Deck 1: An Overview of Everyday Communication

Question 1

Symbols are arbitrary, made-up conventions for representing something, so their meanings are culturally determined or socially constructed.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The idea that communication can be presentational means that communication is not always neutral.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Communication is interpreted at both the content and the relational level.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

A communicative 'frame' provides context to help us interpret a message.

Question 5

Explain why the perspective of 'communication as action' is limited in its usefulness.

Question 6

Context has no effect on the meaning of a communicated message.

Question 7

Relationships affect communication by:

A) Preventing expectations from affecting the meaning of a message
B) Minimizing the effective interpretation of a message
C) Establishing time frames for the interpretation of a message
D) Establishing expectations for the interpretation of a message

Question 8

Breaking up with someone by sending a text message to him or her is considered as a much more appropriate medium than meeting him or her face-to-face.

Question 9

The perspective of 'communication as action' defines communication as occurring only if information is exchanged between two or more individuals.

Question 10

Explain the main difference between "communication as action" and "communication as interaction."

Question 11

Explain how communication can be both representational and presentational.

Question 12

Explain why it can be problematic to interpret a symbol correctly in a communicated message.

Question 13

Culture affects communication because:

A) Many cultures have strange ways of interacting
B) Many cultures do not send and interpret messages
C) Many cultures take certain knowledge for granted
D) Many cultures do not like to communicate

Question 14

Communication takes much for granted, so miscommunication can occur due to sets of assumptions made by communicators.

Question 15

Describe how social frames function to help people interpret the meaning of a message.

Question 16

Explain how context can affect the interpretation of a message.

Question 17

Messages cannot be fully understood without knowing:

A) All of the facts of the event being described
B) The social and cultural context of the message
C) The number of words in the message
D) None of the above

Question 18

Assumptions that affect the interpretation of a message can include ideas about:

A) Power, race, and relationships
B) Power only
C) Race only
D) Relationships only

Question 19

Communication is simply the literal translation of a message.

Question 20

Signs are consequences or indicators of something specific, which human beings can change by their arbitrary actions or labels.

Question 21

The perspective that 'communication is interaction' is limited because:

A) It fails to account for the correct timing of a message
B) It fails to account for the exchange of information between two or more individuals
C) It fails to account for the exchange of information between a sender and receiver
D) It fails to account for the way that new meanings are created between a sender and receiver

Question 22

Which of the following is NOT one of the contexts that affect the meanings of symbols duringcommunication?

A) Relational
B) Psychological
C) Physical
D) Situational

Question 23

One advantage of social framing in communication is that:

A) Every part of the message must be explicitly stated
B) Not every part of the message must be explicitly stated
C) Every part of the message can be ignored
D) Not every part of the message can be ignored

Question 24

Cultural assumptions about communication can include:

A) The rules we should follow in all communications with others
B) The exact wording we should use in all communications with others
C) The exact time limits we should follow in all communications with others
D) The specific topics we must discuss in all communications with others.

Question 25

When people from different cultures interact in one place, the use of symbols is more likely to be:

A) Iconic
B) Representational
C) More colorful
D) More textual

Question 26

The perspective of 'communication as transaction' is preferred by your text's authors because:

A) It accounts for the correct timing of a message
B) It accounts for the exchange of information between two or more individuals
C) It accounts for the creation of new meanings through communication
D) It accounts for the intention to send a message

Question 27

Language is symbolic because:

A) It is difficult to understand
B) Words have different pronunciations in different regions
C) Language is iconic
D) Language uses words to represent objects and ideas.

Question 28

The constitutive approach to communication is closely related to:

A) communication as action.
B) communication as interaction.
C) communication as transaction.
D) all of the above

Question 29

What is an essential feature of communication?

A) It is a description of events or things in the world.
B) It is a transmission of a message from one person to another.
C) It goes beyond the literal translation of messages.
D) All of the above

Question 30

Communication is presentational because it is:

A) Not always objective
B) Always objective
C) Not always effective
D) Always effective

Question 31

The perspective that 'communication is action' is limited because:

A) It fails to account for the correct timing of a message
B) It fails to account for the receipt of a message
C) It fails to account for the correct length of a message
D) It fails to account for the attempt to communicate a message

Question 32

Which of the following is true of symbols and communication?:

A) Symbols have the potential for only one meaning
B) Symbols are used to deflect meaning
C) The meaning applied to symbols may change
D) Symbols preclude meaning

Question 33

Social frames can enhance communication by:

A) Helping to open up unlimited meanings
B) Helping to determine outcomes
C) Helping to regulate communication interactions
D) Helping to terminate communication interactions

Question 34

The use of symbols in communication is complicated because:

A) Symbols have only one meaning
B) Symbols have multiple meanings
C) Symbols are not affected by culture and context
D) Symbols are not representational

Question 35

In order for people to communicate successfully, they must have:

A) Unlimited time
B) Financial resources
C) Shared assumptions
D) No relationship