Chapter 4: Nonverbal Communication

Chapter 4: Nonverbal Communication
True/False Questions
15. When communicating with an American, it is important to keep in mind that a greater emphasis is placed on nonverbal messages as compared
to verbal messages.
16. Our use of time can be an indication of personality, status, or culture.
17. Vocal cues have no persuasive effect; nor do they convey information about the speaker’s character.
18. The study of nonverbal communication includes symbols that are not words as well as nonword sounds that convey meaning.
19. Kinesics is the study of posture, movement, gestures, and facial expression.
20. With nonverbal communication you need to assess the other person’s unique behavior and consider the context to make a better
interpretation.
21. People are objectively aware of their own and each of their partner’s physical attractiveness.
22. When I wave “hello” to someone in the distance, I am using a nonverbal cue called an illustrator.
23. A nonverbal move that controls communication, such as starting to move away from a person, is an example of a nonverbal cue called an
adaptor.
24. Audiences who can see the speaker’s nonverbal behavior understand more of the message than audiences who cannot.
25. Men claim more space for themselves than small people and women.
26. According to Hall’s categories, standing four to twelve feet from another is called public distance.
27. Appropriate distance is culturally determined.
28. Male children receive more touching from their mothers than do female children.
29. The least touching occurs between fathers and sons.
30. The amount of touching that takes place between people varies depending on the nation in which they live.
31. Paralinguistic features of vocal cues are called “nonverbal” even though they include nonword sounds.
32. A woman who wears an engagement ring, a sorority pin, and an expensive gold bracelet is communicating nonverbally through artifacts.
33. Proxemics is the study of pronunciation and articulation in nonverbal communication.
34. In nonverbal communication we use the same cue to communicate a number of different meanings.
35. In nonverbal communication we use a variety of cues to communicate the same meaning.
36. People who view tier work as fast-paced tend to have less job satisfaction.
37. Tattoos are perceived similarly for both men and women.
Multiple Choice Questions
39. Two men are arguing at the bar when the smaller one says
something unkind about the other’s mother. The bigger fellow
glares straight ahead at his opponent. He is using a nonverbal
signal that is best described as being an
a. illustrator.
b. emblem.
c. affect display.
d. adaptor.
TB | 195
40. As the woman shaded her eyes with her open hand on her
brow, she said, “Wow, is it ever bright out here.” The
nonverbal cue here is
a. an illustrator.
b. an emblem.
c. a regulator.
d. an adaptor.

41. Which of the following is not included in the study of
proxemics?
a. distance
b. space
c. sound
d. territoriality
42. Which type of facial expression will likely receive the most
attention?
a. neutral
b. happy
c. angry
d. sad
43. At what age do people, on average, begin receiving specialized
attention based on physical attractiveness?
a. 1
b. 4
c. 7
d. 10
44. A distance of ten feet between two people talking is what
Edward T. Hall referred to as
a. intimate distance.
b. personal distance.
c. social distance.
d. public distance.
45. Which of the following statements about distance is false?
a. Women exhibit discomfort at the small space they are
allowed by others.
b. Women and children are given little space in our American
culture.
c. Women and children desire more relational closeness than
do males in our society.
d. Men tend to take more room because they are usually
bigger in height and weight.
46. The social-scientific studies reported about nonverbal
communication are based on a specialized application of
a. the scientific method.
b. opinion.
c. popular opinion.
d. humanistic studies.
47. To whom are you the most likely to stand the closest?
a. a state senator from another state
b. a person of the same race
c. a person who is obviously physically handicapped
d. a stranger
48. Which statement about nonverbal use of space is false?
a. Strangely enough, people tend to stand close together in a
large space like an auditorium.
b. Strangely enough, people tend to stay farther apart in small
places like elevators.
c. Middle-class suburbanites tend to have open backyards, but
suburbanites in Latin America tend to have walls.
d. Americans tend to stand much closer to each other than do
people from most other countries.
49. Which of the following statements about touch is false?
a. Men value touch more than women do.
b. Fathers touch sons less than mothers do.
c. Female students are touched more than male students.
d. Female children are touched more than male children.
TB | 196
50. Who is more likely to use touch as a means of communicating?
a. a white American from Salt Lake City, Utah
b. a black woman from Puerto Rico
c. an English gentleman from London
d. a Frenchman from Paris.
51. Which of the following are not paralinguistic features?
a. pitch, rate, and inflection
b. volume, voice quality, and silence
c. pronunciation, enunciation, and articulation
d. sounds with meaning and words without meaning
52. Paralinguistic cues can indicate all of the following except
a. emotional states.
b. personality characteristics.
c. intelligence.
d. physical characteristics.
53. Which of the following findings is true of the relationship
between dress and personality?
a. People who dress with comfort in mind tend to be low in
self-control and introverted.
b. People who dress in a decorative style tend to be unsociable
and intellectual.
c. People who are conformist in dress are expressive,
dominant, and unrestrained in social situations.
d. People who conform to current styles seek to be accepted
and liked.
54. Which statement about clothing and the perceptions of others is
not verified by research?
a. Clothing affects others’ impression of status.
b. Clothing and artifacts are unrelated to how acceptable we
find other people to be.
c. Clothing is often cited by women as the most important
characteristic when describing another’s popularity.
d. Brightly colored clothing is associated with sophistication,
immorality, and physical attractiveness.
55. Communication by touch is called
a. tactile communication.
b. affect displays.
c. territoriality.
d. kinesics.
56. Kelly is listening intently to her friend, Sheri, talk about her
boyfriend who is leaving for a year to serve in the Army. Kelly
says “mmm-hmm” during the conversation to show Sheri that
she is listening. She is communicating using
a. kinesics.
b. paralinguistics.
c. objectics.
d. artifacts.
58. The study of nonword sounds that communicate meaning is
called
a. kinesics.
b. aralinguistics.
c. objectics.
d. artifacts.
59. When a person leans forward and has a positive facial
expression, he or she is exhibiting the concept of
a. status.
b. chronemics.
c. liking.
d. responsiveness.