HOUSTON SPCH1311 Part 1 Exam Latest 2019 February

SPCH1311 Introduction to Communication

Part 1 Exam

Question 1

 

The statement, “Communication is a process” implies that

the function of communication seldom changes.

communication is ongoing and ever changing.

communication is best understood as a series of step-by-step actions.

communication is generally transmitted through electronic means.

social systems are merely contexts in which communication occurs.

 

Question 2

 

According to the text, the essential components of communication are

symbols, understanding, purpose, ideas, opinions, nonverbals, and reaction.

radio, television, Internet, symbols, and gender.

source/sender, message, interference, channel, receiver, feedback, environment, and context.

source, destination, interaction, and correlation.

symbols, understanding, communication, and communicant.

 

Question 3

 

Bailey notices that her typically soft-spoken movie theater supervisor has been yelling at her and several of her coworkers. She speculates that problems at home may be impacting her supervisor’s work relationships. This speculation best illustrates the principle that communication is

overt.

intentional.

a process.

systemic.

transactional.

 

Question 4

 

Although communication can be considered both transactional and interactional, the prime function of the communication source/sender is to

decode the intended message.

serve only as the sender.

create the message.

evaluate the message.

respond to the message.

 

Question 5

 

Kyle is frantically trying to finish his outline, because he forgot that it was due the following day. Since the Internet is easy to access and there are so many sites available, he decides to take someone else’s work and pass it off as his own, assuming he will not get caught. Kyle’s decision illustrates that technology has led to a greater tendency for some people to

conduct research in libraries.

use ethical communication.

plagiarize.

enhance their credibility using verifiable sources.

build ethos.

 

Question 6

 

Dr. Halliday is presenting a lecture to an audience of over 100 students. She asks, “Can you hear me?” and Courtney, who is sitting in the back row, nods. What component of the communication process does Courtney’s response illustrate?

context

noise

channel

environment

feedback

 

Question 7

 

After finishing a lecture on thermodynamics, Arleen compliments Dr. Phen by saying, “Sir that was a ‘bad’ lecture,” to which Dr. Phen responds, “Why, what was wrong with it?” Which of the following statements about communication best illustrate Dr. Phen’s response?

  The ability to communicate is learned.

  Communication is a good thing.

  Meanings are in people.

  More communication would solve the problem.

  Words have meaning.

 

Question 8

 

Josh and Mark take turns exchanging information about their plans for the day during their morning chat over coffee. Their conversation best demonstrates that communication is

unintentional.

interactive.

ethical.

cognitive.

multicultural.

 

Question 9

 

Kristen had a disagreement with Paul and told him that he was an idiot. Later, while apologizing, Kristen asked Paul to “forget that little comment.” Kristen does not realize that

oral communication is irreversible.

we have a natural ability to communicate.

quantity means quality.

meaning is in the words we use.

communication is a cure-all.

 

Question 10

 

After her friend sent her a Facebook message that said “we need to talk,” Erin began analyzing and interpreting what the Facebook message meant. This process is known as

encoding.

internalizing.

responding.

decoding.

remembering.

 

Question 11

 

According to the text, what is at the heart of all communication?

behaviors

emotion

culture

genetics

perception

 

Question 12

 

When Michael meets prospective dating partners, he works to incorporate their values, beliefs, appearance, and emotional needs into his messages. His use of “person-centered” messages when communicating with others indicates a high level of

awareness.

cognitive complexity.

selective exposure.

perceptual congruence.

selective attention.

 

Question 13

 

Tammy’s daughter Kate is putting together a puzzle. She places silver puzzle pieces in one pile, purple puzzle pieces in another pile, and pink puzzle pieces in a third pile. Kate is grouping items by

figure.

similarity.

proximity.

closure.

complexity.

 

Question 14

 

Tina dislikes a lot of television programming and therefore does not watch TV. When it comes to television, Tina is engaged in selective

attention.

organization.

editing.

exposure.

retention.

 

Question 15

 

Suppose after a basketball game, the fans of Team A believe that Team B committed more fouls, while the Team B fans think that Team A committed more fouls. Assume that the officials called an equal number of fouls against each team. Which of the following organizational functions of perception would best help us understand how each team’s fans viewed the facts differently?

selective exposure

proximity

selective retention

closure

subjectivity

 

Question 16

 

The tendency to fill in missing pieces and to extend lines in order to finish or complete figures illustrates what organizational process?

retention

proximity

outlining

similarity

closure

 

Question 17

 

Our interpretations of different stimuli are based on

past experiences and the opinions of others.

what our families think is best in a given situation.

hypothetical scenarios.

unavoidable attribution bias.

a set of cultural rules that we all share.

 

Question 18

 

You arrive at a mall you have never visited before, and you are not sure where your favorite store is located. You approach a mall employee at an information kiosk to ask for directions, because you have received direction at other information kiosks before. This example illustrates the fact that we interpret our perceptions based on

closure.

past experiences.

complementarity.

similarity.

proximity.

 

Question 19

 

Angela, who is five feet tall, and Tim, who is six feet tall, both decided to test drive a car. Tim thought the car was perfect, whereas Angela did not, because she could not get the seat close enough to the pedals. This example illustrates the fact that ________ influence(s) our perceptions.

individualism

physical characteristics

attribution error

stereotyping

cultural background

 

Question 20

 

Many communication scholars believe that the greatest single problem with human communication is the assumption that our perceptions

are unnecessary.

lead to cultural misunderstandings.

can help us make efficient decisions.

are based on solely on past experiences.

are always correct.

 

Question 21

 

Cassandra has watched the show Grey’s Anatomy for years. When she began to date Caleb, she expected their relationship to be just like Derek and Meredith’s from Grey’s Anatomy. Cassandra’s viewpoint illustrates the fact that differences in perception can be affected by

media.

humor.

gender.

proximity.

culture.

 

Question 22

 

According to the text, which of the following statements about the relationship between gender and perception are true?

  Men and women have few differences regarding perception.

  Women and men learn to understand the world differently, which results in a difference in the way they communicate.

  Gender is a biological trait that affects perception.

  Perceptual sets always limit our perceptions, especially regarding gender.

  Women tend to use closure more than men to organize perception.

 

Question 23

 

Davina sees herself as a part-time employee at a grocery store. This reflects her

self-image.

self-character.

self-esteem.

self-awareness.

self-consciousness.

 

Question 24

 

Our self-concept is determined by

our experiences and communication with others.

the roles and values our teachers have selected for us.

our genetic predispositions toward communication.

the media.

how others believe we see them.

 

Question 25

 

Which statement best describes the relationship between attitudes and beliefs?

  Attitudes include an evaluation of whether something is true or false, whereas beliefs reflect the perception of whether something is good or bad.

  Attitudes are relatively enduring, whereas beliefs may change from one moment to the next.

  Attitudes may change from one moment to the next, whereas beliefs are relatively enduring.

  Attitudes include an evaluation of whether something is good or bad, whereas beliefs reflect the perception of whether something is true or false.

  Beliefs are formed in childhood, whereas attitudes form later in life.

 

Question 26

 

Self-esteem is defined as

being absorbed in oneself.

being successful wholly by one’s own efforts.

our feelings and attitudes about ourselves.

a positive self-concept.

a state of not feeling the need for assistance.

 

Question 27

 

The commonly held idea that competent communicators should be ethical communicators best illustrates a(n)

attitude.

belief.

hierarchy.

value.

altruistic philosophy.

 

Question 28

 

Amanda sees herself as a member of the “Purple Team” and describes herself as family-oriented, attributes she perceives to be shared with other members of the “Purple Team” and as simultaneously differentiating the Purple Team from the rival “Gold Team,” whom she sees as more competitive. This example illustrates the

personal level.

social identity level.

actual responses of others.

perception of others’ responses.

role of behavior.

 

Question 29

 

Beth continued to tell herself “I’m going to pass this exam…I’m going to pass this exam” as she prepares for her final exam in mathematics. Her expectations that eventually led to her passing this mathematics exam illustrate a(n)

self-fulfilling prophecy.

impression management technique.

negative attribution.

communication apprehension.

positive self-concept.

 

Question 30

 

After making straight A’s in high school and being named valedictorian, Becky is excited to receive several full scholarship offers from admission counselors at her top choice schools. She sees herself as studious and feels that she is an above-average student. This example reflects the idea that self-concept is shaped by

our past experiences and our understanding of the media.

our interactions with others and our past experiences.

how much money we make and the kind of car we drive.

the expectations others have of us and our genetic makeup.

our genetic makeup and our understanding of the media.

 

Question 31

 

Damien compliments Carly’s outfit to make her feel happy. By trying to boost Carly’s image, Damien is engaging in

self-enhancement.

self-promotion.

other-enhancement.

issue management.

other-promotion.

 

Question 32

 

Brent has convinced himself that he is poor at math. When he registers for his required math class, he is convinced that he will earn a poor grade. As a result, he rarely studies, and receives a “D” in the class. This example most clearly demonstrates

impression management.

values.

beliefs.

self-fulfilling prophecy.

communication apprehension.

 

Question 33

 

Which of the following is an example of a value?

  Tobacco companies intentionally target youths in advertising.

  “Light” cigarettes are just as harmful as regular cigarettes.

  Healthy living is important.

  Smoking is bad for your health.

  Smoking is distasteful.

 

Question 34

 

According to Erving Goffman, facework refers to the tactics we use

for corrective surgery.

to reduce communication apprehension.

to present ourselves to others.

to develop positive self-esteem.

to maintain a sense of humor.

 

Question 35

 

Which statement is true about the effects of self-concept on communication?

  Self-concept does not affect communication.

  While self-concept may affect our intrapersonal communication, it does not affect our interpersonal communication.

  Self-concept affects females’ communication but not males’ communication.

  Style of communication is defined as the words we use when we verbally communicate our self-concept to others.

  How others see us may relate to our communication style, which in turn is a reflection of our self-concept.

 

Question 36

 

A culture with an individualistic orientation would tend to stress

deliberation.

family.

negative self-descriptions.

group goals.

achievement.

 

Question 37

 

Language can best be described as

universal in meaning.

neutral.

unimportant.

inefficient.

subjective.

 

Question 38

 

Words can represent people, objects, concepts and events; although the words are not actually the items. This shows that language is

always abstract.

always concrete.

the same as communication.

a system of symbols.

a linear system.

 

Question 39

 

The study of meaning, or the association of words with ideas, feelings, and context, is known as

genetic predispositions.

natural signs.

semantics.

physiological responses.

random noise.

 

Question 40

 

The boss asks you to get some information on absenteeism rates for the hourly employees. You check the files from ten years back, collect the current time cards, and provide a 20-page report two weeks later. The boss wanted an oral report the day after requesting the information. This example most clearly illustrates

identifying.

the pendulum effect.

indexing.

bypassing.

metaphoric language.

 

Question 41

 

Dr. Lane tells Sydney that he wants the paper turned in as soon as possible. Sydney turns in the paper a week later. Dr. Lane actually wanted the paper within 48 hours. Which of the following terms best describes this example?

semantic confusion

polarization

bypassing

jargon

indiscrimination

 

Question 42

 

If I were in a serious car accident two years ago, the word “accident” may remind me of what happened, regardless of how the word is actually being used. This is an example of how a word has

denotative meaning.

connotative meaning.

concrete meaning.

abstract meaning.

low-context meaning.

 

Question 43

 

Communication is related to both language and speech. When reviewing the elements of language, the text states communication involves

the same thing as speech.

strictly the use of nonverbal elements.

strictly the process of transmitting language.

an unstructured system of signs, sounds, and nonverbal behaviors.

the exchange of meaning.

 

Question 44

 

When Ken comes to the United States to take a job, he is surprised that his coworkers conduct business lunches with their clients. In his country, business is reserved for office settings. Ken likely comes from a(n)

Western European culture.

monochronic culture.

high-context culture.

low-context culture.

individualistic culture.

 

Question 45

 

To say that nonverbal communication is ambiguous is to say that

it is difficult to misinterpret nonverbal behaviors.

nonverbal behavior is less believable than verbal communication.

we cannot assume that nonverbal behaviors have only one meaning.

very little attention is needed when interpreting nonverbal messages.

nonverbal behaviors include a learned “grammar” for using them.

 

Question 46

 

While at the airport, ready to depart for college on the east coast, Angela turns to her childhood sweetheart and says, “I’ll miss you,” and begins to cry and hold him tightly. This event illustrates which use of nonverbal communication?

replacing

regulating

deceiving

complementing

substituting

 

Question 47

 

If you tell a person to go north to find a newspaper stand, and point in that direction, your use of nonverbal communication would be called

repeating behavior.

accenting behavior.

complementing behavior.

deceiving behavior.

regulating behavior.

 

Question 48

 

While studies comparing facial expressions have found that certain universal expressions are easily understood, connotations for gestures can vary. Thus, interpreting nonverbal behavior requires understanding

the family relationships of the person we are communicating with.

the intent of the source.

the cultural norms governing it.

the grammatical syntax behind the behavior.

that verbal behavior carries most of the meaning in a message.

 

Question 49

 

During a basketball game, one of the players puts her hands together, forming a “T,” in order to notify the referee that the player’s team wants to call “time out.” What type of body motion is the player using?

illustrator

affect display

regulator

emblem

symbol

 

Question 50

 

During a medical examination, Dr. Smithe discovers a serious problem, but attempts to hide her concern by maintaining neutral facial expressions. In this instance, Dr. Smithe is relying on what function of nonverbal communication?

deceiving

repeating

regulating

substituting

complementing

 

Question 51

 

Which type of nonverbal behavior is the first and primary characteristic most people notice about others, according to some researchers?

paralanguage

eye behavior

body movement

hand gestures

use of space

 

Question 52

 

Knowing that she had a problem interpreting nonverbal communication, Kris would find which of the following strategies most useful to help her improve?

jump as quickly as possible to conclusions

realize that nonverbal behavior is relatively unimportant in professional relationships

buy a self-help book for using nonverbal communication

use descriptive feedback

realize that nonverbal cues are always tied to verbal behaviors

 

Question 53

 

If you were hoping to acknowledge another person according to the norms or rules of a society, which category of touch would be most appropriate?

social-polite

love-intimacy

functional-professional

friendship-warmth

context-situational

 

Question 54

 

The notion that our direct eye contact with a friend may differ in meaning compared to direct eye contact with a stranger illustrates which characteristic of nonverbal communication?

  Nonverbal communication is the primary means of expression.

  Nonverbal communication is dependent on context.

  Nonverbal communication is more believable than verbal communication.

  Nonverbal communication is less believable than verbal communication.

  Nonverbal communication is constantly occurring.

 

Question 55

 

If you were a communication researcher examining how each nonverbal cue interacts and works with the others to perform various communicative functions, you would be applying the

functional approach.

cultural approach.

independent approach.

interpretative approach.

isolation approach.

 

Question 56

 

According to the text, gender differences in touching behavior suggest that

women tend to touch more than men do.

men view touching as a hostile behavior.

men tend to be touched more often than women.

women seem to value touch more than men do.

women view touching as a purely romantic behavior.

 

Question 57

 

Sean pounded on the table during his persuasive speech to emphasize a point. After his speech, the audience applauded. Later that evening, Sean used the same fist-pounding strategy when trying to emphasize to his partner that he did not want pasta for supper. In this case, Sean received a negative reaction. This example illustrates which characteristic of nonverbal communication?

  Nonverbal communication is a primary means of expression.

  Nonverbal communication depends on context.

  Nonverbal communication is ambiguous.

  Nonverbal communication occurs constantly.

  Nonverbal communication is related to culture.

 

Question 58

 

The replacing of one facial expression with another that is considered more appropriate for the situation is referred to as

deintensifying.

masking.

highlighting.

intensifying.

neutralizing.

 

Question 59

 

Which category of haptics is most likely exemplified through the action of a police officer frisking a perpetrator?

friendship-warmth

social-polite

love-intimacy

sexual arousal

functional-professional

 

Question 60

 

The most difficult nonverbal cues to interpret, ________, refer to body motions that help us feel at ease in conversations. Examples could include playing with a pencil, touching your hair, or playing with a ring.

illustrators

regulators

adaptors

affect displays

masking techniques

 

Question 61

 

Tim is sitting in his car with satellite radio on. As a song plays, sound is received by his ear. This reflects which part of the listening process?

hearing stage

understanding stage

remembering stage

evaluation stage

interpreting stage

 

Question 62

 

Researchers suggest that listening is most closely linked with which of the following activities?

speaking

sensory output

singing

comprehension

inductive logic

 

Question 63

 

Anna listens to the country songs on her iTunes playlist purely for pleasure. Which function of listening does this example illustrate?

listening to obtain information

listening for enjoyment

listening with empathy

listening for functional comprehension

listening to evaluate

 

Question 64

 

Listening with empathy means to

listen sympathetically to the other person’s problems.

feel exactly as the other person feels.

understand what the other person is feeling.

be evaluative while listening.

tell the other person that you are sorry that he or she has problems.

 

Question 65

 

Daniel is attending a university event where the mayor is giving a speech on the history of the town his university is a part of. He considers the topic and speaker uninteresting. What should Daniel do to overcome this barrier to effective listening?

  Don’t waste time by listening.

  Immediately form an opinion on the subject.

  Consider how the information might be used.

  Consider ways of getting out of the situation.

  “Block out” the speaker.

 

Question 66

 

When listening to a speech on Spain, if we pay attention to the numbers and specific facts instead of listening for the major theme of the speech, it is likely we are

perceiving the topic as boring, uninteresting, or unimportant.

perceiving the speaker as boring, uninteresting, or unimportant.

concentrating on details, and not on the main idea.

criticizing the speaker instead of the message.

not providing feedback.

 

Question 67

 

While watching a debate on TV, Tanner analyzes evidence, sorts fact from opinion, and judges the accuracy of the speaker’s statements and conclusions. This reflects the ________ of listening.

hearing stage

understanding stage

remembering stage

evaluating stage

interpreting stage

 

Question 68

 

When a technology salesperson says “this is the best tablet on the market” without giving any proof, the most appropriate thing you should do as a listener is

assess the motivation behind the message.

listen to details, and not to the main ideas.

stop taking notes.

fake attention.

criticize the speaker.

 

Question 69

 

There are many things you can do to improve your listening competence. Which of the following is recommended?

  Avoid taking notes.

  Do not ask questions.

  Absorb the speaker’s values.

  Control internal distractions.

  Avoid judging the speaker.

 

Question 70

 

The active process of receiving, constructing meaning from, and responding to verbal and nonverbal messages is called

perception.

listening.

hearing.

selecting.

attending.

 

Question 71

 

Leah is a typical college freshman. She spends her waking time checking her Facebook page and other websites, writing, reading, speaking, and listening. On average, what will she likely spend the most time doing each day?

using the Internet

writing

reading

speaking

listening

 

Question 72

 

While listening to the presidential debates, Jody assessed the accuracy of each candidate’s position and determined the reasonableness of their conclusions. In other words, Jody was engaged in

listening to obtain information.

sympathetic listening.

empathetic listening.

listening for enjoyment.

evaluative listening.

 

Question 73

 

The passive reception of sounds is called

evaluating.

selecting.

hearing.

understanding.

listening.

 

Question 74

 

When your speech instructor listens to your speeches, he or she is primarily listening for the purpose of

evaluation.

empathy.

information.

enjoyment.

persuasion.

 

Question 75

 

To avoid some of the pitfalls or barriers to listening, you should

remove yourself from the situation if you find the topic irrelevant to your life.

show the speaker that you are listening even if you are thinking about something else.

concentrate on the main ideas rather than the details.

remove yourself from the situation if distractions become too great.

avoid situations where listening will be very hard.