Deck 10: Culture, Language, and Communication

Question 1

The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis is also referred to as _____.

A)phonological opacity
B)linguistic relativity
C)lexical diffusion
D)psychological nativism

Answer 1

linguistic relativity

Question 2

The syntax and grammar of a language refer to the:

A)synonyms and antonyms contained in a language.
B)set of rules that govern how words should sound in the given language.
C)system of rules governing word forms and how words should be strung together to form meaningful utterances.
D)system of rules governing how language is used and understood in given social contexts.

Answer 2

system of rules governing word forms and how words should be strung together to form meaningful utterances.

Question 3

_____ refer to nonverbal gestures that carry meaning,like a phrase or sentence.

A)Channels
B)Conversation regulators
C)Emblems
D)Paralinguistic cues

Answer 3

Emblems

Question 4

Which of the following is a difference between high-context cultures and low-context cultures?

A)High-context cultures minimize the effects of context,while low-context cultures enhances the effects of context.
B)High-context cultures contain messages that are conveyed indirectly in context,while low-context cultures contain messages that are conveyed primarily and directly in verbal languages.
C)Communication in high-context cultures uses specific forms of honorific speech,while communication in low-context cultures does not use any form of honorific speech.
D)High-context cultures influence lexicons in languages,while low-context cultures influence pragmatics in languages.

Question 5

Language acquisition occurs in all individuals.

Question 6

_____ is the term used to define what we call ourselves and others.

A)Self-other referents
B)Other-directed characters
C)Generalized others
D)Self-pragmatic relationships

Question 7

Pragmatics refers to the system of rules governing:

A)how language is used and understood in given social contexts.
B)the arrangement of words.
C)how words should sound in a given language.
D)word forms and how words should be strung together to form meaningful utterances.

Question 8

_____ refers to speech styles in certain languages that denote status differences among interactants.

A)Honorific speech
B)Speech illustration
C)Hierarchical-contextual speech
D)Value-laden speech

Question 9

What are the smallest and most basic units of meaning in a language?

A)Phonemes
B)Morphemes
C)Moneme
D)Meme

Question 10

Which of the following is a difference between illustrative and emblematic gestures?

A)Unlike illustrative gestures,emblematic gestures can highlight speech and exhibit specific forms of honoforic speech.
B)Unlike illustrative gestures,emblematic gestures are used in both high-context and low-context cultures.
C)Unlike illustrative gestures,emblematic gestures can stand on their own without speech and convey verbal meaning.
D)Unlike illustrative gestures,emblematic gestures exhibit shades of ethnocentrism.

Question 11

The smallest and most basic units of sound in a language are called _____.

A)morphemes
B)phonemes
C)monemes
D)memes

Question 12

Which of the following is an accurate statement about infants and language?

A)Human infants produce different ranges of phonemes in different cultures.
B)Not all human infants are born with the ability to make the same range of sounds.
C)Through interactions with others,infants' sound production is shaped and reinforced so that certain sounds are encouraged while certain others are not.
D)Elemental sounds of infants become associated with lexicons and gradually develop meaning.

Question 13

Semantics refers to:

A)the arrangement of words.
B)what words mean.
C)how words sound in a given social context.
D)the system of rules governing how words should sound.

Question 14

Phonology refers to the:

A)study of a particular culture.
B)study of the origin of words.
C)system of rules governing how words should sound in a given language.
D)system of rules governing how words should be spelled.

Question 15

Who among the following is using a speech illustrator?

A)Reuben waves his hand when he says "Good Morning" to his colleagues.
B)Cynthia writes an e-mail documenting all the points discussed over a telephonic conversation.
C)Tony uses Google to search how specific words are pronounced in the U.K.
D)Earl uses a magnifying glass to read the words in fine print.

Question 16

During an induction program,Ravi lets the new recruits know that all the senior associates in the company should be addressed as either "Sir" or "Ma'am" depending on their gender.In this scenario,Ravi is using _____.

A)haptics
B)proxemics
C)honorific speech
D)code frame switching

Question 17

The _____ suggests that speakers of different languages think differently and that they do so because of the differences in their languages.

A)Sapir-Whorf hypothesis
B)bow-wow theory
C)Riemann hypothesis
D)sedimentation hypothesis

Question 18

Who among the following is exhibiting a nonverbal behavior?

A)Christina reads the rules from a toy manual to her 7-year old son Kurt.
B)Peter gives a pat on the back to Meg to show that he is impressed with her work.
C)Eddie writes on a piece of paper the system of rules governing how words should be strung together and gives it to Vicky.
D)Lois uses honorofic speech forms to make Clarke understand that she runs the company.

Question 19

A lexicon refers to the:

A)words contained in a language.
B)system of rules governing word forms.
C)specific meaning that encoders intend to convey.
D)specific meaning that decoders interpret.

Question 20

Human cultures exist precisely because of the ability to have language.

Question 21

Which of the following statements is true about emblematic gestures?

A)They do not allow for communication across distances when voices cannot be readily heard.
B)They allow for communication when speech is not allowed or wise.
C)Emblematic gestures cannot stand on their own without speech.
D)Emblematic gestures are used to convey verbal meaning with words.

Question 22

Gaze is often used as a nonverbal sign of respect.

Question 23

Which of the following is true of the factors that influence nonverbal behavior?

A)Emblematic gestures are tools that are often used to convey verbal meaning using well-formed sentences.
B)The use of space in interpersonal interactions is called haptics.
C)The vocabulary of emblematic gestures,which are tied to words or phrases,are the same across cultures.
D)Expressive cultures use louder voices with high speech rates,whereas less expressive cultures use softer voices with lower speech rates.

Question 24

Which of the following is a true statement about intercultural and intracultural communication?

A)Intracultural communication is often more uncertain and ambiguous than intercultural communication.
B)Lower anxiety and stress are associated with intercultural communication situations and not with intracultural communication situations.
C)Intracultural communication is marked by a greater potential for conflict than is intercultural communication.
D)Cultural differences in nonverbal behavior make intercultural interactions and communications more difficult than intracultural communications.

Question 25

_____ is the transmission of messages between people of the same cultural background.

A)Intercultural communication
B)Intracultural communication
C)Configurative culture
D)Acculturation

Question 26

In intercultural situations,decoders can never be as sure as they are in intracultural situations that they are interpreting signals and messages as originally intended by encoders.This is the result of _____.

A)cultural differences in the use of all nonverbal channels
B)the similarities in the ground rules of interaction between cultures
C)the lack of anxiety that is needed to decode critical messages
D)interactants being accustomed to receiving signals ambiguously

Question 27

Intercultural communication is marked by a greater potential for conflict than is intracultural communication.This is because _____.

A)intercultural communication situations use the theory of uncertainty reduction more effectively than do intracultural situations
B)code frame switching in intercultural encounters lack the usual ambiguity that is seen in communication
C)people's behaviors usually do not conform to our expectations during intercultural encounters
D)of the absence of cultural differences in the use of nonverbal channels

Question 28

Placing both hands at the side of one's head and pointing upward with the forefingers signals that one is angry in some cultures (such as Japan);in others,however,it refers to the devil;and in others it means that one wants sex.This is an example of _____.

A)paralinguistic cues
B)emblematic gestures
C)proxemics
D)phonemes

Question 29

_____ are observable behaviors that do not necessarily have inherent meaning,but carry messages that are encoded during communication.

A)Lexicons
B)Streamers
C)Channels
D)Signals

Question 30

Which of the following is a characteristic of emblematic gestures?

A)They allow for communication when voices cannot be readily heard.
B)They do not allow for communication when speech is not allowed or wise.
C)They usually fail to convey verbal meaning.
D)They are universal across cultures.

Question 31

_____ are the information and meanings that are exchanged when two or more people communicate.

A)Encoders
B)Decoders
C)Messages
D)Channels

Question 32

_____ are directions that people of all cultures learn from early childhood about how to decipher speech and behavior.

A)Cultural decoding rules
B)Cultural display rules
C)Cultural attribution fallacies
D)Cultural reaffirmation effects

Question 33

Which of the following refers to the process by which people select messages-consciously or unconsciously-imbed messages in signals,and send those message-laden signals to others?

A)Encoding
B)Decoding
C)Acculturation
D)Transculturation

Question 34

_____ are specific verbal language and nonverbal behaviors that are encoded when a message is sent.

A)Pragmatics
B)Decoders
C)Signals
D)Channels

Question 35

Which of the following refers to the aspects of the voice that convey information,such as tone,intonation,pitch,speech rate,and use of silence?

A)Paralinguistic cues
B)Speech illustrators
C)Vocal movements
D)Haptics

Question 36

_____ refer to the specific sensory modalities by which signals are sent and messages are retrieved,such as sight or sound.

A)Pragmatics
B)Haptics
C)Signals
D)Channels

Question 37

The use of space in interpersonal relationships is called _____.

A)paralinguistic cues
B)proxemics
C)emblems
D)morphemes

Question 38

The use of touch in interpersonal interactions is known as _____.

A)lexicons
B)proxemics
C)haptics
D)emblems

Question 39

_____ refers to the process by which a person receives signals from an encoder and translates those signals into meaningful messages.

A)Marginalization
B)Decoding
C)Masking
D)Enculturation

Question 40

Which of the following refers to the exchange of knowledge,ideas,thoughts,concepts,and emotions among people of different cultural backgrounds?

A)Intercultural communication
B)Intracultural communication
C)Interpersonal communication
D)Cultural fit hypothesis

Question 41

Americans feel that they need not understand other cultures.This is an example of _____.

A)enculturation
B)hypercognition
C)monolingualism
D)utilitarianism

Question 42

What is the foreign language effect?

A)The challenges faced in one's primary language due to the difficulty in speaking a foreign language
B)A temporary decline in the thinking ability of people who are using a foreign language in which they are less proficient than their native tongue
C)A superficial cognitive retardation due to the concomitant confusion of multilingualism
D)The shift in the thinking in one's primary language due to the effects of speaking a foreign language

Question 43

If uncertainty is reduced in intercultural communication,interactants can focus on the content of the signals and messages that are being exchanged.

Question 44

Americans usually reject the need to learn,understand,and appreciate other languages,customs,and cultures.This is an example of _____.

A)ethnocentrism
B)code frame switching
C)acculturation
D)bilingualism

Question 45

A high degree of mindfulness reduces uncertainty and anxiety,resulting in effective communication.

Question 46

Identify the process by which bilinguals switch between one cultural meaning system and another when switching languages.

A)Cross-cultural comparison
B)Counterfactual thinking
C)Code frame switching
D)Cognitive behavioral therapy

Question 47

_____ refers to the public appearance or image of a person.

A)Mindfulness
B)Lexicon
C)Face
D)Haptics

Question 48

_____ is a Buddhist principle that emphasizes on close attention to the present moment,being aware of one's senses,breathing,and thoughts without judgment or evaluation.

A)Mindfulness
B)Procrastination
C)Code frame switching
D)Ethnocentrism

Question 49

Problems associated with learning a foreign language,such as taking more time to respond and experiencing cognitive difficulties while trying to understand information,are known as _____.

A)foreign language processing difficulties
B)foreign language honorific speech forms
C)foreign language effects
D)foreign language haptics

Question 50

Understanding the culture-language relationship has no bearing on becoming a skillful intercultural communicator.