Empathic Connections Exam Questions Chapter 6

Bob Shebib

Choices: Interviewing and Counselling Skills for Canadians, 6/e

Test Bank

Chapter Six

The Pursuit of Empathetic Understanding

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which of the following is true with respect to emotional expression?

a. cultures are very similar

b. most people prefer to keep their emotions private

c. there may be wide variations between cultures

d. age is not a factor

e. research has shown that gender differences are small

2. Emotional intelligence is defined by Goleman as

• 1. understanding cultural differences with respect to emotions
  2. one’s ability to identify emotions as they happen
  3. neural alarms
  4. being able to switch between the three domains of feelings, behaviour and thinking
  5. capacity to endure emotional trauma

3. Which of the following is true?

a. people respond to events in their lives with the same emotions

b. nonverbal cues have universal meaning

c. lack of eye contact is a sign of disrespect

d. circumstances and context are not always good predictors of feelings

e. all cultures encourage the expression of emotions

4. Ambivalence is best defined as

a. emotional intelligence

b. the confusion and stress that comes from emotions

c. multiple feelings about the same event or situation

d. a mental disorder involving multiple personalities

e. the science of culture

5. Affect describes

a. how we impact others

b. how others impact us

c. the interaction between counsellors and clients

d. successful strategies for intervention

e. how people express emotions

6. Flat affect means

a. the person has died

b. there is an absence of emotional expression

c. the person has little or no impact on others

d. responses are normal

e. emotions fluctuate rapidly

7. Affective disorders concern

a. disturbances in thinking

b. disturbances in mood

c. the impact of mental disorders on family and friends

d. schizophrenia and other psychotic illnesses

e. none of the above

8. Which of the following is defined in the text as a type of empathy?

a. immediacy

b. genuineness

c. confrontational

d. invitational

e. compassion

9. Invitational empathy

a. means waiting for clients to express the need for empathy

b. inviting clients to share their feelings

c. being sympathetic to the feelings of clients

d. responding to clients feelings

e. all of the above

10. Basic empathy requires counsellors to

a. respond to feelings that are explicitly expressed

b. respond to nonverbal communication

c. pick up on feelings that are avoided

d. express sympathy

e. all of the above

11. Inferred empathy

a. picks up on nonverbal and other indirect indicators of emotions

b. manipulates clients

c. should be avoided

d. projects feelings on others

e. responds to feelings that are clearly expressed

12. Which of the following is most likely to involve the nonverbal channel of communication?

a. sympathy

b. basic empathy

c. invitational empathy

d. inferred empathy

e. all of the above

13. Which of the following statements is true?

a. when clients share feelings, empathy is often the preferred counsellor response

b. empathy should be avoided until a trusting relationship is developed

c. empathy is always appropriate

d. empathy requires that counsellors are willing to share their own emotional reactions

e. all of the above

14. Which of the following best suggests an empathic response?

a. You don’t have to feel so sad.

b. I know exactly how you feel.

c. Your situation makes me feel so upset.

d. Don’t feel bad. It’s not your fault

e. none of the above

15. Which of the following is an example of inferred empathy?

a. I feel sorry for you

b. what were your feeling when your first found out

c. the way you shake your head suggests that you feel the situation is hopeless

d. I’ve often felt exactly the same way

e. you should not feel guilty about what happened

True-False Questions

1. People in different cultures express emotions in the same way.

2. Ambivalence suggests that the person has a mental disorder.

3. Affect describes how people are impacted by their problems.

4. As a rule, when clients express feelings, counsellors should respond with empathy.

5. Empathy is a fundamental building block for the helping relationship.

6. Clients reactions to empathy may vary from relief to anger.

7. Invitational empathy and inferred empathy are identical.

8. Basic empathy is superficial; thus it has no real value in counselling.

9. Inferred empathy picks up on nonverbal cues.

10. Empathy is always welcomed by clients.

11. Exposure to violence can blunt our ability to be empathic.

12. We can know how others feel if we have had the same experiences.

13. Sympathy is an important component of empathy.

14. Cutoffs are responses that inhibit further expression of feeling or thought.

15. Empathy requires counsellors to manage their own emotional reactions.

Answers: True: 4, 5, 6, 9, 11, 14, 15; False: 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13

Short Answer Questions

1. Describe empathy and its importance in counselling.

2. What is meant by the term ambivalence? Give an example.

3. How might clients react to empathy?

4. List and define the three types of empathy.

5. What is the difference between sympathy, compassion and empathy?

Essays

1. Prepare a book report on one of Carl Roger’s classic texts such as “On Becoming a Person” or “Client-Centred Therapy.” In your report, answer questions such as:

• What are the major ideas in the book that define Roger’s philosophy?
• What is Roger’s view of empathy?
• To what extent are Rogerian concepts still relevant today?

2. Prepare a report with one detailed example illustrating your use of empathy skills (successful or unsuccessful.) Typically, you will see both positive and negative elements. In either case you will want to understand what happened so that you may generalize and apply your learning to other helping situations. Attempt to identify and support viable alternative responses, i.e. what might you have said or done differently. Often there may be several perspectives on the same event. Attempt to increase your objectivity by considering alternate points of view or explanations. Consider your feelings and biases and how these assisted or hindered the work. Try to use supplemental books and articles from the library to support your ideas. Include a typescript of relevant dialogue with your analysis of the interaction. What did you learn from this experience?

3. Work with a partner to explore an issue or problem that he or she is currently experiencing. Prepare a video illustrating your use of counselling and interviewing skills (maximum 10 minutes). Submit a report that discusses your use of skills and an analysis of the effectiveness of your work.

4. "Trading Places": Reflect empathically on what it might be like to be a consumer of the agency where you are doing your field placement (internship). Describe the experience on three dimensions - cognitively, emotionally, behaviourally, as if you were the client speaking.

5. Submit a report that explores gender differences and emotions. Include recent research on that compares male and female brains.

6. Research and write a report on “mirror neurons.” Discuss recent findings and their implications for counsellors. Explore how mirror neurons might make counsellors more vulnerable to vicarious trauma.