Deck 3: Interpersonal Communication and Perception

Question 1

When we place a familiar framework on information that may,at first,look formless,we are

A) thin-slicing.
B) superimposing.
C) practising selective exposure.
D) practising selective recall.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Selective attention is the process

A) of focusing on specific stimuli.
B) of putting ourselves in situations that reinforce our attitudes, beliefs, values, or behaviours.
C) that occurs when we remember things we want to remember and forget or repress things that are uncomfortable, unpleasant, or unimportant to us.
D) of observing a small sample of someone's behaviour and then making a generalization about what the person is like based on that sample.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Interpersonal perception is the process of

A) directing our attention to specific stimuli.
B) interpreting what others are like.
C) the arousal of any of our senses.
D) ignoring specific stimuli.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The interpersonal perception process involves

A) creating halos and horns.
B) interpreting information gained passively and actively.
C) balancing the primacy and recency effects.
D) selecting, organizing, and interpreting information.

Question 5

The manner in which we organize information depends in part on the way we

A) punctuate information.
B) select information.
C) attribute information.
D) interpret information.

Question 6

Organizing stimuli makes it possible for us to

A) attribute positive qualities to individuals we like.
B) direct our attention to specific stimuli.
C) give meaning to the stimuli we select.
D) process complex information.

Question 7

A woman observes what she believes is her husband flirting with the waitress at a restaurant where the couple is having dinner.The husband claims he only smiled at the waitress and that in any case,it was because his wife was acting angry.The wife says she was angry because he was flirting.The disagreement about what happened can best be explained by which process in the organizing stage of the perception process?

A) punctuating
B) superimposing
C) attribution
D) closure

Question 8

________ is the process of understanding or making sense of sensory experiences.

A) Empathy
B) Perception
C) Interaction
D) Interpersonal perception

Question 9

Selective exposure is the process

A) of focusing on specific stimuli.
B) of putting ourselves in situations that reinforce our attitudes, beliefs, values, or behaviours.
C) that occurs when we remember things we want to remember and forget or repress things that are uncomfortable, unpleasant, or unimportant to us.
D) of observing a small sample of someone's behaviour and then making a generalization about what the person is like based on that sample.

Question 10

What process is involved when we direct our attention to specific elements of our environment and ignore others?

A) perception
B) selective attention
C) selective exposure
D) thin slicing

Question 11

Observing a small slice of someone's behaviour and then making a generalization based on that behaviour is called

A) selective attention.
B) thin slicing.
C) selective exposure.
D) selective recall.

Question 12

Superimposing is the process of

A) making sense of stimuli by grouping, dividing, organizing, separating, and categorizing information.
B) filling in missing information.
C) placing a familiar structure on information you select.
D) observing a small sample of someone's behaviour and then making a generalization about what the person is like, based on that sample.

Question 13

Perception is defined as

A) the process of understanding or making sense of sensory experiences.
B) selecting, organizing and interpreting our observations.
C) directing attention to specific stimuli.
D) ignoring specific stimuli.

Question 14

________ is the process that occurs when we remember things we want to remember and forget or repress things that are uncomfortable,or unpleasant,or unimportant to us.

A) Selective attention
B) Selective exposure
C) Selective recall
D) Thin slicing

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT one of the four principles of selection?

A) selective attention
B) selective exposure
C) selective intention
D) selective recall

Question 16

________ is the process by which we decide what people are like and give meaning to their actions.

A) Empathy
B) Perception
C) Interaction
D) Interpersonal perception

Question 17

________ is the process of making sense out of stimuli by grouping,dividing,organizing,separating,and categorizing information.

A) Superimposing
B) Seeking closure
C) Thin-slicing
D) Punctuating

Question 18

When you read the words "MRRY ChRSTMS!" what type of organizing are you engaging in?

A) linking
B) selecting
C) superimposing
D) seeking closure

Question 19

After stimuli are selected,the next stage of the perception process is to

A) organize.
B) interpret.
C) simplify.
D) select.

Question 20

You are talking to a friend about problems with your partner.After a break in the conversation,your friend started talking about a recent movie.You are hurt because the topic was switched.This exemplifies differences in

A) selective perception.
B) stereotypes.
C) patterns.
D) punctuations.

Question 21

Edgar is a first-year university student living in residence.He is confused and uncertain about where he is supposed to go for dinner.He spots several of the residents of his dorm leaving his floor and going down the stairs.Edgar concludes that since it's about dinner time,the other residents must be heading in the direction of the cafeteria.He decides to follow and see if they lead him to the cafeteria.Which of the following processes is Edgar most likely employing?

A) interpersonal perception
B) active perception
C) selective perception
D) passive perception

Question 22

You recall the joke that the speaker told at the beginning of her speech,but you remember little else.This is an example of

A) the primacy effect.
B) the halo effect.
C) the recency effect.
D) the horn effect.

Question 23

Attending to the first pieces of information that we observe about a person exemplifies

A) the primacy effect.
B) the halo effect.
C) the recency effect.
D) the horn effect.

Question 24

A(n)________ is a bipolar quality that we use to classify people.

A) construct
B) attribute
C) impression
D) implicit personality theory

Question 25

Imagine you were told that the following equations were correct: 12 + 4 = 4; 11 + 2 = 1.If you had trouble understanding how they could be correct until you were told that you were adding hours on a clock,which principle of organizing and imposing structure would be involved?

A) patterning
B) punctuating
C) superimposing
D) closure

Question 26

You have car trouble.You decide to get out and walk because you believe that no one will stop to help you.This belief about people exemplifies

A) causal attribution theory.
B) implicit personality theory.
C) your set of personal constructs.
D) correspondent inference theory.

Question 27

The process of filling in the gaps is referred to as

A) impression formation.
B) closure.
C) stereotyping.
D) punctuation.

Question 28

Your own set of beliefs and hypotheses about what people are like represent

A) implicit personality theory.
B) correspondent inference theory.
C) causal attribution theory.
D) self-fulfilling prophecies.

Question 29

When we have an incomplete picture of another person,according to the organizing stage of perception,we

A) base our perception on the last information we acquired about the person.
B) consider whether we like or dislike the person.
C) impose a structure and fill in the gaps based on what we do know about the person.
D) draw conclusions about what we do know.

Question 30

Information that we acquire simply because our senses are operating comes to us through

A) active perception.
B) impression formation.
C) punctuation.
D) passive perception.

Question 31

The influence exerted on us by the most recent piece of information we receive about or from another person is called

A) the halo effect.
B) the primacy effect.
C) the horn effect.
D) the recency effect.

Question 32

You don't remember much of the lecture except for the instructor's last words: "All of today's material will be covered on the exam." This exemplifies

A) the primacy effect.
B) the halo effect.
C) the recency effect.
D) the horn effect.

Question 33

After we have selected and organized stimuli,the last part of the perception process is to

A) decide if we like or dislike the person.
B) consider what we still need to know about the person.
C) plan our own approach to the person.
D) attach meaning to all we have observed.

Question 34

Active perception occurs because

A) our sense are operating.
B) we want to confirm our like or dislike for another person.
C) it is important to confirm our own self-concept.
D) we are motivated to select particular information.

Question 35

You shake hands with someone and notice that his hands are hard and callused.You might infer that this person works with his hands.And since he is wearing coveralls,you assume he is a farmer.Which stage of the perceptual process would be reflected in this example?

A) selecting (simplifying stimuli)
B) organizing (imposing structure)
C) interpreting (attributing meaning)
D) responding (expressing understanding)

Question 36

Collections of perceptions about others are called

A) theories.
B) stereotypes.
C) impressions.
D) stimuli.

Question 37

We develop perceptions about people and maintain and use those perceptions to interpret people's behaviours.This is called

A) attribution theory.
B) impression formation theory.
C) uncertainty reduction theory.
D) implicit personality theory.

Question 38

If you meet someone who reminds you of your cousin Jerry,you will assume that they have traits and characteristics similar to his.This is an example of

A) punctuation.
B) impression formation.
C) stereotyping.
D) closure.

Question 39

When your parents look at you carefully and wait for you to tell them what time you got home the previous night,which type of perception is in operation?

A) active perception
B) reflexive perception
C) passive perception
D) personal perception

Question 40

The implicit personality theory

A) allows us to attribute specific qualities to each person we know.
B) provides us with reasons to explain others' behaviours.
C) allows us to make sense of people we do not know well.
D) assists us in determining the intentionality of others' behaviours.

Question 41

________ allow us to categorize people into one or two groups of opposites.

A) Impressions
B) Personal inferences
C) Attributions
D) Constructs

Question 42

The theory that relates to the interpretation stage of the perception process is

A) implicit personality theory.
B) attribution theory.
C) correspondent inference theory.
D) constructs.

Question 43

Your friend walks past you without speaking to you.You conclude that because your friend is taking an overload of classes this semester,she is preoccupied and did not see you.This illustrates

A) your unwillingness to categorize your friend according to another construct.
B) the degree of complexity of your set of constructs.
C) your set of beliefs about what people are like.
D) how we try to explain the motives and causes of people's behaviour.

Question 44

"He didn't show up for our appointment because he forgot to put it in his calendar" is an example of

A) impression formation theory.
B) implicit personality theory.
C) causal attribution theory.
D) standpoint theory.

Question 45

When we attempt to determine if a person's actions are caused by circumstance,a stimulus,or the person herself or himself,we are using which theory?

A) causal attribution theory
B) correspondent inference theory
C) indirect perception checking
D) implicit personality theory

Question 46

Because you like Jo,you just assume that she is intelligent,warm,friendly,and gets good grades.You are demonstrating

A) the recency effect.
B) the horn effect.
C) the primacy effect.
D) the halo effect.

Question 47

Attributing to the person means

A) you believe there is something about the person himself or herself that caused the behaviour.
B) you believe the person had no choice.
C) you believe the behaviour was caused by another person.
D) you believe the behaviour was based on intentionality.

Question 48

The theory that suggests that a person's social position,power,or cultural background influences how the person perceives the behaviour of others is called

A) implicit personality theory.
B) impression formation theory.
C) standpoint theory.
D) attribution theory.

Question 49

Explaining someone's behaviour as an emotional reaction to another's behaviour is attributing to

A) circumstance.
B) a stimulus.
C) the person.
D) intentionality.

Question 50

Your friend hardly spoke at a party you both attended.You are not surprised,since you know your friend is shy.You are attributing your friend's behaviour to

A) circumstance.
B) a stimulus.
C) the person.
D) intentionality.

Question 51

Which statement is NOT an accurate description of standpoint theory?

A) A framework that explains how we interpret the behaviour of others.
B) People with differing cultural backgrounds have different perceptions of others' behaviours.
C) It teaches us how to completely understand another person's actions.
D) Where we stand makes a difference in what we see.

Question 52

Attributing to circumstance means

A) you place responsibility for an action outside of the person.
B) you place responsibility for an action with another person.
C) you place responsibility for an action with the person himself or herself.
D) you place responsibility for an action based on degree of intentionality.

Question 53

The specific qualities or attributes we associate with each person we know are called

A) attributes.
B) constructs.
C) the horn effect.
D) personal constructs.

Question 54

When you witness an exchange of angry words between a friend and a store clerk and you assume the store clerk said something that set your friend off,you are attributing to

A) circumstance.
B) a stimulus.
C) the person.
D) intentionality.

Question 55

Which perception theory identifies circumstance,a stimulus,or the person herself or himself as the potential cause for a person's actions?

A) correspondent inference theory
B) indirect perception checking
C) causal attribution theory
D) implicit personality theory

Question 56

Polar opposites such as friendly or unfriendly,intelligent or unintelligent,graceful or clumsy,funny or serious exemplify

A) impressions.
B) cognitive complexity.
C) constructs.
D) personal attitudes.

Question 57

To attribute a number of positive qualities to individuals we like is called

A) the horn effect.
B) the self-fulfilling prophecy.
C) the halo effect.
D) the recency effect.

Question 58

The horn effect is defined as

A) attributing negative qualities to those we dislike.
B) remembering the most recent information we have learned about another person.
C) attributing positive qualities to those we like.
D) remembering the first information we learned about another person.

Question 59

You are in heavy traffic and the car in front of you swerves.You assume the driver swerved to avoid glass,an animal,or something else in the road.You are attributing the driver's action to

A) the person.
B) a stimulus.
C) a construct.
D) circumstance.

Question 60

"A learned system of knowledge,behaviours,attitudes,beliefs,values,and norms that is shared by a group of people" is a definition of

A) belief.
B) perception.
C) culture.
D) identity.

Question 61

When your friend Susan forgets to call you on your 21st birthday,you believe that she doesn't care that much about you,despite her explanation.Which barrier to accurate perception are you experiencing?

A) oversimplifying
B) blaming
C) overgeneralizing
D) stereotyping

Question 62

The barrier to accurate perception of stereotyping happens when

A) we rely on our pre-existing rigid expectations about others to influence our perceptions.
B) we overestimate the consistency of another's behaviour.
C) we distort information that violates our perceptions.
D) we prefer simple explanations to complex ones.

Question 63

Your roommate spends several minutes detailing the reasons she did not meet you for lunch even though you had made plans to eat together.You start tuning out her lengthy explanations.Which of the barriers to accurate perception is influencing you?

A) oversimplifying
B) imposing consistency
C) overgeneralizing
D) negative focus

Question 64

We compensate for the bias of focusing on the negative by

A) seeking relevant information about another person.
B) refusing to rely on pre-existing ideas about causes and effects.
C) sharing only positive information about ourselves when first meeting another person.
D) considering the validity of complex explanations from others.

Question 65

We use the barrier of ________ because we tend to find complex explanations less believable and harder to use in making sense of another's actions.

A) overgeneralizing
B) ignoring information
C) oversimplifying
D) stereotyping

Question 66

You believe that if a person acted a certain way one day,he or she will continue to act that way in the future,even though everyone's behaviour varies from day to day.You are exhibiting which of the barriers to accurate perception?

A) overgeneralizing
B) imposing consistency
C) oversimplifying
D) stereotyping

Question 67

When we are unwilling to make sufficient effort to understand another person's circumstances,we are experiencing the barrier of

A) ignoring information.
B) overgeneralizing.
C) stereotyping.
D) oversimplifying.

Question 68

When we overgeneralize,we

A) treat irrelevant information as if it were relevant.
B) treat small amounts of information as if they were highly representative.
C) prefer simple explanations to complex explanations.
D) rely on pre-existing ideas about causes and effects.

Question 69

The barrier to accurate perception of focusing on the negative happens when we

A) distort our attributions to match our like or dislike for another person.
B) give more weight to negative information rather than positive information.
C) treat irrelevant information as if it were relevant.
D) treat small amounts of information as if they were highly representative.

Question 70

When we place people into inflexible categories and "print" the same judgments on anyone placed into a given category we are

A) ignoring information.
B) oversimplifying.
C) focusing on the negative.
D) stereotyping.

Question 71

The barrier to accurate perception of oversimplifying happens when

A) we treat irrelevant information as if it were relevant.
B) we prefer simple explanations to complex explanations.
C) we treat small amounts of information as if they were highly representative.
D) we tend to give more weight to negative than to positive information.

Question 72

When we overestimate the consistency and constancy of others' behaviours we are

A) preconceiving.
B) ignoring circumstances.
C) imposing consistency.
D) overgeneralizing.

Question 73

One piece of negative information can have a disproportionate effect on our impressions and negate the effect of several positive pieces of information.Which barrier to accurate perception does this describe?

A) self-serving bias
B) focusing on the negative
C) making fundamental attribution errors
D) imposing consistency

Question 74

You tend to explain the motives for a person's actions on the basis of the most obvious information rather than on any in-depth information you might have.Which of the barriers to accurate perception is influencing you?

A) focusing on the negative
B) ignoring information
C) overgeneralizing
D) imposing consistency

Question 75

Your friend Susan arrives late to your birthday party and explains that she missed the bus.Your other friend,Martin,also arrives late and explains that his cat got out and he had to chase it down the street,where it promptly hid under a neighbour's porch.He couldn't coax it out,so he had to go back home,open a tin of cat food,put it by his neighbour's porch,and wait for the cat to come out.Once it did,he had to take it back home.You will probably believe Susan over Martin because of which barrier to accurate perception?

A) ignoring information
B) overgeneralizing
C) oversimplifying
D) stereotyping

Question 76

When we make an assumption about another person's behaviour based on his or her age,we are experiencing which of the barriers to accurate perception?

A) irrelevancy
B) self-serving bias
C) ignoring information
D) negative focus

Question 77

Based on your acquaintance with one member of the campus Camera Club,you draw conclusions about all the other members of the club.You are experiencing which of the barriers to accurate perception?

A) causation
B) negative focus
C) imposing consistency
D) overgeneralizing

Question 78

When we place someone in a rigid category and then interpret all their behaviour from the framework of that category,what perceptual process are we using?

A) imposing consistency
B) stereotyping
C) focusing on the negative
D) oversimplifying

Question 79

When imposing consistency,

A) we diminish the effect of external circumstances.
B) we ignore the fact that people's behaviour changes from day to day.
C) we give more weight to negative than to positive information.
D) we treat irrelevant information as if it were relevant.

Question 80

Your interpersonal communication instructor typically greets the class with a cheery "Good morning." When your instructor omits the greeting and instead launches directly into the day's lecture,you conclude the instructor must have thought he already greeted the class.You are attributing according to which of the barriers to accurate perception?

A) ignoring information
B) fundamental attribution error
C) imposing consistency
D) overgeneralizing