Communications Final Study Guide Flashcards

A comprehensive set of question-and-answer flashcards covering major terms, theories, and examples from Chapters 1–15 of the Communications course study guide.

Where does intrapersonal communication take place?

Inside a person's own head.

Why do group interactions tend to be more complicated than interpersonal interactions?

Because more people are involved, creating additional relationships and communication channels.

What kinds of messages are typically studied as rhetoric?

Speeches delivered by lawmakers, speeches in court, and speeches intended to praise or blame.

In communication, what is feedback?

Messages sent in response to other messages, delivered verbally or nonverbally, and occurring after the initial message.

Which of the following is NOT part of cultural context: customs, traditions, disorders, or values?

Disorders.

Which communication model describes Bob sending a message to Cindy, Cindy replying, and Bob receiving that reply?

The Interaction Model.

Listening, writing, motivating/persuading, interpersonal skills, informal interviewing, and small-group problem solving are all considered what?

Work-related communication skills.

Can miscommunication occur even when a sender puts conscious thought and intention into a message?

Yes, miscommunication can still occur.

What does displacement allow speakers to do?

Talk about events removed from the immediate time or place of the conversation.

What is language acquisition?

The process of learning to understand, produce, and use words to communicate within a language group.

Is humor considered a complicated social phenomenon based on language and meaning?

Yes; the statement that it is NOT complicated is false.

Which verbal expression is usually the most difficult because of social norms?

Expressing feelings.

“Do geese see God?” is an example of what linguistic device?

A palindrome.

On what do people often base assumptions about your credibility?

How you speak and what you say.

How do inferences differ from judgments?

Inferences are speculative conclusions; judgments are subjective approvals or disapprovals that are not verifiable.

What are partial messages and why are they risky?

Messages missing one of the four key parts, leading to misunderstanding or conflict.

If a speaker mixes observations with thoughts and feelings in one statement, what type of message is produced?

A contaminated message.

Which of the following is NOT a potential influence leading to a breach of civility—culture, emotions, accommodation, or stress?

Accommodation.

What conversational structure helps manage turn-taking under social norms?

Adjacency pairs.

How do dialects differ from accents?

Dialects include distinct vocabulary and grammar; accents are differences in pronunciation only.

Name one reason people may code-switch.

To sound more professional, prepare for an acting role, or improve speech skills for an event.

Is nonverbal communication typically more or less voluntary than verbal communication?

More involuntary.

Which statement is NOT a principle of nonverbal communication: it is unavoidable, it conveys emotion, it’s learned mainly in schools, or it is culturally bound?

It is learned mainly in educational settings.

Paralanguage belongs to which category of communication?

The vocal component of nonverbal communication.

How can a speaker use eye contact during a presentation?

To judge whether the audience is engaged, confused, or bored and then adapt the message.

What term describes matching another person’s nonverbal cues to build rapport?

Mirroring.

How do members of contact cultures usually behave regarding space and touch?

They stand closer, maintain more eye contact, and touch more frequently.

Which listening stage involves connecting new stimuli to past experiences?

Interpreting.

What is a commonly cited time limit for material held in working memory?

About 20 seconds to one minute.

When we evaluate a message, what three qualities are we judging?

Its credibility, completeness, and worth.

Differentiate physiological noise from psychological noise.

Physiological noise originates in the body (e.g., hunger); psychological noise originates in the mind (e.g., worry).

What is selective attention?

The tendency to focus on messages that benefit or interest us.

How does rationalization distort listening?

By altering information to fit our existing schemas.

Nodding and maintaining eye contact while someone speaks are examples of what type of listening?

Active listening.

Why do paraphrasing and questioning support empathic listening?

They encourage critical thinking about the speaker’s message.

Which of the following is NOT a guideline for giving feedback—be descriptive, be timely, be critical, or be specific?

Be critical.

To adapt spoken messages for a listening audience, what two language strategies are suggested?

Use shorter sentences and frequent "I" or "you" statements.

Is interpersonal conflict always negative?

No; some conflict is healthy.

In relationships, what does the phrase “We need to define the relationship” signal?

A DTR (define-the-relationship) talk.

What are relationship schemata?

Blueprints for relationships based on social and cultural experiences.

Which of the following is NOT an instrumental goal—gaining compliance, resisting compliance, getting information, spending time together?

Spending time together.

If you care very little about an issue or relationship, which conflict style might you choose?

Avoiding.

What common workplace behavior often triggers conflict?

Demands.

Which conflict-management style shows a high concern for both self and others?

Collaborating.

Define emotional intelligence in one sentence.

The ability to monitor, discriminate, and use one’s own and others’ emotions to guide thinking and action.

Which of the following is NOT one of the main categories of self-disclosure—values, fears, interests, or preferences?

Interests.

Identifying as an Italian American is an example of what type of identity?

Cultural identity.

If a nondominant group member adopts some dominant cultural practices but still values their own, what stage of identity development are they in?

Assimilation.

What is an ascribed identity?

An identity assigned to us by others.

Which group constitutes the largest minority in the United States by percentage?

People with disabilities.

What are stereotypes?

Overgeneralized assumptions based on racial or cultural identity.

How do high-context cultures typically convey meaning?

Through nonverbal communication and contextual cues.

Which trait is NOT part of intercultural communication competence—mindfulness, motivation, knowledge, mindlessness?

Mindlessness.

Which action will NOT help cultivate intercultural competence—seeking diverse contact, increasing mindfulness, decreasing contact, or developing knowledge?

Decreasing contact with people who are different.

Which element is NOT part of the definition of health communication—improving health outcomes, informing the public, generating profit, or influencing policy?

Generating profit.

Which statement about managed-care plans is FALSE—They control costs, reduce competition, or coordinate patient services?

They have reduced competition among providers.

Name one documented outcome of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

17.6 million Americans gained health insurance coverage.

Research on caregiving often uses which communication lens and is influenced by what demographic trend?

An intergenerational lens; increased life expectancy.

What term refers to the principles guiding proper conduct of a business professional?

Ethics.

When an employee avoids taking customers to her new employer out of fairness, what ethical concept is she demonstrating?

Moral obligations.

Claiming a product causes 10-pound weight loss for everyone in five days is an example of what kind of misleading information?

Exaggeration.

What is greenwashing?

Misleading the public into perceiving a company as environmentally friendly.

In law, what does liability mean?

Legal responsibility for the consequences of an action.

Provide an appropriate person-first phrase for someone with hearing loss.

Person who is deaf.

What is the first step in making an ethically sound decision?

Assess the situation.

What can false consensus result from?

The presence of misleading information.

What was a primary goal of HIPAA?

Protecting patient privacy.

Why do healthcare providers sometimes struggle during patient interactions?

They must balance efficient information exchange with establishing patient rapport.

How does patient-centered communication affect outcomes?

It is linked to positive patient outcomes.

Which prewriting technique involves writing continuously without editing for a set time?

Freewriting.

Why must writers use citations in academic work?

To credit original authors and help readers locate the sources.

What information appears in an APA in-text citation for a paraphrase?

The author’s last name and year of publication.

During which stage of the writing process do you correct surface errors?

Editing.

State one major goal of a research paper’s introduction.

To present the thesis and capture reader interest.

When is it appropriate to use a direct quotation in your paper?

When the author’s wording is vivid, memorable, or uniquely phrased.

How does revising differ from editing?

Revising improves content and organization; editing fixes grammar and mechanics.

Which writing-process step involves finding focus and narrowing a topic?

Prewriting.

What is the function of a thesis statement?

To signal the paper’s direction and state the argument clearly.

Define plagiarism in one sentence.

Presenting someone else’s work or ideas as your own, intentionally or accidentally.

List the five core steps of the writing process.

Prewriting, Outlining, Drafting, Revising, and Editing.

What does critical reading involve?

Evaluating the author’s viewpoint, main idea, and supporting evidence.

Name four basic elements often included in a first draft.

Introduction, thesis statement, body paragraphs with topic/supporting sentences, and conclusion.

What role do topic sentences and supporting sentences play in body paragraphs?

Topic sentences reveal the paragraph’s main idea; supporting sentences explain or develop that idea.

How do transitions improve academic writing?

They clarify relationships between ideas and make the prose flow smoothly.

What principle should guide word choice in academic writing?

Avoid slang and overly casual language.