Accommodators deal with conflict by

Final Exam – Interpersonal Communication

Select the best answer for each of the following multiple choice questions .

1. Acting as though you don’t hear someone and not making any response is which type of disconfirming response?

[A] impersonal

[B] incongruous

[C] impervious

[D] ambiguous

[E] tangential

2. All of the following are types of supportive communication identified by Jack Gibb except

[A] empathy

[B] description

[C] equality

[D] problem orientation

[E] certainty

3. Generally, people respond with ________ when they are confronted with face threatening acts.

[A] an impervious response

[B] empathy

[C] ambiguity

[D] defensiveness

[E] none of these

4. Customer: “The amount of time I’ve been on hold is ridiculous. I’m going to cancel my service.”

Customer Service Representative: “It sounds like you’re angry. Can you tell me about your problem?”

The listener’s response is an example of:

[A] Agreeing with the odds

[B] Agreeing in Principle

[C] Agreeing with the truth

[D] Paraphrasing the speaker’s ideas

[E] None of these

5. Character attacks are common to which style of handling conflict?

[A] direct aggression

[B] nonassertion

[C] assertion

[D] accommodation

[E] indirect aggression

6. Which part of the Johari Window represents information of which both you and the other person are aware?

[A] open

[B] hidden

[C] blind

[D] unknown

[E] none of these

7. When Karen tries to talk about going to visit her family for the holidays, John changes the subject. This is an example of which individual conflict style?

[A] direct aggression

[B] avoidance

[C] drifting away

[D] passive aggressive

[E] none of these

8. Which of the following factors govern the selection and use of conflict style?

[A] your goals

[B] the other person

[C] the situation

[D] all of these

[E] none of these

9. Which of the following is a win-win strategy?

[A] vote and abide by majority decision

[B] avoid arguments that might lead to anger and hurt feelings

[C] know what you are willing to give up if the other person agrees to give up something

[D] determine what both parties need to get out of a negotiation

[E] none of these is a win-win strategy

10. After much discussion, Chad finally agrees to go to the opera with his wife. As they are finding their seats he says, sarcastically, “Yeah, this is going to be a lot of fun.” This is an example of which individual conflict style?

[A] direct aggression

[B] avoidance

[C] accommodation

[D] assertion

[E] passive aggression

11. All of the following are elements of conflict except

[A] inevitability

[B] expressed struggle

[C] perceived incompatible goals

[D] perceived scarce rewards

[E] underdependent

12. It’s been a year since Mark and Tracy broke up. Mark is still depressed and gets irate if anyone even mentions Tracy’s name. Mark is experiencing:

[A] Facilitative emotions

[B] Debilitative emotions

[C] First order emotions

[D] Self talk

[E] None of these

13. Sherell and Monique have a disagreement about how to spend their end-of-the-year bonus. Sherell wants to go on a trip, and Monique wants to spend it on the house. Instead, they decide to buy a fishing boat. This is probably an example of

[A] passive aggression

[B] avoidance

[C] accommodating

[D] compromise

[E] competing

14. It’s hard to talk to Edie because she always seems to take things the wrong way and to try to support herself and her side of the story. Edie is a(n)

[A] stage hogger

[B] ambusher

[C] pseudolistener

[D] insulated listener

[E] defensive listener

15. After hearing about the car accident that Dan was in, Jenny responded with “What did you do then?” This type of questioning response is used to:

[A] Learn about others’ thoughts, feelings and wants

[B] Encourage elaboration

[C] Gather more fact and details

[D] Clarify meanings

[E] Encourage discovery

16. Neither side is satisfied with the outcome in which method of problem-solving?

[A] avoidance

[B] win-win

[C] accommodation

[D] lose-lose

[E] win-lose

17. Reasons for improving listening skills include:

[A] to understand and retain information

[B] to evaluate messages

[C] to build and maintain relationships

[D] to help others

[E] all of these

18. Hinting to others instead of expressing ourselves outright is an example of

[A] assertion

[B] passive aggression

[C] indirect communication

[D] nonassertion

[E] direct aggression

19. Susan’s professors think she is always listening to their lectures because of her eye contact, nods, and note-taking. In reality, Susan is using the class time to catch up on her personal diary. Susan is guilty of:

[A] filling in the gaps

[B] pseudolistening

[C] insulated listening

[D] defensive listening

[E] none of these

20. The old saying, “Opposites attract,” suggests which reason for forming relationships?

[A] appearance

[B] complementary

[C] similarity

[D] reciprocity

[E] exchange

21. Debilitative emotions can be distinguished from facilitative emotions by their

[A] low intensity and brief duration

[B] high intensity and extended duration

[C] variable intensity and duration

[D] high intensity and brief duration

[E] low intensity and extended duration

22. It’s hard to talk to Kit because she never really seems to listen; she is just waiting for you to make a mistake and then she pounces. Kit is a(n)

[A] pseudolistener

[B] stage hogger

[C] ambusher

[D] defensive listener

[E] insulated listener

23. Which is not an example of a counterfeit question?

[A] questions that gather more facts and details

[B] questions that carry hidden agendas

[C] questions that make statements

[D] questions based on unchecked assumptions

24. Which label could be used to describe the communication when one partner in a relationship exclaims, “I can never discuss anything with you”?

[A] paralanguage

[B] responsiveness

[C] other delegation

[D] metacommunication

[E] none of these

25. Restating in your own words what you thought a speaker has told you is known as

[A] empathizing

[B] emphatic communication

[C] stage hogging

[D] pseudolistening

[E] paraphrasing

26. Business contracts or marriage licenses are found in which stage of relational development?

[A] initiating

[B] integrating

[C] bonding

[D] intensifying

[E] experimenting

27. Which of the following is not one of the five components of listening mentioned in your text?

[A] attending

[B] responding

[C] advising

[D] understanding

[E] hearing

28. The recognition that others don’t cause your feelings helps you

[A] speak unambiguously

[B] accept responsibility for your feelings

[C] choose the best time and place for expressing your feelings

[D] recognize your feelings

[E] share multiple emotions

29. In which type of compliance-gaining strategy are hints used most frequently?

[A] indirect appeals

[B] direct requests

[C] exchange and reciprocity

[D] reward and punishment

[E] relational appeal

30. The dialectical tension that pulls against intimacy is the need for

[A] ambition

[B] distance

[C] achievement

[D] logic

[E] satisfaction

31. The fact that we are likely to choose a mate with whom we frequently cross paths often points to which reason for forming relationships?

[A] Complementary

[B] similarity

[C] reciprocity

[D] appearance

[E] proximity

32. Messages that communicate, “I know what’s best for you, and if you do as I say, we’ll get along” are associated with which Gibb component?

[A] spontaneity

[B] control

[C] neutrality

[D] problem-orientation

[E] strategy

33. When you send someone a birthday card because she or he sent you one, you are complying with the norm of

[A] familiarity

[B] equality

[C] regularity

[D] reciprocity

[E] collegiality

34. “I’ve been sick lately and can’t see you” is illustrative of which relational stage?

[A] avoiding

[B] circumscribing

[C] bonding

[D] stagnation

[E] differentiating

35. Barry is more concerned about how much and how long he can talk, rather than listening to others. Barry is guilty of

[A] pseudolistening

[B] selective listening

[C] ambushing

[D] insensitive listening

[E] stage hogging

36. Tactics we use to persuade others to act in a desired way are called _______ strategies.

[A] empathic

[B] comprehension-checking

[C] alienating

[D] compliance-gaining

[E] social science

37. Attacks against our presenting self are called

[A] offensive communication

[B] face-saving acts

[C] defensive communication

[D] focused communication

[E] face-threatening acts

38. “What do I do that’s unfair?” is which way to seek additional information from your critics?

[A] ask what else is wrong

[B] guess about specifics

[C] ask for specifics

[D] paraphrase the speaker’s ideas

[E] ask about the consequences of your behavior

39. Albert Camus said, “Charm is a way of getting the answer yes without asking a clear question.” This quotation refers to

[A] face maintenance

[B] a relational appeal

[C] exchange and reciprocity

[D] an indirect appeal

[E] a balance of power

40. To be considered self-disclosure, a communication act

[A] must contain personal information

[B] must be communicated verbally

[C] must have another person as a listener

[D] all of these

[E] a and c only

41. Which reason for self-disclosure is found in wanting “to get it off your chest”?

[A] self-clarification

[B] reciprocity

[C] catharsis

[D] impression formation

[E] self-validation

42. When partners begin to refer to themselves as “we,” they have moved into which relational stage?

[A] experimenting

[B] bonding

[C] initiating

[D] intensifying

[E] integrating

43. All of the following are types of defense-arousing communication identified by Jack Gibb except

[A] strategy

[B] evaluation

[C] control

[D] spontaneity

[E] neutrality

44. Being reserved, shortening interaction, and restricting topics are all ways of ____________ in a relationship.

[A] maintaining catharsis

[B] maintaining distance

[C] maintaining reciprocity

[D] maintaining intimacy

[E] none of these

45. A newly married husband and wife both want to spend Thanksgiving with their families. They decide to eat with her family at noon and his at 6:00. This is an example of:

[A] win-win

[B] losing

[C] win-lose

[D] lose-lose

[E] none of these

46. “Will you lend me your pen?” is an example of a(n)

[A] act of face maintenance

[B] indirect appeal

[C] relational appeal

[D] reward

[E] direct request

47. Accommodators deal with conflict by

[A] putting the other’s needs ahead of their own

[B] putting their needs ahead of the other’s

[C] ignoring the needs of others

[D] ignoring their own needs

[E] a and d

48. The Social Penetration Model looks at self-disclosure in terms of

[A] breadth

[B] catharsis

[C] depth

[D] a & c only

[E] all of these

49. Disclosing to your parents that you’re expecting an “F” in math before the report card arrives is an example of which reason for self-disclosure?

[A] moral obligation

[B] reciprocity

[C] impression formation

[D] self-validation

[E] self-defense

50. Which of the following is not a type of intimacy?

[A] shared activities

[B] musical

[C] intellectual

D] emotional

[E] physical

Essay Section: Choose 3 of these essay questions to respond to in detail for extra credit! They are not required.

1. Give five different types of responses to your friend who says to you: “That professor wants me to think of him as God or something. He thinks nobody could possibly know anything prior to entering his classroom.” Choose from the following: advising, analyzing, supporting, empathizing, questioning, and evaluating. Be sure to identify the style that each example illustrates.

2. Explain the habits of people who listen ineffectively.

3. Discuss two personal examples of facilitative and debilitative emotions.

4. Identify the stage of a relationship in which you are currently involved using Knapp’s model of stages. Briefly discuss how your communication pattern reflects the present relationship stage.

5. Describe each of Knapp’s five phases of coming together and five phases of coming apart. Illustrate them by tracing a real or imaginary relationship from initial formation to final dissolution, providing examples of communication at each phase.

6. Identify a dialectical tension in one of your significant relationships. Describe the problem that this tension has created (or could create) in the relationship. Describe which strategy or strategies you have used (or could use) to manage this tension.

7. Explain the Social Penetration Model.

8. What are the implications of using the term “communication climate” (rather than communication situation, for instance)?

9. Explain how the words we use to describe conflict can shape our perception of conflict.

10. Explain the seven step approach to win-win problem solving.

11. Explain the five elements of an assertive message.

12. The text discusses four styles of conflict behavior:

a. nonassertion

b. indirect aggression

c. direct aggression

d. assertion

For each style, describe its basic characteristics; present at least one communication behavior for each style; and present an advantage and disadvantage of each.