Question 1

A communication researcher who examines the flirtation behaviors used by couples interacting with one another by converting data to numeric indicators is using the method of research.

Accepted Answer

The researcher is using numeric indicators, which suggests the use of quantitative research methods.

Question 2

An) ________ scholar explores communication with the ultimate goal of changing society.

Accepted Answer

The ultimate goal of a critical scholar is to change society through their exploration of communication. They seek to identify and challenge power structures and social inequalities that are perpetuated through communication practices. Social scientific scholars aim to describe and explain communication phenomena, interpretive scholars aim to understand communication from the perspective of the participants, and postmodern scholars challenge traditional notions of truth and power in communication.

Question 3

When examining a TV series in order to determine how gay and lesbian relationships are portrayed as non-traditional or not "normal," a researcher uses textual analysis. This method is associated with the ________ approach.

Accepted Answer

Critical approach focuses on examining power imbalances and how they are reinforced or challenged in media representations. As the researcher is examining how non-traditional relationships are portrayed as "normal" or not, it indicates that they are using a critical approach.

Question 4

In the demand-withdrawal interaction pattern, the person who asks for the change is the _______.

Accepted Answer

In the demand-withdrawal interaction pattern, one person (the demander) asks for a change or expresses a need, while the other person (the withdrawer) responds by withdrawing, avoiding, or becoming defensive. Therefore, the demander is the one who initiates the cycle by making a demand or request for change in the relationship.

Question 5

Which branch of philosophy is a basis for the interpretative approach?

Accepted Answer

The interpretative approach is based on humanism, which emphasizes subjective experience, individual freedom and creativity, and the importance of human dignity and worth.

Question 6

Researchers who investigate cultures differences from their own often use the ________ method to gather information.

Accepted Answer

The ethnographic method involves immersing oneself in a different culture to gain a deep understanding of its customs, beliefs, and values. This approach is highly valued in cross-cultural research as it allows researchers to learn about a culture in a holistic and firsthand way. Statistical and content analysis methods may offer insights into cultural differences, but they do not provide the same level of depth and nuance as an ethnographic approach. Rhetorical methods are typically used to analyze language and communication patterns rather than cultural differences.

Question 7

When researchers carefully read and listen to conversations over and over again to develop a framework of categories that group, label, and summarize particular acts of communication in the data, researchers are using the ________ approach to understanding communication.

Accepted Answer

Content analysis involves a systematic approach to analyzing communication by breaking it down into categories and examining patterns in the data. This approach is often used when analyzing written or recorded communication, such as transcripts of interviews or surveys.

Question 8

Which of the following views would a critical scholar agree with?

Accepted Answer

A critical scholar would likely agree with the view that individuals construct their own reality and that these personal realities have consequences. This perspective aligns with the critical approach's emphasis on individual agency and empowerment, as well as the importance of understanding diverse viewpoints and experiences. The other options are less likely to be supported by a critical approach, either because they downplay individual agency (B) or overemphasize the influence of external factors on personal reality construction (C and D).

Question 9

One of the earliest influences on the field of communication was _____.

Accepted Answer

Rhetoric has been studied and written about since ancient Greece and focuses on the art of persuasive communication. This early influence paved the way for the study of communication as a field of research and education.

Question 10

The belief systems behind the various approaches to studying human communication are known in general as _____.

Accepted Answer

Paradigms are the belief systems or frameworks that guide the various approaches to studying phenomena, including human communication. They provide the foundational assumptions and methodologies for research and analysis in a field.

Question 11

Methods describe the specific ways in which scholars collect and analyze data, the results of which are used to test theories.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. Methods are the techniques or procedures used to collect and analyze data in order to test theories or answer research questions.

Question 12

The communication discipline is BEST described as _____.

Accepted Answer

The communication discipline involves various fields such as psychology, sociology, linguistics, and anthropology, making it interdisciplinary.

Question 13

As the text notes, scholars develop ________ in an attempt to explain why people communicate as they do.

Accepted Answer

Scholars develop theories to explain why people communicate as they do. Paradigms refer to overarching frameworks for understanding phenomena, readings typically refer to analysis of specific texts, and methods refer to techniques for collecting and analyzing data.

Question 14

When researchers observe subjects in everyday, real-life situations, it is an example of a ________ setting.

Accepted Answer

Observing subjects in everyday, real-life situations is known as naturalistic setting. Linear setting is not a commonly used or recognized term in research methodology. Behavioristic setting and laboratory setting are more controlled settings where the environment is manipulated by the researcher.

Question 15

Some communication experts believe that as children interact with their caregivers, they develop expectations for future interactions in relationships in general. This is known as forming a type of ________.

Accepted Answer

The concept described in the question is that of attachment, which is the emotional bond that forms between a child and their caregiver. This bond shapes a child's expectations for future relationships, such as whether they will be secure or insecure, and how they will seek and receive support from others.

Question 16

The ________ approach generally endorses the idea that reality is external to individuals and no one can predict future behavior based on observations of past behavior.

Accepted Answer

The social science approach emphasizes that reality is objective, external, and observable, and posits that behavior can be predicted based on past observations. This approach is based on the scientific method and quantitative research methods, and seeks to uncover universal laws of human behavior.

Question 17

The interpretive approach to communication emphasizes the _____ of human behavior.

Accepted Answer

The interpretive approach to communication focuses on understanding the unique and creative aspects of human behavior, emphasizing the subjective and constructed nature of communication.

Question 18

Julie criticizes her boyfriend for his political view and is trying to convince him that he is wrong. He responds by rolling his eyes and walking from the room. This is an example of the ________ communication pattern.

Accepted Answer

The demand-withdrawal communication pattern is characterized by one person making demands or criticisms while the other person withdraws or avoids the conversation. In this example, Julie is making a demand or criticism by criticizing her boyfriend's political views, and he is responding by withdrawing from the conversation by rolling his eyes and walking away.

Question 19

Tamara is interested in doing a quantitative research study to determine the most significant causes of public speaking anxiety among college students. This study belongs to the ________ approach to communication research.

Accepted Answer

Tamara's focus on quantitative research and determining the most significant causes of public speaking anxiety among college students aligns with the social science approach to communication research, which seeks to explain and predict human behavior through the collection and analysis of empirical data.

Question 20

The ________approach to communication research and study focuses on the role of power in communication exchanges.

Accepted Answer

The critical approach to communication research and study examines the ways in which power and social structures influence communication exchanges. This approach emphasizes the need to analyze and critique dominant power structures and to seek social change through communication practices.

Quiz 2: Perspectives on Human Communication