CHAPTER 2: THE SELF, PERCEPTION, AND COMMUNICATION
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Personal stories that we create to make sense of our personal world are known as
__________.
a. narratives
b. perceptions
c. social constructs
d. stereotypes
e. social phenomena
Answer: A
Page: 54
Bloom’s: Remembering
A-head: Perceiving Others
2. The person you believe yourself to be in private moments of honest self-examination is your
__________.
a. presenting self
b. ideal self
c. perceived self
d. real self
e. actualized self
Answer: C
Page: 62
Bloom’s: Remembering
A-head: Communication and Identity Management
3. Judy did not correctly complete a task that her supervisor had given her. Judy’s supervisor
attributed the unsatisfactory result to Judy’s failure to listen well or try hard enough. Judy felt
that her errors were due to unclear instructions and to her supervisor’s failure to allow
enough time to complete the task. Judy’s explanation is an example of __________.
a. self-fulfilling prophecy
b. self-serving bias
c. perception checking
d. identity management
e. facework
Answer: B
Page: 56
Bloom’s: Understanding
A-head: Perceiving Others
4. The ability to re-create another person’s perspective and experience the world from the
other’s point of view is known as __________.
a. sympathy
b. assimilation
c. perception
d. empathy
e. identity management
Answer: D
Page: 59
Bloom’s: Remembering
A-head: Perceiving Others
5. Our conception of what is unique about ourselves and what makes us both similar to and
different from others is known as __________.
a. self-worth
b. self-concept
c. self-perception
d. self-analysis
e. self-actualization
Answer: B
Page: 41
Bloom’s: Remembering
A-head: Communication and the Self
6. When you use communication strategies to influence others’ perceptions of you, you are
engaging in __________.
a. identity management
b. self-fulfilling prophecy
c. perception checking
d. self-analysis
e. reflected appraisal
Answer: A
Page: 62
Bloom’s: Remembering
A-head: Communication and Identity Management
7. Your friend gave you confusing directions to a party, which caused you to be late. When you
arrived you stated, “Sorry I am late, I’m a terrible navigator.” By using this sort of mild selfdepreciating humor to defuse a potentially unpleasant situation, you were exemplifying
__________.
a. cultural identity
b. perception checking
c. framework
d. facework
e. reflected appraisal
Answer: D
Page: 62
Bloom’s: Understanding
A-head: Communication and Identity Management
8. Barbara desperately wants to be seen as professional by her coworkers. So, every morning
before work, she carefully reviews her calendar and prepares her notes. She always arrives at
work on time wearing a designer suit. She makes sure to happily greet all of her coworkers
but doesn’t spend too much time chitchatting as other workers do. She then sits down at her
desk and immediately starts working. Barbara’s behavior indicates that she is trying to
_______.
a. check her perceptions
b. empathize with her coworkers
c. employ self-fulfilling prophecy
d. assimilate to office culture
e. manage her identity
Answer: E
Page: 65
Bloom’s: Analyzing
A-head: Communication and Identity Management
9. Which of the following is a disadvantage of being a high self-monitor?
a. Others can easily read the feelings and emotions of a high self-monitor.
b. High self-monitors have problems modifying their behavior.
c. High self-monitors have difficulty reading people and can easily offend others.
d. Awkwardness in social situations may make it difficult for high self-monitors to form
friendships.
e. Since high self-monitors often take detached positions, they cannot fully experience
situations.
Answer: E
Page: 66
Bloom’s: Remembering
A-head: Communication and Identity Management
10. Which of the following is an advantage of using mediated communication for identity
management?
a. It allows the sender to choose the ambiguity level of the message.
b. It forces the receiver to respond to the message immediately.
c. It makes it easier to convey nonverbal aspects of identity.
d. It improves the receiver’s ability to detect who a person really is.
e. It allows the receiver to control the information presented by the sender.
Answer: A
Page: 68
Bloom’s: Remembering
A-head: Communication and Identity Management
11. Self-esteem refers to how the self is __________ while self-concept refers how the self is
__________.
a. perceived; judged
b. understood; analyzed
c. evaluated; perceived
d. recognized; examined
e. evaluated; analyzed
Answer: C
Page: 41-42
Bloom’s: Remembering
A-head: Communication and the Self
12. A person’s self-concept is a set of __________.
a. constantly changing perceptions of others
b. stable perceptions of others
c. uniquely changing perceptions of ourselves
d. relatively stable perceptions of ourselves
e. relatively stable perceptions of ourselves and others
Answer: D
Page: 41
Bloom’s: Remembering
A-head: Communication and the Self
13. Math is your weakest subject. On the first day of college algebra you tell the student next to
you, “I bet I’ll get a D in this course.” At the end of the semester you get a D. This result
could be an example of __________.
a. self-denial
b. self-realization
c. self-fulfilling prophecy
d. self-motivation
e. self-actualization
Answer: C
Page: 46
Bloom’s: Understanding
A-head: Communication and the Self
14. In the study of communication, narratives __________.
a. prevent us from understanding another person’s behavior
b. offer a framework for explaining behavior and shaping future communication
c. are designed to teach us a lesson through example
d. must be accurate, powerful, and coherent
e. lead only to disagreement and misunderstanding
Answer: B
Page: 54
Bloom’s: Remembering
A-head: Perceiving Others
15. Which statement best captures the connection between self-concept and communication?
a. Self-concept shapes communication behavior.
b. Self-concept shapes communication, but communication has little impact on self-concept.
c. Communication behavior affects self-concept.
d. Self-concept shapes communication and is affected by one’s response to communication.
e. There is no relationship between self-concept and communication behavior.
Answer: D
Page: 45
Bloom’s: Understanding
A-head: Communication and the Self
16. Attribution refers to __________.
a. judging the personal qualities of another
b. attaching meaning to behavior
c. developing self through another person’s actions
d. using heredity to influence the development of self
e. judging the validity of your own personal qualities
Answer: B
Page: 55
Bloom’s: Remembering
A-head: Perceiving Others
17. You tell a raunchy joke to your coworker. She becomes offended and files a complaint with
her supervisor. Where did you go wrong?
a. You made a snap judgment about your coworker.
b. You assumed similarity between you and your coworker.
c. You failed to effectively manage your identity.
d. You chose to tell a joke that wasn’t funny.
e. You mistook your coworker’s presenting self for her perceived self.
Answer: B
Page: 58
Bloom’s: Analyzing
A-head: Perceiving Others
18. The process of arranging information from the environment in a meaningful way is called
__________.
a. organization
b. selection
c. description
d. interpretation
e. recognition
Answer: A
Page: 49
Bloom's: Remembering
A-head: Perceiving Others
19. Developing an image of ourselves from the way we think others view us is known as
__________.
a. self-fulfilling prophecy
b. facework
c. reflected appraisal
d. empathy
e. attribution
Answer: C
Page: 43
Bloom’s: Remembering
A-head: Communication and the Self
20. When we use verbal and nonverbal communication to maintain our presenting image and the
images of others, we are engaging in __________.
a. reflected appraisal
b. self-serving bias
c. selective interpretation
d. facework
e. empathy
Answer: D
Page: 62
Bloom’s: Remembering
A-head: Communication and Identity Management
21. __________ means you feel compassion for another person while __________ means you
have a personal sense of what it feels like to be in that person's shoes.
a. Understanding; sympathy
b. Sympathy; empathy
c. Acknowledgement; understanding
d. Empathy; sympathy
e. Affinity; acknowledgement
Answer: B
Page: 59
Bloom's: Remembering
A-head: Perceiving Others
22. Which of the following methods will help you interpret the behavior of others more
accurately?
a. Sympathy
b. Perception checking
c. Facework
d. Reflected appraisal
e. Stereotyping
Answer: B
Page: 61
Bloom's: Remembering
A-head: Perceiving Others
23. Which of the following is true about the self?
a. As we grow older, significant others have a greater influence on the development of the
self.
b. We develop self mostly through individual thought and action rather than social
interaction.
c. Reflected appraisal can only have positive effects on the development of the self.
d. Self is a social product arising out of experiences with people and our perceptions about
others’ behavior.
e. Self is influenced almost exclusively by our biology, personality, and physiological traits.
Answer: D
Page: 43
Bloom's: Remembering
A-head: Communication and the Self
24. Individuals who gain identity from their interdependence with other group members likely
live in __________.
a. individualistic cultures
b. low context cultures
c. high power distance cultures
d. Western cultures
e. collective cultures
Answer: E
Page: 44
Bloom's: Remembering
A-head: Communication and the Self
25. When a person’s expectations of an outcome, and subsequent behavior, cause the outcome to
occur, it is called __________.
a. self-serving bias
b. self-efficacy
c. self-fulfilling prophecy
d. self-actualization
e. self-determination
Answer: C
Page: 46
Bloom's: Remembering
A-head: Communication and the Self
26. Which of the statements below best encapsulates self-fulfilling prophecy?
a. When you expect positive outcomes, it will result in negative outcomes.
b. Thinking positively always results in positive outcomes while thinking negatively always
results in negative outcomes.
c. Positive expectations and positive behavior predict positive outcomes.
d. Expecting a positive outcome causes you to engage in actions, behavior, or thoughts that
influence a positive outcome.
e. When you expect positive outcomes, it causes other people to engage in actions that
influence positive outcomes.
Answer: D
Page: 46
Bloom's: Understanding
A-head: Communication and the Self
27. Which of the following characteristics best fits into a psychological construct schema?
a. Social position
b. Achievements
c. Friendliness
d. Beauty
e. Likes and dislikes
Answer: E
Page: 49
Bloom's: Understanding
A-head: Perceiving Others
28. What is the first step in perception?
a. Recognition
b. Selection
c. Negotiation
d. Organization
e. Interpretation
Answer: B
Page: 48
Bloom's: Remembering
A-head: Perceiving Others
29. Incorrectly thinking that a person's smile is an indication of attraction is a problem of
__________.
a. selection
b. negotiation
c. interpretation
d. recognition
e. organization
Answer: C
Page: 49
Bloom's: Understanding
A-head: Perceiving Others
30. Snap judgments become particularly problematic when they are based on __________.
a. stereotyping
b. reflected appraisal
c. self-serving bias
d. personal narratives
e. perception checking
Answer: A
Page: 55
Bloom's: Remembering
A-head: Perceiving Others
31. Strolling around the park, you decide to sit down and rest on a park bench. You notice that
the park is quite busy today. There is a family playing with their dog, children rollerblading,
and a man in a red suit sitting on the bench across from you. People laugh in the distance.
Then, a woman quietly sits next to you. Which element in this scenario are you likely going
to pay the most attention to?
a. The woman who sits next to you
b. The children rollerblading
c. The family playing with their dog
d. The laughing in the distance
e. The man in the red suit
Answer: E
Page: 57
Bloom's: Understanding
A-head: Perceiving Others
32. Which of the following is an accurate statement about first impressions?
a. First impressions are not useful and have little impact on the way we respond to people.
b. The impressions we develop when we first meet a person never change.
c. After forming an initial opinion, we tend to interpret a person’s behavior in ways that fit
our expectations.
d. First impressions are a way of stereotyping others and a means for controlling our
environment.
e. Our first impressions cause others to behave in ways that fit our expectations.
Answer: C
Page: 57
Bloom's: Remembering
A-head: Perceiving Others
33. The ability to construct multiple identities is one element of __________.
a. self-concept
b. communication competence
c. empathy
d. self-esteem
e. reflected appraisal
Answer: B
Page: 63
Bloom's: Remembering
A-head: Communication and Identity Management
34. Why do we manage our identities?
a. To make sure we don't hurt or offend others
b. To identify with and feel compassion for other people
c. To avoid compliance with social rules and norms
d. To improve self-concept and self-esteem
e. To satisfy social rules and meet our personal goals
Answer: E
Page: 66-67
Bloom's: Remembering
A-head: Communication and Identity Management
35. Which of the following is an example of a complete perception check?
a. “When I asked you if you’d be interested in going out later, you didn’t seem all that
excited about it. How do you really feel about the idea?”
b. “I wonder whether something is bothering you or whether you’re just feeling quiet.
What’s up?
c. “You didn’t call me back after we had that argument. I wasn’t sure if you were busy or if
you were upset with me. Why didn’t you call?”
d. “You said you really liked the job I did, but there was something about your voice that
made me think you did not like it. Maybe it’s just my imagination.”
e. “You haven’t dropped by lately, and I’m not sure if it’s because of me. Is anything the
matter?”
Answer: C
Page: 61
Bloom’s: Understanding
A-head: Perceiving Others
36. When we say identity management is collaborative, what does that mean?
a. Each person will choose a presenting self that is similar to the other person’s identity.
b. Each person will communicate an identity that is different from the other person’s.
c. Individuals will work together to create a socially appropriate identity.
d. Each person will modify his or her identity in response to the other’s behavior.
e. Individuals will work together to reach an agreement on how their identities should mesh.
Answer: D
Page: 64
Bloom’s: Understanding
A-head: Communication and Identity Management
37. Even though he is terrible at soccer, Luc believes that his parents think he is a good soccer
player. So, Luc joins the soccer team. Using your understanding of reflected appraisal, decide
which of the following best explains Luc’s reason for joining the soccer team.
a. Luc wanted to please his parents.
b. Luc actually saw himself as being a good soccer player.
c. Luc has high self-esteem and self-concept
d. Luc wanted to appear like he was a good soccer player to his parents.
e. Luc felt that by joining the soccer team he would become a better soccer player.
Answer: B
Page: 43
Bloom’s: Analyzing
A-head: Communication and the Self
38. Which profession MUST be empathetic to be successful at their job?
a. Doctor
b. Teacher
c. Firefighter
d. Social worker
e. Restaurant server
Answer: D
Page: 59
Bloom’s: Analyzing
A-head: Perceiving Others
39. Debbie volunteers for a local nonprofit organization and makes annual donations to a number
of charities. She does this to show people her selfless and giving nature. Moreover, Debbie
believes herself to be a good person, not because she actually thinks she is a good person, but
because others admire her for her work. Debbie’s beliefs about herself exemplify
__________.
a. ideal self
b. presenting self
c. reflective self
d. real self
e. perceived self
Answer: E
Page: 62
Bloom’s: Understanding
A-head: Communication and Identity Management
40. According to the theory of self-serving bias, we blame our failures on __________.
a. our own personal qualities
b. the presenting self
c. external events
d. our self-concept
e. snap judgments
Answer: C
Page: 56
Bloom’s: Remembering
A-head: Perceiving Others
41. Which of the following best characterizes a low self-monitor?
a. Low self-monitors need to impress others.
b. Low self-monitors watch what they say.
c. Low self-monitors need to be themselves.
d. Low self-monitors have many selves.
e. Low self-monitors are socially adept.
Answer: C
Page: 66
Bloom’s: Understanding
A-head: Communication and Identity Management
42. Jeff is invited to a party at his best friend’s house. Jeff does not like parties and would prefer
not to go. However, it’s his friend’s birthday, and he knows that his friend will be mad if he
doesn’t show up. Still, he expects that he will have a horrible time. Using your understanding
of self-fulfilling prophecy, choose the scenario that best predicts how Jeff will handle this
situation.
a. Jeff will go to the party, socialize with his friends, and have a good time.
b. Jeff will stay home and watch a movie.
c. Jeff will go to the party, socialize, and pretend to have a good time, even if he remains
miserable on the inside.
d. Jeff will go to the party, sit by himself on the couch all night, and have a miserable time.
e. Jeff will not go to the party and instead take his friend out to a nice dinner later in the
week.
Answer: D
Page: 46
Bloom’s: Understanding
A-head: Communication and the Self
43. Lisa doesn’t see herself as being very smart. Today, at school, Lisa finds out that she
received a high grade on her history exam. One of her classmates congratulates her, to which
Lisa responds, “It was just dumb luck. The professor must be an easy grader.” What is the
most likely explanation for Lisa’s response?
a. Lisa has low self-esteem.
b. Lisa is an empathetic person and does not want to hurt her classmate’s feelings.
c. Lisa is shaping the situation to fit her self-concept.
d. Lisa is trying to manage her identity.
e. Lisa is engaging in self-fulfilling prophecy.
Answer: C
Page: 44
Bloom’s: Analyzing
A-head: Communication and the Self
44. After several weeks of hard work, Nancy submits a final report to her supervisor, Samira, for
approval. Reading through the report, Samira discovers that it is full of errors. Obviously, the
report needs to be redone, and Samira would like to have someone else redo it. Samira will
need to do some facework in this situation. Consequently, what would be best thing for
Samira to say to Nancy?
a. “There were some errors in the report, but I think that’s partly my fault. Is it okay if I
have someone else check over the report and make some corrections?”
b. “Most of the report was done well. I see some places that could use improvement, but
that may be my fault. Can I have someone look at the report to verify the information?”
c. “We need to redo this report. I’m going to have someone else go through this and make
corrections.”
d. “I know that you worked hard on this, but why did you make so many errors? I’d like to
have someone look over this to make sure everything is correct.”
e. “I can see you worked hard on this, and I know that you’ve had a lot on your plate. But
this report needs to be redone. There are too many errors.”
Answer: B
Page: 62
Bloom’s: Analyzing
A-head: Communication and Identity Management
45. Ben has been listening to rock music all day long, and it is starting to upset his roommate,
Greg. Greg wants Ben to turn off the music. At this moment, though, Ben needs the music to
study for his midterm. Both men want to successfully resolve this issue. To do this, Greg and
Ben will have to __________.
a. communicate more
b. have greater empathy for each other
c. lower their expectations
d. employ higher self-monitoring behavior
e. exhibit greater commitment to the friendship
Answer: B
Page: 59
Bloom’s: Analyzing
A-head: Perceiving Others
46. Maria Lopez has a choice between two political candidates: Daniel Fernandez and Julia
Johnson. Maria recognizes both candidates to be equally qualified and feels she can identify
with both candidates. Daniel, however, tends to be better dressed and is a more outwardly
dynamic and inspired speaker. Also, his television ads air more frequently. In the end, Maria
voted for Daniel Fernandez. Based on the information provided, which perceptual tendency
probably had the greatest influence on her decision to vote for Daniel over Julia?
a. Maria voted for the candidate who provided the best first impression.
b. Maria stereotyped Julia based on gender and made a negative snap judgment about her.
c. Maria paid attention to the candidate who was the most obvious.
d. Maria paid too much attention to her negative impressions of Julia.
e. Maria assumed that Daniel was similar to her.
Answer: C
Page: 57
Bloom’s: Analyzing
A-head: Perceiving Others
47. When she was a child, Amy had a bad experience jumping from a diving board. To this day,
she considers herself a weak swimmer. That experience affected her __________.
a. self-esteem
b. self-monitoring
c. presenting self
d. self-concept
e. reflective self
Answer: D
Page: 41
Bloom’s: Understanding
A-head: Communication and the Self
48. Aaron gets into a major argument with his girlfriend. As he storms off, he wonders if he
should break up with her. Suddenly, Aaron sees a young woman out of the corner of his eye.
He looks at her, and she smiles at him. Aaron interprets the woman’s smile as a sign of her
attraction to him. Which of the following factors probably had the greatest influence on his
interpretation of the woman’s behavior?
a. His limited knowledge about the woman
b. His low self-esteem
c. His lack of experience with women
d. He didn’t expect the woman to smile
e. His level of relational satisfaction
Answer: E
Page: 50
Bloom’s: Analyzing
A-head: Perceiving Others
49. Callie is a stay-at-home mom who takes a vacation once a year with her family. On her social
networking page, Callie only post pictures of her vacations. Moreover, the pictures she posts
only show her in the various locations she’s visited. Even though she loves her family, there
are no pictures of her children or her husband on the page. Why do you think Callie has
chosen to post only those particular pictures and not others?
a. Callie is just sharing her more interesting experiences.
b. Callie doesn’t want to let anyone know that she has a family.
c. Callie wants others to think she is an exciting and adventurous person.
d. Callie wants to encourage her friends to travel.
e. Callie wants to show off to her friends.
Answer: C
Page: 68
Bloom’s: Analyzing
A-head: Communication and Identity Management
50. A stereotype is essentially a(n) __________.
a. reasonable generalization
b. exaggerated belief
c. simple classification
d. inaccurate assumption
e. representative example
Answer: B
Page: 55
Bloom’s: Understanding
A-head: Perceiving Others
SHORT ANSWER
51. What is the difference between self-concept and self-esteem?
Answer: Self-concept is the set of perceptions we have about ourselves while self-esteem is
our evaluation of self-worth.
Page: 41-42
A-head: Communication and the Self
52. What are the characteristics of identity management?
Answer: People have multiple identities, identity management is collaborative, identity
management can be conscious or unconscious, and people differ in their degrees of identity
management.
Page: 63-66
A-head: Communication and Identity Management
53. Describe the concept of “face” and the different facework tasks involved with maintaining
face.
Answer: Face is our presenting self—the way we want to appear to others. To maintain face,
we engage in facework tasks to manage our own identity and communicate in ways that
reinforce the identities that others are trying to present.
Page: 62
A-head: Communication and Identity Management
54. Identify and define each step in the perception process.
Answer: The steps in the perception process are selection, organization, and interpretation.
Selection is the process of attending to information, organization is the process of arranging
information so we can make sense of it, and interpretation is the process of attaching
meaning to the information we receive.
Page: 48-50
A-head: Perceiving Others
55. Explain the two different types of self-fulfilling prophecies.
Answer: The first type of self-fulfilling prophecy occurs when your own expectations
influence your own behavior. The second type of self-fulfilling prophecy occurs when one
person’s expectations influence another’s actions.
Page: 46-47
A-head: Communication and the Self
ESSAY
56. How does communication help shape our self-concept? What key factors collaborate with
communication to influence our self-concept?
Main point: Our interactions and communication with others help to shape our perceptions of
who we are.
Answers must include:
a) Self-concept arises out of experiences with others. We learn about ourselves from the
way others see us and communicate with us.
b) Self-concept affects the way we communicate with others, which affects the way others
respond to us. The way others respond to us further shapes our self-concept.
c) Significant others have a strong influence on the development of self. What they
communicate to us affects our opinions of ourselves.
d) We attach significance to specific characteristics. The more significance we attach to the
characteristic, the greater the impact it has on the development of self-concept.
Answers may include:
a) Influence of culture
b) Influence of social values and attitudes
c) Influence of the media
d) Influence of self-fulfilling prophecy.
Page: 43-46
A-head: Communication and the Self
57. In a few sentences, explain how mediated communication benefits identity management.
Then, describe a situation in which you intentionally used mediated communication to
manage your identity. Referencing the concepts from the textbook, explain in specific terms
why you chose to use mediated communication to manage your identity in that instance.
Main point: Mediated communication allows us to better control the image we want to
present to others.
Answers must include:
a) Mediated communication allows people to control the impressions they want to make.
b) A description of a situation in which the individual used mediated communication for
identity management (e.g., for online dating)
c) An explanation of specific reasons for using mediated communication referencing
specific concepts from the textbook (e.g., greater ambiguity, more control over image)
Answers may include:
a) Mediated communication was used to support greater ambiguity or clarity.
b) Mediated communication was used to gain more control over information presented.
c) Mediated communication was used to change appearance, personality, history, etc.
d) Mediated communication was used to ignore the other person’s messages.
Page: 68
A-head: Communication and Identity Management
58. What is stereotyping? What is self-fulfilling prophecy? Explain how stereotyping and selffulfilling prophecy could work together to affect the development of the self. Provide an
example to illustrate this relationship.
Main point: Stereotyping leads others to expect certain behaviors from a specific social
group. These expectations prompt a person to act in ways consistent with the stereotype.
Answers must include:
a) Self-fulfilling prophecy occurs when one person’s expectations govern another’s actions.
b) Stereotyping involves ascribing exaggerated beliefs and expectations to individuals based
on their group membership.
c) Stereotyping leads people to expect certain actions from members of social groups. These
expectations prompt a person from that social group to act in ways that are consistent
with the stereotype, thus validating the stereotype.
d) An example of the relationship between stereotyping and self-fulfilling prophecy. For
example, students of Asian descent are typically stereotyped as being more academically
inclined. This may lead a teacher to constantly praise and encourage the student. As a
result, the student may begin to study harder and get better grades, thus reinforcing the
stereotype.
Answers may include:
a) The relationship between stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination
b) The relationship between self-stereotyping and self-fulfilling prophecy
Page: 46-47; 55-56
A-head: Communication and the Self; Perceiving Others
59. Differentiate between the perceived self and presenting self. Then, think about two situations
in which you have different presenting selves. Describe each presenting self and explain why
you have chosen to use these presenting selves in those particular situations. How do these
presenting selves compare to your perceived self?
Main point: Presenting selves are specific to each situation and are created to project a
socially approved image. The presenting self may or may not match the perceived self.
Answers must include:
a) The perceived self is the person you believe yourself to be during self-examination.
b) The presenting self is the public image or the way we want to appear to others.
c) The identification and description of two presenting selves unique to two different
situations (e.g., presenting self in the classroom and presenting self at work)
d) A coherent explanation of why the individual has chosen these presenting selves for those
particular situations (e.g., at work, the individual needs to work with the public and sell
products, and therefore must present a cheerful self).
e) Compare or contrast presenting selves to perceived self (e.g., the perceived self is quiet
and reserved while the presenting selves are outgoing).
Answers may include:
a) Characteristics of identity management
b) We manage identities to follow social rules and achieve personal goals.
Page: 62
A-head: Communication and Identity Management
60. Perceptual tendencies can ultimately influence the way we interact with others. Identify and
explain three different perceptual tendencies. Explain how these perceptual tendencies may
lead to inaccurate attributions and troublesome communication.
Main point: Perceptual tendencies can interfere with successful communication by
influencing inaccurate interpretations, thus altering our understanding of others and
situations.
Answers must include:
a) Identification of three of the six perceptual tendencies
b) A brief explanation of each perceptual tendency
c) An explanation for how each perceptual tendency leads to inaccurate attributions and
troublesome communication
Answers may include:
a) Making snap judgments. Snap judgments become problematic when they are based on
stereotyping.
b) Judging ourselves more charitably that we judge others. Uncharitable attitudes can lead to
harsh opinions of others, which can lead to judgmental messages and defensive
responses.
c) Paying more attention to negative impressions. Paying more attention to the negative may
lead us to prematurely reject people who might be valuable to us.
d) Being influenced by what is most obvious (intense, repetitious, and contrastive stimuli).
When we pay more attention to what is obvious, we may end up ignoring less obvious
but important information.
e) Clinging to first impressions. Problems arise when the labels we attach are inaccurate,
which may negatively influence the way you interact and communicate with a person.
f) Assuming similarity to another person. Problems arise when the other person doesn’t
think or feel the same way you do. This may cause miscommunication and create
misunderstandings.
Page: 55-59
A-head: Perceiving Others