Deck 2: Understanding Your Self

Question 1

______________ represents your judgments about yourself.

A) Self-concept
B) Self-worth
C) Self-appraisal
D) Self-esteem
E) Self-identification

Answer 1

D

Question 2

If you behave in ways that are consistent with your values and beliefs, you are practicing

A) self-acceptance.
B) self-concept.
C) self-talk.
D) purposeful living.
E) personal integrity.

Answer 2

E

Question 3

Which impression management strategy is illustrated in the following example? "Humbly requests or appeals for help from others."

A) ingratiation
B) self-promotion
C) exemplification
D) supplication
E) intimidation

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Self-identification is the way in which your

A) self-concept informs who you are.
B) relationships reflect your self-esteem.
C) self-concept reflects your cultural affiliations, the various roles you assume, and your experiences.
D) interpretations influence your behavior.
E) self-concept determines how you adapt to your surroundings.

Question 5

When Jing-Mei was younger, she was obsessed with getting approval from others. When taking an interpersonal communication class, she realized that she had the ability to stand up for herself in appropriate ways in order to satisfy her needs and pursue her goals. She is now practicing

A) self-acceptance.
B) self-responsibility.
C) self-assertiveness.
D) purposeful living.
E) personal integrity.

Question 6

Which of the following concepts about self describes your ability to observe and control how you express yourself verbally and nonverbally when interacting with others?

A) self-concept
B) self-disclosure
C) self-monitoring
D) self-fulfilling prophecies
E) self-esteem

Question 7

Maria thinks that she is going to do poorly on her exam because she's been told that most students do poorly on this instructor's tests. She tells herself that she will probably get a low grade. When the exam is graded, Maria, in fact, does poorly on it. What barrier to self-esteem does Maria's thinking exhibit?

A) self-distortion
B) self-fulfilling prophecy
C) self-presentation
D) self-preservation
E) self-identification

Question 8

Some researchers claim that the huge number of social media communities with constantly changing contexts, significant others, and reference groups make it difficult for anyone

A) to establish a stable reference point.
B) to establish community.
C) to develop a stable self identity.
D) to understand self-esteem.
E) to develop self-worth.

Question 9

Which impression management strategy is illustrated in the following example? "Demonstrates willingness and ability to use threats to subdue or control others."

A) ingratiation
B) self-promotion
C) exemplification
D) supplication
E) intimidation

Question 10

Which of the following sources of self-concept is reflected in the following statement? "I am a twenty-three year old Mexican American who was born in Texas, graduated from University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Finance, and am now working for a start-up company in California."

A) social comparison
B) social judgments
C) self-observation
D) self-identification
E) self-monitoring

Question 11

Janet is a teacher who knows that she should behave as an authority figure in the classroom. What concept about self-identification best explains the pattern of behavior expected of Janet while she is teaching?

A) esteem
B) roles
C) habits
D) concepts
E) individualism

Question 12

Your self-concept answers two simple questions: Who are you, and

A) how do you feel about yourself?
B) how do you feel about others?
C) what influences how you feel about yourself?
D) what makes you you?
E) where do you come from?

Question 13

Impression management strategies should be selected with care because they have the potential to backfire and annoy others rather than enhance your image. For example, you should engage in supplication but not

A) bullying or brutality.
B) in public.
C) bigheaded bragging.
D) endless whining.
E) phony flattery.

Question 14

The textbook's list of strategies for improving your self-esteem provides an exception to each strategy. What is the exception for the strategy "practice positive self-talk"?

A) but not as an excuse
B) but don't try to control everything
C) but respect the needs of others
D) but understand and respect others
E) but listen to others, too

Question 15

Which answer is the best example of positive self-talk that replaces the following example of a negative self-talk statement? "I'm going to fail the exam questions about strategies for improving self-esteem."

A) "This test is too difficult and too long for me to finish in the amount of time I've been given to take it."
B) "I should have read the textbook more carefully."
C) "The instructor didn't tell us self-talk would be on the test."
D) "I understand the concept of self-esteem and should be able to figure out the right answers."
E) "This is a well-written exam that demonstrates the complex challenge of understanding self."

Question 16

Tracy is passed over for a promotion and raise because he is often late to work and misses deadlines. He wants to make himself look good to his friends, so he tells them that the company is tightening up its budget and isn't promoting anyone. What strategy is Tracy using to maintain a positive self-concept and to make himself look good to his friends?

A) He attributes his success to his abilities and his failures to external factors.
B) He views evidence depicting him unfavorably as accurate.
C) He remembers only positive aspects of what others said about him.
D) He compares himself to others who make him look good.
E) He monitors his own behavior.

Question 17

Which impression management strategy is illustrated in the following example? "Agrees with others, gives compliments, and does favors for other people."

A) ingratiation
B) self-promotion
C) exemplification
D) supplication
E) intimidation

Question 18

Which of the following items describes people who are high self-monitors?

A) They feel awkward in the company of others.
B) They have never been good at games like charades.
C) They can only argue for ideas in which they already believe.
D) They can change their behavior to suit different people and situations.
E) They do not change their opinions or behaviors to please others or win their favor.

Question 19

Self-observation describes the process of

A) understanding who you are.
B) building bonds with others.
C) reflecting your cultural affiliations.
D) interpreting your actual performance and your behavior.
E) taking responsibility for your actions.

Question 20

Terrell believes he is going to fail his final exam. What question can help him avoid this self-fulfilling prophecy?

A) "Why do I care about the outcome?"
B) "Why am I making these predictions?"
C) "Why do I think I have to do better?"
D) "What have other people done to contribute to this feeling?"
E) "Have I predicted this behavior before?"

Question 21

A new family in town has joined a local church and enrolled their children in the Sunday morning religious school. Members welcome the family by inviting the parents to join the adult prayer group on Wednesdays. The parents explain that they are not very religious, but have joined the church because they believe in providing a religious education for their children. What perceptual principle explains this scenario?

A) proximity principle
B) similarity principle
C) closure principle
D) simplicity principle
E) selection principle

Question 22

Carlos is about to make an important presentation. He admits he is very nervous and hopes that he remembers to avoid saying "and uh" or "um" as he speaks. Which of the following fears probably underlies his communication apprehension?

A) fear of failure
B) fear of the unknown
C) fear of others
D) fear of breaking the rules
E) fear of the spotlight

Question 23

The fear or anxiety associated with either real or anticipated communication with another person or persons is referred to as

A) self-concept.
B) feedback.
C) communication apprehension.
D) social tension.
E) confidence.

Question 24

_______________ is the process through which you select, organize, and interpret sensory stimuli in the world around you.

A) Perception
B) Promotion
C) Self-monitoring
D) Supplication
E) Personal reflection

Question 25

You are always changing and becoming.

Question 26

Omar watches the same news station every evening because he agrees with their viewpoint on current events. Omar's choice of that one station demonstrates which of the selective processes?

A) selective exposure
B) selective attention
C) selective interpretation
D) selective recall
E) selective organization

Question 27

Our tendency to only subject ourselves to messages that are consistent with what we already believe is called

A) selective exposure.
B) selective attention.
C) selective interpretation.
D) selective recall.
E) selective organization.

Question 28

You go to a lunch meeting with Hannah and immediately notice that she is missing an earring, that she isn't wearing her usual professional make-up, and that she's breathing hard when she sits down. What part of the perception process have you used?

A) the figure-ground principle
B) selection
C) organization
D) interpretation
E) evaluation

Question 29

In terms of perception, different cultures may not

A) experience the world in similar ways.
B) select, organize and interpret stimuli.
C) process information.
D) apply the simplicity principle.
E) engage in selective perception.

Question 30

Which communication element is represented in the perception checking guidelines when you ask the following question: How could your perceptions affect the way you use verbal and nonverbal behavior to convey a message?

A) structure
B) context
C) purpose
D) others
E) expression

Question 31

When two individuals share a trait, we may also assume they have other things in common. This is an example of the

A) proximity principle.
B) closure principle.
C) similarity principle.
D) simplicity principle.
E) complexity principle.

Question 32

Jamie has a job interview and feels stressed because he has never been to the office building and he doesn't know what to expect from the interview. What is the source of Jamie's communication apprehension?

A) fear of failure
B) fear of the unknown
C) fear of others
D) fear of breaking the rules
E) fear of the spotlight

Question 33

If Emma daydreams while her instructor is lecturing, what stage has she skipped in the three-step perceptual process?

A) selection
B) organization
C) interpretation
D) synthesis
E) evaluation

Question 34

While waiting to buy movie tickets, Brent sees three friends leaving the theatre. They are laughing hysterically. Brent assumes that the film must be very funny. What organizational principle of perception is Brent using?

A) Peter principle
B) simultaneous principle
C) closure principle
D) simplicity principle
E) complexity principle

Question 35

When we alter the meaning of messages so they become consistent with what we believe, we are practicing which selective process?

A) selective exposure
B) selective attention
C) selective interpretation
D) selective recall
E) selective organization

Question 36

Communication scholar James McCroskey makes all of the following claims about the nature of communication apprehension except:

A) it permeates every facet of an individual's life.
B) it is an inborn neurobiological trait.
C) it affects major decisions about our lives.
D) it affects our behavior in many communication settings.
E) it is a trait that can easily be changed.

Question 37

Throughout your lifetime, your self-concept is a permanent characteristic of who you are.

Question 38

When you remember positive and negative messages and experiences in a way that is consistent with what you already believe about yourself and your encounters with others, you are practicing which selective process?

A) selective exposure
B) selective attention
C) selective interpretation
D) selective recall
E) selective organization

Question 39

When using systematic desensitization as a method of reducing communication apprehension, you begin by trying to relax while visualizing a nonthreatening communicative act. Which of the following situations would be a good choice for your initial visualization?

A) You are introducing yourself to a group in which you are the only new member.
B) You have been appointed the chairperson of a meeting.
C) You are having a casual conversation with a coworker before a meeting.
D) You have been asked to make a presentation, but do not have enough time to prepare.
E) Your boss has just asked you a difficult question.

Question 40

Your friend experiences very high levels of communication apprehension. You know this is true because you hear her say things like "I know I'll bomb on the oral report" or "I can't stand up for myself when I talk to Jim or Barbara." Which of the following strategies would you recommend to help your friend reduce her communication apprehension?

A) relaxation
B) cognitive restructuring
C) visualization
D) systematic desensitization
E) practice

Question 41

Sociologist Erving Goffman claims that we do assume a social identity that others help us to maintain.

Question 42

Your culture plays a significant role in the perception process. For example, when asked to group three objects together-a chicken, grass, and a cow-people from Western cultures are more likely to put the chicken and the cow together because they are both animals. East Asians, however, are more likely to pair the cow and the grass because cows eat grass.

Question 43

The impression management strategy of supplication involves making others feel resourceful and helpful in addition to expressing your need for help from them.

Question 44

A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction you make that you cause to happen or become true.

Question 45

The absence of real, face-to-face interactions makes it easier to distort aspects of your self.

Question 46

You should always avoid using the impression management strategy of intimidation.

Question 47

You use your senses to notice and choose from the many stimuli surrounding you.

Question 48

Impression management represents the strategies you use to shape others' impressions of you in order to gain influence, power, sympathy, or approval.

Question 49

In his book, Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman asserts that people with greater certainty about their feelings are better pilots of their lives.

Question 50

The impression management strategy of exemplification requires that you practice what you preach.

Question 51

High self-monitors are often oblivious to how others see them and may "march to their own, different, drum."

Question 52

When you shift roles, your behavior often changes.

Question 53

The basic mental process of perception (selection, organization, and interpretation) is the same for all cultures.

Question 54

You can successfully engage in ingratiation as an impression management strategy as long as you don't engage in phony flattery.

Question 55

You can successfully engage in self-promotion as an impression management strategy as long as you don't do it in public.

Question 56

We have a tendency to compare ourselves to others who make us look good.

Question 57

High self-monitors rarely compliment other people because they know that others already see them in a positive light.

Question 58

Strategies for improving your self-esteem include practicing self-assertiveness, personal integrity, and self-talk.

Question 59

Self-monitoring describes your ability to observe and control how you express yourself verbally and nonverbally when interacting with others.

Question 60

Context does not influence how you organize information.

Question 61

Daniel Goleman notes that practice can improve performance because simulating an act is-to your brain-the same as performing it.

Question 62

Describe the two of the four factors influencing self-concept and provide illustrations for each of the factors.

Question 63

The simplicity principle of perception explains why the closer objects, events, and people are to one another, the more likely you will perceive them as belonging together.

Question 64

Many researchers claim that the fear of a negative evaluation is the number one cause of communication anxiety.

Question 65

How can self-monitoring help you adapt to others by appearing and speaking in a socially appropriate manner?

Question 66

You may be able to reduce your level of communication apprehension by concentrating on yourself-how you sound and look-rather than on your message.

Question 67

Scholars disagree on whether online communication harms or promotes the development of self-concept. Describe both sides in this argument. Choose one of these positions and defend your beliefs about the effects of online communication on a person's self-concept.

Question 68

Discuss how context influences the way you organize information. Provide at least two illustrations in your answer.

Question 69

Your textbook discusses four selective processes-selective exposure, selective attention, selective recall, and selective interpretation. Choose and explain two of the four processes. Demonstrate your understanding by providing examples of how these processes affect human communication behavior.

Question 70

Communication apprehension can occur in a variety of settings such as at work, at school, and in interpersonal conversations.

Question 71

The closure principle of perception explains why we often fill in missing elements to form a more complete impression of an object, person, or event.

Question 72

In order to maintain a positive self-concept, we engage in impression management. Describe three of the five impression management strategies we use to make ourselves look good and explain what can happen if we use them inappropriately.

Question 73

Cognitive restructuring is a relaxation and visualization technique that involves learning to relax while visualizing various communication situations.

Question 74

What is a self-fulfilling prophecy? Provide two examples to demonstrate your understanding of this concept. Provide two questions you should ask yourself if you want to avoid the self-fulfilling prophecy trap.

Question 75

You may be able to reduce your level of communication apprehension by thoroughly preparing for a communication situation that can transform the unfamiliar into something familiar.

Question 76

According to researcher James McCroskey, communication apprehension is not a permanent personal trait that can be eliminated by taking a good public speaking course.

Question 77

In terms of the communication element of structure, the perception-checking guidelines involve assessing how psychosocial, logistical, and interactional communication contexts affect your perceptions and the perceptions of others.

Question 78

If you were writing a book about strategies for improving self-esteem, what would it be titled? What would the three chapters be called? Also, write a brief description of each chapter.

Question 79

In terms of the communication element of self, the perception-checking guidelines involve assessing how your personal biases, level of self-awareness, and cultural background affect your perceptions.

Question 80

Using the concept of self-identification, discuss the ways in which your culture and background affect your self-concept.