Study Guide - Exam 1

Question 1

Cultural Intelligence

Answer 1

One’s depth of knowledge and appreciation of other cultures

Question 2

Ethnic Group

Answer 2

A human population identifying with each other on the basis of a presumed and common genealogy or ancestry; united by common cultural, behavioral, linguistic, or religious practices; in this sense, also a cultural community.

Question 3

Simple definition of culture

Answer 3

The way of life for an entire society.

Question 4

Complex definition of culture

Answer 4

The set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution, organization or group.

Question 5

7 Main Identifiable Components of Culture

Answer 5

Code of manners - behaviors; dress; language; religion; rituals; norms of behavior; systems of belief

Question 6

Code of manners - behaviors

Answer 6

These include how people within a culture act and treat each other.

Question 7

Dress

Answer 7

Due to various climates and historical development of the culture, each region and culture have a particular manner of dressing; serves as both an identity and pragmatic purpose.

Question 8

Two types of ethnic groups

Answer 8

Tribe: Kinship-based ethnic group
Country: Evolution of the state

Question 9

Ethnicity

Answer 9

Ethnicity is rooted in the idea of social groups, marked especially by shared nationality, tribal affiliation, genealogy, religious faith, shared language, or cultural and traditional origins.

Question 10

Race

Answer 10

Race is rooted in the idea of a biological classification of Homo sapiens according to genetic traits.

Question 11

Genesis 12:2-3

Answer 11

I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you . . . And all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. Peoples = clans; it is the genetic and ethnic concepts caught in the promise.

Question 12

Galatians 3:26-29

Answer 12

You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Question 13

Revelation 7:9-10

Answer 13

. . . And there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb.

Question 14

Principle of acceptability

Answer 14

This principle responds to the tolerance level of the receptor.

Question 15

Principle of relevance

Answer 15

“Do I need this message?”

Question 16

Principle of specificity

Answer 16

Is it “touching their need”?

Question 17

Principle of “unexpectedness”

Answer 17

When their expectations are fulfilled, they feel comfortable and the communication impact is decreased.

Question 18

Principle of personal discovery

Answer 18

The difference of being told or being challenged to discover for oneself.

Question 19

Three Key Background conditions that affect receptors

Answer 19

Their needs; their commitment; their reference group

Question 20

Receptor: Their needs & two types

Answer 20

Problems within the receptor that are perceived to be uncared for (or inadequately dealt with) by one’s cultural system result in what are called “felt needs.”
Two types: Surface level; Deep level

Question 21

Surface level needs

Answer 21

Things such as food, shelter, money, transportation.
Easily discovered
Easily articulated.

Question 22

Deep level needs

Answer 22

Things such as someone to care for or for some ultimate cause in which to be involved.

Question 23

How do receptors make decisions?

Answer 23

Awareness & Knowledge.
A communicator’s first task is to provide information and/or stimuli that will result in the receptors perceiving an alternative to their present commitment.

Question 24

Receptor’s decision making process

Answer 24

Interest: Receptors must be interested in a new option this goes beyond data.
Evaluation: Receptors must then evaluate the alternative with a view toward deciding whether it would be worth pursuing.
Choice: Once past the evaluation, the receptor makes a choice to accept or reject the message.

Question 25

Implementation

Answer 25

Receptors implement their decision – to

go with the new or stick with the old.

Question 26

Reassessment

Answer 26

Receptors test the change, reflect on the

appropriateness and adequacy of it and determine to stay with the new or return to the old.

Question 27

Readjustment

Answer 27

Proceeding from implementation the receptor must readjust life to accommodate the new commitment.

Question 28

Elements of Communication

Answer 28

Code; Decoding; Encoding; Noise; Source; Receiver; Channel; Feedback; Effects

Question 29

Code

Answer 29

A classification such as language used by individuals to categorize their experience and communicate it to others.

Question 30

Decoding

Answer 30

The process by which the physical message is converted into an idea by the receiver.

Question 31

Encoding

Answer 31

The process by which the physical message is converted into an idea by the receiver.

Question 32

Noise

Answer 32

Anything that hinders the communication process among participants. (the more dissimilar the source and the receiver, the more likelihood of ineffective communication.

Question 33

Source

Answer 33

The individual who originates the message by encoding an idea into a message.

Question 34

Receiver

Answer 34

The individual who decodes a communication message by converting it into an idea.

Question 35

Channel

Answer 35

The means by which a message is transmitted from its origin to its destination.

Question 36

Feedback

Answer 36

A message about the effects of a previous message that is sent back to the source.

Question 37

Effects

Answer 37

The changes in an individual’s knowledge, attitudes, and overt behavior due to exposure to a communication method.

Question 38

Theory of Uncertainty Reduction

Answer 38

When two individuals encounter one
another for the first time, they face a
high degree of uncertainty due to
information depravation. Different cultures;
Same language gives a beginning
bridge. They begin to speak to each other
thereby reducing their uncertainty.

Question 39

Intrapersonal Communication

Answer 39

Communication is fundamentally intrapersonal. Intrapersonal communication is information exchange that occurs inside of one person. It is the process of selecting and interpreting symbols to represent thoughts, perceptions or physical reality.

Question 40

Interpersonal Communication

Answer 40

Interpersonal Communication involves face to face exchange of information between two or more people. Interpersonal communication is the process of exchanging mutually understood symbols.

Question 41

Signs & Symbols

Answer 41

Communication involves signs and symbols. A Sign is a physical event or action that directly represents something else. Symbols are things that represent something else based on prior agreement.

Question 42

Creating Meanings

Answer 42

Meanings are in people – not in words. Communication helps people create meaning rather than just transmit meaning. Interpersonal communication is a process in which the meanings of words and messages are negotiated by the parties involved. The meaning is attributed to the words is created in part as they are used. Communication is a process of creating meaning for the messages received from other people. People decode messages in ways that make sense to them, thus forming perceptions that guide their behavior. Much communication is intentional – the source individual is trying to convey a particular meaning to the receiver individual.

Question 43

Levels of Meaning

Answer 43

#0 Signal level of meaning: Physical signs
#1 Word level meaning: Semantic meaning
#2 Sentence level syntactic meaning
#3 First Scenario Level – Intent
#4 Second Scenario Level – Alternative Pictures
#5 General Theories Level- Self, Others and the World.

Question 44

0 Signal level of meaning: Physical signs

Answer 44

The zero level of meaning is the level of physical signals.

The zero level indicates that it is not strictly a level of meaning but is a prior condition to meaning.

Question 45

1 Word level meaning: Semantic meaning

Answer 45

The first level of meaning involves the sounds or written characters which the other person uses to encode a meaning and to sort them into recognizable pieces.
Human speech is an almost unbroken string of sound.
The human receiver must determine the breaks between meaningful units of sounds such as words in order for a message to be interpreted.

Question 46

2 Sentence level syntactic meaning

Answer 46

Two sentences could contain the same words but different meanings.The syntactical meaning rests on the grammatical structure of a language. A deeper meaning rests on the interpersonal, social and cultural meanings of the question.

Question 47

3 First Scenario Level – Intent

Answer 47

When someone asks someone else to have a coffee with them, it can mean a social get-together to talk.
Could imply romantic intent.
Could be to ask for a favor
Could be to resolve social tension.
Could be to study together

Question 48

4 Second Scenario Level – Alternative Pictures

Answer 48

Creating alternative scenarios related to a person’s question; decisions about the person’s intent allow someone to create these alternative scenarios giving meaning to that person’s question.

Question 49

5 General Theories Level- Self, Others and the World.

Answer 49

Question will influence the receptor’s self-concept, the way the person sees him or herself. He or she may add to his or her self-concept. It may also lead him or her to change his or her belief system regarding the world.

Question 50

Rituals

Answer 50

Rituals are acts or festivals to which a culture commemorates a certain aspect of their people group, religion or calendar.

Question 51

Four Keys of Culture

Answer 51

Four elements that are “passed on from generation to generation by learning alone”: values, norms, institutions, artifacts

Question 52

Values

Answer 52

Socio-Ethical imperatives that are thought to be important.

Question 53

Norms

Answer 53

Standards passed down, in regards to the general development of a people group.

Question 54

Institutions

Answer 54

Social practices held to be of utmost importance; such as marriage or household structures.

Question 55

Artifacts

Answer 55

Items, places or symbols that are significant to a certain cultures.

Question 56

Dimensions of Culture

Answer 56

a. Communication is always a two-way street
b. Cultures are drastically different in various ways
c. There are levels of interlocking and dynamically changing assumptions/expectations
d. Factors involved are not linear; they blend
e. Individuals use different formulas of factors in different settings – we change depending on context
f. To some extent, the “cultures” we discuss are the products of our own organizational frameworks
g. The fields of legitimate inquiry into intercultural communication are:
•Anthropology – study of humankind/nature, origin, destiny
•Sociology – study of society, development, behavior of it’s people
•Social psychology – behavior of groups, individuals are affected by their group
•Communication -
•Theology (and contextualization)
h. Aspects of communication include language, paralanguage, symbol, body, noise, situational pressure, rapport, etc.
i. Aspects of culture include customs, values, thought processes, gender, artifacts, religion, dress, ceremonies, etc.

Question 57

Issues in Intercultural Communication

Answer 57

 Contexting
Where? With whom? What history?
 Power/distance
 Individualism/Collectivism
 Uncertainty Avoidance
 Maculinity/Femininity
 Long Term Collectivism

The “palette” may be used
as a foundation upon
which we may examine a
model of competency in
intercultural
communication together
with some of the most
significant scenarios of
communication that
intercultural
communicators to any
culture will face