Beebe/Beebe/Ivy Communication: Principles for a Lifetime, 6e Test Bank

Test Bank Chapter 7: Understanding Interpersonal Communication

7.1 Multiple Choice

TB_Q7.01 Communication that occurs when two people attempt to mutually
influence one another through a channel other than face-to-face, usually for the
purpose of managing relationships is called_____ communication.
a. mediated interpersonal
b. hidden
c. blind
d. impersonal
Answer: a

TB_Q7.02 According to the definition given in your book, which of the following
situations would be classified as interpersonal communication?
a. The usher at the theatre looks at your tickets then points to the center aisle.
b. You and your roommate are discussing a movie you just watched.
c. You call the weather line to find out the forecast.
d. You present your project to your history class.
Answer: b

TB_Q7.03 When Sonny and Carly were eating at a local restaurant and Sonny
waved his hand in the air to call the food server to their table, he was engaging in
_____.
a. interpersonal communication
b. self-disclosure
c. impersonal communication
d. immediacy behaviors
Answer: c

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Beebe/Beebe/Ivy Communication: Principles for a Lifetime, 6e Test Bank

TB_Q7.04 Marsha and Karen have been friends since grade school. They both
deeply value one another’s opinions, and they both play an important role in one
another’s life. This example best illustrates what aspect of interpersonal
communication?
a. Quality
b. Simultaneous communication
c. Mutual influence
d. Relationship management
Answer: c

TB_Q7.05 Mattie and Nancy first met each other on the job. Since they saw each
other every day and worked together, they became friends. This situation best
describes a relationship of _____.
a. choice
b. circumstance
c. time
d. social distance
Answer: b

TB_Q7.06 The degree to which we desire to form and possibly maintain an

interpersonal relationship with another person is called _____.
a. self-absorption
b. interpersonal attraction
c. similarity
d. proximity
Answer: b

TB_Q7.07 Grace and Kelly have been friends since kindergarten. They met in
school and now that they are both married, they live just blocks from one another.
These two women demonstrate a relationship of _____.
a. choice
b. circumstance
c. habit
d. similarity
Answer: a

TB_Q7.08 The term _____ is used to describe a motivational state that causes
someone to think, feel, and behave in a positive manner toward someone else.
a. complementary
b. attraction
c. immediacy
d. sequencing
Answer: b

TB_Q7.09 When do relationships of circumstance occur?

a. When we communicate interpersonally with another
b. When we intentionally seek out the relationship
c. When the lives of two people overlap in some way
d. When the other person is not present
Answer: c

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 Beebe/Beebe/Ivy Communication: Principles for a Lifetime, 6e Test Bank

TB_Q7.10 Candace thinks Robert has a great smile and beautiful skin. You would
say that Candace has a _____ attraction toward Robert.
a. sexual
b. maintenance
c. feminine
d. physical
Answer: d

TB_Q7.11 According to your book, relationships that are most likely to last are
established between people who are _____.
a. similar in dispositions and preferences
b. dissimilar in dispositions and preferences
c. attracted because they’re different
d. complementary to us
Answer: a

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Beebe/Beebe/Ivy Communication: Principles for a Lifetime, 6e Test Bank

TB_Q7.12 Which of the following statements is TRUE concerning physical and

sexual attraction?
a. People generally are sexually attracted to everyone that they find physically
attractive.
b. People can be physically attracted to someone that they do not find sexually
attractive.
c. A standard ideal for physical and sexual attraction exists.
d. Physical and sexual attraction is the same thing.
Answer: b

TB_Q7.13 The tendency to seek out individuals who represent the same level of
physical attractiveness as ourself is explained as _____.
a. proximity
b. inclusion
c. matching hypothesis
d. a relationship of choice
Answer: c

TB_Q7.14 When Myron and Phoebe met, each envisioned the other as a potential
relationship partner because each saw the other as similar in physical
attractiveness. This notion is probably due to_____.
a. proximity
b. complementarity
c. inclusion
d. the matching hypothesis
Answer: d

TB_Q7.15 Kendra is an athlete and tends to date men who are also athletes. This
demonstrates the idea of attraction based on _____.
a. similarity
b. proximity
c. reciprocity
d. duality
Answer: a

TB_Q7.16 Sandra tells Rhonda, “I find it interesting that all my boyfriends have
been someone I met at work or someone who lived next door to me. It makes
breakups very messy. I wish I could expand my dating pool.” The fact that Sandra
dates people she meets at work or next-door neighbors can be explained by which
of the following aspects of interpersonal attraction?
a. Matching hypothesis
b. Similarity
c. Complementarity
d. Proximity
Answer: d

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 Beebe/Beebe/Ivy Communication: Principles for a Lifetime, 6e Test Bank

TB_Q7.17 The textbook notes that “opposites attract, but dramatic opposites
seldom last.” This phrase explains _____ in interpersonal relationships.
a. complexity
b. reliability
c. similarity
d. proximity
Answer: c

TB_Q7.18 Morgan and Ricardo dated all through high school, but after they went
to college in different states their relationship ended. Which of the following MOST
likely explains this break up?
a. Proximity
b. Similarity
c. Security
d. Reliability
Answer: a

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Beebe/Beebe/Ivy Communication: Principles for a Lifetime, 6e Test Bank

TB_Q7.19 Sicily needed to ask someone in her math class a question, but she
didn’t see any of the people who sat next to her in class in the lunchroom. The
only person she saw was a boy who sat in the back corner of the math room, and
she didn’t even know his name. The fact that Sicily knows the people next to her
in class better is explained by _____.
a. similarity
b. complexity
c. proximity
d. complementarity
Answer: c

TB_Q7.20 The idea of complementarity is that we are attracted to people who

_____.
a. have different interests and needs that round out our own
b. pay us a lot of compliments
c. have similar interests, values, and needs to our own
d. are about as physically attractive as we consider ourselves to be
Answer: a

TB_Q7.21 Jonathan sat down next to Sandra and made eye contact. He then
moved a little closer to her and increased eye contact and leaned forward, toward
her, when she began to speak. These actions indicate which of the following on
the part of Jonathan?
a. Reciprocity
b. Narcissism
c. Passivity
d. Immediacy
Answer: d

TB_Q7.22 Porter noticed that when he talked to Alicia, she looked him straight in
the eye and leaned close to him. Alicia is demonstrating _____.
a. immediacy
b. primacy
c. uncertainty
d. stereotyping
Answer: a

TB_Q7.23 Alfredo was not very good at cooking or saving money when he met
Belinda. Belinda liked to cook and possessed the ability to prepare a delicious
meal for very little money. Alfredo was probably attracted to Belinda due to _____.
a. inclusion
b. complementarity
c. affection
d. control
Answer: b

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 Beebe/Beebe/Ivy Communication: Principles for a Lifetime, 6e Test Bank

TB_Q7.24 Betty and Barney were attracted to one another although they did not
appear to their friends to “go together.” Betty was not very good with money, but
Barney kept his checkbook in immaculate order and always knew how much
money they had available to spend. These two found an attraction based on
_____.
a. self-disclosure
b. proximity
c. complementarity
d. compatibility
Answer: c

TB_Q7.25 Nonverbal cues, such as eye contact, that indicate liking are referred to
as _____.
a. immediacy
b. complementarity
c. proximity cues
d. inclusion cues
Answer: a

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Beebe/Beebe/Ivy Communication: Principles for a Lifetime, 6e Test Bank

TB_Q7.26 Which of the following statements best describes the focus of

uncertainty reduction theory?
a. How we communicate our attraction to other people
b. How we form our sense of self-worth in our relationships
c. How we determine the value of our interpersonal relationships in our lives
d. How we use information about other people in order to decrease ambiguity
Answer: d

TB_Q7.27 A communication strategy of reducing our uncertainty by observing

others and observing situations is describing a(n) _____ strategy.
a. passive
b. active
c. interactive
d. transactive
Answer: a

TB_Q7.28 Tim had been watching Pat all semester in class, although they had
never really talked. At first he thought that Pat was about as interesting as a piece
of toast, but as the semester progressed he could tell from Pat’s comments that
Pat had a very dry, biting sense of humor. He began to think that Pat might be an
interesting person to be friends with. What information reduction strategy is Tim
using?
a. Passive
b. Active
c. Interactive
d. Strategic
Answer: a

TB_Q7.29 Darin saw his cousin, Malika, talking to a girl he had been interested in.
Later, he asked Malika if the girl was involved in a relationship with anyone. What
type of strategy was Darin using to gather information about the girl?
a. Passive
b. Active
c. Interactive
d. Strategic
Answer: b

TB_Q7.30 During their first night in the residence hall, Karl invited his new
roommate to go to the union to shoot some pool and eat a pizza. What strategy
was Karl using to gather information about his roommate?
a. Passive
b. Active
c. Interactive
d. Strategic
Answer: c

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 Beebe/Beebe/Ivy Communication: Principles for a Lifetime, 6e Test Bank

7.3 Short Answer

TB_Q7.60 Explain impersonal communication and provide an example.
Answer:

Impersonal communication occurs when we treat people as objects or respond to their

roles rather than to who they are as unique people.

Ex:
When we speak to a food server in terms of him or her being a server and NOT a unique
individual, we are engaging in impersonal communication.

TB_Q7.61 What is the difference between a relationship of circumstance and a

relationship of choice? Give a few examples of each.
Answer:

Relationships of circumstance are unintentional and are formed simply because some
part of our life overlaps with a part of another’s. Often, the teachers, coworkers, and
classmates a person meets are the product of circumstance.

Relationships of choice are ones we intentionally seek out. Our friends, spouses, and
even counselors fall within this category.

TB_Q7.62 What is interpersonal attraction?

Answer:

Interpersonal attraction is the degree to which one desires to form and possibly maintain
an interpersonal relationship with another person. It includes positive regard for that
person; feelings of attraction change during different stages of a relationship.

TB_Q7.63 Demonstrate the difference between a relationship of circumstance and

a relationship of choice.
Answer: A relationship of circumstance occurs because our lives overlap with someone
because a situation brings us into contact. For example our relationships with our
families. A relationship of choice is one that is sought out and intentionally developed
such as relationships between friends or spouses.

TB_Q7.64 Explain the matching hypothesis.

Answer:

The matching hypothesis is a nonverbal communication concept noting that people tend
to seek out relationships with others who are similar to them in their level of physical
attractiveness.

TB_Q7.65 Explain the concept of similarity.

Answer: Similarity refers to the degree to which one’s characteristics, values, attitudes,
interests, or personality traits are like those of another person.

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Beebe/Beebe/Ivy Communication: Principles for a Lifetime, 6e Test Bank

TB_Q7.66 Briefly explain immediacy.

Answer:

Immediacy is based on nonverbal cues that communicate liking, pleasure, or closeness.

Immediacy behaviors work to reduce the physical and psychological distance between
people.

TB_Q7.67 Explain uncertainty reduction theory. How might we go about reducing

our uncertainty?
Answer:

Uncertainty reduction theory is based upon the assumption that people use
communication to reduce uncertainty about other people. We are motivated to do this in
order to be able to predict and explain the other person’s behaviors under specific
circumstances. We can reduce our uncertainty through passive strategies of awareness
and observation,

active strategies that involve perception checking or getting information from a third
party,

or interactive methods where we go directly to the source to reduce our uncertainty.

TB_Q7.68 Briefly describe and explain the social penetration model.

Answer:

The social penetration model is a unique way of describing each individual relationship
we may have by examining the breadth and depth of information that is disclosed in each
interpersonal relationship.

The breadth of information represents the wide range of topics you could discuss about
yourself.

While you may have a lot of breadth, intimacy is not achieved without depth.

Depth has to do with discussing topics on a more deeply personal level.

Each relationship may be described in various levels of breadth and depth depending on
the amount of self-disclosure and areas that are discussed.

TB_Q7.69 Define the concept of reciprocity.

Answer:

Reciprocity refers to sharing information about oneself with another person with the
expectation that the other person will share information that is similar in risk or depth.

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