Q&A Hero

Q: Empathy mind-set involves A. demonstrating respect for others. B. avoiding ingroupers. C. avoiding outgroupers. D. assuming that empathy is an automatic, uncontrollable response. E. believing that empathy can be developed and controlled.

Q: "The quantifiable social categories of groups of people" defines which of the following terms? A) audience analysis B) demographics C) statistical analysis D) surveying

Q: If the mayor of a city were asked to deliver a speech at the grand opening of a new branch of the city's library, he or she would be delivering which type of speech? A) informative B) persuasive C) special-occasion D) topical

Q: Which of the following is involved in the perception-checking process? A. checking your punctuation B. checking your attributions C. checking your perceptual influences D. checking your impressions E. all of the options are correct

Q: Speeches that are intended to influence the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of an audience are called A) informative. B) persuasive. C) special-occasion. D) impromptu.

Q: Ellen communicates well with her partner Carmen. When they experience miscommunication, Ellen is able to ask her partner questions to clarify her understanding. Ellen is demonstrating what perceptual skill in her relationship? A. positivity bias B. salience C. halo effect D. empathy E. perception-checking

Q: Paul thinks that Professor Lee is a poor instructor and finds her class too challenging. After spending hours revising a paper, he tells a friend that the class requires too much time. What perceptual process is affecting Paul? A. horn effect B. halo effect C. actor-observer effect D. consistency effect E. self-serving bias

Q: Your friend Don has been assigned the task of giving an informative speech. Don is very passionate about animal rights, and after contemplating his personal interests he has decided to give a speech on how a vegetarian diet benefits people, animals, and our planet in hopes that his audience will think twice the next time they eat meat. Synthesizing information from throughout this chapter, what advice would you give Don to help him prepare and research a great presentation for this assignment?

Q: Why are ethics important in public speaking, and what steps should a speaker take to ensure he or she takes responsibility for his or her own speech and communicates ethically?

Q: Describe and provide an example of plagiarism that one might commit or observe in a professional speaking context. Why do we consider plagiarism to be a problem? What steps can a speaker take to ensure he or she is not committing the crime of plagiarism?

Q: Leslie likes Jon because he has an extraverted, engaging, and humorous personality. When Leslie's friend tells her that Jon can be very impatient and demonstrates road rage on a daily basis, Leslie refuses to believe her. What perceptual problem is Leslie demonstrating? A. fundamental attribution error B. self-serving bias C. actor-observer effect D. horn effect E. halo effect

Q: Which of the following is NOT part of the interpretation phase of the perception process? A. salience B. schemata C. attributions D. self-serving bias E. actor-observer effect

Q: Celeste is gregarious and is often found talking with her colleagues at the office kitchen. What personality trait does Celeste display a high level of? A. openness B. neuroticism C. agreeableness D. conscientiousness E. extraversion

Q: What do you think are the most important criteria for evaluating the quality of a source? Why? Based on these criteria, provide an example of a source you would recommend using and a source you would not recommend using, and give a brief explanation why.

Q: Your roommate is researching a presentation for one of his classes but is having a tough time with it. He tells you that he just can't find any information. Based on what you learned in this chapter, what advice would you give to help him gather good information?

Q: Wade is highly organized at work and keeps detailed to-do lists on his Blackberry. He is never late. What personality trait does Wade display a high level of? A. neuroticism B. extraversion C. conscientiousness D. openness E. agreeableness

Q: List and define the various types of information discussed in your textbook that a speaker could use to clarify the ideas in his or her speech. Are there notable advantages or disadvantages to using any specific types of supporting information?

Q: Tomas is often on an emotional roller coaster, and his partner is never sure what mood he is going to be in. Tomas is both insecure and overly emotional. What personality trait does Tomas display a high level of? A. openness B. neuroticism C. conscientiousness D. agreeableness E. extraversion

Q: Psychologists define five primary personality traits. Which of the following is NOT part of their Big Five? A. agreeableness B. openness C. extraversion D. introversion E. neuroticism

Q: Characteristic ways of thinking, feeling, and acting constitute A. an interpersonal impression B. implicit personality theory C. an algebraic impression D. schemata E. personality

Q: Aisha needs to give a speech in one of her classes but isn't having any luck coming up with a good topic for the presentationshe doesn't seem to know how to get started. What would you say to her to explain the process a speaker goes through to develop ideas, make a selection, and then narrow the topic for a speech?

Q: Explain why audience analysis is important in the speech preparation process and how a speaker would go about analyzing his or her audience.

Q: Which of the following conclusions can be made about gender differences? A. women and men are substantially similar B. women and men are substantially dissimilar C. women and men are essentially similar and respond similarly D. women use indirect language, whereas men use direct language E. none of the options are correct

Q: Compare and contrast the three general purposes for public speaking. Briefly list and describe one example of each type of speech for which you have been an audience member at some point in your life.

Q: Pulling together what you have learned throughout this chapter, why would you say it is important for college students to take a public speaking course?

Q: Which of the following describes an ingrouper? A. someone who shares similar values to you B. someone who shares similar attitudes to you C. someone who shares similar beliefs to you D. someone whom you perceive as similar to you E. all of the options are correct

Q: While researching her persuasive speech convincing her audience to donate money to a charity that provides food and other necessities to children who live in poverty, Liz discovered that the charity recently admitted that their chief administrator embezzled money that was donated to the organization for his own personal gain. Liz does not have an obligation to tell her audience this information as long as the charity helps people. A) True B) False

Q: Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of salient communication? A. it is visually and audibly stimulating B. it is consistent with our goals and is seen as important C. it deviates from our expectations D. it is predictable E. all of the options are correct

Q: Which of the following are methods used for reducing uncertainty in our initial interactions with others? A. passive strategies B. active strategies C. interactive strategies D. observing and learning about how someone acts in social settings E. all of the options are correct

Q: Treating people with dignity and behaving with integrity are universal ideas central to the concept of ethics. A) True B) False

Q: Which of the following is an active strategy for reducing uncertainty regarding a person's behavior? A. observing the person B. asking questions of the person C. disclosing personal information to the person D. stalking the person E. questioning someone else who knows the person

Q: The First Amendment right to free speech protects a speaker's right to say anything he or she wants, regardless of the intended or unintended consequences. A) True B) False

Q: According to Uncertainty Reduction Theory, which of the following is a primary goal of initial interaction? A. reduce uncertainty B. explain behavior C. predict behavior D. help anticipate how others will respond to us E. all of the options are correct

Q: Speakers should note while they are conducting their research whether the information they are recording is being copied verbatim or is paraphrased. A) True B) False

Q: If Marcus won a bet by predicting the point spread for the Super Bowl and claimed it was due to his understanding of probability and statistics, what attribution is he making? A. fundamental attribution error B. external attribution C. self-serving bias D. actor-observer effect E. none of the options are correct

Q: Although plagiarism is emphasized as a part of most colleges' academic honesty policies, there are rarely consequences for not crediting one's sources in the real world. A) True B) False

Q: If you yell at your roommate and later explain that your behavior was related to stress at work, what type of error are you making? A. fundamental attribution error B. internal attribution C. self-serving bias D. actor-observer effect E. none of the options are correct

Q: Plagiarism refers to both the intentional and unintentional presentation of someone else's words, ideas, or intellectual property as the speaker's own. A) True B) False

Q: When we perceive and judge others, we commonly A. form a negative Gestalt B. feel secure in our initial interactions C. attribute their behavior to internal, personal causes D. judge them more positively than we do ourselves E. none of the options are correct

Q: Reliable Web sites usually provide the name and credentials of the author as well as relevant background information about him or her. A) True B) False

Q: You know your romantic partner is online, but he or she has not responded to your instant message, so you assume he or she is losing interest in you. What kind of attribution are you making? A. internal attribution B. external attribution C. true perception D. actor-observer effect E. none of the options are correct

Q: Search engines like Google and Yahoo! index every document available electronically over the Web. A) True B) False

Q: Directories tend to provide fewer but higher-quality links than databases do. A) True B) False

Q: If the chairperson of the Federal Reserve predicts that inflation will continue, you might interpret this prediction as credible and accurate. This is an example of which influence on interpreting information? A. ingrouper B. openness C. punctuation D. salience E. schemata

Q: Quotations do not need to include the exact words of the person who is being quoted. A) True B) False

Q: Which of the following is (are) used in the punctuation process during the organization stage of perception? A. cause-effect B. related events C. schemata D. chronological sequence E. none of the options are correct

Q: Which of the following play(s) an important role in forming our Gestalts? A. schemata B. attributions C. salience D. punctuation E. none of the options are correct

Q: Anecdotes are especially useful when a speaker wants to personalize a speech and make it more memorable to the audience. A) True B) False

Q: Statistics are considered to be the best form of speech support because they are concrete, memorable, and accurate. A) True B) False

Q: Which of the following does NOT influence the interpretation stage of perception? A. schemata B. attributions C. actor-observer effect D. punctuation E. none of the options are correct

Q: If your girlfriend says she goes to the gym after work because you are never home and you go out for drinks after work because she is working out, then your difference in perception is due to A. punctuation B. stereotyping C. fundamental attribution error D. negativity effect E. self-serving bias

Q: The opinion of a licensed clinical social worker on the top reasons that people in your community become homeless would count as lay testimony. A) True B) False

Q: When we categorize people as a group based upon our own schemata while simultaneously ignoring individual differences, what perceptual process are we illustrating? A. self-serving bias B. punctuation C. stereotyping D. algebraic impressions E. none of the options are correct

Q: "My audience should realize that a coffee tasting is more complicated than just brewing a pot of coffee and inviting some friends over but feel like it's something they could organize if they wanted to," is an example of a thesis statement. A) True B) False

Q: Specific purpose statement and thesis are two different terms for the same thing. A) True B) False

Q: A husband and wife are having dinner at a restaurant when the wife accuses her husband of paying too much attention to their server. The husband claims he was just returning her eye contact and smile. Which process in the organizational stage of perception have the husband and wife engaged in differently? A. salience B. punctuation C. selection D. uncertainty reduction E. none of the options are correct

Q: Narrow topics are usually easier to research, organize, and speak about than broad topics are. A) True B) False

Q: When you are winning at poker and explain to others at the table that you are good at cards and tend to have good luck, what type of attribution error are you making? A. self-serving bias B. fundamental attribution error C. actor-observer effect D. external attribution E. none of the options are correct

Q: The demographic categories a speaker should analyze include audience members' attitudes, values, behaviors, and interests. A) True B) False

Q: At a party your friend got drunk. You later explain that he or she was stressed out from a recent breakup. What type of attribution are you making? A. fundamental attribution error B. faulty attribution C. internal attribution D. external attribution E. none of the options are correct

Q: The salience, or significance, of particular demographic and psychographic characteristics often changes based on the reason why the audience has gathered. A) True B) False

Q: If you overindulge at a Chinese buffet and later explain that everyone overeats at buffets, what perceptual error are you demonstrating? A. fundamental attribution error B. salience C. internal attribution D. actor-observer effect E. none of the options are correct

Q: When we perceive and judge our own behavior, we often use the A. fundamental attribution error B. actor-observer effect C. self-serving bias D. both "actor-observer effect" and "self-serving bias" are correct E. both "fundamental attribution error" and "actor-observer effect" are correct

Q: Most classroom speakers do not bother with audience analysis since they already know their classmates. A) True B) False

Q: Which of the following factors influences the interpretation stage of the perception process? A. schemata B. internal attributions C. external attributions D. fundamental attribution error E. all of the options are correct

Q: In interpreting information, we form attributions, which are defined as A. explanations for others' behaviors and comments B. mental structures that define concept characteristics C. stimuli that attract our attention D. judgments about the characteristics of other people E. none of the options are correct

Q: At the end of his presentation, Bill hopes his audience will see that lowering taxes will do more to stimulate the economy than increased government work projects will. We would classify his speech as an informative speech. A) True B) False

Q: Many factors influence the selection stage of the perception process. Which of the following is NOT one of these factors? A. salience B. communication that deviates from our expectations C. communication that is viewed as important D. communication that is stimulating E. punctuation

Q: Persuasive speeches sometimes seek to reaffirm an audience's existing beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors. A) True B) False

Q: Which of the following judgments are we most likely to make when deciding whether someone is an ingrouper or an outgrouper? A. how similar the person is to us B. how dissimilar the person is to us C. how positive our impressions of the person are D. how negative our impressions of the person are E. all of the options are correct

Q: In the "real world," informative speeches and persuasive speeches are essentially the same. A) True B) False

Q: Most good speakers feel little or no anxiety about speaking in front of an audience. A) True B) False

Q: Which of the following is NOT involved in the human perception process? A. selection B. organization C. interpretation D. response E. punctuation

Q: U.S. companies identify public speaking as one of the most important skills needed for professional success. A) True B) False

Q: What process is involved when we direct our attention to specific stimuli while ignoring other stimuli? A. perception B. perceptual loss C. selection D. punctuation E. organization

Q: List and briefly describe three of the four characteristics of ethical speaking identified in your textbook.

Q: Briefly explain why speakers need to keep track of whether they have copied information from a source verbatim or if they have paraphrased.

Q: Which of the following is NOT one of the major influences on the perception process? A. culture B. gender C. personality D. negativity effect E. none of the options are correct

Q: Individuals tend to judge and perceive themselves A. more honestly than others B. more positively than others C. about the same as others D. more critically than others E. less frequently as they mature

Q: Define plagiarism.