CHAPTER 1 PRACTICE QUESTIONS

In which type of communication does a single speaker transmit a message to a large number of receivers?

public

Which kind of communication always has a mediator between the sender and receiver?

mass communication

Situation Analysis: Internship Responsibilities

After reading the scenario, answer the questions that follow.

Xenia recently accepted an internship with a small graphic design firm. The responsibilities for her internship include maintaining the company’s social media pages, working with her manager to develop radio advertisements, and working with a small community outreach team to develop programs in the community. While Xenia often updates her personal social media accounts, she finds that updating the company’s accounts is one of the most challenging parts of her job. She considers herself very funny and creative, but customers complain that her posts are confusing. Her manager has asked her to simplify the posts and stick to informing the customers about upcoming promotions instead of trying to entertain them. Since Xenia made those changes to her posts, there have been fewer customer complaints.

Xenia’s conversation with her manager occurred in which communication context?

interpersonal communication

Situation Analysis: Internship Responsibilities

After reading the scenario, answer the questions that follow.

Xenia recently accepted an internship with a small graphic design firm. The responsibilities for her internship include maintaining the company’s social media pages, working with her manager to develop radio advertisements, and working with a small community outreach team to develop programs in the community. While Xenia often updates her personal social media accounts, she finds that updating the company’s accounts is one of the most challenging parts of her job. She considers herself very funny and creative, but customers complain that her posts are confusing. Her manager has asked her to simplify the posts and stick to informing the customers about upcoming promotions instead of trying to entertain them. Since Xenia made those changes to her posts, there have been fewer customer complaints.

When using social media posts to update customers on promotions and other happenings, Xenia is engaging in…

mass communication.

Situation Analysis: Internship Responsibilities

After reading the scenario, answer the questions that follow.

Xenia recently accepted an internship with a small graphic design firm. The responsibilities for her internship include maintaining the company’s social media pages, working with her manager to develop radio advertisements, and working with a small community outreach team to develop programs in the community. While Xenia often updates her personal social media accounts, she finds that updating the company’s accounts is one of the most challenging parts of her job. She considers herself very funny and creative, but customers complain that her posts are confusing. Her manager has asked her to simplify the posts and stick to informing the customers about upcoming promotions instead of trying to entertain them. Since Xenia made those changes to her posts, there have been fewer customer complaints.

Which aspect of online communication makes it unique when compared to the other communication contexts?

Messages can be received synchronously and asynchronously.

The process of communication is best described as

dialogic.

Aamir angrily yelled at Tomas to “shut up!” Which aspect of this example reflects the content dimension of communication?

“shut up!”

Situation Analysis: Research Paper for History Class

After reading the scenario, answer the questions that follow.

As a first-year college student, Reggie enrolled in a history class that was made up of mostly juniors and seniors. During class discussions, Reggie felt that the other students looked down on him and believed they were smarter than he was. When it came time for Reggie to complete his research paper, he put it off until the night before it was due and then stayed up all night to complete it because he knew it was not going to be as good as the other students’ papers. When he turned in the paper, the professor asked how Reggie felt about his paper, but Reggie was so tired that he could barely follow the conversation. When he did try to answer a few of the questions, Reggie sounded monotone and uninterested because he was so tired. Reggie was also distracted by the other students because he thought they were making fun of him.

Reggie felt the other students in his history class looked down on him. He then put off his paper because of the way he was treated. Which principle of communication was impacting Reggie’s behavior?

Communication involves others.

Situation Analysis: Research Paper for History Class

After reading the scenario, answer the questions that follow.

As a first-year college student, Reggie enrolled in a history class that was made up of mostly juniors and seniors. During class discussions, Reggie felt that the other students looked down on him and believed they were smarter than he was. When it came time for Reggie to complete his research paper, he put it off until the night before it was due and then stayed up all night to complete it because he knew it was not going to be as good as the other students’ papers. When he turned in the paper, the professor asked how Reggie felt about his paper, but Reggie was so tired that he could barely follow the conversation. When he did try to answer a few of the questions, Reggie sounded monotone and uninterested because he was so tired. Reggie was also distracted by the other students because he thought they were making fun of him.

Reggie’s responses to his professor were monotone, and he seemed uninterested. These nonverbal aspects of Reggie’s message best reflect which principle of communication?

Communication involves choices.

Situation Analysis: Research Paper for History Class

After reading the scenario, answer the questions that follow.

As a first-year college student, Reggie enrolled in a history class that was made up of mostly juniors and seniors. During class discussions, Reggie felt that the other students looked down on him and believed they were smarter than he was. When it came time for Reggie to complete his research paper, he put it off until the night before it was due and then stayed up all night to complete it because he knew it was not going to be as good as the other students’ papers. When he turned in the paper, the professor asked how Reggie felt about his paper, but Reggie was so tired that he could barely follow the conversation. When he did try to answer a few of the questions, Reggie sounded monotone and uninterested because he was so tired. Reggie was also distracted by the other students because he thought they were making fun of him.

Reggie was distracted and tired when talking to his professor about his paper. Although it was not his intention, he knows that his professor might have been offended. Reggie’s only option is to be more careful in his conversations in the future because communication

cannot be reversed.

A quizzical look, a simple word, and even silence are all examples of…

feedback.

Situation Analysis: Components of Communication

After reading the scenario, answer the questions that follow.

Devon works downtown at a construction site. During the day, the construction site can be very noisy due to machines and traffic. The morning shift foreperson calls out jobs for the day. One day, Devon thought the foreperson assigned their team to a project in zone 4 but wasn’t sure. To avoid making a mistake, Devon asked the foreperson, “Can you repeat the zone number?” Later that day, Devon suggested to the foreperson that it would be helpful to use a scheduling board.

Three weeks later, the foreperson started using a scheduling board to make the information more transmittable in a timely manner. Introducing the scheduling board has saved time and improved communication. Worker productivity has gone up, and the company has saved money. One day, Devon was called into the foreperson’s office. Devon was afraid something was wrong, but the foreperson just wanted to thank Devon for the suggestion to use a scheduling board.

In this environment, the construction workers mainly have what type of noise?

physical

An individual who wishes to communicate a thought is a(n)…

source.

_______ is a set of moral principles or values.

Ethics

Which of the following best describes communication competence?

the ability to effectively exchange meaning through a common system of symbols or behavior

Jorge and Roshana talk to each other often. They are able to exchange messages efficiently and with little misunderstanding. They demonstrate…

communication competence.

Which of the following is an advantage of studying communication?

It can improve the way you see yourself.

The process of using messages to generate shared meaning is referred to as…

communication.

Situation Analysis: First Semester at College

After reading the following scenario, answer the questions that follow.

Sura grew up in a small town in southeast Texas. After graduating high school, she went to a large university in a major city. During her first few weeks on campus, she often had to ask fellow students for directions to find her way to class. To combat homesickness, she became friends with her dormmates and joined the university’s debate team to meet new people. After winning a round of debate, her teammates gave her a high-five. At that moment, Sura knew she would enjoy this extracurricular activity. She had always believed in the value of a good education, but in high school she never considered herself to be a good student. After such positive interactions with her new friends and teammates, she completed her first year with a 3.5 grade point average. Now she thinks of herself as a good student.

Which of the following statements illustrates an advantage of communication in this scenario?

Sura now sees herself as a good student.

Situation Analysis: First Semester at College

After reading the following scenario, answer the questions that follow.

Sura grew up in a small town in southeast Texas. After graduating high school, she went to a large university in a major city. During her first few weeks on campus, she often had to ask fellow students for directions to find her way to class. To combat homesickness, she became friends with her dormmates and joined the university’s debate team to meet new people. After winning a round of debate, her teammates gave her a high-five. At that moment, Sura knew she would enjoy this extracurricular activity. She had always believed in the value of a good education, but in high school she never considered herself to be a good student. After such positive interactions with her new friends and teammates, she completed her first year with a 3.5 grade point average. Now she thinks of herself as a good student.

Which of the following advantages of studying communication is illustrated in this scenario?

Studying communication can improve the way you see yourself.

Which term refers to communication between two people?

dyadic communication

Which of the following does NOT relate to the term public communication?

spontaneity

Li, Sarena, and Elini are having an in-depth conversation about a previous relationship that was abusive. Each person is participating equally. What type of descriptor most accurately describes this conversation?

dialogic

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. However, James cannot express that to the commentator on TV. James is feeling the frustrations of which context of communication?

mass context

When you do not listen well because you are daydreaming, it is because of…

noise.

Which of the following does NOT relate to the term process?

static

Which of the following is the least public form of communication?

intrapersonal

The word communication comes from the Latin communicare, which means…

“to make common.”

Which of the following is NOT a context of communication?

feedback

The integration of email, calendars, Internet, and voice communication into devices like smartphones is called…

technological convergence.