Deck 1: Introduction to Interpersonal Communication

Question 1

Kelvin and Meghan are trying to decide which colour to paint their living room.As part of their decision,they discuss the merits of their choices and how well they will match the furniture and the style of the house.In which form of communication are they most likely engaging?

A) small group communication
B) interpersonal communication
C) impersonal communication
D) intrapersonal communication

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following is defined,in the broadest sense,as "the process of acting upon information?"

A) human communication
B) interpersonal communication
C) communication
D) impersonal communication

Answer 2

C

Question 3

When we interact with another person and exert a mutual influence,we are engaged in

A) intercultural communication.
B) communication.
C) human communication.
D) interpersonal communication.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Depression is the most commonly diagnosed mental illness.What percentage of the population is estimated to suffer from depression?

A) 20%
B) 15%
C) 5%
D) 40%

Question 5

What is the definition of interpersonal communication?

A) It is a distinctive, transactional form of human communication involving mutual influence, usually for the purpose of managing relationships.
B) It involves treating people as objects, responding to roles rather than the person, and distinctive conversations.
C) It is a mechanical, transactional form of human communication, where each person has a role to perform.
D) It involves communicating with someone you care about, communicating in an I-It relationship, and treating people as individuals.

Question 6

What kind of communication occurs when we treat people as objects,or when we respond to their roles rather than to them as unique persons?

A) human communication
B) interpersonal communication
C) impersonal communication
D) intercultural communication

Question 7

Jessica,a first-year medical student,is having a conversation with her mom about life at university.While describing some of her anatomy lessons in graphic detail,Jessica notices a lack of colour in her mom's face,and her facial expression is very strained.This type of communication is called

A) intrapersonal communication.
B) interpersonal communication.
C) impersonal communication.
D) mass communication.

Question 8

The type of communication that occurs when one person communicates the same message to many people at once,but the creator of the message is not physically present is called

A) intrapersonal communication.
B) interpersonal communication.
C) impersonal communication.
D) mass communication.

Question 9

Ira goes to the same coffee shop once a week.He can't remember the cashier's name,but he is always polite,and they say "Hi" to each other.Their relationship is best described as

A) I-It.
B) It-Thou.
C) I-Thou.
D) It.

Question 10

All of the following statements are true EXCEPT

A) Widowed or divorced individuals are more likely to experience serious medical problems than married people.
B) Married people are more likely to experience mental illness than widowed and divorced individuals.
C) Loneliness can make you sick.
D) Married retired couples report happier relationships than couples in which one partner was retired and the other was still working.

Question 11

Learning how to understand and improve interpersonal communication can

A) ensure that you avoid all family conflicts.
B) guarantee that your relationships with family members will be perfect.
C) limit your options to problem solve.
D) help you develop creative and constructive solutions to family conflict.

Question 12

Philosopher Martin Buber presented the concept of true dialogue as the essence of

A) simultaneous interaction.
B) authentic communication.
C) intellectual communication.
D) unusual communication.

Question 13

Bob went to dinner with his good friend Isabel.They stayed at the restaurant for hours simply because they were enjoying each other's conversation.Their relationship is best described as

A) I-It.
B) It-Thou.
C) I-Thou.
D) It.

Question 14

Which of the following is NOT a true statement about communication?

A) Experts agree on a definition of communication.
B) We communicate even when we are not speaking.
C) Without interpersonal communication, people suffer and may even die.
D) Communication is the process of acting on information.

Question 15

When you interact with another person as a unique,authentic individual,Buber calls this

A) an impersonal relationship.
B) a self-centred relationship.
C) an "I-Thou" relationship.
D) a face-to-face relationship.

Question 16

Interpersonal communication occurs when people communicate in an ________ relationship.

A) I-It
B) It-Thou
C) I-Thou
D) It

Question 17

The message transfer model of communication portrays human communication as a

A) revolving process.
B) linear process.
C) circular process.
D) helical process.

Question 18

The statements listed are all characteristics of impersonal communication EXCEPT

A) People are treated as objects.
B) People communicate in an "I-Thou" relationship.
C) There is mechanical, stilted interaction.
D) You communicate with people that you share no history with and have no expectation for any future relationship.

Question 19

The Employability Skills Profile published by the Conference Board of Canada

A) is based on information gathered by a select group of Chief Executive Officers.
B) has identified teamwork skills as one of the essential employability skills.
C) summarizes the skills that are in demand under three headings: Academic Skills, Personal Management Skills, and Mathematical Skills .
D) is a comprehensive list of "hard skills."

Question 20

Which of the following models of human communication is the oldest and simplest?

A) communication as action
B) communication as interaction
C) communication as transaction
D) communication as contraction

Question 21

The person who decodes and tries to make sense out of a message is the

A) receiver.
B) information source.
C) transmitter.
D) encoder.

Question 22

Jessica's best friend Helen has just moved from Toronto,Ontario to Montreal,Quebec.They keep in touch using their computers,which are equipped with webcams.When they chat they are using the ________ to communicate.

A) olfactory channel
B) transmitters
C) tactile channel
D) auditory and visual channels

Question 23

A sequence of interactions between individuals during which the message of one person influences the message of another person is referred to as

A) an episode.
B) meaning.
C) interference.
D) a message.

Question 24

Systems theory helps us understand that

A) the transactional communication model is static.
B) a change in any aspect (source, receiver, context, channel, etc.) of the system has a potential influence on all other aspects of the system.
C) a change in any aspect (source, receiver, context, channel, etc.) of the system does not influence any other aspect of the system.
D) all elements of the communication model are distinct and unique.

Question 25

An intentional or unintentional,verbal or nonverbal response to a message is called

A) destination.
B) receiver input.
C) feedback.
D) channel selection.

Question 26

________ is anything that interferes with a message and keeps it from being understood and achieving its intended effect.

A) Noise
B) A channel
C) A signal
D) Understanding

Question 27

Channels correspond to your

A) signals.
B) senses.
C) receivers.
D) noise source.

Question 28

What distinguishes the communication-as-transaction model from the other two models?

A) It was the first model to be developed.
B) All the interaction is simultaneous.
C) It considers the context and culture of the individuals.
D) It can be applied to hearing and visually impaired individuals.

Question 29

What are channels in the communication model?

A) the words and messages used to communicate
B) the filters through which messages pass
C) the pathways used to send a message
D) the transmitters of a thought or feeling

Question 30

When you are preoccupied with your own thoughts and do not pay attention to your teacher's lecture,you are experiencing

A) psychological noise.
B) unintentional noise.
C) external noise.
D) intentional noise.

Question 31

For most scholars today,which view of communication is considered the most realistic?

A) action model
B) transactional model
C) Shannon-Weaver model
D) interactional model

Question 32

Visual,auditory,olfactory,and tactile all serve as ________ for a message.

A) transmitters
B) noise
C) context
D) channels

Question 33

The elements that distinguish the communication-as-action perspective from the communication-as-interaction view are

A) encoding and decoding.
B) spoken and unspoken elements.
C) feedback and context.
D) signals and signs.

Question 34

The transactional perspective of communication acknowledges that

A) when we talk to others, we are constantly reacting to what our partner is saying.
B) we talk to others; then when they talk to us, we listen.
C) we talk to others and they listen; they talk to us, and we listen.
D) when the message gets to the receiver, communication ends.

Question 35

A transactional approach to communication suggests that

A) a message's meaning is unaffected by the past or future.
B) messages do not influence each other.
C) no one single factor can explain how we interpret a message.
D) there is a simple explanation for a message's meaning.

Question 36

You choose to discuss a sensitive matter with a friend in a small,comfortable,vacant room.In choosing the room,you are recognizing the importance of

A) interference.
B) channel.
C) context.
D) information source.

Question 37

When we interpret words or unspoken signals,we are

A) decoding.
B) filtering.
C) transmitting.
D) encoding.

Question 38

What is encoding?

A) putting thoughts, ideas, and feelings into words and messages
B) filtering messages through past experiences
C) minimizing external and psychological noise
D) making sense out of words and messages

Question 39

The ________ is the written,spoken,or unspoken elements of communication to which we assign meaning.

A) message
B) source
C) receiver
D) channel

Question 40

You are having a conversation with your neighbour,and you are not interested in what she is saying.When you yawn,you are providing

A) intentional nonverbal feedback.
B) unintentional verbal feedback.
C) intentional verbal feedback.
D) unintentional nonverbal feedback.

Question 41

The key differences between electronically mediated communication and face-to-face communication include

A) anonymity, social consciousness, physical appearance, and distance.
B) social consciousness, physical appearance, distance, and time.
C) anonymity, potential for deception, distance, and time.
D) anonymity, physical appearance, potential for deception, and group.

Question 42

Cues-filtered-out theory suggests that

A) people use information they receive from others via electronic media to develop relationships.
B) the richness of a medium-based communication depends on the amount of emotional meaning it expresses.
C) electronically mediated relationships can involve mutual influence.
D) communication of emotions is restricted when people send messages to others via email because nonverbal cues such as facial expression and tone of voice are absent.

Question 43

The following is NOT a reason that relationships formed through electronically mediated communication can become even more personal than equivalent face-to-face relationships.

A) an idealization of the partner
B) the absence of distracting external cues
C) asynchronous communication
D) the overdependence on only a few pieces of personal information

Question 44

Media richness theory describes the richness of a communication channel using four criteria.Which of the following is NOT one of those criteria?

A) the amount of feedback that the communicator can receive
B) the number of cues that the channel can convey and that can be interpreted by a receiver
C) the variety of language that a communicator uses
D) the number of channels used in the communication

Question 45

The social information-processing theory explains how

A) information about society is conveyed to the public by the mass media.
B) family members convey essential information to one another through email.
C) information about social groups learned over the Internet is used to form opinions that affect communication with those groups.
D) we can develop quality relationships with others via email and other electronic means.

Question 46

The principle that says interpersonal communication is inescapable means that

A) once a message is sent, you can't take it back.
B) you can't not communicate.
C) communication occurs in a variety of contexts.
D) you can't completely understand others.

Question 47

The helical model suggests that

A) interpersonal communication never loops back on itself.
B) interpersonal communication is a series of loops moving back through old territory.
C) interpersonal communication is a closed system.
D) interpersonal communication loops through various contexts.

Question 48

You shout at a colleague,voicing all your frustrations toward the colleague as well as toward your work.You can apologize and you can say you didn't really mean what you said,but you can't "take back" what you said because

A) interpersonal communication is complicated.
B) interpersonal communication is contextual.
C) interpersonal communication is inescapable.
D) interpersonal communication is irreversible.

Question 49

Using a cell phone or the Internet to communicate with others is referred to as

A) electronically mediated communication.
B) electronic interpersonal communication.
C) information-age interpersonal communication.
D) impersonal communication.

Question 50

Communication theorists have noted that whenever we communicate with another person,there are really at least ________ "people" involved.

A) 2
B) 4
C) 6
D) 8

Question 51

The principle that says interpersonal communication is complicated means that

A) you can't completely understand others.
B) you can't not communicate.
C) once a message is sent, it can't be uncreated.
D) once a message is sent, it continues to loop back on itself.

Question 52

The principle of interpersonal communication that says communication is complicated is due partially to

A) the unintentional nature of some messages.
B) the time we spend taking back messages.
C) the interpretation of information through symbols.
D) the cultural nature of communication.

Question 53

Your unspoken messages,even when you are asleep,provide cues to which others react.Which principle of interpersonal communication does this demonstrate?

A) Interpersonal communication connects us to others.
B) Interpersonal communication is complicated.
C) Interpersonal communication is irreversible.
D) Interpersonal communication is governed by rules.

Question 54

Based on the criteria for determining the "richness" of communication channels,which of the following would be the richest channel of communication?

A) a live video conference
B) an exchange of email
C) a message left on voice mail
D) a memo sent by your boss

Question 55

A relationship formed through electronically mediated communication that becomes more personal and intense than an equivalent face-to-face relationship is called

A) a hyperpersonal relationship.
B) an ultrapersonal relationship.
C) an impersonal relationship.
D) an intrapersonal relationship.

Question 56

What constitutes an episode is defined by

A) the sender and receiver of the message.
B) the extent to which the sender and receiver agree on meaning.
C) the psychological context of the message.
D) the physical context of the message.

Question 57

One feature of electronically mediated communication is that your interaction with others can be ________,which would not happen in a face-to-face interaction.

A) synchronous
B) immediate
C) asynchronous
D) objective

Question 58

"If communication can fail,it will." This illustrates the principle that

A) interpersonal communication is complicated.
B) interpersonal communication is governed by rules.
C) interpersonal communication is irreversible.
D) interpersonal communication involves both content and relationship dimensions.

Question 59

According to the transactional model,interpersonal communication is defined as

A) the process of acting upon information.
B) the process of making sense out of the world.
C) simultaneous interaction and the coordinated management of meaning through episodes.
D) the receiver of the message responds to the source through feedback.

Question 60

Social information-processing theory suggests that

A) it may take longer to express emotional messages electronically.
B) there is more information to process in text-only interactions.
C) it is impossible to communicate emotional messages electronically.
D) it is easier to communicate emotional messages without nonverbal cues.

Question 61

Rules governing interpersonal relationships may be

A) complementary or symmetrical.
B) self-oriented or other-oriented.
C) content-driven or emotion-driven.
D) explicit or implicit.

Question 62

The communibiological approach suggests that

A) a person's communication behaviour can be predicted based on the community within which the person grew up.
B) a person's communication behaviour cannot be predicted.
C) a person's communication behaviour can be predicted based on genetic traits.
D) a person's communication behaviour can only be predicted based on community and biology.

Question 63

It is difficult to communicate effectively when

A) we focus on our partner.
B) we are motivated.
C) we focus exclusively on ourselves.
D) we use our knowledge and skill.

Question 64

Which of the following has NOT been identified as one of the most important communication rules?

A) Partners should not criticize each other publicly.
B) Partners should look each other in the eye during conversation.
C) Partners should always say exactly what is on their minds.
D) Partners should respect each other's privacy.

Question 65

Which statement about rules is NOT true?

A) Interpersonal relationships are shaped by explicit and implicit rules.
B) Rules are not affected by the culture in which the individuals are communicating.
C) Relationship rules can be learned by experience.
D) Rules may be modified as the relationship progresses.

Question 66

Unethical communication is characterized by

A) increasing listener's freedom of choice.
B) presenting the truth.
C) forcing views on others.
D) keeping confidences.

Question 67

Being motivated about improving your communication effectiveness means that

A) you select the right behaviour for the situation.
B) you translate your knowledge into action.
C) you learn principles, concepts, and ideas.
D) you want to use your knowledge and skills.

Question 68

Which of the follow statements does NOT describe social learning theory?

A) How we behave is dependent on our genetic makeup.
B) We can learn how to adjust our behaviour toward others.
C) People can learn to enhance their communication competence.
D) We can't blame biology for all aspects of our behaviour.

Question 69

Competent communication should be appropriate,which requires which of the following?

A) Choosing the single best way to communicate.
B) Choosing only our own approach to communication.
C) Letting other people dictate the approach to communication.
D) Considering time, place, and overall context, as well as the feelings and attitudes of the listener.

Question 70

The rules that govern interpersonal relationships

A) define appropriate and inappropriate communication in a given situation.
B) indicate which partner is in control.
C) define the impersonal or interpersonal nature of the relationship.
D) describe the current stage of relationship development.

Question 71

Considering the needs,goals,and desires of our partners is a way to become

A) other-oriented.
B) self-focused.
C) symmetrical.
D) complementary.

Question 72

Bob and Jenna are having a conversation about housework."You're always such a big help around the house," Jenna hisses,sarcasm dripping from every word.This is an example of

A) the content of a communication message.
B) the relationship dimension of a communication message.
C) metacommunication.
D) implicit communication rules.

Question 73

If you have a genuine desire to improve your communication skills and you want to connect with others,you are

A) motivated.
B) knowledgeable.
C) adaptable.
D) other-oriented.

Question 74

To become other-oriented,you must first

A) learn everything you can about the other person.
B) gain an accurate understanding of your self-concept and self-esteem.
C) accept that communication is the most important goal of any relationship.
D) attain a specific level of relationship with the listener.

Question 75

A self-focused communicator is one who

A) creates messages without considering the thoughts and feelings of the person who is listening.
B) creates messages intended only to make himself or herself look good.
C) wishes to control the communication.
D) believes that his or her own method of communication is the best one.

Question 76

If you are honest,keep confidences,and consider the needs of others,you are more likely to make sure your message is

A) important.
B) motivated.
C) ethical.
D) flexible.

Question 77

Metacommunication is defined as

A) verbal or nonverbal communication about communication.
B) communication at the level of emotion.
C) communication at the level of content.
D) nonverbal communication codes that contradict verbal communication.

Question 78

Becoming other-oriented involves

A) telling others what they want to hear.
B) not disclosing anything about ourselves.
C) ignoring our own needs and interests.
D) adapting our messages to take others into account.

Question 79

To assess each communication situation and then adjust your behaviour is to be

A) adaptable.
B) motivated.
C) other-oriented.
D) knowledgeable.

Question 80

Being "skilled" in interpersonal communication refers to

A) learning principles, concepts and ideas of effective communication.
B) translating knowledge about communication into action.
C) selecting the right behaviour for the situation.
D) using decentring to develop empathy for your partner.