Test bank for Introducing Communication Theory Analysis and Application 7th Edition By Richard West and Lynn Turner Chapter 1-30 Answer are at the End of Each chapter Chapter 1
Student name:__________ TRUE/FALSE - Write 'T' if the statement is true and 'F' if the statement is false. 1) In the transactional model of communication, it is the sole responsibility of the source to communicate effectively. ⊚ ⊚
2)
Communication can best be explained by the linear model. ⊚ ⊚
3)
true false
true false
Communication models are usually incomplete and unsuitable for all purposes. ⊚ ⊚
true false
4) Definitions of communication are abundant and have changed substantially over the years. ⊚ ⊚
true false
5) Because the communication process is so dynamic, researchers and theorists draw conclusions about communication by looking for patterns over time. ⊚ ⊚
true false
6)
Free speech advocates stress that censorship is arbitrary. ⊚ ⊚
7)
true false
Symbols are arbitrary. ⊚ ⊚
true false
8) Buddhists believe that being moral requires one to use communication for attaining peace. ⊚ ⊚
true false
MULTIPLE CHOICE - Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question. 9) Communication is defined as
A) a linear process in which an individual employs language to send a message B) a social process in which individuals employ symbols to establish and interpret meaning in their environment C) an interactional process in which two or more people use concrete symbols to establish meaning in an interaction D) an ethical process in which individuals employ language in their environment
10)
Claude Shannon and Warren Weaver describe the communication process
A) as linear B) using a sports analogy C) as transactional D) as something that is influenced by a person's field of experience
11) Which of the following is a type of noise associated with the linear model of communication?
A) deliberate noise B) semantic noise C) ethical noise D) syntactic noise
12)
The interactional model of communication
A) places a great deal of emphasis on feedback in communication B) is widely accepted as the ideal model of communication C) was the result of the work of the Palo Alto team D) underscores the simultaneous sending and receiving of messages in a communication episode
13) Some researchers state that the efforts to investigate and interrogate political stories are nowadays frequently supplanted by 140-character tweets on Twitter. This practice is sometimes called
A) viral politics B) fad politics C) condensed politics D) network politics
14)
From a communication perspective, ethical issues surface
A) only when a politician argues for her or his position B) when a receiver fails to properly interpret a message C) whenever messages potentially influence people D) when physical noise interferes with the transmission of a message
15) Which of the following features of the interactional model of communication most likely represents how a person’s culture influences their ability to communicate with another?
A) abstract symbol B) psychological noise C) feedback D) field of experience
16)
Which of the following statements is true of the transactional model of communication?
A) It underscores the simultaneous sending and receiving of messages in a communication episode. B) It suggests that a person is only a sender or a receiver in a communication episode. C) It illustrates that a person can perform the role of either sender or receiver during an interaction, but not both roles simultaneously. D) It suggests that the roles of the sender and the receiver are independent in the effectiveness of communication.
17) _____ are created by communication theorists to help us weave together the basic elements of the communication process.
A) Structures B) Codes C) Models D) Symbols
18)
Which of the following influences the communication environment?
A) time B) place C) historical period D) All of the answers are correct.
19) In the context of the interactional model of communication, which of the following statements is true of feedback?
A) It may be verbal or nonverbal B) It represents how a person’s culture influences their ability to communicate with another C) It takes place during a message in a communication D) It is effective only when it is intentional
20)
Which of the following is NOT true of symbols?
A) they are arbitrary B) they are ambiguous C) they are sometimes abstract D) they are only verbal in nature
21)
Referring to communication as a process emphasizes the fact that communication is
A) composed of verbal and nonverbal symbols B) fraught with ethical considerations C) an ongoing, dynamic, and unending occurrence D) affected by the field of experience of the speakers
22) All of the following are ethical strategies to consider when reading communication theory, EXCEPT
A) remain open to being persuaded by the statements of others B) be intolerant of contradiction and ambiguity C) evaluate knowledge claims against personal experience D) accept that multiple perspectives on reality are held as valid by different people
23)
_____ refers to Aristotle's idea that a person's moral virtue stands between two vices.
A) Communication ethics B) Judeo-Christian ethics C) The boomerang effect D) The Golden Mean
24)
It is important to understand communication theory
A) to help you make sense of your personal experiences B) in order to deceive others with your communication C) so you can have perceived power over others D) if you are to put people in their "place"
25)
According to the transactional model, meaning
A) is built by both people in an interaction B) is shared by all people at all times C) is unaffected by one's field of experience D) is static regardless of context
26) "A source sends a message to a receiver through a channel" is associated with which of the following communication models?
A) the transactional model B) Frank Dance's communication helix C) the linear model D) Aristotle's "Golden Mean"
ESSAY. Write your answer in the space provided or on a separate sheet of paper. 27) What is the definition of communication embraced by the authors of this text? Explain this by expanding each of the key terms used in this definition.
28)
Explain the following: Communication is transactional.
29) List and define the three types of noise that can interfere with the transmission of a message.
30)
What are symbols? Provide examples of both concrete and abstract symbols.
31)
How does a person's field of experience influence a communication event?
32) In what ways are ethics and communication related to each other? In your answer, be sure to provide examples to support your explanation.
33) Of the three models of communication discussed in Chapter 1, which do you feel does the best job of capturing the essence of the communication process? In your answer, be sure to briefly explain the model you have chosen and use specific examples to support your position.
34) Discuss the value of studying and understanding communication theory. Provide at least three major arguments that support your position.
Answer Key Test name: chapter 1 1) FALSE 2) FALSE 3) TRUE 4) TRUE 5) TRUE 6) TRUE 7) TRUE
8) TRUE 9) B 10) A 11) B 12) A 13) A 14) C 15) D 16) A 17) C 18) D 19) A 20) D 21) C 22) B 23) D 24) A 25) A 26) C 27) Answers will vary. 28) Answers will vary. 29) Answers will vary. 30) Answers will vary. 31) Answers will vary. 32) Answers will vary. 33) Answers will vary. 34) Answers will vary.
Student name:__________ TRUE/FALSE - Write 'T' if the statement is true and 'F' if the statement is false. 1) Mass communication allows only senders to exercise control over the communication process. ⊚ ⊚
true false
2) Intercultural communication is concerned only with the communication between individuals from different countries. ⊚ ⊚
true false
3) Most researchers agree that small group communication should ideally involve a maximum of seven individuals. ⊚ ⊚
4)
If I say to myself, "He looks tired today," I am engaging in intrapersonal communication. ⊚ ⊚
5)
true false
Critiquing the social order is at the heart of the critical tradition. ⊚ ⊚
6)
true false
true false
New media includes the Internet, cell phone usage, and high-definition (HD) television. ⊚ ⊚
true false
7) For speakers, the goal of providing entertainment is at the core of rhetorical communication. ⊚ ⊚
true false
8) Communication apprehension is the fear that communication research is not a legitimate scholarly discipline. ⊚ ⊚
true false
9) Those who adhere to the socio-psychological tradition of communication theory uphold a cause–effect model of communication. ⊚ ⊚
true false
MULTIPLE CHOICE - Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question. 10) The _____ context of communication pertains to speaking and persuasion.
A) mass/media B) public/rhetorical C) cultural D) interpersonal
11) Which of the following statements most accurately encapsulates the view held by the semiotic tradition?
A) Meaning is achieved when we share a common language. B) Meanings are passed down from previous generations and do not change. C) Meaning resides in the words we use to express our ideas. D) All of the answers are correct.
12)
The environment in which communication takes place is called the
A) perspective B) tradition C) context D) situation
13) Those who adhere to the _____ in the field of communication most likely support the view that someone’s behavior is influenced by something else.
A) socio-physiological tradition B) socio-cultural tradition C) socio-phenomenological tradition D) socio-psychological tradition
14)
Small group communication research focuses on
A) task groups B) successful groups C) social groups D) All of the answers are correct
15) The _____ experiments indicated that environmental conditions and interpersonal relationships influence employee output.
A) Denning B) Stockman C) Oppenheim D) Hawthorne
16) In the context of organizational communication, which of the following is an organizing principle whereby things or persons are ranked one above the other?
A) specialization B) authority C) rationality D) hierarchy
17)
Co-cultures are
A) cultures that compete for influence over a common set of people B) groups of individuals who are part of the same larger culture, but who create opportunities of their own C) groups of individuals who strive to understand unfamiliar cultures, but who fail to arrive at common conclusions about these cultures D) cultures that influence individuals to help others
18)
Communication apprehension
A) is also known as the fear of speaking before an audience B) research has been examined across communication contexts C) can be reduced D) All of the answers are correct
19)
_____ is defined as a speaker's available means of persuading his or her audience.
A) Propaganda B) Rhetoric C) Communication metamorphosis D) Co-cultural communication
20) The exchange of multiple perspectives in a small group is known as _____ and explains why small groups may be more effective at achieving goals than an individual would be.
A) multitasking communication B) agenda setting C) groupthink D) synergy
21)
Which of the following statements is true of intrapersonal communication?
A) It stops the moment a person meets another individual. B) It is non-repetitive in nature. C) People who engage in it are prohibited from making attributions about others. D) People engage in it many times a day.
22) Which tradition in the field of communication relates to the influence of preexisting shared cultural patterns and social structures on interactions?
A) the enviro-cultural tradition B) the psycho-social tradition C) the socio-cultural tradition D) the inter-social tradition
23) Investigating the origins of relationships, the maintenance of relationships, and the dissolution of relationships characterizes the _____ communication context.
A) intrapersonal B) interpersonal C) small group D) power relationship
24)
_____ are communication patterns through which information flows.
A) Branches B) Domains C) Networks D) Synergies
25)
_____ communication is usually more repetitive than other types of communication.
A) Organizational B) Interpersonal C) Intrapersonal D) Rhetorical
26) Which of the following is the minimum number of individuals required to initiate small group communication?
A) two B) three C) four D) five
27) The growth of the study of the academic context of cultural communication can be attributed to
A) genuine efforts to understand other cultures B) technological availability C) population shifts D) All of the answers are correct
28) Research on romantic relationships in the workplace would be simultaneously considering which two contexts?
A) intrapersonal and intercultural contexts B) small group and mass communication contexts C) organizational and interpersonal contexts D) public/rhetorical and organizational contexts
29) Which of the following is NOT given as an example of research related to the mass communication context?
A) online dating sites B) e-mail flaming C) sex on prime-time TV D) use of humor in conversation
ESSAY. Write your answer in the space provided or on a separate sheet of paper. 30) Select one of the seven traditions in the field of communication to define and discuss. Provide examples of the kind of research that is done in that tradition, making sure it is clear how and why those examples illustrate the main focus and concerns of that tradition.
31)
Define the term context, and discuss how it is related to the study of communication.
32)
Identify and define the two most important components of small group behavior.
33) Argue for or against the following proposition: The communication discipline should establish one core communication theory.
34) Provide three examples of communication phenomena that may be studied in more than one context. Specify to which contexts they might be relevant and how researchers would differ in their approaches across those contexts.
35) Do you feel that each of the seven contexts of communication is a "legitimate" area of research? If yes, briefly explain why you feel each is legitimate. If no, explain which contexts you feel are not legitimate areas and why.
36) Which of the seven contexts do you feel is most important and relevant to everyday life? In your answer, be sure to explain why you feel this way using specific examples to support your thesis.
37) Identify and discuss an example from your life where you feel a better understanding of the research associated with one of the seven contexts of communication could have helped you better deal with a particular problem or situation.
38) Do you think communication should really be considered its own discipline, or do you feel it is just a loose collection of concepts from other fields? In your response, be sure to support your thesis with specific examples
Answer Key Test name: chapter 2 1) FALSE 2) FALSE 3) FALSE 4) TRUE 5) TRUE 6) TRUE 7) FALSE 8) FALSE 9) TRUE 10) B 11) A 12) C 13) D 14) A 15) D 16) D 17) B 18) D 19) B 20) D 21) D 22) C 23) B 24) C 25) C 26) B
27) D 28) C 29) D 30) Answers will vary. 31) Answers will vary. 32) Answers will vary. 33) Answers will vary. 34) Answers will vary. 35) Answers will vary. 36) Answers will vary. 37) Answers will vary. 38) Answers will vary.
Student name:__________ TRUE/FALSE - Write 'T' if the statement is true and 'F' if the statement is false. 1) Reliability is the opposite of validity. ⊚ ⊚
2)
true false
Homeostatic systems stay the same over a period of time. ⊚ ⊚
true false
3) Most social science researchers do not seek covering law explanations. Instead, they may seek "probabilistic" statements that can be said to have a certain degree of probability.
⊚ ⊚
true false
4) All of us in daily life think like researchers, using implicit, naïve theories to help us understand behavior. ⊚ ⊚
5)
Nominal concepts are concepts that are observable. ⊚ ⊚
6)
true false
true false
Ontology is sometimes called the first philosophy. ⊚ ⊚
true false
7) When considering the role and influence of values in scholarly research, our authors argue that it is realistic to expect that research will always be value-free. ⊚ ⊚
8)
true false
Concepts are words or terms that label the most important elements in a theory. ⊚ ⊚
true false
9) According to Wallace's theory, most researchers tend to strictly adhere to either deductive or inductive logic but never use both. ⊚ ⊚
true false
10) Some critical theorists, such as Stuart Hall, argue that power imbalances are not always the result of intentional strategies on the part of the powerful, but may instead be accidentally reproduced. ⊚ ⊚
true false
MULTIPLE CHOICE - Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question. 11) All of the following have been identified as goals of theory EXCEPT
A) explanation B) understanding C) reviewing D) social change
12)
The scientific method follows
A) deductive logic B) interpretive logic C) inductive logic D) lawlike logic
13) Theory is defined as a(n) _____ system of _____ with indications of the _____ among these concepts that help us to understand a phenomenon.
A) important; relationships; utility B) abstract; concepts; relationships C) interesting; variables; utility D) abstract; relationships; utility
14) Who among the following suggested that theory "is like a map for exploring unexplored territories"?
A) Stephen Littlejohn and Karen Foss B) William Doherty and his colleagues C) Jonathan H. Turner D) Donald Stacks and Michael Salwen
15) In the context of the components of a theory, which of the following is an example of a real concept?
A) love B) spatial distance C) democracy D) wage inflation
16)
Rhetorical theories, some media theories, and many interpersonal theories
A) simply improve individual lives B) aim to change the structures of society C) focus on prediction and extrapolation D) seek primarily to provide explanation or understanding
17) Which of the following is true of the critical approach to how researchers think and talk about the world?
A) The critical researcher believes that values are relevant in the study of communication. B) Critical researchers strive to be objective and work for control or direction over important concepts. C) Critical researchers feel that it is important to change the status quo to resolve power imbalances. D) The critical researcher carefully structures a situation so that only one element in his or her research varies in order to study it.
18) In the context of the covering law approach, which of the following is a definition of cause?
A) It is an antecedent condition that determines an effect. B) It is a testable prediction of relationships between concepts. C) It is an activity based on intentional choice responses. D) It is a condition that inevitably follows a causative condition.
19) Andrew and his elder sister Susan are watching television. Andrew wants to please Susan, hoping it will encourage her to buy him a skateboard for Christmas. He tunes in to the channel that she likes even though he hates its shows. According to James Lull, which of the following rules did Andrew adopt?
A) parametric rules B) peer rules C) tactical rules D) habitual rules
20) In the context of the systems approach, which of the following is true of the wholeness concept?
A) It means that the behaviors of system members co-construct the system and that all members are affected by shifts and changes in the system. B) It involves elements that generally shift and change over time. C) It states that a system cannot be fully comprehended by a study of its individual parts in isolation from one another. D) It periodically checks the scale of allowable behaviors and resets the system.
21) In the _____ to creating theory, communication behavior is believed to be governed by forces that are predictable and generalizable.
A) rules approach B) systems approach C) covering law approach D) inductive approach
22) When a theory's explanations make sense and do not appear to contradict each other, the theory is said to have
A) good scope B) logical consistency C) heuristic appeal D) utility
23) In the context of the guidelines researchers use to create theories, which of the following is true of the rules approach?
A) It assumes that communication behavior is governed by forces that are predictable and generalizable. B) It seeks to explain an event in the real world by referring to a general law. C) It holds that communication behavior is not subject to change. D) It holds that communication behavior is not lawlike.
24) At Westco Inc., a mission statement is presented to all new employees promoting its philosophy. It states that all departments should insist on quality performance from one another for the success of the company as a unit. When one unit fails, others will suffer. Which of the following systems approach elements is being promoted in this mission statement?
A) hierarchy B) boundaries/openness C) interdependence D) equifinality
25) The McAllister family has a rule that there will be no television viewing after eight o'clock on school nights. Which of Lull's rules governing television viewing is represented by this rule?
A) tactical rules B) habitual rules C) parametric rules D) authoritative rules
26)
_____ addresses questions about the role of values in the research process.
A) Axiology B) Epistemology C) Ontology D) Astrology
27) In which of the following statements is the criterion of parsimony most accurately described?
A) Parsimony requires that theories contain as many concepts as possible. B) Parsimony requires that a theory's explanations be simplistic. C) Parsimony requires consistent explanations and clear assumptions. D) Parsimony requires simplicity without sacrificing completeness.
28) _____ is the study of what it means to be human, which shapes the background understanding for theorizing about human communication.
A) Axiology B) Ontology C) Metatheology D) Epistemology
29) When scientists have disagreements about how we go about knowing things and what counts as knowledge, there is a disagreement about
A) axiology B) heurism C) testability D) epistemology
30)
In __________, the focus is on generating knowledge and theory for its own sake.
A) pure research B) applied research C) theoretical research D) axiological research
31) Converting raw data into a category system, such as when a researcher analyzes newspaper coverage of an event by quantifying and classifying the various topics covered in the articles into categories, is called
A) coding B) triangulation C) textual analysis D) operationalization
32) A researcher who has no concern for issues of control or the ability to generalize, instead choosing to focus on providing rich descriptions would be following the _____ to knowing things.
A) positivistic/empirical approach B) interpretive approach C) critical approach D) scientific approach
33) Researchers are concerned with the extent to which they are actually measuring the true variable of interest, such as whether the standard IQ test is really capturing an individual's intelligence. This concern is about
A) coding B) testability C) validity D) experimentation
ESSAY. Write your answer in the space provided or on a separate sheet of paper. 34) Describe the elements of the systems approach. Provide a real-life example of a system by applying each of the elements in your description.
35) Explain the difference between ontology, epistemology, and axiology. Write an original question to illustrate your understanding of each of these approaches.
36) Explain the definition of theory. Do you agree with this definition? Are there ideas or concepts you would like to add or take away from this definition?
37) Differentiate between the positivistic, interpretive, and critical approaches to conducting research. Identify the paradigm that you think best describes your approach to research. Explain why you chose this approach.
38) Select the three criteria for evaluating communication theory that you deem most important. For each one, provide a definition, an explanation of what that criterion entails, and an argument as to why you believe it is among the most important criteria for evaluating communication theory.