system of representative government, the structure of law, and the emphasis on individual liberty all derive from which European trend of thought? A. realism B. enlightenment C. renaissance D. romanticism

B. enlightenment

Surveys conducted in industrialized nations during the 1980s clearly show that the most distinctive characteristics of the U.S. character are independence and ______. A. adaptability to change B. individuality C. materialism D. activity orientation

B. individuality

True or False? Geert Hofstede's study identified value dimensions across which cultures vary.

True

True or False? Google has been banned in China.

True

True or False? Historian David Hackett Fischer argues that early immigrants from England established distinctive regional cultures in the United States that remain today.

True

True or False? Homogeneity is important for understanding Japan's culture and communication.

True

True or False? How baseball is played in Japan reflects the Japanese culture.

True

True or False? Human being-nature orientation is one of Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck's five value orientations.

True

True or False? Hundreds of thousands of Roma were exterminated in Nazi gas chambers and concentration camps.

True

True or False? In 1988, the U.S. Congress passed a Senate Resolution to recognize the influence of the Iroquois League on the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.

True

True or False? In 2009, the Texas-border state of Tamaulipas declared itself the first bilingual state in Mexico.

True

True or False? In all cultures, women can detect odors in lower concentrations, identify them more accurately, and remember them longer than men.

True

True or False? In intercultural interactions, we are less likely to recognize how nonverbal symbols are different than how languages are different.

True

True or False? In regard to social class, a study found that children of professional parents heard six times more encouragements per hour than children from families receiving welfare.

True

True or False? In the United States, people have a strong faith in the scientific method of solving problems.

True

True or False? Japan's Westernization was criticized by other Asian countries.

True

True or False? Korean has special vocabularies for each sex, for different degrees of social status and degrees of intimacy, and for formal occasions.

True

True or False? Most scientists have abandoned the concept of biological race as a meaningful concept.

True

True or False? Neuroscientist Antonio Damasio contends that our world is so complex that cultures developed to regulate life so that we could survive.

True

True or False? One-way handheld voice translators were used by the U.S. military in Afghanistan as early as 2002.

True

True or False? Pidgins can best be described as a second language used for restrictive purposes such as trade.

True

True or False? Psychologists explain stereotypes as mistakes our brains make in the perception of other people similar to those mistakes our brains make in the perception of visual illusions.

True

True or False? Stereotypes can become self-fulfilling prophecies for the person stereotyped.

True

True or False? Studies show that when prompted to discuss a scene, people in Japan discuss relationships between objects and people in the United States describe the largest object.

True

True or False? The "model minority" stereotype associated with Asian Americans has had negative effects.

True

True or False? The Chinese concept of guanxi is best translated as the "connections" one has.

True

True or False? The Employment Division of Oregon v. Smith decision has been used to limit religious expression in the United States.

True

True or False? The calendar in use today, the Gregorian calendar, dates back to 1582.

True

True or False? Third culture refers to a new culture that two or more individuals from different cultures can share.

True

True or False? Today's estimate is that one fifth to one fourth of the world's population is familiar with English.

True

True or False? U.S. cultural values include viewing time as a commodity and in a linear fashion.

True

True or False? Using the word Americans to describe only individuals living in the United States is an example of cultural nearsightedness.

True

True or False? When viewed from the perspective of high- and low-context cultures, language often separates people.

True

True or False? Among the world's industrialized nations, the United States is one of the least religious.

False

True or False? As the Treaty of Waitangi was recorded in both Mâori and in English, there have been few misunderstandings about governance and sovereignty in New Zealand.

False

True or False? Between 1968 and 2001, the percentage of U.S. college freshmen who said developing a meaningful philosophy of life was a top priority grew from 41% to 83%.

False

True or False? Communication and culture should be studied separately.

False

True or False? Emic knowledge is knowledge of the culture learned from the outside, often leaving some aspects puzzling.

False

True or False? English is the first language for nearly 60% of the population of South Africa.

False

True or False? Esperanto has the advantage over other universal language attempts of being easy to learn by anyone.

False

True or False? In Asia, silence has generally been considered socially disagreeable.

False

True or False? In all communication models, the role of the communication receiver is passive.

False

True or False? In high-context cultures, verbal messages are elaborate and highly specific.

False

True or False? In low uncertainty avoidance cultures, people are expected to display respect for those of higher status.

False

True or False? Japan's culture has been characterized by an inability to adapt imported culture and technology to traditional culture.

False

True or False? People in the United States define self and others by group membership.

False

True or False? Perception ends with the reception of sensory data.

False

True or False? Space orientation is one of Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck's five value orientations.

False

True or False? The masculinity versus femininity dimension refers to how people define themselves and their relationships with others.

False

True or False? The term Asian American was created early in the 19th century to refer to all people of Asian descent in the United States.

False

True or False? The word stereotyping was first used in the Christian Bible to describe judgments made about other groups.

False

True or False? Translation of the English word democracy into Russian is an example of the translation problem called experiential equivalence.

False

True or False? Whorf observed that the Hopi have no words or expressions that refer to time and concluded that the Hopi had no concept of time.

False

True or False? Young Yun Kim characterizes masculinity versus femininity as topping the list of theories guiding cross-cultural research in communication.

False

U.S. political ideas are derived largely from which country? A. England B. Spain C. Italy D. Cherokee

A. England

The most well-known creole language is ______. A. French-based Haitian B. Pidgin English C. Hiri Motu D. Tok Pisin

A. French-based Haitian

Which of the following explains part of the Roma's history in Europe? A. the Holocaust is an important part of their history. B. Migration from Egypt to Europe is a major part of their history. C. They have largely assimilated into European cultures. D. The Roma have largely disappeared from Europe.

A. The Holocaust is an important part of their history.

People in the United States tend to view time as ______. A. a commodity B. relational C. rational D. mutable

A. a commodity

The different possible translations of the word freedom would be an example of what translation problem? A. conceptual equivalence B. experiential equivalence C. vocabulary equivalence D. idiomatic equivalence

A. conceptual equivalence

One's identification with and perceived acceptance into a group that has a shared system of symbols, meanings, and norms is ______. A. cultural identity B. race C. religion D. culture

A. cultural identity

Negatively judging the aspects of another culture by the standards of one's own culture is ______. A. ethnocentrism B. prejudice C. racism D. stereotyping

A. ethnocentrism

Which dimension does Young Yun Kim characterize as topping the list of theories guiding cross-cultural research in communication, psychology, and anthropology? A. individualism-collectivism B. Confucian dynamism C. power distance D. masculinity-femininity

A. individualism-collectivism

Due to self-motivation values, U.S. citizens are ______. A. less likely to vote on the basis of economic class B. more likely to vote on the basis of economic class C. less likely to vote on the basis of social class D. more likely to vote on the basis of social class

A. less likely to vote on the basis of economic class

The irrational suspicion or hatred of a particular group, race, religion, or sexual orientation is ______. A. prejudice B. stereotyping C. racism D. ethnocentrism

A. prejudice

Selma and Nathan stand very close to each other outside the classroom, but in the classroom they remain several feet from each other. This is an instance of transmitting information nonverbally through ______. A. proxemics B. olfactics C. haptics D. kinesics

A. proxemics

Speakers of English have difficulty hearing the difference between Japanese words that differ only in vowel length is an example of ______. A. selection B. organization C. sensation D. interpretation

A. selection

Researchers found evidence for how many universal nonverbal expressions? A. seven B. five C. two D. three

A. seven

In comparison to the United States, the population of Japan is about what percentage of the U.S. population? A. 200% B. 40% C. 66% D. 100%

B. 40%

Which of the following is true of Berlo's model of communication? A. It is the only model of communication. B. Berlo drew from engineering to conceptualize communication. C. Berlo emphasized that communication is a linear process. D. Berlo was interested in using communication to create relationships.

B. Berlo drew from engineering to conceptualize communication.

In which case did the Supreme Court rule that schools that do not provide special help for children with limited English are violating their civil rights? A. Fragante v. City and County of Honolulu B. Lau v. Nichols C. Plessey v. Ferguson D. Serbian Eastern Orthodox Diocese v. Milivojevich

B. Lau v. Nichols

In the interpretation of linguistic relativism, the difference between languages is not what can be said, but ______. A. what cannot be said B. what is relatively easy to say C. how it is said D. how fast it is said

B. what is relatively easy to say

The rhetoric of confrontation and verbal threats in Arabic ______. A. precedes actual violence B. is only directed at non-Arabs C. is a form of verbal aggression that defuses actual violence D. follows actual violence

C. is a form of verbal aggression the diffuses actual violence

A country ranking ______ in power distance means that power is more equally distributed in that society. A. absolute zero B. high C. low D. medium

C. low

In 1981, Garreau described his "______ nations" of North America. A. ten B. two C. nine D. six

C. nine

Which of the following, according to LaRay Barna (1997), is one of the barriers to intercultural communication? A. spatial distance between cultures B. perceptions of money C. nonverbal communication D. relationships

C. nonverbal communication

Which of the following that Kale (1997) argues is the fundamental human value? A. ethics B. love C. peace D. knowledge

C. peace

John Dewey argued that cultural ______ supported rigid segregation between groups. A. exclusion B. exceptions C. pluralism D. diversity

C. pluralism

True or False? Freire used the term cultural invasion to refer to one group penetrating the culture of another group to impose its own view of the world.

True

Geert Hofstede studied more than 100,000 employees of which multinational in 40 countries? A. Coca Cola B. Nike C. McDonald's D. IBM

D. IBM

______ is related to the direct style of communication. A. Masculinity B. Femininity C. Collectivism D. Individualism

D. Individualism

Which of the following is true of the biological perspective on race? A. It shows that skin color alone does not define race. B. It explains how racial categories have varied across time, between cultures. C. It has demonstrated that there is no single race-defining gene. D. It has led to ordering races from most primitive to most advanced.

D. It has led to ordering races from most primitive to most advanced.

A country high in Confucian work dynamism (indicating a long-term orientation) is ______. A. Pakistan B. Great Britain C. Canada D. South Korea

D. South Korea

In the 19th century, the term culture was commonly used as a synonym for ______. A. all civilization B. historical civilizations C. Eastern civilization D. Western civilization

D. Western civilization

Messages conveyed through objects or arrangements of objects made by human hands are ______. A. kinesics B. haptics C. olfactics D. artifactual communication

D. artifactual communication

According to Hofstede, in which type of culture does the interest of the group prevail over the interest of the individual? A. feminine B. masculine C. individualistic D. collectivistic

D. collectivistic

Knowledge of the culture learned from the inside, seldom consciously discussed, is ______ knowledge. A. etic B. cultural C. epic D. emic

D. emic

Confucius taught that society is made up of five relationships, including which of the following? A. uncle and nephew B. grandparent and grandchild C. mother and daughter D. father and son

D. father and son

According to Hofstede, in which type of culture are overlapping social roles for the sexes permitted? A. masculine B. collectivistic C. individualistic D. feminine

D. feminine

Which of the following refers to the study of our use of touch to communicate? A. olfactics B. chronemics C. kinesics D. haptics

D. haptics

Research on genetic material has shown that ______. A. humans alive today descended from different groups from different continents B. ancestry of humans can only be studied for existing groups C. humans alive today share ancestry from one group in Europe D. humans alive today share ancestry from one group in Africa

D. humans alive today share ancestry from one group in Africa

That people in different cultures have different uses for dogs (such as pets, hunting animals, or food) is an example of ______. A. sensation B. selection C. organization D. interpretation

D. interpretation

The belief that possessions are important in life, which is a value that most of the rest of the world attributes to the United States, is ______. A. activity orientation B. individualism C. efficiency D. materialism

D. materialism

For how many languages does Google Translate provide text translations? A. fewer than 10 B. 50 C. 30 D. more than 100

D. more than 100

The ______ person is one who respects cultures and has tolerance for differences. A. postethnic B. inclusive C. ethnocentric D. multicultural

D. multicultural

The study of communication by smell is known as ______. A. oculesics B. chronemics C. haptics D. olfactics

D. olfactics

Vocal qualifiers and segregates are part of ______. A. proxemics B. silence C. haptics D. paralanguage

D. paralanguage

When cultures come in contact with no shared language they may develop a new language composed of a mixture of languages. This is known as ______. A. Esperanto B. Nostratic C. Indo-European D. pidgin

D. pidgin

Touch used instead of saying "I love you" exemplifies which function of the nonverbal communication? A. replacing spoken messages B. regulating interaction C. making relationships clear D. sending uncomfortable messages

D. sending uncomfortable messages

The neurological process by which we become aware of our environment is ______. A. intercultural competence B. perception C. culture D. sensation

D. sensation

Because of the interconnection between the Islamic religion and the Arabic language, ______. A. Islam did not spread from the region of its origin spoken Arabic does not change C. modern standard Arabic has replaced English and French in the region D. the language of the Qur'an is the accepted standard for the written language

D. the language of the Qur'an is the accepted standard for the written language

True or False? From their research, Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner concluded that people from diverse cultures differ from one another in seven dimensions.

True

True of False? Edward Hall argued that standing in lines is more likely to be found in cultures where people are treated as equals.

True

True of False? The white AIDS ribbon became one of the most recognized symbols worldwide.

True

True or False? A home with good feng shui manipulates design and furniture to establish positive energy and balance.

True

True or False? Air quality is a major problem in Chinese cities.

True

True or False? Alexis de Tocqueville found the United States lacking in independence of mind and freedom of discussion.

True

True or False? Among the factors contributing to the fragmenting of the national U.S. culture are local special interest and multilanguage media.

True

True or False? Ancient Greeks had a strong sense of individual identity.

True

True or False? As a high Confucian work dynamism culture, Singapore values placing the good of the society above that of the individual.

True

True or False? Believing that humans eating corn on the cob is disgusting because corn on the cob is only fit for pigs is an example of perceptual interpretation.

True

True or False? Both power distance and femininity are negatively related to the Environmental Sustainability Index.

True

True or False? Challenges to the jury system may reflect changing beliefs about human rationality.

True

True or False? Charles Darwin argued that some nonverbal cues are biologically determined.

True

True or False? China has become a major competitor with the United States for oil.

True

True or False? China views U.S. demands for the Chinese to improve their human rights policies as attacks on its sovereignty.

True

True or False? Chinese leaders place a higher premium on social order and a lesser one on individual expression.

True

True or False? Cultural nearsightedness is a less extreme form of ethnocentrism.

True

True or False? Culture is a code we learn and share, and learning and sharing require communication.

True

True or False? During the 19th century, the most common second language in the United States was German.

True

True or False? Ethical communicators encourage people of other cultures to express themselves.

True

True or False? Feeding and rarely killing rats because of a belief that rats accompany Ganesh whenever he travels is an example of perceptual interpretation.

True