1

Department of Communication Science

ACOM 111 - 2013

ASSIGNMENT - Due Date: 15 April 2013

Guidelines:  You must complete this assignment on the mark reading sheet attached.  You have to select the most appropriate answer to each question. Although in some questions you may regard more than one answer as appropriate, you must select only one option which is more acceptable when compared to other options.  Carefully read each question  No extension for the closing date of this assignment can be granted  Sheets received after the closing date will not be accepted.  Submit the mark reading sheet ONLY

Q1. Which one of the following statements is correct? a) One cannot communicate by being silent. b) It takes a real effort to communicate c) People who are alone cannot communicate. d) People in solitary confinement can communicate.

Q2. Lasswell’s model of communication is concerned with how… a) The meaning of messages is negotiated in a conversation b) Channels of communication can be used effectively. c) Messages are created and delivered effectively. d) The meaning of messages is interpreted.

Q3. Given the answer you have selected in question 2, what is the main shortcoming of the model? a) Lack of the negotiation process regarding the message. b) Lack of the human aspect in the communication process c) Absence of the effect of the message on the recipient. d) Absence of the interpretation of the meaning of the message.

Q4. The classical view of communication is concerned with… a) The creation and delivery of spoken messages. 2 b) The interpretation and meaning of messages. c) A transaction in which meaning is negotiated. d) How channels of communication can be used effectively.

Q5. You are watching a soccer match when suddenly a newsreader makes an announcement about people who are trampled to death. As you are sitting in your living room you…the newsreaders message. a) Encode, decode and interpret b) Decode and interpret. c) Encode, process and interpret d) Decode and process.

Q6. The transactional definition of communication… 1) Is an extension of the technical definition? 2) Describes the function of the post office 3) Is one of many different definitions of communications? 4) Is the most common definition of communication? 5) Is an extension of the process definition? a) 1, 2, 4 b) 1, 3, 5 c) 3, 4, 5 d) 2, 3, 4

Read the story below and answer questions 7 and 8

Every morning Veli kisses Jim goodbye, gives him his carefully packed lunch box and waves at him as he drives off to work. Q7. Which nonverbal sign is illustrated by Veli’s behaviour? a) Illustrators b) Emblems c) Regulators d) Adaptors

Q8. The nonverbal sign you selected above is mostly… a) Unintentional b) Relational c) Intentional d) Impractical 3

Q9. As the priest led them through their vows, Eve grasped the strong masculine hands of a handsome man next to her. She smiled, and looked him straight in the eye and said: “I do”. Which category of nonverbal communication is illustrated in the story above? a) Proxemics b) Haptics c) Intimate distance d) Body language

Read the story below and then answer questions 10 and 11

You confide to a friend that your spouse beats you regularly. You ask her advice in this regard but also request that she keeps the information a secret because you feel embarrassed.

Q10. The above is an example of… a) self- concept b) self- disclosure. c) self- revelation d) self –control

Q11. Which one of the following Johari windows best illustrate your communication relationship with your friend?

A B C D

a) Johari window (a) b) Johari window (b) c) Johari window (c) d) Johari window (d)

Q12 While Callie and Monique Strydom were held hostage on Jolo Island, which one of Maslow’s need did they most probably want to fulfill first? a) Safety b) Social c) Esteem 4 d) Survival

Q13 While you were at a party, a friend offered to pay for your drinks. You did not mind or feel guilty about him paying, because he is a doctor. Which one of the perceptual inaccuracies occurred in this situation? a) The halo effect b) Stereotyping c) Selective perception d) Self-fulfilling prophecies.

Q14. Lerato was told in advance that her blind date is uproariously funny and witty. When Lerato met her date, she laughed at practically everything her blind date said. The above statement illustrates… a) Stereotyping b) The halo effect c) Selective perception d) Her emotional sate.

Q15 As a child you were always told that your older brother is more intelligent than you are and you still believe it is true. Which one of the following options is still supported by this statement? a) A self- fulfilling prophecy b) The halo effect c) Nonassertive behaviour d) Stereotyping

Q16 Maslow’s hierarchy of needs… a) Gives us information about the functions of communication in our lives b) Encourages us to join clubs in order to satisfy our social needs c) Teaches us to identify our hidden needs d) Identifies the needs of different cultures.

Q17. According to research findings, the majority of wives prefer not to discuss the cause of their unhappiness in marriage with their husbands because they fear their husband’s anger. These research findings confirm the reasons given in your prescribed book for the…style of behaviour. a) Passive b) Assertive c) Selective d) Adaptable 5

Q18. What combination of the quadrants of Johari’s window would represent a relationship that is unwilling to share information and blind to feedback? a) Large hidden and small unknown b) Small hidden and small blind c) Large open and small blind d) Small blind and large hidden

Read the story below and answer questions 19 & 20

Your friend Sandra has been married for 3 years and she has two children. She confided in you about an affair that she has with her colleague because her husband does not buy her flowers anymore and he hardly takes her out. She tells you that her new boyfriend is considerate and loving.

Q19. Which theorist called attention to this phenomenon? a) Schutz b) Homans c) Buber d) Johari

Q20. The theorist you have selected above says that … a) Sandra calculated the rewards she is receiving in her new relationship b) Sandra trusts her friend to an extent of telling her everything about her affair. c) Sandra prefers a dialogical relationship where partners acknowledge each other d) Sandra is tired of being unwanted, she wants to feel accepted and worthwhile.

Q21 Jack and Sarah go out on dates regularly. They never impose their views on each other and reveal the person that they really are. According to Buber, Jack and Sarah are involved in a / an ….relationship. a) I- it b) Supportive c) I – you d) Equal

Q 22 Which one of the following statements confirms Bubers theory? a) The drive to develop interpersonal relationships with others is in order to satisfy three basic human needs. 6 b) the meaning that life holds for each of us arises from the type of relationships we create. c) some cultures value assertiveness more in their relationships than others. d) We tend to calculate the rewards we are likely to receive and the costs we will incur in our relationships.

Q23 The South African Democratic Teachers Union ( SADTU) is an example of a/an… a) enterprise b) bureaucracy c) organisation d) voluntary association

Read the story below and then answer questions 24 and 25

A young delegate at a board meeting nervously taps his pencil on his note pad whilst continuously looking at his watch. The chairperson interprets this as boredom whilst, in fact, the delegate is expecting a phone call about his wife going into labour at any minute.

Q24. Which nonverbal code is illustrated by the delegates behaviour? a) body language b) kinesics c) chronemics d) personal appearance

Q 25 The chairpersons interpretation of the delegates behaviour represents a / an ….barrier. a) external b) internal c) occupational d) semantic

Q26 Men who wear dark plain suits are perceived as being more authoritative and reliable than those who do not.

This statement best describes … a) self-fulfilling prophecies b) the halo effect c) stereotyping d) selective perception 7

Q27 Which does not fit in with the others? a) interpersonal communication b) linear communication c) small group communication d) mass communication

Q28 For effective communication to take place, a message must be ………. I) by the recipient in a manner that is close to the way in which it was …………II) by the communicator. a) i. encoded ii) decoded b) i) decoded ii) encoded c) i) encoded ii) negotiated d) i) decoded ii) interpreted

Q29 Unplanned distortion or interference in the communication process is known as… a) feedback b) noise c) distraction d) interruption

Q30 According to Maslow, the main purpose of communication is to… a) satisfy a need b) share ideas c) make a decision d) persuade 8

MARK READING/ ANSWER SHEET ACOM 111

PLEASE HAND IN

1 STUDENT NO:………………………………………. 2 3 4 SURNAME & INITIALS: 5 …………………………………………. 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30