Question 1

For Hirokawa and Gouran, goal setting must occur first in the process of group decision making.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  False

Question 2

In bona fide groups, most participants are strangers and refrain from having relationships with each other outside the group.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  False

Question 3

According to the functional perspective, a low-status member of a group:

Accepted Answer

A)  can have only a limited impact on decision making. 
B)  usually emphasizes the positive rather than the negative qualities of alternatives. 
C)  should insist on a careful process in order to influence the final decision. 
D)  usually depends on the status quo. 
A)  can have only a limited impact on decision making. 
B)  usually emphasizes the positive rather than the negative qualities of alternatives. 
C)  should insist on a careful process in order to influence the final decision. 
D)  usually depends on the status quo. C

Question 4

Counteractive communication is used by group members to move the group back on track.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

Hirokawa regards group discussion as an instrument that group members use to create the social reality in which decisions are made.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

Jürgen Habermas is convinced that the validity of any ethical consensus can be reached only to the extent that three requirements are met. In this context, which of the following best describes the requirement for argument?

Accepted Answer

A)  Everyone advances their own interests rather than figure out whether an action serves the common good. 
B)  Everyone is committed to a standard of universalization. 
C)  All people affected by the ethical norm being debated are likely to attend and be heard, regardless of their status. 
D)  All participants are expected to exchange their points of view in the spirit of genuine reciprocity and mutual understanding. 
A)  Everyone advances their own interests rather than figure out whether an action serves the common good. 
B)  Everyone is committed to a standard of universalization. 
C)  All people affected by the ethical norm being debated are likely to attend and be heard, regardless of their status. 
D)  All participants are expected to exchange their points of view in the spirit of genuine reciprocity and mutual understanding.

Question 7

Identify the word that refers to the question of which of the four requisite functions is most important in order for a group to maximize the probability of a high-quality decision.

Accepted Answer

A)  minding 
B)  flaming 
C)  hedging 
D)  prioritizing 
A)  minding 
B)  flaming 
C)  hedging 
D)  prioritizing

Question 8

Is the functional perspective a good scientific theory? Explain if it can be falsified.

Accepted Answer

The functional perspective, often associ

Question 9

________ is defined as a discourse on ethical accountability in which discussants represent all who will be affected by the decision, pursue discourse in a spirit of seeking the common good, and are committed to finding universal standards.

Accepted Answer

Ideal spee

Question 10

Outline the requisite functions of effective decision making. Are there any cases in which one might be more important than the others? Explain.

Accepted Answer

Effective decision making requires sever

Question 11

In both general and specific terms, what are the strengths and weaknesses of a theoretical approach such as the functional perspective?

Accepted Answer

The functional perspective is a theoreti

Question 12

Dewey's pragmatism was based on the hopeful assumption that practical decisions can be brought under more intelligent control through the process of rational inquiry.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

John Dewey's reflective thinking:

Accepted Answer

A)  helps us get in touch with our inner child. 
B)  can be a hindrance to decision making in large groups. 
C)  is anti-pragmatic in its orientation. 
D)  parallels a doctor's approach to treating a patient. 
A)  helps us get in touch with our inner child. 
B)  can be a hindrance to decision making in large groups. 
C)  is anti-pragmatic in its orientation. 
D)  parallels a doctor's approach to treating a patient.

Question 14

How does a theoretical approach such as the functional perspective compare to theories such as Pearce and Cronen's coordinated management of meaning?

Accepted Answer

The functional perspective and Pearce an

Question 15

The term ________ was introduced by Cynthia Stohl and her colleague, Linda Putnam, to refer to intact groups with stable, yet permeable boundaries and interdependent with their immediate context.

Accepted Answer

A)  "mythos" 
B)  "hunch" 
C)  "bona fide group" 
D)  "reference group" 
A)  "mythos" 
B)  "hunch" 
C)  "bona fide group" 
D)  "reference group"

Question 16

Hirokawa and Gouran repeatedly state that goal setting is the most important function in group decision making.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

Stohl and Holmes contend that most real-life groups:

Accepted Answer

A)  follow the functional approach. 
B)  have a prior decision-making history and are embedded within a larger organization. 
C)  include a combination of promotive, disruptive, and counteractive utterances. 
D)  have trouble staying on track and setting goals. 
A)  follow the functional approach. 
B)  have a prior decision-making history and are embedded within a larger organization. 
C)  include a combination of promotive, disruptive, and counteractive utterances. 
D)  have trouble staying on track and setting goals.

Question 18

Discuss your experience in a decision-making group. Does the functional perspective shed light on the process? If you knew then what you now know, would your participation in the group's deliberation have been different? Were there important aspects of the experience that Hirokawa and Gouran's theory did not address?

Accepted Answer

My experience in a decision-making group

Question 19

A meta-analysis of 60 empirical research studies on the functional perspective concludes that of the four functions, ________ is by far the most crucial to ensure a quality decision.

Accepted Answer

evaluation of negati

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT included in Hirokawa and Gouran's list of types of communication in decision-making groups?

Accepted Answer

A)  promotive 
B)  collegial 
C)  disruptive 
D)  counteractive 
A)  promotive 
B)  collegial 
C)  disruptive 
D)  counteractive

Exam 17: Functional Perspective on Group Decision Making

For Hirokawa and Gouran, goal setting must occur first in the process of group decision making.

In bona fide groups, most participants are strangers and refrain from having relationships with each other outside the group.

According to the functional perspective, a low-status member of a group:

Counteractive communication is used by group members to move the group back on track.

Hirokawa regards group discussion as an instrument that group members use to create the social reality in which decisions are made.

Jürgen Habermas is convinced that the validity of any ethical consensus can be reached only to the extent that three requirements are met. In this context, which of the following best describes the requirement for argument?

Identify the word that refers to the question of which of the four requisite functions is most important in order for a group to maximize the probability of a high-quality decision.

Is the functional perspective a good scientific theory? Explain if it can be falsified.

________ is defined as a discourse on ethical accountability in which discussants represent all who will be affected by the decision, pursue discourse in a spirit of seeking the common good, and are committed to finding universal standards.

Outline the requisite functions of effective decision making. Are there any cases in which one might be more important than the others? Explain.

In both general and specific terms, what are the strengths and weaknesses of a theoretical approach such as the functional perspective?

Dewey's pragmatism was based on the hopeful assumption that practical decisions can be brought under more intelligent control through the process of rational inquiry.

John Dewey's reflective thinking:

How does a theoretical approach such as the functional perspective compare to theories such as Pearce and Cronen's coordinated management of meaning?

The term ________ was introduced by Cynthia Stohl and her colleague, Linda Putnam, to refer to intact groups with stable, yet permeable boundaries and interdependent with their immediate context.

Hirokawa and Gouran repeatedly state that goal setting is the most important function in group decision making.

Stohl and Holmes contend that most real-life groups:

A meta-analysis of 60 empirical research studies on the functional perspective concludes that of the four functions, ________ is by far the most crucial to ensure a quality decision.

Which of the following is NOT included in Hirokawa and Gouran's list of types of communication in decision-making groups?

Launching Your Study of Communication Theory

Talk About Theory

Weighing the Words

Mapping the Territory Seven Traditions in the Field of Communication Theory

Symbolic Interactionism

Coordinated Management of Meaning Cmm

Expectancy Violations Theory

Social Penetration Theory

Uncertainty Reduction Theory

Social Information Processing Theory

Relational Dialectics Theory

Communication Privacy Management Theory

Media Multiplexity Theory

Social Judgment Theory

Elaboration Likelihood Model

Cognitive Dissonance Theory

Symbolic Convergence Theory

Cultural Approach to Organizations

Communicative Constitution of Organizations

Critical Theory of Communication in Organizations

The Rhetoric

Dramatism

Narrative Paradigm

Media Ecology

Semiotics

Cultural Studies

Uses and Gratifications

Cultivation Theory

Agenda-Setting Theory

Genderlect Styles

Standpoint Theory

Muted Group Theory

Communication Accommodation Theory

Face-Negotiation Theory

CC-Cultural Theory

Common Threads in Comm Theories

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