COMM 315 (Interpersonal) Quizzes
Marcia is nervous when an attractive person approaches her and says "hello." She ties
to hide her anxiety, but the person notices that she is a bit fidgety and figures out that
she is nervous. This is an example of _________
accidental communication
Studies suggest that approximately ______ of the meaning of a given interaction is
interpreted from nonverbal behavior.
60-65%
According to your text and Watzlawick et al., one cannot not communicate in face-to-
face settings (T/F)
True
Close relationships satisfy interpersonal needs. The three most central needs are
______
affection, social inclusion, and behavioral control
A smile from your significant other sends a different message to you than a smile from a
stranger. A secret your best friend tells you means something different than a disclosure
from a stranger on a plane. The principle that explains these interactions is that
relationships ______
contextualize messages
The study of personal relationships is taught solely in communication departments (T/F)
False
As mentioned in the textbook, there are three overriding sets of goals that people strive
for in relationships. If you are interested in obtaining a letter of recommendation from
one of your professors, you have to communicate your wishes to your professor and
explain why and how the letter will help you. In doing this, you would be attempting to
fulfill which of the following sets of goals?
Instrumental
Self-presentational goals relate to the image we want others to convey.
False
Close relationships are defined by ______.
behavioral interdependence, repeated interaction, emotional attachment, and needed
fulfillment
According to the textbook, which of the following conditions define behavior's
relationship to communication?
,Behavior is communication if it is interpreted by a receiver.
According to research cited in the text, when people interact with others, the most
common topics involve ______
relationship problems, sex, family, and romantic partners
The idea that relational communication is dynamic means that communication reflects
the changing nature of relationships (T/F)
True
Late one Friday afternoon, the person you are dating calls and asks, "So, what are we
doing tonight?" You interpret this question as good thing and realize you have a partner
who is always there for you. This refers to the ______ level of the message.
Relational
What is the difference between the content and relational communication of messages?
Content level conveys information at a literal level; relational level provides context for
interpreting the message.
Which of the following is the best example of symmetrical message exchange?
Tom says, "Take out the trash," and Jake says, "Take it out yourself."
The two fields that have contributed most to the study of personal relationships are
______.
social psychology and communication
Isabel stands at the foot of the stairs and yells "dinner's ready" to her kids who are
upstairs. However, her kids do not hear her because they are both listening to their I-
Pods. This is an example of ______.
attempted communication
For relational growth to produce lasting, positive results, it needs to be linear.
False
According to the textbook, the study of interpersonal communication emerged as one of
the primary emphases in the communication discipline because of the ______.
realization that relational development and communication share a symbiotic
relationship
The distinction between romantic versus nonromantic relationships is based on ______.
whether people define themselves as a couple
According to the book, Generation MySpace, discussed in Chapter 2, which of the
following is true of the current millennial generation?
Entertainment rules! Life is about video games and social networking.
, Rather than having two completely separate identities, people in close relationships
tend to merge identities (T/F)
True
Pat has spent weeks preparing for the dance recital. On the opening night, Pat tells
everyone "I twisted my ankle and might not be able to dance tonight." Pat is nervous
and afraid of a potentially poor performance. Pat just used ______ as a method of
preventive facework.
verbal handicapping
People seek out relationships in order to gain more experience. They terminate these
relationships when they perceive that their identities are no longer growing. This is the
basic premise behind ______.
self-expansion theory
If Natalie begins a statement by saying "I know this might not make you happy, but . . .",
she is engaging in which kind of preventative facework strategy?
cognitive disclaimer
Identity is independent of our social relationships (T/F)
False
In good relationships, a person should always help maintain a partner's former identity
(T/F)
False
In the textbook, the authors note that in dating relationships, we tend to prefer ______
feedback on our identity, yet in marriage relationships we tend to prefer ______
feedback on our identity.
positive, authentic
There are several elements that affect the severity of a face threatening act (FTA).
Which of the following is NOT one of these elements?
the esteem levels of the receiver and the sender
Anika considers herself to be a very athletic person. After a game one day, her coach
congratulates her on her performance during the game. However, she hears some of
her teammates saying that they think she is not very athletically skilled. Which
instance(s) of feedback is Anika likely to attend to?
only her coach's feedback—we usually attend to feedback that is consistent with our
own perception of identity
Charles Horton Cooley's classic belief that our identity is affected by the feedback we
receive from others is termed ______.
looking-glass self
