WGU COM 101 Exam 1

Which of the following statements about distance is FALSE? Select one: a. Women exhibit discomfort at the small space they are allowed by others. b. Women and children are given little space in our American culture. c. Women and children desire more relational closeness than do males in our society. d. Men tend to take more room because they are usually bigger in height and weight.

a. Women exhibit discomfort at the small space they are allowed by others.

Which of the following does NOT mean that "words are arbitrary"? a. Words have inherent meaning. b. Words are created by people. c. The meaning of words is decided by listeners. d. Things are named by people.

a. Words have inherent meaning.

According to the textbook, first impressions a. are based on comparisons to ourselves. b. provide accuracy in our perceptions of others. c. involve group communication among different groups. d. occur independent of the communication context.

a. are based on comparisons to ourselves.

Upon walking into a crowded bar on a Friday night, Daniel begins to get uncomfortable because it is so crowded. There are many people very close to him and some even bumping into him as they pass. These people are in Daniel's Select one: a. intimate space. b. personal space. c. social space. d. public space.

a. intimate space.

Which of the following is the least public form of communication? Select one: a. intrapersonal b. interpersonal c. group d. organizational

a. intrapersonal

Which of the following would NOT be an example of an identity factor that affects perception? a. mental distractions such as daydreaming b. a transgender identity c. a background in Roman Catholicism d. a woman who weighs ninety-seven pounds

a. mental distractions such as daydreaming

Which type of nonverbal communication occurs when you send the same message both verbally and nonverbally? Select one: a. repeating b. emphasizing c. complimenting d. substituting

a. repeating

Semantics can be defined as the Select one: a. science of meaning in language. b. study of transformational grammar. c. discipline devoted to creating words. d. systematic examination of spelling and syntax.

a. science of meaning in language.

Communication by touch is called Select one: a. tactile communication. b. affect displays. c. territoriality. d. kinesics.

a. tactile communication.

The word communication comes from the Latin "communicare" which means: a. "to speak with understanding" b. "to make common" c. "to form a community of believers" d. "to care for others"

b. "to make common"

At what age do people, on average, begin receiving specialized attention based on physical attractiveness? Select one: a. 1 year old b. 4 years old c. 7 years old d. 10 years old

b. 4 years old

Which of the following examples best depicts the denotative meaning of a word? Select one: a. Abortion is the murder of a fetus. b. Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy in the first trimester. c. Abortion is the last-ditch birth control. d. Abortion is the death of a human soul.

b. Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy in the first trimester.

Which statement about clothing and the perceptions of others is NOT verified by research? Select one: a. Clothing affects others' impression of status. b. Clothing and artifacts are unrelated to how acceptable we find other people to be. c. Clothing is often cited by women as the most important characteristic when describing another's popularity. d. Brightly colored clothing is associated with sophistication, immorality, and physical attractiveness

b. Clothing and artifacts are unrelated to how acceptable we find other people to be.

Which of the following is an example of indexing? Select one: a. Fords get great gas mileage. b. My Shih Tzu chews on everything. Does yours do that as well? c. Everyone in the Midwest farms. d. All landlords are unhelpful.

b. My Shih Tzu chews on everything. Does yours do that as well?

Which statement about stereotyping is true? Select one: a. Stereotyping occurs when we have had a long time to form an informed opinion about someone. b. Some stereotypes are positive. c. Our stereotypes of people from different groups are often positive. d. We try to find similarities between ourselves and the people we stereotype.

b. Some stereotypes are positive.

Who is more likely to use touch as a means of communicating? Select one: a. a white American from Salt Lake City, Utah b. a black woman from Puerto Rico c. an English gentleman from London d. a Frenchman from Paris

b. a black woman from Puerto Rico

Which of the following would be the reason an individual looking at a class picture might see his or her own face first? a. because of its proximity to the other faces b. because it is figure and the rest of the class is ground c. because it is the image that allows closure d. because it is ground and the rest of the class is figure

b. because it is figure and the rest of the class is ground

Li, Sarena, and Elini are having an in-depth conversation about a previous relationship that was abusive. Each of the women is participating equally. What type of descriptor most accurately describes this conversation? a. persuasive b. dialogic c. transmission d. failure

b. dialogic

Which of the following statements about touch is FALSE? Select one: a. Men value touch more than women do. b. Fathers touch sons less than mothers do. c. Female students are touched more than male students. d. Female children are touched more than male children.

a. Men value touch more than women do.

Erving Goffman's theory of self-presentation is based on what type of perspective? Select one: a. psychology b. dramaturgy c. statistics d. definitional

b. dramaturgy

Saying "uh huh" to indicate you understand is using what is classified as a Select one: a. verbal code. b. nonverbal code. c. language code. d. linguistic code.

b. nonverbal code.

Which of the following statements is descriptive as opposed to evaluative? a. That test was the toughest torture I've experienced. b. The test made my hair stand on end. c. I counted twenty questions of which I was uncertain. d. I think I flunked the test because it was unfair.

c. I counted twenty questions of which I was uncertain.

Which of the following best typifies the meaning of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis? Select one: a. The thought is the father to the deed. b. If you can't say it, you can't think it. c. Your language shapes your perception. d. Your perceptions shape your language.

c. Your language shapes your perception.

Personal identity is: a. a message designed to strategically induce change in an audience b. the advertiser's message of persuading an audience with fast-paced and dazzling visualization of product c. a perception of what makes an individual unique with regard to various personality characteristics, interests and values. d. a web of contacts and relationships that can help you gain job leads and can provide job referrals e. a group of people excluded from another group with a higher status

c. a perception of what makes an individual unique with regard to various personality characteristics, interests and values.

A person groups stimuli into meaningful units during which part of perception? Select one: a. selection b. interpretation c. organization d. interactionism

c. organization

The idea that your past experiences lead you to see the world in a way that is difficult to change is referred to as: a. personal experience b. personal identity c. perceptual constancy d. persuasive imagery e. persuasion

c. perceptual constancy

Public communication is commonly referred to as: a. small group communication b. interpersonal communication c. public speaking d. interpersonal communication e. mass communication

c. public speaking

As a communicator, what are the three separate activities you engage in during the perception process? a. verbal, non-verbal, engagement b. selective, verbal, engagement c. selection, organization and interpretation d. engagement, perspective, non-verbal e. perspective, verbal, engagement

c. selection, organization and interpretation

A distance of 10 feet between two people talking is what Edward T. Hall referred to as Select one: a. intimate distance. b. personal distance. c. social distance. d. public distance.

c. social distance.

Which of the following is NOT included in the study of proxemics? Select one: a. distance b. space c. sound d. territoriality

c. sound

Which statement about nonverbal use of space is FALSE? Select one: a. Strangely enough, people tend to stand close together in a large space like an auditorium. b. Strangely enough, people tend to stay farther apart in small places like elevators. c. Middle-class suburbanites in the United States tend to have open backyards, but people in Latin America tend to have walls. d. Americans tend to stand much closer to each other than do people from most other countries

d. Americans tend to stand much closer to each other than do people from most other countries

Which of the following statements about language is FALSE? Select one: a. Words only have meanings that people give them. b. Words also have connotative meanings. c. The context in which a word occurs helps us determine which of the possible meanings is intended. d. The meaning of a word does not change once it is included in the dictionary.

d. The meaning of a word does not change once it is included in the dictionary.

Nonverbal codes: a. consist of symbols and their grammatical arrangement. b. are a systematic arrangement of symbols used to create meanings in the mind of another person or persons. c. are all symbols that are not words, including bodily movements, the use of space and time, and sounds other than words. d. are any interference in the encoding and decoding processes that reduces the clarity of a message. e. are the location where communication takes place.

c. are all symbols that are not words, including bodily movements, the use of space and time, and sounds other than words.

Knowing how communication affects self-perception can lead to greater: a. apprehension b. communication competency c. awareness and appreciation of the self d. breakdown of communication messages e. communication breakdowns

c. awareness and appreciation of the self

Carmella and Jésus are sitting in a coffee shop having a friendly conversation. What descriptor of their communication interaction is most accurate? Select one: a. group communication b. intrapersonal communication c. dyadic communication d. linguistic communication

c. dyadic communication

When you meet someone for the first time, you are forming: Select one: a. an in group b. an impression management assessment c. a negative relationship d. a first impression e. an assessment

d. a first impression

Which of the following is NOT a component of communication? Select one: a. feedback b. message c. code d. action

d. action

Language that puts down people for being young or old is Select one: a. gender-biased language. b. racist language. c. heterosexist language. d. ageist language.

d. ageist language.

Which of the following body movements would most likely be used to indicate liking? Select one: a. spontaneous gestures b. less eye contact c. rigid posture d. close proximity

d. close proximity

Juan, who is majoring in political science, is giving a speech in class about the Electoral College. During his speech, he often talks very intimately about the legal functions and rules of the Electoral College. Justin ultimately bores his audience and does not get a very strong grade. What error might Justin have committed with his language usage? Select one: a. irony b. paraphrase c. colloquialisms d. jargon

d. jargon

James is at home watching a politically oriented discussion show on cable TV. One of the commentators is making arguments that are faulty, which makes James very angry. But James cannot express that to the commentator on TV. James is feeling the frustrations of which context of communication? Select one: a. intrapersonal context b. interpersonal context c. public context d. mass context

d. mass context

The accumulation of various types of mass communications (radio, television, newspapers, internet, etc.) into one medium is called: a. technological convergence b. organizational c. inherent convergence d. media convergence

d. media convergence

Communication that is used to establish a mood sociability rather than to communicate important information or ideas is referred to as: Select one: a. political correctness b. persuasion c. positive thinking approach d. phatic communication e. pathos

d. phatic communication

Which of the following is NOT cited in the book as one of the three reasons differences in perception occur? Select one: a. identity factors b. past experience c. present feelings and circumstances d. present eating habits

d. present eating habits

Which of these statements is an example of euphemism? a. toilet b. can c. head d. rest room

d. rest room

Which of the following did NOT relate to the term "process?" a. continuous b. ongoing c. dynamic d. static

d. static

The term that refers to the arrangement of words is a. grammar. b. code. c. encoding. d. syntax.

d. syntax.

Understanding what aspects of communication will make a significant difference in your life and in the lives of people from around the world? Select one: a. historical elements b. communication habits c. traditional communication elements d. theory, research, and application e. nonverbal communication

d. theory, research, and application

Public communication is best defined as: Select one: a. the process of using messages to generate meanings in a mediated system, between a source and a large number of unseen receivers. b. the process of using messages to generate meaning in a small group of people. c. the process of using messages to generate meanings in a situation in which a speaker transmits a message to a number of receivers. d. two-person communication e. the process of using messages to generate meaning between at least two people in a situation that allows mutual opportunities for both speaking and listening

c. the process of using messages to generate meanings in a situation in which a speaker transmits a message to a number of receivers.

Your role (s) affect your communication: Select one: a. only during non-verbal communication b. only during verbal communication c. to whom you talk to, how you talk to them, what language to use, and how you respond to feedback. d. only during intrapersonal communication e. just in organization and selection within messages

c. to whom you talk to, how you talk to them, what language to use, and how you respond to feedback