Verbal Communication Test Bank Chapter 4

Test Bank

Chapter 4: Verbal Communication

Multiple Choice

4.1. Which element of communication is the foundation on which meaning is created?

a. social

b. individual

c. nonverbal

d. verbal

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.1

Learning Objective: LO 4.1 Identify three reasons for learning about verbal communication.

Topic: The Importance of Verbal Communication

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Remember the Facts

5.2. When Marta’s parents and teachers refer to her as smart and talented, she feels more confident. This reflects the idea that verbal communication _____.

a. affects relationships skills

b. is embedded in cultural contexts

c. influences self-concepts

d. can clarify nonverbal communication

Chapter: 05

Module: 5.1

Learning Objective: LO 5.1 Identify three reasons for learning about verbal communication.

Topic: The Importance of Verbal Communication

Difficulty: Moderate

Skill: Apply What You Know

4.3. Inviting someone to a party is one example of which function of verbal communication?

a. instrumental

b. personal

c. heuristic

d. regulatory

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.2

Learning Objective: LO 4.2 Describe the functions and components of language.

Topic: What Is Verbal Communication? Functions and Components of Language

Difficulty: Moderate

Skill: Understand the Concepts

4.4. While giving a friend directions to your home, you tell them to stop at the corner market to pick up some soda and snacks. In telling your friend to pick up food, you are using which function of language?

a. imaginative

b. heuristic

c. interactional

d. regulatory

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.2

Learning Objective: LO 4.2 Describe the functions and components of language.

Topic: What Is Verbal Communication? Functions and Components of Language

Difficulty: Moderate

Skill: Apply What You Know

4.5. When giving directions to a friend, you jokingly add, “Don’t drive over the curb like you did during your driving test!” In adding this, you are using which function of language?

a. regulatory

b. personal

c. instrumental

d. heuristic

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.2

Learning Objective: LO 4.2 Describe the functions and components of language.

Topic: What Is Verbal Communication? Functions and Components of Language

Difficulty: Moderate

Skill: Apply What You Know

4.6. Watson wrote a poem for his girlfriend to celebrate their anniversary. Which function of language was he using?

a. regulatory

b. instrumental

c. heuristic

d. imaginative

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.2

Learning Objective: LO 4.2 Describe the functions and components of language.

Topic: What Is Verbal Communication? Functions and Components of Language

Difficulty: Moderate

Skill: Apply What You Know

4.7. When a teacher comments on a student’s grammar, the teacher is most likely referring to what aspect of the student’s language?

a. the rules that govern word order

b. the rules that govern the generation of meaning

c. the dictionary meaning of words

d. the affective or interpretive meanings attached to words

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.2

Learning Objective: LO 4.2 Describe the functions and components of language.

Topic: What Is Verbal Communication? Functions and Components of Language

Difficulty: Moderate

Skill: Understand the Concepts

4.8. When one studies the sounds that compose individual languages and how those sounds communicate meaning, one is studying

a. phonology.

b. syntax.

c. semantics.

d. pragmatics.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.2

Learning Objective: LO 4.2 Describe the functions and components of language.

Topic: What Is Verbal Communication? Functions and Components of Language

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Remember the Facts

4.9. Referring to a scared person as a “chicken” is an example of what kind of meaning?

a. denotative

b. literal

c. connotative

d. dictionary

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.2

Learning Objective: LO 4.2 Describe the functions and components of language.

Topic: What Is Verbal Communication? Functions and Components of Language

Difficulty: Moderate

Skill: Understand the Concepts

4.10. The sentences “The dog chased the cat” and “The cat chased the dog” mean different things even though they contain the same words. This is because of

a. phonology.

b. semantics.

c. syntax.

d. pragmatics.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.2

Learning Objective: LO 4.2 Describe the functions and components of language.

Topic: What Is Verbal Communication? Functions and Components of Language

Difficulty: Moderate

Skill: Understand the Concepts

4.11. The study of how language is used in specific situations to accomplish goals is known as

a. phonology.

b. syntax.

c. semantics.

d. pragmatics.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.2

Learning Objective: LO 4.2 Describe the functions and components of language.

Topic: What Is Verbal Communication? Functions and Components of Language

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Remember the Facts

4.12. One of the units of study for scholars of pragmatics is

a. conversational rules.

b. religious patterns.

c. time relations.

d. cultural theories.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.2

Learning Objective: LO 4.2 Describe the functions and components of language.

Topic: What Is Verbal Communication? Functions and Components of Language

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Remember the Facts

4.13. Speech act theory suggests that when people communicate, they

a. focus on nonverbal communication.

b. ignore cultural contexts.

c. do things with their words.

d. follow conversational rules.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.2

Learning Objective: LO 4.2 Describe the functions and components of language.

Topic: What Is Verbal Communication? Functions and Components of Language

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Remember the Facts

4.14. For most English language speakers, it is expected that only one person talks at a time in a conversation. This is known as

a. a contextual rule.

b. a conversational rule.

c. pragmatics.

d. phonology.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.2

Learning Objective: LO 4.2 Describe the functions and components of language.

Topic: What Is Verbal Communication? Functions and Components of Language

Difficulty: Moderate

Skill: Understand the Concepts

4.15. Lexical choice refers to

a. vocabulary.

b. enunciation.

c. grammar.

d. contextual rules.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.3

Learning Objective: LO 4.3 Identify examples of several major influences on verbal communication.

Topic: The Individual and Verbal Communication: Influences

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Remember the Facts

4.16. According to the text, which of the following statements best describes scholarly research on the importance of sex differences in verbal communication?

a. Research findings on sex differences have not been conducted in recent years.

b. Research findings tend to overemphasize similarities in communication patterns.

c. Research findings tend to be based on objective observations.

d. Research findings on sex differences often contradict one another.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.3

Learning Objective: LO 4.3 Identify examples of several major influences on verbal communication.

Topic: The Individual and Verbal Communication: Influences

Difficulty: Difficult

Skill: Analyze It

4.17. When Abraham is with his friends, he often incorporates both Spanish and English in his sentences. When he is at work, however, he uses standard English. This demonstrates which concept?

a. code switching

b. jargon

c. cohort effect

d. regionality

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.3

Learning Objective: LO 4.3 Identify examples of several major influences on verbal communication.

Topic: The Individual and Verbal Communication: Influences

Difficulty: Moderate

Skill: Apply What You Know

4.18. When talking to a nurse, Dr. Stephens describes the patient’s condition with terms such as diaphoresis and embolus. She is using

a. connotative meanings.

b. jargon.

c. code switching.

d. androcentrism.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.3

Learning Objective: LO 4.3 Identify examples of several major influences on verbal communication.

Topic: The Individual and Verbal Communication: Influences

Difficulty: Moderate

Skill: Apply What You Know

4.19. The relativist position on language and perception is the basis of which hypothesis?

a. nominalist

b. Sapir-Whorf

c. androcentrism

d. cocultural

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.4

Learning Objective: LO 4.4 Describe the relationships between language, perception, and power.

Topic: The Individual, Verbal Communication, and Society: Language, Perception, and Power

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Remember the Facts

4.20. Which theory explores the role of power in daily interactions using five key assumptions?

a. societal theory

b. hierarchical theory

c. cocultural theory

d. nominalist theory

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.4

Learning Objective: LO 4.4 Describe the relationships between language, perception, and power.

Topic: The Individual, Verbal Communication, and Society: Language, Perception, and Power

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Remember the Facts

4.21. The conceptual pairing of maleness with humanity in language is known as

a. androcentrism.

b. ethnocentrism.

c. neocentrism.

d. male-centered communication.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.4

Learning Objective: LO 4.4 Describe the relationships between language, perception, and power.

Topic: The Individual, Verbal Communication, and Society: Language, Perception, and Power

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Remember the Facts

4.22. When Sebastian told Gabriela that Nicholas had agreed to go to the formal with him, she responded by saying, “I heard. I also heard he only agreed to make the guy he actually likes jealous.” Gabriela’s comment is an example of

a. confirming communication.

b. disconfirming communication.

c. an “I” statement.

d. a “you” statement.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.5

Learning Objective: LO 4.5 Identify examples of confirming communication, disconfirming communication, and hate speech.

Topic: Ethics and Verbal Communication

Difficulty: Moderate

Skill: Apply What You Know

4.23. Which of the following is an effect of confirming communication?

a. It negatively influences self-image.

b. It impairs your communication in relationships.

c. It guarantees that you will become popular.

d. It increases the effectiveness of your communication.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.5

Learning Objective: LO 4.5 Identify examples of confirming communication, disconfirming communication, and hate speech.

Topic: Ethics and Verbal Communication

Difficulty: Moderate

Skill: Understand the Concepts

4.24. In comparison to “you” statements, “I” statements

a. often lead recipients to feel defensive.

b. are always appropriate in every context.

c. are more negative and disconfirming.

d. can lead to more constructive conflict resolution.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.6

Learning Objective: LO 4.6 Discuss ways to improve your own verbal communication skills.

Topic: Improving Your Verbal Communication Skills

Difficulty: Moderate

Skill: Understand the Concepts

4.25. One possible consequence of using offensive identity terms is

a. validating the positive identity of the speaker.

b. reducing the power of language.

c. denying identities for labeled individuals.

d. the increased use of “I” statements.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.6

Learning Objective: LO 4.6 Discuss ways to improve your own verbal communication skills.

Topic: Improving Your Verbal Communication Skills

Difficulty: Moderate

Skill: Understand the Concepts

True/False

4.26. When learning a language, the cultural context of that language can be ignored.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.1

Learning Objective: LO 4.1 Identify three reasons for learning about verbal communication.

Topic: The Importance of Verbal Communication

Difficulty: Moderate

Skill: Understand the Concepts

4.27. Verbal communication generally refers to the written or oral words we exchange but can also refer to pronunciation or accent.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.2

Learning Objective: LO 4.2 Describe the functions and components of language.

Topic: What Is Verbal Communication? Functions and Components of Language

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Remember the Facts

4.28. Phonology is the study of meaning.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.2

Learning Objective: LO 4.2 Describe the functions and components of language.

Topic: What Is Verbal Communication? Functions and Components of Language

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Remember the Facts

4.29. Speech acts are only direct in nature.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.2

Learning Objective: LO 4.2 Describe the functions and components of language.

Topic: What Is Verbal Communication? Functions and Components of Language

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Remember the Facts

4.30. The more educated two people are, the less similarly they speak.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.3

Learning Objective: LO 4.3 Identify examples of several major influences on verbal communication.

Topic: The Individual and Verbal Communication: Influences

Difficulty: Moderate

Skill: Understand the Concepts

4.31. The more geographically isolated a specific group is, the more distinctive their dialect is.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.3

Learning Objective: LO 4.3 Identify examples of several major influences on verbal communication.

Topic: The Individual and Verbal Communication: Influences

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Remember the Facts

4.32. Language discrimination can occur when the accented English of immigrant groups is stigmatized.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.4

Learning Objective: LO 4.4 Describe the relationships between language, perception, and power.

Topic: The Individual, Verbal Communication, and Society: Language, Perception, and Power

Difficulty: Moderate

Skill: Understand the Concepts

4.33. Members of more powerful groups often get to label the members of less powerful groups.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.4

Learning Objective: LO 4.4 Describe the relationships between language, perception, and power.

Topic: The Individual, Verbal Communication, and Society: Language, Perception, and Power

Difficulty: Moderate

Skill: Understand the Concepts

4.34. In the United States, the First Amendment is generally used to protect against laws that would make hate speech illegal.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.5

Learning Objective: LO 4.5 Identify examples of confirming communication, disconfirming communication, and hate speech.

Topic: Ethics and Verbal Communication

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Remember the Facts

4.35. A “you” statement is a generalization that is often true and confirming.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.6

Learning Objective: LO 4.6 Discuss ways to improve your own verbal communication skills.

Topic: Improving Your Verbal Communication Skills

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Remember the Facts

Fill-in-the-Blank

4.36. Language that is used to establish and define social relationships serves the _____ function.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.2

Learning Objective: LO 4.2 Describe the functions and components of language.

Topic: What Is Verbal Communication? Functions and Components of Language

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Remember the Facts

4.37. Jeff is interested in words and their meaning within our society. He studies _____.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.2

Learning Objective: LO 4.2 Describe the functions and components of language.

Topic: What Is Verbal Communication? Functions and Components of Language

Difficulty: Moderate

Skill: Understand the Concepts

4.38. The _____ meaning of a word is its dictionary or literal meaning.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.2

Learning Objective: LO 4.2 Describe the functions and components of language.

Topic: What Is Verbal Communication? Functions and Components of Language

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Remember the Facts

4.39. _____ act theory is a branch of pragmatics that suggests that when people communicate, they do not just say things, they also do things with their words.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.2

Learning Objective: LO 4.2 Describe the functions and components of language.

Topic: What Is Verbal Communication? Functions and Components of Language

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Remember the Facts

4.40. A variation of language distinguished by its vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation is known as a(n) _____.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.3

Learning Objective: LO 4.3 Identify examples of several major influences on verbal communication.

Topic: The Individual and Verbal Communication: Influences

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Remember the Facts

4.41. The influence of shared characteristics of a group that was born and reared in the same general period is called the _____ effect.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.3

Learning Objective: LO 4.3 Identify examples of several major influences on verbal communication.

Topic: The Individual and Verbal Communication: Influences

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Remember the Facts

4.42. As Officer John was making his rounds, he heard the operator on the radio say, “We’ve got a Code Eight down on Benton and First. Suspect is considered armed.” John is able to understand the radio and respond appropriately because he knows the necessary ____.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.3

Learning Objective: LO 4.3 Identify examples of several major influences on verbal communication.

Topic: The Individual and Verbal Communication: Influences

Difficulty: Moderate

Skill: Apply What You Know

4.43. _____ claim that any idea can be expressed in any language and that the structure and vocabulary of the language do not influence the speaker’s perception of the world.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.4

Learning Objective: LO 4.4 Describe the relationships between language, perception, and power.

Topic: The Individual, Verbal Communication, and Society: Language, Perception, and Power

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Remember the Facts

4.44. The use of verbal communication to attack others based on some social category such as race, ethnicity, religion, or sexuality is known as _____ speech.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.5

Learning Objective: LO 4.5 Identify examples of confirming communication, disconfirming communication, and hate speech.

Topic: Ethics and Verbal Communication

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Remember the Facts

4.45. A person can express their feelings, even negative ones, by focusing on their own experiences rather than making negative generalizations about others through the use of ___ statements.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.6

Learning Objective: LO 4.6 Discuss ways to improve your own verbal communication skills.

Topic: Improving Your Verbal Communication Skills

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Remember the Facts

Essay

4.46. In terms of pragmatics, describe the study of contextual rules. Provide examples to illustrate your description.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.2

Learning Objective: LO 4.2 Describe the functions and components of language.

Topic: What Is Verbal Communication? Functions and Components of Language

Difficulty: Moderate

Skill: Apply What You Know

4.47. Explain how the media’s representation of men’s and women’s communication styles contributes to the perception that men and women are different. Provide examples to support your argument.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.3

Learning Objective: LO 4.3 Identify examples of several major influences on verbal communication.

Topic: The Individual and Verbal Communication: Influences

Difficulty: Moderate

Skill: Apply What You Know

4.48. Describe the five assumptions of cocultural theory in terms of the relationship between language and power.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.4

Learning Objective: LO 4.4 Describe the relationships between language, perception, and power.

Topic: The Individual, Verbal Communication, and Society: Language, Perception, and Power

Difficulty: Moderate

Skill: Understand the Concepts

4.49. Describe the difference between confirming and disconfirming communication and offer examples of each.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.5

Learning Objective: LO 4.5 Identify examples of confirming communication, disconfirming communication, and hate speech.

Topic: Ethics and Verbal Communication

Difficulty: Moderate

Skill: Apply What You Know

4.50. Describe the differences between “I” and “you” statements and offer examples of each.

Chapter: 04

Module: 4.6

Learning Objective: LO 4.6 Discuss ways to improve your own verbal communication skills.

Topic: Improving Your Verbal Communication Skills

Difficulty: Moderate

Skill: Apply What You Know