Interpersonal Communication (Final Exam)
UPDATED ACTUAL Questions and
CORRECT Answers
Why We Communicate - CORRECT ANSWER - - Communication meets physical needs.
- Communication meets relational needs.
- Communication fills identity needs.
- Communication meets spiritual needs.
- Communication serves instrumental needs.
Instrumental Needs - CORRECT ANSWER - Practical, everyday needs. (Ex. ordering a
drink, getting a job, etc.)
Communication as Action - CORRECT ANSWER - Communication thought of as a one-
way process. The SOURCE comes up with a thought or idea, ENCODES (conveys with
language or gesture) it, and creates a MESSAGE ➝ the MESSAGE is then sent through a
channel to the RECEIVER ➝ the RECEIVER finally DECODES it ➝ NOISE may interfere.
NOISE can be psychological, physiological, or physical.
Communication as Interaction - CORRECT ANSWER - Contains the same elements as the
action model, but includes FEEDBACK, which are verbal and nonverbal responses to a message,
and CONTEXT, which is the physical or psychological environment in which communication
occurs. Both of these elements shape the interaction process.
Communication as Transaction - CORRECT ANSWER - No distinction between
SOURCE and RECEIVER. Both members of an interaction are simultaneously SOURCES and
RECEIVERS. Conversation flows in both directions at the same time, as well. FEEDBACK is a
message in and of itself.
Six Characteristics of Communication - CORRECT ANSWER - - Communication relies
on multiple channels: the different ways in which people convey messages, such as facial
expressions, gestures, tone of voice, etc. Channel-rich contexts vs. channel-lean contexts.
,- Communication passes through perceptual filters: we filter what we are hearing through our
different ideals, experiences, etc. I may listen to the same speech as a Republican, but take away
different things than the Republican did.
- People give communication its meaning: we decide what words mean. Includes symbols.
- Communication has literal meanings and relational implications: involves content dimension
vs. relational dimension.
- Communication sends a message, whether intentional or unintentional.
- Communication is governed by rules: involves explicit rules vs. implicit rules.
Channel-Rich Context - CORRECT ANSWER - A communication context involving many
channels at once. For example, in face-to-face interactions you can hear your conversational
partner's voice, see their facial expressions, etc.
Channel-Lean Context - CORRECT ANSWER - A communication context involving few
channels at once. For example, in text messaging, text is the only channel.
Symbol - CORRECT ANSWER - A representation of an idea.
Content Dimension - CORRECT ANSWER - Literal information that is communicated by
a message.
Relational Dimension - CORRECT ANSWER - Signals about the relationship in which a
message is being communicated.
Communication Myths - CORRECT ANSWER - - Everyone is an expert in
communication.
- Communication will solve any problem.
- Communication can break down.
- Communication is inherently good.
- More communication is always better.
, Being a Competent Communicator - CORRECT ANSWER - - Self-awareness: involves
self-monitoring, of an awareness of one's behavior and how it effects others. High self-monitors
pay attention to how they look, sound, and act, while low self-monitors don't.
- Adaptability.
- Empathy.
- Cognitive complexity: the ability to understand a given situation in multiple ways.
- Ethics: a code of morality or a set of ideas about what is right.
Components of Culture - CORRECT ANSWER - - Symbols.
- Language.
- Values.
- Norms.
Co-Culture - CORRECT ANSWER - Groups of people who share values, customs, and
norms related to mutual interests or characteristics beyond their natural citizenship. For example,
you can be apart of co-cultures based on your age, ethnicity, etc.
Low-Context Culture - CORRECT ANSWER - A culture in which verbal communication
is expected to be explicit and is often interpreted literally. For example, in the U.S., being
straight to the point is preferred.
High-Context Culture - CORRECT ANSWER - A culture in which verbal communication
is often ambiguous, and meaning is drawn from contextual cues, such as facial expression and
tone of voice. For example, countries like Korea emphasize harmony, which can involve being
less direct.
Low-Power-Distance Culture - CORRECT ANSWER - A culture in which people believe
that no one person or group should have excessive power. (Ex. U.S.)
High-Power-Distance Culture - CORRECT ANSWER - A culture in which certain groups,
such as the royal family or the members of the ruling political party, have much greater power
than the average citizen. (Ex. Mexico, Brazil.)
UPDATED ACTUAL Questions and
CORRECT Answers
Why We Communicate - CORRECT ANSWER - - Communication meets physical needs.
- Communication meets relational needs.
- Communication fills identity needs.
- Communication meets spiritual needs.
- Communication serves instrumental needs.
Instrumental Needs - CORRECT ANSWER - Practical, everyday needs. (Ex. ordering a
drink, getting a job, etc.)
Communication as Action - CORRECT ANSWER - Communication thought of as a one-
way process. The SOURCE comes up with a thought or idea, ENCODES (conveys with
language or gesture) it, and creates a MESSAGE ➝ the MESSAGE is then sent through a
channel to the RECEIVER ➝ the RECEIVER finally DECODES it ➝ NOISE may interfere.
NOISE can be psychological, physiological, or physical.
Communication as Interaction - CORRECT ANSWER - Contains the same elements as the
action model, but includes FEEDBACK, which are verbal and nonverbal responses to a message,
and CONTEXT, which is the physical or psychological environment in which communication
occurs. Both of these elements shape the interaction process.
Communication as Transaction - CORRECT ANSWER - No distinction between
SOURCE and RECEIVER. Both members of an interaction are simultaneously SOURCES and
RECEIVERS. Conversation flows in both directions at the same time, as well. FEEDBACK is a
message in and of itself.
Six Characteristics of Communication - CORRECT ANSWER - - Communication relies
on multiple channels: the different ways in which people convey messages, such as facial
expressions, gestures, tone of voice, etc. Channel-rich contexts vs. channel-lean contexts.
,- Communication passes through perceptual filters: we filter what we are hearing through our
different ideals, experiences, etc. I may listen to the same speech as a Republican, but take away
different things than the Republican did.
- People give communication its meaning: we decide what words mean. Includes symbols.
- Communication has literal meanings and relational implications: involves content dimension
vs. relational dimension.
- Communication sends a message, whether intentional or unintentional.
- Communication is governed by rules: involves explicit rules vs. implicit rules.
Channel-Rich Context - CORRECT ANSWER - A communication context involving many
channels at once. For example, in face-to-face interactions you can hear your conversational
partner's voice, see their facial expressions, etc.
Channel-Lean Context - CORRECT ANSWER - A communication context involving few
channels at once. For example, in text messaging, text is the only channel.
Symbol - CORRECT ANSWER - A representation of an idea.
Content Dimension - CORRECT ANSWER - Literal information that is communicated by
a message.
Relational Dimension - CORRECT ANSWER - Signals about the relationship in which a
message is being communicated.
Communication Myths - CORRECT ANSWER - - Everyone is an expert in
communication.
- Communication will solve any problem.
- Communication can break down.
- Communication is inherently good.
- More communication is always better.
, Being a Competent Communicator - CORRECT ANSWER - - Self-awareness: involves
self-monitoring, of an awareness of one's behavior and how it effects others. High self-monitors
pay attention to how they look, sound, and act, while low self-monitors don't.
- Adaptability.
- Empathy.
- Cognitive complexity: the ability to understand a given situation in multiple ways.
- Ethics: a code of morality or a set of ideas about what is right.
Components of Culture - CORRECT ANSWER - - Symbols.
- Language.
- Values.
- Norms.
Co-Culture - CORRECT ANSWER - Groups of people who share values, customs, and
norms related to mutual interests or characteristics beyond their natural citizenship. For example,
you can be apart of co-cultures based on your age, ethnicity, etc.
Low-Context Culture - CORRECT ANSWER - A culture in which verbal communication
is expected to be explicit and is often interpreted literally. For example, in the U.S., being
straight to the point is preferred.
High-Context Culture - CORRECT ANSWER - A culture in which verbal communication
is often ambiguous, and meaning is drawn from contextual cues, such as facial expression and
tone of voice. For example, countries like Korea emphasize harmony, which can involve being
less direct.
Low-Power-Distance Culture - CORRECT ANSWER - A culture in which people believe
that no one person or group should have excessive power. (Ex. U.S.)
High-Power-Distance Culture - CORRECT ANSWER - A culture in which certain groups,
such as the royal family or the members of the ruling political party, have much greater power
than the average citizen. (Ex. Mexico, Brazil.)
