Solution Manual for Communication in Everyday Life

The Basic Course Edition With Public Speaking 2nd

Edition by Duck and McMahan ISBN 1506350240
9781506350240
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Chapter 4: Verbal Communication
Test Bank

Multiple Choice

1. Narratives serve a strategic purpose by ______.

a. providing a way to make the conversation more interesting
b. providing a way to lengthen the conversation
c. providing a way to summarize the discussion
d. providing an account, explanation, or conclusion that provides the speaker’s
perspective
Ans: D
Focus Question: What is the presentational nature of verbal communication?
Answer Location: Verbal Communication Is Presentational
Difficulty Level: Easy

2. The elements of Burke’s dramatic pentad used to analyze stories are ______.
a. scene, agent, method, medium, message
b. scene, agent, act, actuality, event
c. scene, agent, act, agency, plot
d. scene, agent, act, agency, purpose
Ans: D
Focus Question: What is the presentational nature of verbal communication?
Answer Location: Table 4.4 Elements of the Pentad
Difficulty Level: Easy

3. The way that a speaker emphasizes certain elements of the pentad in telling a story
can reveal ______.
a. the person’s failure to communicate
b. the person’s perspective on or view of the world
c. the person’s ability to deceive
d. the person’s popularity
Ans: B
Focus Question: What is the presentational nature of verbal communication?
Answer Location: Elements of the Pentad
Difficulty Level: Medium

4. The accommodation process includes which two types?

a. Indulgence and divergence
b. Indulgence and convergence
c. Convergence and divergence
d. Maleficence and indulgence
Ans: C
Focus Question: What frames your understanding of verbal communication?
Answer Location: Accommodation: Adjusting Relational Frames
Difficulty Level: Easy

5. Which of the following would not constitute an account of one’s communication?

a. Lying
b. Justification
c. Excuse
d. Explanation
Ans: A
Focus Question: What is the presentational nature of verbal communication?
Answer Location: Giving Accounts
Difficulty Level: Medium

6. Burke likened the interconnected relationship of the elements of the pentad to which
of the following?
a. The five corners of a home plate in baseball
b. Five points on a star
c. The five fingers on a hand
d. The five players on the court for one side in basketball
Ans: C
Focus Question: What is the presentational nature of verbal communication?
Answer Location: Ratios of the Pentad
Difficulty Level: Easy

7. The element of act in Burke’s pentad refers to ______.

a. where it happened
b. who was involved
c. what happened
d. why something happened
Ans: C
Focus Question: What is the presentational nature of verbal communication?
Answer Location: Table 4.4 Elements of the Pentad
Difficulty Level: Easy
8. The element of agency in Burke’s pentad refers to ______.
a. where something happened
b. who was involved
c. what occurred
d. how the act was accomplished
Ans: D
Focus Question: What is the presentational nature of verbal communication?
Answer Location: Table 4.4 Elements of the Pentad
Difficulty Level: Easy

9. The element of agent in Burke’s pentad refers to ______.

a. where something happened
b. who performed the act
c. what happened
d. how the act happened
Ans: B
Focus Question: What is the presentational nature of verbal communication?
Answer Location: Table 4.4 Elements of the Pentad
Difficulty Level: Easy

10. The element of purpose in Burke’s pentad refers to ______.

a. why the act took place
b. where the act occurred
c. who was involved
d. what happened
Ans: A
Focus Question: What is the presentational nature of verbal communication?
Answer Location: Table 4.4 Elements of the Pentad
Difficulty Level: Easy

11. The element of scene in Burke’s pentad refers to _______.

a. the situation or location of the act
b. who was involved
c. what happened
d. how the act happened
Ans: A
Focus Question: What is the presentational nature of verbal communication?
Answer Location: Table 4.4 Elements of the Pentad
Difficulty Level: Easy

12. Convergence in talk refers to ______.

a. people speaking in different styles
b. people indicating distance or dislike
c. people speaking in the same style
d. people avoiding closeness or enjoyment
Ans: C
Focus Question: What frames your understanding of verbal communication?
Answer Location: Accommodation: Adjusting Relational Frames
Difficulty Level: Easy

13. According to Duck and McMahan, talk serves these three functions for relationships.
a. Instrumental, polemic, pragmatic
b. Instrumental, expressive, pragmatic
c. Instrumental, indexical, essential
d. Instrumental, essential, minimalist
Ans: C
Focus Question: What are the functions of verbal communication?
Answer Location: Relationships and Everyday Talk
Difficulty Level: Easy

14. The indexical function of talk in relationships means that ______.

a. talk can make something happen
b. talk can indicate something about the nature or status of the relationship
c. talk can create the essence of the relationship
d. talk can terminate the relationship
Ans: B
Focus Question: What are the functions of verbal communication?
Answer Location: Indexical Function
Difficulty Level: Easy

15. The term facework refers to ______.

a. managing your ability to smile attractively
b. managing your dignity or self-respect
c. managing your complexion
d. managing your relationship
Ans: B
Focus Question: What are the functions of verbal communication?
Answer Location: Facework
Difficulty Level: Easy

16. “High code” in speaking would most likely be ______.

a. casual, welcoming, and friendly
b. relaxed and informal
c. formal and professional
d. informal and less professional
Ans: C
Focus Question: What frames your understanding of verbal communication?
Answer Location: Ways of Speaking
Difficulty Level: Easy

17. The term polysemy refers to ______.

a. multiple meanings for the same word
b. limited meanings for the same word
c. multiple meanings for multiple words
d. limited meanings for multiple words
Ans: A
Focus Question: How does verbal communication involve meaning?
Answer Location: Denotative and Connotative Meanings
Difficulty Level: Medium

18. The term connotation refers to ______.

a. the use of language to identify something in a simple and straightforward way
b. failing to understand the implications and background behind words
c. the use of language to identify something in a specific or literal way
d. understanding the implications and background behind words
Ans: D
Focus Question: How does verbal communication involve meaning?
Answer Location: Denotative and Connotative Meanings
Difficulty Level: Medium

19. The term denotation refers to ______.

a. understanding the implications and background behind words
b. the use of language to identify something in a specific or literal way, such as by the
generally accepted dictionary definition
c. failing to understand the implications and background behind words
d. the use of language to identify something in a complex and subtle way
Ans: B
Focus Question: How does verbal communication involve meaning?
Answer Location: Denotative and Connotative Meanings
Difficulty Level: Medium

Multiple Response

1. CHOOSE ALL THAT APPLY. Cultural styles of talk include the categories of ______.
a. feminine and masculine
b. convergent and divergent
c. high-context and low-context
d. collectivist and individualist
Ans: A, C, D
Focus Question: How is verbal communication cultural?
Answer Location: Table 4.3 Cultural Styles of Talk
Difficulty Level: Medium

2. CHOOSE ALL THAT APPLY. Which of the following are likely to be considered Devil
terms?
a. Lazy
b. Baby
c. Cheater
d. Traitor
Ans: A, C, D
Focus Question: How does verbal communication involve meaning?
Answer Location: Words and Values
Difficulty: Medium

3. CHOOSE ALL THAT APPLY. Low code is more likely to be used when talking to
______.
a. a friend
b. a person you grew up with
c. a person you’ve known for a long time
d. someone you just met
Ans: A, B, C
Focus Question: What frames your understanding of verbal communication?
Answer Location: Ways of Speaking
Difficulty Level: Medium

4. CHOOSE ALL THAT APPLY. Frames help people understand communication by

shedding light on ______.
a. how they should assign meaning to verbal communication
b. how they may expect others to communicate
c. how they should be communicating
d. how they should assign meaning to nonverbal communication
Ans: A, B, C
Focus Question: What frames your understanding of verbal communication?
Answer Location: Verbal Communication and Frames
Difficulty Level: Medium

True/False

1. There is a direct connection between symbols and what they represent.

Ans: F
Focus Question: How is verbal communication symbolic?
Answer Location: How Is Verbal Communication Symbolic?
Difficulty Level: Medium

2. The acceptance and application of the usage of symbols determines how they are
represented through ideas.
Ans: T
Focus Question: How is verbal communication symbolic?
Answer Location: How Is Verbal Communication Symbolic?
Difficulty Level: Medium

3. Symbolic activity, along with language usage, assists in the way that personalities,
identities, cultures, and realities are transacted.
Ans: F
Focus Question: How is verbal communication symbolic?
Answer Location: How Is Verbal Communication Symbolic?
Difficulty Level: Medium

4. Communication can work only when individuals use similar words to indicate or
denote the same items.
Ans: T
Focus Question: How is verbal communication symbolic?
Answer Location: Denotative and Connotative Meaning
Difficulty Level: Medium

5. “You think what you can say” is the proposal of the mood-congruent hypothesis.
Ans: F
Focus Question: How does verbal communication involve meaning?
Answer Location: Denotative and Connotative Meanings
Difficulty Level: Medium

6. Media references are common because of the denotative means with which they are
associated.
Ans: F
Focus Question: How does verbal communication involve meaning?
Answer Location: By the way… Hello, Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch
Difficulty Level: Medium

7. Relationships are developed and maintained through symbolic activity.

Ans: T
Focus Question: How is verbal communication relational?
Answer Location: Verbal Communication Is Relational
Difficulty Level: Easy

8. In the communication field, God terms and Devil terms are absolutes for all people in
the same society.
Ans: F
Focus Question: How does verbal communication involve meaning?
Answer Location: Words and Values
Difficulty Level: Medium

9. The management of people’s dignity or self-respect is known as face.

Ans: T
Focus Question: What are the functions of verbal communication?
Answer Location: Facework
Difficulty Level: Medium

10. Word connotations may vary across cultures.

Ans: T
Focus Question: How does verbal communication involve meaning?
Answer Location: Denotative and Connotative Meanings
Difficulty Level: Easy

11. The way in which you say something (nonverbally) to someone indexes the
relationship.
Ans: T
Focus Question: What are the functions of verbal communication?
Answer Location: Relationships and Everyday Talk
Difficulty Level: Medium

12. The nonessential function of talk happens when talk makes a relationship real or
brings it into being.
Ans: F
Focus Question: What are the functions of verbal communication?
Answer Location: Relationships and Everyday Talk
Difficulty Level: Easy

Short Answer

1. When are words given meaning?

Ans: Words are given meaning when, like symbols, they are put into use.
Focus Question: How is verbal communication symbolic?
Answer Location: Verbal Communication
Difficulty Level: Medium

2. Why do people communicate differently depending upon the group they find
themselves in?
Ans: When people are in cultural groups, they tend to speak in ways that are unique
and distinct to the group because of the meaning systems and norms they share.
Focus Question: How is verbal communication cultural?
Answer Location: Words and Values
Difficulty Level: Medium

3. Explain why, according to Bernstein, working-class speakers struggled more when

attempting to communicate.
Ans: Working-class speakers had a more difficult time communicating because they did
so primarily in restricted code, as opposed to middle-class speakers who used both
restricted and elaborated codes.
Focus Question: How does verbal communication involve meaning?
Answer Location: By the way… Speaking and Social Class
Difficulty Level: Medium

4. What was Kenneth Burke’s motivation for creating the pentad?

Ans: Burke created the pentad because he was curious about the reason that people
use the specific words that they do.
Focus Question: What is the presentational nature of verbal communication?
Answer Location: Verbal Communication Is Presentational
Difficulty Level: Medium

5. Why would a person converge by using “company lingo” when speaking with a
coworker?
Ans: People tend to change the words they use to indicate there is a relationship or
connection with whomever they are talking to. When speaking to the boss, an employee
might converge toward the boss’s style of talk to indicate liking or respect.
Focus Question: What frames your understanding of verbal communication?
Answer Location: Verbal Communication and Frames
Difficulty Level: Medium

Essay

1. Explain the difference between restricted code and elaborated code.

Ans: Restricted code does not necessarily explain all the details because it is assumed
that the people privy to the conversation have a shared connection and have a shared
knowledge base. Elaborated code explains information at greater length because it is
believed that people will not be able to understand the conversation without additional
details.
Focus Question: How does verbal communication involve meaning?
Answer Location: By the way… Speaking and Social Class
Difficulty Level: Hard

2. Provide an example of conversational hypertext, as detailed by the text’s authors.

Ans: “After reading Duck and McMahan, I learned that it is possible to get even more
messages than I originally thought was possible from the conversations I have with my
friends.” Only the friends who are aware of the authors and their work are likely to
understand this reference. If denoted by a blue hyperlink, the names Duck and
McMahan can provide more insight and inform the reader if it is clicked.
Focus Question: How does verbal communication involve meaning?
Answer Location: Relationships and Shared Meanings
Difficulty Level: Hard

3. How might Kenneth Burke’s concept of God and Devil terms not be viewed as
absolute in communication?
Ans: Kenneth Burke believed that God terms are powerful terms viewed positively in a
society, and Devil terms are equally powerful terms that are viewed negatively. For
instance, God terms in American society might include freedom and the American
Dream, and Devil terms might include ISIS or prejudice. An individual’s viewpoint or the
passage of time may result in a change in his or her societal views. The word immigrant
once evoked feelings of welcome and new insights but may now be viewed as a threat
to one’s livelihood.
Focus Question: How does verbal communication involve meaning?
Answer Location: Words and Values
Difficulty Level: Hard

4. Explain how relationships regulate verbal communication.

Ans: Words and phrases are influenced by relationships. “Have a nice day,” when said
by a cashier at the local grocery store, does not have the same meaning as when
uttered by a spouse or loved one. The more familiar one person is to another, the more
meaning and intention is linked to the words spoken. Relationships are tied to shared
knowledge.
Focus Question: How is verbal communication relational?
Answer Location: Verbal Communication Is Relational
Difficulty Level: Hard

5. Explain the difference between positive and negative face wants.

Ans: Positive face wants have to do with the need to be accepted and treated as a
worthwhile and valuable person. Negative face wants have to do with the desire not to
be imposed upon or treated as inferior.
Focus Question: What are the functions of verbal communication?
Answer Location: Functions of Verbal Communication
Difficulty Level: Medium

6. Why is it essential in conversation that people using the same words share the same
world?
Ans: It is important that people share a viewpoint when using the same words in
conversation if they wish to be understood. They do not need to agree on the exact
meaning of words, as in situations involving words with abstract concepts, resulting in
word meanings that vary. However, there should be some understanding or overlap of
meaning to facilitate understanding.
Focus Question: How does verbal communication involve meaning?
Answer Location: Denotative and Connotative Meanings
Difficulty Level: Hard

7. Explain the politeness theory.

Ans: Politeness theory explains how people deal with occurrences of face threats. Face
threats can involve the chance of positive face being diminished or negative face being
imposed. Politeness theory describes how individuals can “save face” by determining
the size of the face threat and enacting particular strategies to address the threat. Three
things must be considered when determining the size of the face threat: the
relationships that people share, the difference in the power of the individuals in the
relationship, and the magnitude of the imposition.
Focus Question: What are the functions of verbal communication?
Answer Location: Functions of Verbal Communication
Difficulty Level: Hard

8. Why do people wish others to view them in a positive light?

Ans: People are concerned about garnering respect and being accepted. They
also want to be able to affect the behavior of other people. These goals are
possible when people have positioned themselves to be viewed favorably.
Focus Question: What are the functions of verbal communication?
Answer Location: Functions of Verbal Communication
Difficulty Level: Hard

9. Explain the instrumental function of talk.

Ans: The instrumental function of talk occurs when the relational goal determined
by the talker or speaker is achieved. The talk is the instrument used to reach the
goal in the relationship, which is the intent of the conversation.
Focus Question: What are the functions of verbal communication?
Answer Location: Relationships and Everyday Talk
Difficulty Level: Hard