Q&A Hero

Q: Stagehogging occurs when someone's talking to us, and we use something the speaker says as an opening to a. to ask other questions of the speaker. b. hurt the other person. c. talk about a story of our own. d. talk about our desire to be performers.

Q: Grace asked her friend, Kerri, "How did you do on the exam?" Kerri replied nastily, "You know I didn"t study as much as I should have for that exam. How do you think I did?" Kerri's curt and rude response is typical of a. stagehogging. b. selective listening. c. defensive listening. d. critical listening.

Q: ____________ is one of the worst counterfeit listening styles because one response can trigger a downward spiral of increasingly negative communication. a. Stagehogging b. Selective listening c. Defensive listening d. Critical listening

Q: ___________ involves perceiving criticism in a message when none is intended by the speaker. a. Stagehogging b. Critical listening c. Selective listening d. Defensive listening

Q: Sometimes when listening to others, we screen the message for certain topics or issues to which we either respond or ignore. This is known as a. emotional noise. b. defensive listening. c. stagehogging. d. selective listening.

Q: When Jackie talked to her best friend Emily about a recent breakup, she noticed that although Emily appeared to be listening (eye contact, verbal responses at the right places, etc.), she seemed distracted. In this case, Emily may have been using a. stagehogging. b. defensive listening. c. advising. d. pseudolistening.

Q: Behaviors that appear to look like listening but are, in fact, counterproductive to good listening are called ___________ listening styles. a. counterintuitive b. counterfeit c. imposter d. deceptive

Q: Pearl is learning a complicated knitting technique and finds her mind struggling to absorb the information as the teacher shows her the multistep process. Since Pearl really wants to learn this technique, the fact she finds it difficult to pay attention to the speaker is probably related to a. message complexity. b. emotional noise. c. cognitive distractions. d. premature judgment.

Q: When a friend's message is so complicated that it is difficult to comprehend without taking time away from the message (and the speaker), we say the message is high in a. emotional noise. b. purpose. c. meaning. d. complexity.

Q: According to research on sex differences in the brain, women are _______________ compared to men. a. equally likely to multitask b. more likely to multitask c. less likely to succeed at multitasking d. less likely to multitask

Q: Sandra took three phone messages within minutes of each other. Because the messages dealt with different issues, roommates, and callers, it didn"t take long to realize Sandra's confusion of the messages was due to ___________. a. emotional noise b. information overload c. compartmentalization d. selective attention

Q: __________ interferes with our ability to listen to others because we try to process too much information. a. Emotional noise b. Compartmentalization c. Information overload d. Selective attention

Q: Introversion-Extraversion is related to selective attention in that a. compared to introverts, extraverts prefer higher levels of noise in learning environments. b. compared to introverts, extraverts prefer lower levels of noise in learning environments. c. both introverts and extraverts prefer quiet classroom environments. d. compared to introverts, extraverts are less able to filter out distractions in learning environments.

Q: Caitlin found it very hard to talk to her brother at the football game until she tuned out the cheering and focused directly on him. The strategy she is using here is a. sensory adaptation. b. noise. c. selective attention. d. information overload.

Q: When the environment is distracting, it sometimes becomes necessary to focus our attention to one stimulus and filter out other less relevant stimuli. This is known as a. sensory adaptation. b. noise. c. selective attention. d. information overload.

Q: At first, the noise at the party was overwhelming, but soon, Tracy began to get used to the music. This is known as a. sensory adaptation. b. noise. c. selective attention. d. information overload.

Q: In the presence of distracting noise, it is possible to become accustomed to the intrusive stimulus and, therefore, reduce its impact on us. This is known as a. noise. b. sensory adaptation. c. selective attention. d. information overload.

Q: One external barrier to listening involves ________, or the distraction associated with other conversations in the room, a television or stereo playing, or any other sound that intrudes while you are trying to listen to someone. a. noise b. emotional noise c. compartmentalization d. information overload

Q: __________ occurs when we stop listening to a message before the speaker is finished. a. Emotional noise b. Cognitive distraction c. Compart d. Premature judgment

Q: Bill wanted to talk to Jane about his frustrating day at work, but noticed she seemed particularly stressed out. He temporarily put aside the thought of his day and asked her what was wrong. Temporarily "filing away" our own issues is known as a. reconsidering. b. compartmentalizing. c. reorganizing. d. distracting.

Q: To prevent cognitive distraction from interfering with our ability to listen to others, we can put it aside temporarily, also known as a. redirection. b. recessitate. c. reorganization. d. compartmentalization.

Q: Sometimes, another unavoidable topic is on our mind when others try to talk to us. _________is another type of barrier that interferes with our ability to pay attention. a. Emotional noise b. Cognitive distraction c. Noise d. Information overload

Q: Mason was angry because of his recent fight with his girlfriend. When his friend, Jack, called to talk, Mason was unable to pay close attention due to a. emotional noise. b. cognitive distraction. c. noise. d. informational overload.

Q: Marsha was having a hard time listening to Clara's newest breakup story because Marsha herself had just been dumped by her boyfriend of three years. Because Marsha is devastated, her ability to pay attention is being affected by a. noise. b. cognitive distraction. c. emotional noise. d. informational overload.

Q: One barrier to listening, ___________, involves the stress, anxiety, anger, or other emotion that interferes with our ability to give the speaker our full attention. a. emotional noise b. cognitive distraction c. noise d. informational overload

Q: _______ barriers to listening include our thoughts or emotions whereas _______ barriers to listening originate in the message, the sender, or the environment. a. Internal; external b. Genetic; situational c. External; internal d. Observable; nonobservable

Q: Although listening is perceived as a passive behavior, the last step in effective listening is a. hearing. b. attending. c. understanding. d. responding.

Q: Your best friend responds to the question, "How was your test?" with a softly spoken, "Fine." Knowing your friend had a rough week at home and at work, you interpret "fine" differently. This is an example of ___________ associated with complete listening. a. hearing b. attending c. understanding d. responding

Q: _________ involves not only attending to what the speaker says, but also the nonverbal aspect of the message and the context of the message. a. Hearing b. Attending c. Understanding d. Responding

Q: Paying attention, the second step to complete listening, to what a speaker is saying is known as a. hearing. b. attending. c. understanding. d. responding.

Q: The first step of listening involves a. the physical element: hearing. b. attending. c. understanding. d. responding.

Q: Adults ranked __________ the best communication skill for effectiveness in both family and broader settings (Nolvin, 1984). a. empathy b. listening c. sympathy d. hearing

Q: Good listening skills involve hearing, understanding, and a. talking honestly about your own problems. b. responding in a way that clarifies or confirms your understanding. c. dividing attention effectively. d. presenting your own side on a dispute.

Q: Although effective communication involves a variety of skills, the single most important of these skills is a. speaking clearly. b. thinking about what you are going to say. c. listening. d. knowing your audience.

Q: Stefanie is feelings stressed because, yet again, she has taken on too many projects that need to be completed in a short period of time. When she expresses her concerns to her friend, Stacy, Stacy endorses her statement by responding, a. "I know you are stressed. It's hard to complete so much in so little time." b. "You always say that, yet you always overwork yourself." c. "You worry too much about deadlines; no one cares if everything is in on time." d. "You work better under pressure. Get over it."

Q: Accepting another person's thoughts or feelings as valid is also called a. acceptance. b. acknowledgement. c. recognition. d. endorsement.

Q: Not acknowledging another person's thoughts, feelings, or actions may leave a person a. feeling heard. b. feeling unimportant or misunderstood. c. feeling trusted to handle the problem on his or her own. d. supported.

Q: After a long day at work, Greg came home and announced, "I"ve had the worst day ever!" Which of the following would be a supportive response to the announcement consistent with the second level of confirmation in relational climate? a. "You think you had a bad daywait until you hear about mine!" b. "You say you"ve had a hard day every day. Get a new job." c. "You worry too much about work." d. "I"m sorry you had a hard day. Do you want to talk about it?"

Q: The second level of confirmation in relational climate involves a. recognizing another's existence. b. accepting another person's thoughts or feelings as valid. c. acknowledging another person's thoughts, feeling, or actions. d. sharing the information you"ve learned about the person with another.

Q: One way to punish others is to withdraw from interactions, including recognizing their existence or acknowledging their existence. This is also known as giving the other person the a. door in the face. b. foot in the door. c. kick in the pants. d. silent treatment.

Q: Walking across campus, Mary smiles or establishes eye contact with those individuals she recognizes. This is an example of what level of confirmation in a relationship? a. Recognizing another's existence b. Acknowledging another person's thoughts, feelings, or actions c. Accepting another person's thoughts or feelings as valid d. Sharing the information you"ve learned about one person with another

Q: The most basic level of confirmation in a relational climate is a. recognizing another's existence. b. acknowledging another's person's thoughts, feelings, or actions. c. accepting another person's thoughts or feelings as valid. d. sharing the information you"ve learned about the person with another.

Q: According to Buber (1970), being accepted and respected by others contributes to our psychological growth and a. interactional style. b. self-actualization. c. acceptance of others. d. empathy.

Q: The _______ climate is most likely to contribute to defensiveness because we feel the listener's judgment has been imposed on us. a. confirming b. supportive c. neutral d. disconfirming

Q: Megan finds it difficult to talk to her friend, Julie. "Whenever I try to get some insight into my problem, Julie just judges me without hearing all the evidence, if she even takes the time to listen." Megan's description best fits the ___________ type of relational climate. a. disconfirming b. confirming c. supportive d. neutral

Q: In a disconfirming climate, the relational climate is characterized by defensiveness, negative judgments, and a. openness. b. trust. c. mistrust. d. strength.

Q: Jonah suggests that the relational climate he has with his father is conforming. Which of the following descriptions best fits this type of climate? a. His father rarely has time to listen. b. His father takes the time to listen, but always seems distracted and withdrawn. c. His father listens, offers advice regardless of whether it is requested, and gives support when he makes a final decision. d. His father takes the time to listen, offers advice when asked, and respects his son's decisions.

Q: When our relational climate is supportive and based on mutual trust, respect, and support, we say it's a ________ climate. a. conforming b. interactional c. disconfirming d. conventional

Q: Whenever Suzanne has a problem, she talks to her friend, Sarah. "With Sarah, I always feel safe, supported, and understood." The comfort that Suzanne is expressing is related to a. relational climate. b. personal valuation. c. social climate. d. interaction expectation.

Q: The _________ involves the degree to which we feel safe, supported, and understood in a relationship. a. interaction expectation b. social climate c. personal valuation d. relational climate

Q: One way discrimination can be unrelated to prejudice is if a. we hire individuals based on laws prohibiting discriminatory behavior even if we are prejudiced. b. we knowingly hire from just one type of people. c. we offer preferential treatment to individuals protected by discrimination laws. d. we fail to hire based on credentials and hire employees based on race.

Q: The manager of the new shoe store at the mall refused to hire any teenagers just because of their age. This is an example of a. stereotyping. b. prejudice. c. preferential treatment of teens. d. discrimination.

Q: ____________ is the unfair treatment of a person or group solely on the basis of their group membership. a. Stereotyping b. Prejudice c. Discrimination d. Alienation

Q: Relative deprivation leads to prejudice because the target of the frustration associated with the perceived inequality becomes a(n) a. scapegoat. b. ingroup. c. catalyst. d. stereotype.

Q: Lorie was excited about her upcoming raise at work until she heard that one of the other technicians received a larger raise than she. This perception that her coworker has more wealth or opportunities than she is also known as a. relative deprivation. b. group identity. c. social learning. d. realistic group conflict.

Q: Sometimes, prejudice is related to the perception that others have more wealth, opportunities, status, etc., than you. This is known as a. realistic group conflict. b. group identity. c. social learning. d. relative deprivation.

Q: Jessica handed her mom a list of kids she wanted to invite to her birthday party. After the invitations were mailed, she realized her mom neglected to send the invitations to her African American friends. According to ____________ theory, Jessica may learn prejudicial attitudes from her mother. a. realistic group conflict b. group identity c. social learning d. relative deprivation

Q: _______________ theory suggests we may learn our prejudicial behaviors and attitudes from role models in our environment. a. Realistic group conflict b. Group identity c. Social learning d. Relative deprivation

Q: In the case of the1966 Robbers' Cave study, how long did it take to increase competition for resources and subsequent prejudice between the groups? a. One day b. A few days c. Two weeks d. A month

Q: During phase one of the 1966 Robbers' Cave study, the separate groups developed group membership and solidarity. During phase two, a. the boys began a series of cooperative events across the groups. b. the boys began a series of competitive events between the groups. c. hostility between the two groups of boys decreased. d. the groups failed to illustrate the ingroup-outgroup bias expected by Sherif.

Q: In the Robbers' Cave study (Sherif, 1966), 22 well-adjusted boys were assigned to one of two groups, the __________ or the a. Garter Snakes; Blue Jays. b. Eagles; Rattlers. c. good boys; bad boys. d. baseball team; basketball team.

Q: The ________________ theory was demonstrated in a landmark study by Muzifer Sherif called the Robbers' Cave study (1966). a. realistic group conflict b. group identity c. social learning d. relative deprivation

Q: With so few jobs in the small town of Concord, Idaho, residents are becoming increasingly concerned with the influx of Hispanic immigrants and the scarcity of jobs, money, and status. These concerns are most consistent with _________ theory. a. group identity b. realistic group conflict c. social learning d. relative deprivation

Q: According to ______________ theory, people become prejudiced against others with whom they must compete for limited resources. a. group identity b. realistic group conflict c. social learning d. relative deprivation

Q: As one reflection of hidden racism, surveys of African American, Asian American, and Mexican American college students indicated a. they felt accepted on college campuses. b. they felt equally comfortable in classes on college campuses. c. more frequent disturbances in dorm life. d. they felt socially isolated up to nine times more often than did students of European American descent.

Q: In the United States, it appears that some prejudices have ______________ over the last 50 years. a. dramatically increased b. mildly decreased c. remained the same d. dramatically decreased

Q: One societal factor that increases prejudice of one group against another is when the dominant group of the country feels threatened by a. the loss of a large group of emigrants from another country. b. changes in expectations for the population. c. the influx of a large group of immigrants from another country. d. government intervention associated with economic changes.

Q: The main difference between a stereotype and prejudice is that a stereotype is a(n) ________ and prejudice is a(n) a. attitude; cognitive process. b. cognitive process; attitude. c. negative; positive. d. positive; neutral.

Q: Bonnie's mother keeps trying to fix her up with Carlton, an engineer at her architectural firm. Bonnie replies, "Mom, why would I ever go out with an engineer? They are geeky, wear white shirts, and have pocket protectors. Fix him up with someone else." Judging Carlton based on these stereotypes is an example of a. discrimination. b. prejudice. c. realistic conflict theory. d. social learning.

Q: ___________ is the prejudgment or superficial judgment about a particular group of people. a. Discrimination b. Prejudice c. Realistic conflict theory d. Social learning

Q: Which of the following individuals will be most likely to rely on a stereotype? a. Austin, who is visiting New York City for the first time and is late for his seminar. b. Jane, who is returning to New York City for the third time to visit relatives. c. Justin, who is visiting New York City for the first time on vacation and has all day to see the city. d. Danielle, who is returning to New York City for the second time, this time for her honeymoon.

Q: Gracie just won $250 in a raffle. As she was cheerfully walking home from work, she saw a homeless man and immediately the stereotypical characteristics of down on his luck, mentally ill, and needy came to mind. According to Stroessner and Mackie (1992), this would be an example of how people in a ________ mood are more complacent and, therefore, more likely to engage in stereotyping. a. bad b. neutral c. tearful d. good

Q: Goodwin and Fiske (1993) suggests one reason individuals in powerful positions may differentially stereotype less powerful counterparts is a. they have more to lose and are therefore more likely to engage in stereotyping. b. they have more demands on their time and are therefore more likely to use stereotyping to maintain cognitive efficiency. c. stereotyping lower-level managers and secretaries takes more time and increases the likelihood that supervisors will get to know their employees. d. they all work in the same office climate.

Q: When individuals in powerful positions were compared to individuals in less powerful positions in likelihood of stereotyping, Fiske (1993) found a. neither group relied on stereotypes. b. individuals in positions of power were more likely to stereotype people in less powerful positions than were the less powerful likely to stereotype powerful individuals. c. compared to less powerful individuals, those in positions of power were less likely to stereotype. d. both groups were equally likely to stereotype the other group.

Q: According to Neuberg and Newsom (1993), people scoring higher on the Personal Need for Structure scale are a. less likely to stereotype. b. find it more difficult to stereotype. c. more likely to stereotype. d. equally likely to stereotype as are individuals who score lower on the same scale.

Q: One personal variable related to a person's tendency to stereotype is his or her need for predictability and order in life. This is also known as a. order preference. b. obsessive compulsive disorder. c. expectation. d. need for structure.

Q: Sometimes, we assume members of the outgroup are more alike than members of the ingroup. This is called a. need for structure. b. categorizing. c. outgroup homogeneity effect. d. outgroup heterogeneity effect.

Q: One example of the confirmation bias is the type of information remembered about ingroup and outgroup members. Which of the following statements best describes this relationship? a. We are less likely to remember positive acts conducted by members of our ingroup and more likely to remember positive acts performed by those in the outgroup. b. We are equally likely to remember positive and negative acts regardless of ingroup-outgroup status. c. We are more likely to remember negative acts conducted by members of our ingroup and positive acts performed by those in the outgroup. d. We are more likely to remember positive acts conducted by members of our ingroup and more likely to remember negative acts performed by those in the outgroup.

Q: Stereotypes persist because we tend to pay more attention to information consistent with our views rather than contrary to our views. This is also known as a a. self-fulfilling prophecy. b. confirmation bias. c. schematic direction. d. behavioristic expectation.

Q: Although Samantha studied hard, she had trouble earning grades higher than a C. Her father, frustrated by her lackluster performance, remarked she would never succeed at this rate. Samantha soon gave up trying, and her grades slipped from Cs to Ds and Fs. Her behavior is an example of a. self-fulfilling prophecy. b. individualistic expectation. c. power distance. d. behavioristic expectation.