Deck 4: Communication Within Groups

Question 1

Which of the following is not an example for noise?

A) The guest lecturer's heavy accent
B) The difference in the sender's and the receiver's background knowledge
C) Loud music played at a concert
D) A mother using complicated language with her 4-year-old

Answer 1

C

Question 2

An effective sender will

A) Evaluate the other person's behavior accurately
B) Make the verbal and nonverbal messages congruent
C) Provide feedback on the clarity of the message
D) Send the same message only once

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Gonzo, a 13-year old boy often makes up stories and tells them as truth. His friends know that about him, but they don't mind. Yesterday, a pair of sneakers went missing from the locker room. Gonzo actually saw a boy take them, and when he told the others about what he saw, they did not believe him because, in the eyes of his peers, Gonzo

A) Is not warm and friendly enough
B) Does not seem credible
C) Does not have relevant expertise on the topic
D) May have ulterior motives

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The following are all examples of noise in the communication process except one. Which one?

A) Annoying mannerisms of the sender
B) Credibility of the sender
C) Traffic noise
D) Past experiences of the receiver making him suspicious of the sender's
Suggestions

Question 5

Sender credibility depends on all of the factors listed below EXCEPT one. Which one?

A) Friendliness and warmth
B) Dynamism
C) Expertise
D) Self-confidence

Question 6

In the group communication process, channel refers to

A) The perception of nonverbal messages
B) The way incongruent verbal and nonverbal messages get encoded
C) The means of sending a message to the other person
D) The place where communication occurs

Question 7

The key receiving skills are

A) Negotiating for meaning, perception checking, practice
B) Paraphrasing, taking the receiver's perspective in interpreting the message,
Redundancy
C) Paraphrasing, negotiating for meaning, perception checking
D) Negotiating for meaning, practice, taking the receiver's perspective in
Interpreting the message

Question 8

The 6-year old Calvin really likes Susie but as he is shy and embarrassed, he just throws snowballs at her so as to express his feelings. Susie is really upset by the snowball attack. Which one of the seven basic elements of communication was not appropriate in this situation?

A) Channel
B) Decoding
C) Encoding
D) Noise

Question 9

Which of the following is an effective way of sending your message?

A) "Most people would support this cause and so should we"
B) "All experts agree that running is very healthy, so our group should join this
Marathon"
C) "I feel that we should support this cause and run the marathon"
D) "This charity needs to be supported"

Question 10

Encoding means that

A) The sender translates her ideas, feelings into a message comprehensible
For the receiver
B) The receiver tries to get at the true meaning of the message the sender sent
As part of his communicative intent
C) There are elements in the channel that make the message difficult to
Comprehend
D) The sender decides to express her ideas and feelings

Question 11

The process of understanding of the message is called

A) Decoding
B) Encoding
C) Transmission
D) Channel

Question 12

Jamie and Ira are talking about a TV show at a loud party. Ira is telling her how interesting the last episode was. It turns out Jamie really dislikes that show. Noise in this case refers to

A) The noise at the party
B) Jamie's attitude toward the TV show
C) Ira's way of speaking
D) A and B
E) A and C
F) B and C
G) None of the above

Question 13

Communication is effective to the extent

A) The receivers interpret the message the same way the sender meant it
B) The receivers are willing to follow the sender's request
C) The sender and the receivers are in agreement about the topic in question
D) The receiver has good listening skills

Question 14

On campus, Joan walks by Paul and greets him with a smile and a "How are you?" Paul starts to describe his health, only to see that Joan is already a block away. Which one of the seven basic elements of communication was not appropriate in this situation?

A) Channel
B) Decoding
C) Encoding
D) Sender's intentions

Question 15

Henry and Moya are talking about a TV show over dinner at a quiet restaurant. Henry is telling her how interesting the last episode was. It turns out Moya really dislikes that show. Noise in this case is present in the

A) Channel
B) Sender
C) Receiver
D) Transmission
E) Message

Question 16

Developing a theory of group communication is difficult because of

A) The high number of dyadic interactions
B) The lack of appropriate statistical procedures
C) The complexity of multiperson communication
D) The intermingling of senders and receivers

Question 17

Pete has enough money to buy a new PC. He goes into a store and asks a salesperson about different brands. The salesperson says that their most expensive model is the best and that's the one that Pete would need if he wants to succeed in college. Pete is not sure whether he should trust her advice because of the salesperson's

A) Credibility
B) Expertise
C) Dynamism
D) Warmth and friendliness

Question 18

When describing communication, noise is defined as any element that

A) Enhances the sender's frame of reference
B) Modifies the receivers' frame of reference
C) Occurs in the channel
D) Hinders effective communication

Question 19

Sender credibility refers to

A) How trustworthy the receiver perceives the sender
B) How trustworthy most people perceive the sender
C) How trustworthy the sender perceives himself/herself
D) The sender's objective trustworthiness

Question 20

Group communication is defined as

A) Exchange of words among group members
B) Sending and receiving messages with the intent of influencing group
Members' behavior
C) Verbal behavior perceived by other group members as meaningful message
D) A linear sequence of sending and receiving verbal and nonverbal messages in
Order to achieve group goals

Question 21

When analyzing group communication, we pay attention to three levels of interaction. These are the three levels EXCEPT one. Which one?

A) The relative frequency and length of communication acts
B) Patterns of triggering communication acts
C) Depth of discussion
D) Who communicates to whom

Question 22

In one-way communication with feedback, the function of feedback is

A) To provide the sender information about what the receivers think of the message
B) To inform the sender about how well the receivers understood the message
C) To make the communication appear more democratic and inclusive
D) To provide the receivers with an opportunity to influence decision making

Question 23

Based on Gibb's (1961) study, which of the following type of behavior does NOT create defensive communication?

A) Evaluation
B) Neutrality
C) Certainty
D) Leadership

Question 24

The morale of a group tends to be higher if the communication network is

A) A chain
B) Circle or open
C) Y-shaped or wheel-shaped
D) Formal

Question 25

Gouron and Hirokawa define "counteractive" functions as communications that

A) Obstruct the functioning of the group
B) Prevent the group from making mistakes
C) Keep everyone in the group actively participating
D) Obstruct the functioning of the leader

Question 26

When a group has to solve a complex task, he optimal communication network is

A) A chain
B) Circle or open
C) Y-shaped or wheel-shaped
D) Formal

Question 27

As the message gets passed on through several people, the message changes to fit into the receivers' frame of reference. This process is called:

A) Assimilation
B) Integration
C) Leveling
D) Sharpening

Question 28

Information and technological gatekeepers are

A) Clinicians
B) Moderators
C) Pollsters
D) Opinion leaders

Question 29

An effect of authority hierarchy on two-way communication is that low-authority members tend to

A) Communicate a lot with each other but not with higher-ups
B) Speak inconsequentially
C) Do most of the talking
D) Be very open and frank in their remarks

Question 30

As the message gets passed on through several people, certain parts of the message get more dominant, whereas other parts will be left out. This process is called:

A) Assimilation
B) Integration
C) Leveling
D) Sharpening

Question 31

In one-way communication,

A) The receivers are passive
B) The senders are passive
C) The sender is less frustrated than the receivers
D) The dialogue is unsatisfactory for the receivers

Question 32

Communication between competing group members tends to be

A) Constructive
B) Defensive
C) Effective
D) Seen as a mutual problem

Question 33

Both Bales (1953) and Homans (1950) agree that groups need to

A) Balance work on tasks and work on group development
B) Primarily focus on goal achievement and adapting to their environment in order to survive
C) Develop distinct socioemotional roles for each member of the group
D) Apply promotive and counteractive functions

Question 34

Negotiating for the meaning of the message means that the

A) Sender paraphrases the message in at least three ways to make sure the
Receiver understands it accurately
B) Receiver tries to persuade the sender to communicate more clearly
C) Sender and the receiver argue about the meaning of the words used in the
Message
D) Receiver and sender keep paraphrasing the message till they agree on
Its meaning

Question 35

In one-way communication, gatekeepers

A) Apply the processes of leveling, sharpening and integration
B) Negotiate for meaning with higher-ups
C) Promote mutual influence among group members and the chairperson
D) Interpret the message to group members

Question 36

In two-way communication _______________________, whereas in one-way communication with feedback ___________________.

A) Both sending and receiving skills are needed; decision making is more time
Consuming
B) There is no provision for reciprocal influence; decision making takes less time.
C) Participation is distributed; the receivers negotiate for meaning but there
Is no way for mutual influence
D) Effectiveness is determined by the clarity of message; the receivers negotiate
For meaning but there is no way for mutual influence

Question 37

If there is no direct communication between persons, the following three processes will affect the message

A) Leveling, integration and assimilation
B) Sharpening, integration, assimilation
C) Leveling, sharpening, assimilation
D) Leveling, sharpening, integration

Question 38

The main obstacle to effective communication is that most people tend to

A) Be evaluative
B) Get defensive
C) Avoid any indication of approval or disapproval
D) Take too long to negotiate for the meaning of the message

Question 39

Based on studies on communication networks, the group member who happens to occupy a central physical position in the communication network is likely to become

A) The leader
B) The scapegoat
C) Efficient problem solver
D) Less satisfied with the group's performance

Question 40

As the message gets passed on through several people, the amount of information contained in the message gets reduced, and the message itself gets shorter. This process is called:

A) Assimilation
B) Integration
C) Leveling
D) Sharpening

Question 41

Group ecology is generated by the

A) Temperature of the meeting place
B) Self-disparaging humor used by group leaders
C) Seating arrangement
D) Various sources of stress such as noise

Question 42

Sharpening is when someone retains some points of the information as high points, while most of the message is forgotten.

Question 43

In effective group communication, there is always a clearly defined sequence of sending and receiving messages.

Question 44

Group members in fringe positions are just as satisfied with the group as members in central positions.

Question 45

Low-authority group members tend to address their messages to high authority figures, and not to other low-authority group members.

Question 46

A principle barrier to effective communication is the human tendency to judge and evaluate.

Question 47

Homans and Bales agree that groups need to take care of both the task and the socioemotional well-being of the group.

Question 48

The morale of a group with decentralized communication network is higher than the morale of a group with a centralized network.

Question 49

Centralized communication networks are more efficient than decentralized ones when the task is simple and is focused on information collection.

Question 50

Dyadic analysis of communication is a good way to study group communication.

Question 51

According to Bales' (1962) equilibrium theory, effective groups focus mainly on task completion.

Question 52

Group leaders who are effective at reducing tension and encouraging member participation tend to use

A) Subordinate-targeted disparaging humor
B) Superior-targeted disparaging humor
C) Both subordinate-targeted and superior-targeted disparaging humor
D) Self-disparaging humor

Question 53

According to Gouran and Hirokawa (1996), effective decision making serves three functions: promotive functions, counteractive functions, and balancing actions.

Question 54

In two-way communication, each group member has a chance to initiate messages.

Question 55

Which one of them is true for the effect of seating arrangements on group communication?

A) People communicate more with those sitting across them than with
Those sitting next to them
B) A formal seating arrangement induces feelings of stability and ease in group
Members
C) People are aware of and recognize the importance of seating arrangements as
Reflective of the status of group members
D) Easy eye contact is likely to lead to hostility.

Question 56

Your credibility as a sender is partly determined by your motives and your trustworthiness.

Question 57

Ideally, a person will understand the message and evaluate it at the same time.

Question 58

A gatekeeper is one who protects high-authority members from low-authority members.

Question 59

In one-way with feedback communication, group members are given the chance to provide feedback and influence decisions.

Question 60

Lisping is a noise in the channel.

Question 61

The more formal the seating arrangement of a meeting, the more anxious group members are likely to feel.

Question 62

Discuss how sharpening, leveling, and assimilation affect communication when a message gets passed through several people

Question 63

Briefly discuss what sender credibility is, and the factors affecting it

Question 64

Discuss three of the physical factors that affect communication within a group

Question 65

List and briefly discuss the three receiving skills

Question 66

Define effective group communication

Question 67

Discuss the difference between centralized and decentralized communication networks, and their effects on group efficiency

Question 68

Cooperators tend to perceive the intentions and actions of group members more accurately than competitors.

Question 69

Discuss the relevance of gatekeepers in one-way communication

Question 70

Discuss how competitive and cooperative groups differ in their communication

Question 71

Compare and contrast one-way communication, one-way communication with feedback, and two-way communication using the criteria of group leader and group member satisfaction, and efficiency

Question 72

Describe what noise is in the communication process. Give an example for noise in the sender, receiver and channel

Question 73

List and briefly discuss five guidelines discussed in your book for sending messages effectively

Question 74

List and briefly discuss the three levels of interaction that we can analyze