CMN 120 Exam 3/Final Study Guide
Questions and All Actual Answers
Know what *Communication privacy management theory* asserts and the meaning of the
terms associated with it: boundary structures, boundary turbulence, ownership, permeability,
and cooperation. - Answer - explains how individuals cope with the need to maintain privacy
boundaries
- people set up *boundary structures* to control the risks inherent in disclosing private
information
- *boundary turbulence* occurs when boundary structures are violated
- when we *own information*, we believe we have the right to *control who has access to it*
- owned information has different levels of *permeability* (strict rules dictate who can access
the information we own)
- *cooperation* is necessary for successful boundary management
What are the effects of keeping secrets? - Answer *Negative effects of keeping secrets*:
- worse quality of interactions with the person who you are hiding the secret from
- secrets encourage people to conceal relationship problems
- you have to pretend like everything is fine to conceal the secret
What are the motivations for keeping secrets? - Answer - wanting to protect the relationship
- protecting yourself or someone else
- maintaining privacy
What are the negative consequences for keeping secrets? Know what each one of them means.
- Answer - *Hyperaccessibility* = people often try to suppress, which causes them to
obsessively think about it
- *The Rebound Effect* = can forget for a while until some stimulus brings it back to mind
- *The Fever Model of Self-Disclosure* = pressure builds until the secret gets blurted out
- *Split-loyalty pattern* = secret keeps having to choose between being loyal to secret holders
or being loyal to friends or family who could be hurt by not knowing the secret
What are the positive and negative outcomes of revealing secrets? What was the
recommendation for when to reveal a secret? - Answer Positive: reverses negative effects
Negative: can elicit a negative reaction from listener; might be viewed as betrayal
If secret is BOTH troubling AND there is an appropriate confidant available, you SHOULD REVEAL
THE SECRET -- if no to either one, DON'T REVEAL SECRET
, What are the motives for deception and which ones are viewed to be more or less
acceptable? - Answer - *Partner-focused* = used to avoid hurting the partner -- ACCEPTABLE
- *Self-focused* = used to enhance/protect self-image -- UNACCEPTABLE
- *Relationship-focused* = used to limit relational harm by avoiding conflict -- CAN BE
ACCEPTABLE AND UNACCEPTABLE
What makes deception difficult to detect? - Answer It is difficult to detect because *there are
no completely reliable indicators of deception"
- deception-accompanying behaviors are also typical of general anxiety/shyness
What is the best indicator of deception? - Answer *BEST indicator of deception* = compare
person's normal, truthful behavior with his/her current behavior
What are the 4 variables that influence deception detection? - Answer - *Truth bias* =
people expect others to be honest and enter conversations without suspicion
- *Behavioral control* = people try to control their nervous/guilty behaviors to appear truthful
(esp. in closer relationships with more to lose)
- *Behavioral familiarity* = people in close relationships are knowledgeable about partner's
typical communication style so variations are more clear
- *Informational familiarity* = you know certain info about relational partner so they cannot lie
to you about that information
What are the positive and negative effects of deception on relationships? - Answer *Positive
effects* =
- downplaying faults and accentuating virtues
- more relational satisfaction because people hold idealized images of their partner
- date initiation (esp. with physically attractive people)
*Negative effects* =
- negative emotions when uncovering a deception (anger, anxiety, distress)
- less relational satisfaction
- lower levels of commitment/intimacy
Questions and All Actual Answers
Know what *Communication privacy management theory* asserts and the meaning of the
terms associated with it: boundary structures, boundary turbulence, ownership, permeability,
and cooperation. - Answer - explains how individuals cope with the need to maintain privacy
boundaries
- people set up *boundary structures* to control the risks inherent in disclosing private
information
- *boundary turbulence* occurs when boundary structures are violated
- when we *own information*, we believe we have the right to *control who has access to it*
- owned information has different levels of *permeability* (strict rules dictate who can access
the information we own)
- *cooperation* is necessary for successful boundary management
What are the effects of keeping secrets? - Answer *Negative effects of keeping secrets*:
- worse quality of interactions with the person who you are hiding the secret from
- secrets encourage people to conceal relationship problems
- you have to pretend like everything is fine to conceal the secret
What are the motivations for keeping secrets? - Answer - wanting to protect the relationship
- protecting yourself or someone else
- maintaining privacy
What are the negative consequences for keeping secrets? Know what each one of them means.
- Answer - *Hyperaccessibility* = people often try to suppress, which causes them to
obsessively think about it
- *The Rebound Effect* = can forget for a while until some stimulus brings it back to mind
- *The Fever Model of Self-Disclosure* = pressure builds until the secret gets blurted out
- *Split-loyalty pattern* = secret keeps having to choose between being loyal to secret holders
or being loyal to friends or family who could be hurt by not knowing the secret
What are the positive and negative outcomes of revealing secrets? What was the
recommendation for when to reveal a secret? - Answer Positive: reverses negative effects
Negative: can elicit a negative reaction from listener; might be viewed as betrayal
If secret is BOTH troubling AND there is an appropriate confidant available, you SHOULD REVEAL
THE SECRET -- if no to either one, DON'T REVEAL SECRET
, What are the motives for deception and which ones are viewed to be more or less
acceptable? - Answer - *Partner-focused* = used to avoid hurting the partner -- ACCEPTABLE
- *Self-focused* = used to enhance/protect self-image -- UNACCEPTABLE
- *Relationship-focused* = used to limit relational harm by avoiding conflict -- CAN BE
ACCEPTABLE AND UNACCEPTABLE
What makes deception difficult to detect? - Answer It is difficult to detect because *there are
no completely reliable indicators of deception"
- deception-accompanying behaviors are also typical of general anxiety/shyness
What is the best indicator of deception? - Answer *BEST indicator of deception* = compare
person's normal, truthful behavior with his/her current behavior
What are the 4 variables that influence deception detection? - Answer - *Truth bias* =
people expect others to be honest and enter conversations without suspicion
- *Behavioral control* = people try to control their nervous/guilty behaviors to appear truthful
(esp. in closer relationships with more to lose)
- *Behavioral familiarity* = people in close relationships are knowledgeable about partner's
typical communication style so variations are more clear
- *Informational familiarity* = you know certain info about relational partner so they cannot lie
to you about that information
What are the positive and negative effects of deception on relationships? - Answer *Positive
effects* =
- downplaying faults and accentuating virtues
- more relational satisfaction because people hold idealized images of their partner
- date initiation (esp. with physically attractive people)
*Negative effects* =
- negative emotions when uncovering a deception (anger, anxiety, distress)
- less relational satisfaction
- lower levels of commitment/intimacy
