Deck 9: Improving Communication Climates

Question 1

What determines the communication climate in a relationship?

A) the amount of self-disclosure that occurs
B) the degree to which each person feels valued
C) the similarities of the two parties' communication environments
D) the listening and perceptual skills that each individual brings to the relationship

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Shefali asks her roommate if she'll help her go through her wardrobe to see what needs to be thrown out.Her roommate replies,"Throwing out things is a great idea; help me with cleaning out the refrigerator,won't you?" What type of disconfirming response is this?

A) impersonal response
B) impervious response
C) interrupting response
D) tangential response

Answer 2

D

Question 3

What is the most destructive way to disagree with someone?

A) by being argumentative
B) by complaining
C) by being aggressive
D) by being impersonal

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following is an example of a confirming response?

A) critiquing the other person
B) acknowledging the other person
C) giving control to the other person
D) adding information to the other person's statement

Question 5

What are communication climates a function of?

A) the tasks people perform
B) individual personality characteristics
C) the way people feel about one another
D) time, place, and communication context

Question 6

What term refers to disconfirming responses loaded with clichés and other statements that never truly respond to the speaker?

A) impersonal
B) impervious
C) irrelevant
D) tangential

Question 7

Which of the following describes the communication climate of a certain classroom?

A) very active
B) reserved and tense
C) learning 35 pages per class
D) having 14 females and 14 males

Question 8

Which term refers to the tone of an interpersonal relationship?

A) climate
B) environment
C) foundation
D) mood

Question 9

What confirming communication is demonstrated by saying hello to an acquaintance as you pass on the street?

A) acknowledgment
B) endorsement
C) intensifying
D) recognition

Question 10

Which type of communication is a message that expresses a lack of caring or respect for another person?

A) confirming
B) disconfirming
C) disagreeing
D) complaining

Question 11

Which of the following is a disconfirming message?

A) asking the person for more information
B) describing positive feelings
C) giving ambiguous responses
D) describing your negative feelings

Question 12

An old friend waves at you from across the room.You turn away.What type of disconfirming response have you given?

A) avoiding
B) impervious
C) irrelevant
D) impersonal

Question 13

Carmen receives a text message from Hua about their group project.Carmen is behind on the project,so she ignores the text.What type of disconfirming message has Carmen used?

A) evasive
B) impervious
C) irrelevant
D) impersonal

Question 14

Which type of communication is a message that expresses caring or respect for another person?

A) confirming
B) disconfirming
C) recognition
D) endorsement

Question 15

You're in an argument with your partner and you say,"I hate to admit it,but you have a right to be angry with me." What confirming communication are you using?

A) acknowledgement
B) endorsement
C) recognition
D) support

Question 16

Which type of message is are messages that say "you're wrong" in one way or another?

A) argumentative
B) complaining
C) disagreeing
D) aggressive

Question 17

Helena,a police officer,says to her partner,"Beth,I'm really upset about how we divide the reporting at the end of our shift." Beth retorts,"Speaking of reporting,our unit secretary brought in great cookies today." What type of disconfirming response is Beth's response?

A) impervious response
B) interrupting response
C) irrelevant response
D) tangential response

Question 18

Lynn asks her boss if she can take Friday afternoon off to clear up some legal problems.In a detached tone of voice,her boss replies,"Yes,everybody has problems these days." What type of disconfirming response is the boss's reply?

A) impersonal response
B) impervious response
C) irrelevant response
D) tangential response

Question 19

What confirming communication is demonstrated by a receptionist who is listening intently to a client who has just entered the office?

A) acknowledgement
B) endorsement
C) recognition
D) support

Question 20

Which of the following is a confirming message?

A) ignoring the other person
B) responding with clichés
C) asking a person how they are feeling
D) giving an ambiguous response

Question 21

"You drink too much." What Gibb's category is this statement an example of?

A) control
B) evaluation
C) problem orientation
D) superiority

Question 22

Which term refers to a reciprocal communication pattern in which each person's message reinforces the other person's message?

A) acknowledgement
B) recognition
C) endorsement
D) spiral

Question 23

Which of the following is an example of a negative reciprocal pattern?

A) "How can I talk when you won't listen?"
B) "I agree we should be saving. But I think we can take this trip and still save some money. Let me show you what I've figured out."
C) "I can see how much you hate your job. Let's figure out how we can get the project finished soon, so you can get back to your regular work."
D) "I can understand how the assignment might be unclear. Let me try to explain."

Question 24

Which of the following is an example of a positive reciprocal pattern?

A) "How can I talk when you won't listen?"
B) "I can understand how the assignment might be unclear. Let me try to explain."
C) "I wish you weren't so critical."
D) "Go ahead if you want, but find your own way home."

Question 25

Which term means the same thing as "evaluative language"?

A) defensive language
B) objective language
C) supportive language
D) you language

Question 26

What is the outcome when one person in a dyad acts in a defensive manner?

A) a conflict spiral occurs
B) self-disclosure intensifies
C) a counterattack takes place
D) the partner will become supportive

Question 27

When is defensiveness most likely to occur?

A) when an individual's presenting image is attacked
B) when an individual's hidden area is being exposed
C) when another person is making problem-oriented statements
D) when the sender and receiver are experiencing similar environments

Question 28

Which type of communication includes messages that describe the speaker's position without evaluating others?

A) descriptive
B) evaluative
C) defensive
D) spiral

Question 29

Which term refers to behaviour by another that is perceived as attacking an individual's presenting image?

A) face-threatening acts
B) defensive acts
C) image-threatening acts
D) spiral acts

Question 30

Your instructor tells you how poor your writing ability is and how wrong it is for you not to work harder on it.What Gibb's category is your instructor using?

A) description
B) evaluation
C) problem orientation
D) superiority

Question 31

Which type of communication includes messages in which the sender judges the receiver in some way,usually resulting in a defensive response?

A) descriptive
B) evaluative
C) defensive
D) controlling

Question 32

According to your text,what does the use of "you" language indicate?

A) The speaker is being evaluative.
B) The speaker is acting in a descriptive manner.
C) The speaker is acting in an empathetic manner.
D) The speaker is making a sincere effort to describe the other person's point of view.

Question 33

What is the one essential requirement for Gibb's categories of defensive behaviours to arouse defensiveness?

A) Both partners in the communication get defensive.
B) The receiver of the message perceives it as threatening.
C) The sender of the message intends to threaten the receiver.
D) The matching supportive behaviour is ignored by the receiver of the message.

Question 34

Which term refers to a communication spiral in which one attack leads to another until the initial skirmish escalates into a full-fledged battle?

A) defensive spiral
B) escalatory conflict spiral
C) de-escalatory conflict spiral
D) face-threatening spiral

Question 35

What function does defensiveness serve?

A) It protects one's self-concept.
B) It increases intimacy in the relationship.
C) It is a way to prepare for self-disclosure.
D) It is a way to protect our presenting self.

Question 36

Which of the following is a defense-arousing style of communication described by Gibb in which the sender states or implies that the receiver is not worthy of respect?

A) superiority
B) provisionalism
C) controlling
D) certainty

Question 37

Which statement is the best supportive alternative to the evaluative accusation,"You just don't try hard enough"?

A) "You give up too easily."
B) "It would help to study two hours every night."
C) "I'm worried you'll flunk with those low scores."
D) "Things would go better for you if you tried harder."

Question 38

Which term refers to the way disconfirming messages reinforce one another so that the two parties increasingly withdraw from one another?

A) defensive avoidance
B) escalatory conflict spiral
C) de-escalatory conflict spiral
D) cognitive dissonance reaction

Question 39

When we say a person is defensive,which statement would best describe that person?

A) They are very sensitive.
B) They are protecting their self-concept.
C) They are protecting their presenting self.
D) They are projecting a negative or hostile perceived self.

Question 40

What do Gibb's categories examine?

A) personal conflict styles
B) patterns of self-disclosure
C) defensive and supportive behaviours
D) strength of self-concept and self-esteem

Question 41

You say to your roommate,"I need some quiet for schoolwork.I would like to figure out a way for you to enjoy your music while I have some quiet time for studying." What Gibb's category is this an example of?

A) empathy
B) neutrality
C) problem orientation
D) strategy

Question 42

What is the best method to use to describe your problem and needs to a partner during a conflict resolution?

A) assertive message format
B) behavioural description
C) paraphrasing
D) perception checking

Question 43

Which of the following is an account that refers only to observable phenomena?

A) interpretation statement
B) feeling statement
C) behavioural statement
D) consequence statement

Question 44

Which term refers to a supportive communication behaviour described by Gibb in which the sender expresses a message without any attempt to manipulate the receiver?

A) strategy
B) spontaneity
C) neutrality
D) problem orientation

Question 45

What are we doing when we attach meaning to behaviour?

A) labelling
B) interpreting
C) clarifying our feelings
D) making our intentions known

Question 46

Which statement is an example of empathetic communication?

A) "Thank you so much for cleaning the house."
B) "I love having a clean house."
C) "Cleaning is a part of life."
D) "I know you put a lot of effort into cleaning the house."

Question 47

Which statement is an example of neutral communication?

A) "I am so sorry your dog died."
B) "All pets have to die at some point."
C) "How are you feeling about your dog dying?"
D) "Do you think you will get another dog?"

Question 48

"I've done all the research I need to about my business; I don't need to know anything else." What Gibb's defensive category is this statement an example of?

A) certainty
B) control
C) strategy
D) superiority

Question 49

Which term describes the Gibb's category of neutrality?

A) conciliatory
B) even-handed
C) indifference
D) objective

Question 50

Which statement is a behavioural description?

A) "I notice that you're frowning."
B) "You seem angry today."
C) "You're being weird."
D) "You don't appear to be very happy."

Question 51

Which of the following is an example of a strategy statement?

A) "What are you doing on Sunday?"
B) "Do you want to go to the hockey game with me on Sunday?"
C) "Can you help me move on Sunday?"
D) "Are you doing anything fun this weekend?"

Question 52

Which term refers to a supportive style of communication described by Gibb in which the communicators focus on working together to solve their problems instead of trying to impose their own solutions on one another?

A) strategy
B) spontaneity
C) descriptive
D) problem orientation

Question 53

Which of the following is an example of a controlling statement?

A) "You need to put the dishes away."
B) "Do you mind putting the dishes away?"
C) "Why don't you ever put the dishes away?"
D) "I wish you would put the dishes away."

Question 54

Which of the following is an accurate feeling statement?

A) "I feel like going home now."
B) "I feel like you're angry at me."
C) "I feel embarrassed when I fail tests."
D) "I feel you ought to be more careful."

Question 55

Which type of communication includes messages in which the sender tries to impose some sort of outcome on the receiver,usually resulting in a defensive reaction?

A) problem orientation
B) defensive
C) controlling
D) evaluative

Question 56

What do people who act in accordance with the Gibb's category of equality communicate?

A) Everyone is equal in every way.
B) Everyone is equal in the things that matter.
C) Everyone has just as much worth as human beings.
D) Everyone is created with the capacity to be equal in all areas.

Question 57

Which statement is an example of an interpretation?

A) "My boyfriend is jealous."
B) "I got an 'A' on my history paper."
C) "When you are angry, I want to leave."
D) "Would you tell me what you mean by that?"

Question 58

Which Gibb's category is characterized by hidden motives and deceit?

A) certainty
B) control
C) provisionalism
D) strategy

Question 59

Which elements are part of the assertive message format?

A) behaviour, feeling, interpretation, and assertion
B) behaviour, feeling, interpretation, and consequence
C) behaviour, interpretation, feeling, assertion, and intention
D) behaviour, interpretation, feeling, consequence, and intention

Question 60

Which term refers to a supportive style of communication described by Gibb in which the sender expresses a willingness to consider the other person's position?

A) empathy
B) equality
C) certainty
D) provisionalism

Question 61

Trinh,a supervisor at a social service agency,makes sure she always asks her employees for input on new ideas before they are implemented.What kind of leadership style is Trinh using?

A) laissez-faire
B) democratic
C) transactional
D) authoritative

Question 62

What do intention statements communicate?

A) what you have done about an issue
B) how you feel about the other's behaviour
C) your interpretation of the other's party's behaviour
D) your position on an issue or what you want from others

Question 63

Rita was criticized by her placement supervisor for completing the wrong report for a client she is working with.Rita was unaware of the report; however,her boss was still upset.What would be an effective way for Rita to respond?

A) Continue to argue her case with her boss.
B) Tell her boss she is being unreasonable.
C) Agree with her boss that she did fill out the wrong report.
D) Rita should say nothing.

Question 64

Which statement is an example of indicating where you stand on an issue?

A) "Unless we clear this up now, don't expect me to lend you anything ever again!"
B) "I'd like to know if you're angry."
C) "I want you to know how much this bothers me."
D) "I'd like to know how you would like to proceed in the future."

Question 65

Which statement is an example of agreeing with the facts when it comes to responding to criticism?

A) "You're right I did lose my temper."
B) "I apologize it won't happen again."
C) "Can you tell me how you would like me to complete this task in the future?"
D) "Is everything ok?"

Question 66

What two factors are consistently connected to supportive workplace environments?

A) praise and open communication
B) encouragement and tangible rewards
C) praise and understanding supervisors
D) open communication and tangible rewards

Question 67

Which of the following would a transformational leader do?

A) set goals, clarify desired outcomes, provide feedback, and give subordinates rewards for good work
B) create a vision for the future and then motivate people to buy into and work toward it
C) work with subordinates to achieve goals
D) maintain a hands-off attitude and provide very little leadership

Question 68

"When you have friends in the backyard late at night it disturbs the neighbours.Mrs.Watkin was complaining to me that she couldn't sleep last night." What type of consequence statement is this an example of?

A) what happens to the speaker
B) what happens to the person you are addressing
C) what happens to others
D) what happens to the communication climate

Question 69

According to your text,which of the following is a strategy for reacting non-defensively to criticism?

A) Asking for a "time-out."
B) Explaining the reasons for your behaviour.
C) Telling the critic to stop, politely but firmly.
D) Making a guess about the details of the problem.

Question 70

What element of the assertive message format describes your behavioural reaction to the other person's behaviour?

A) behaviour
B) consequence
C) feeling
D) interpretation

Question 71

"When you didn't call me to tell me you would be late coming home,I had trouble sleeping because I was worried about you." What is this statement an example of?

A) a feeling statement
B) a consequence statement
C) a behavioural statement
D) an assertive statement

Question 72

How can you respond non-defensively to criticism?

A) by agreeing with the critic's judgment
B) by agreeing with the critic's beliefs
C) by agreeing with the critic's position
D) by agreeing with the critic's statements

Question 73

Gail is a new manager.She is considering how to improve morale on her team.According to researcher Daniel Goleman,what would contribute most to a positive feeling in the employees about their jobs?

A) promotions when earned
B) pay raises based on merit
C) compliments by the manager on work well done
D) awards for performance and for outstanding characteristics

Question 74

Which statement is the best example of a specific intention clearly stated to a partner?

A) "Let's talk about our relationship."
B) "I want two hours to myself to read."
C) "I feel that you need to be honest with me."
D) "I don't think you listen to me carefully enough."

Question 75

Which statement is an example of a description of how you plan to act in the future?

A) "Unless we clear this up now, don't expect me to lend you anything ever again!"
B) "I'd like to know if you're angry."
C) "I want you to know how much this bothers me."
D) "I'd like to know how you would like to proceed in the future."

Question 76

Which of the following is involved with the act of agreeing with a critic's perception of your behaviour?

A) telling the critic he/she's right
B) agreeing with the specifics of the criticism
C) apologizing for the behaviour he/she objects to
D) saying that you understand how he/she might see it that way

Question 77

A study considered the impact of including greetings (e.g.,"Hi")and farewells (e.g.,"Thanks")in email messages within companies.What did this study find?

A) It increased both morale and trust.
B) It increased morale but trust was unaffected.
C) It increased trust but morale was unaffected.
D) It had no significant impact on morale or trust, although the employees did prefer the greetings.

Question 78

Ganesh is a manager at a hospital.He needs to know everything that is going on with his staff,including where they are at all times.He reviews all of their client charts,he watches to make sure everyone exactly arrives on time and doesn't leave early,and he gives orders and never asks his staff for input.Which leadership styles does Ganesh have?

A) laissez-faire
B) democratic
C) transactional
D) authoritative

Question 79

Which statement is an example of a request of others?

A) "Unless we clear this up now, don't expect me to lend you anything ever again!"
B) "I'd like to know if you're angry."
C) "I want you to know how much this bothers me."
D) "If you don't clean up after yourself then I'm going to hire a cleaner."

Question 80

What is the most effective way to respond when other people start to criticize you?

A) Tell them to stop the criticism.
B) Explain that criticism is not helpful.
C) Ask them for details about what the criticism involves.
D) Remind them of a time they were criticized to show them how it feels.