Chapter 17 Quiz: Verbal Communication in Courtship

12 questions — mix of multiple choice, true/false, and short answer

Multiple Choice

1. Linguistic Style Matching (LSM) is primarily calculated by measuring synchrony in the use of:

a) Adjectives and descriptive vocabulary b) Function words such as pronouns, prepositions, and conjunctions c) Topic-specific vocabulary and proper nouns d) Sentence length and paragraph structure

2. In James Pennebaker's LSM research, which of the following is the most accurate characterization of what high LSM scores indicate?

a) That one speaker is consciously mimicking the other's word choices b) That both speakers are using sophisticated vocabulary c) That both speakers are naturally synchronizing their grammatical processing in ways that indicate mutual engagement d) That one speaker is dominating the conversation by setting the linguistic agenda

3. Arthur Aron's 1997 "36 questions" study found that pairs of strangers who worked through the questions reported:

a) Significantly higher rates of romantic relationship formation over the following year b) Higher self-reported closeness compared to pairs who engaged in small talk c) Better memory for each other's personal details after two weeks d) Lower anxiety about future interactions than control participants

4. The reciprocity norm in self-disclosure research refers to:

a) The obligation to reciprocate a compliment with an equal or greater compliment b) The tendency for people to match the depth and intimacy level of a disclosure they have received c) The social expectation that both people in a relationship will contribute equal amounts to a conversation d) The finding that self-disclosure increases symmetrically as relationships progress

5. According to research on complimenting in courtship, which of the following patterns is most supported by the evidence?

a) Men give more compliments than women in courtship contexts b) Compliments directed at women focus disproportionately on ability; compliments to men focus on appearance c) Compliments directed at women focus disproportionately on appearance; compliments to men focus more on ability and possessions d) There are no consistent gender differences in the content of compliments in American English

6. Strategic ambiguity in flirtatious communication refers to:

a) The tendency to use overly complex vocabulary to impress potential partners b) The deliberate construction of messages with multiple possible interpretations, allowing interest to be signaled while maintaining deniability c) The confusion that arises when two people speak different first languages d) The use of irony and sarcasm in early courtship as a form of humor

7. Karen Huang and colleagues' (2017) research on question-asking in speed-dating found that the strongest predictor of reported interest in a second date was:

a) Open-ended questions about the future b) The total number of questions asked c) Follow-up questions that built on the partner's previous response d) Questions that invited the partner to share opinions on shared interests

8. Deborah Tannen's concept of cooperative overlap refers to:

a) An interruption that signals enthusiasm and engagement rather than dominance b) The tendency for partners in long-term relationships to finish each other's sentences c) A conversation strategy in which both parties defer to each other to avoid conflict d) The overlap between men's and women's communication styles that Tannen documented in her research

True / False

For each, write T or F and one sentence of justification.

9. Research by Ireland et al. (2011) found that LSM in speed-dating conversations predicted relationship length three months later, even after controlling for message content.

10. Zimmerman and West's (1975) finding that men interrupt women more frequently in mixed-sex conversations was later shown by meta-analysis to hold equally strongly for all types of interruptions.

11. Aron's "36 questions" study demonstrated that working through the questions causes people to fall in love.

Short Answer

12. The chapter discusses face protection as a key explanation for why people use strategic ambiguity rather than direct verbal declarations of interest. In 150–200 words, explain the concept of face as used by Goffman and Brown and Levinson, and explain specifically how strategic ambiguity protects both the speaker's and the listener's face. Then, in 2–3 sentences, identify one way in which the face-protection function of strategic ambiguity may impose unequal costs on different parties in a courtship interaction.

Answer Key

  1. b
  2. c
  3. b
  4. b
  5. c
  6. b
  7. c
  8. a
  9. T — Ireland et al. (2011) found this effect; the LSM measure predicted relationship outcomes even controlling for content.
  10. F — Anderson and Leaper's (1998) meta-analysis found that men's higher interruption rate held for intrusive interruptions but not for all interruptions; effect sizes were small to moderate.
  11. F — The study found higher self-reported closeness, not romantic love or relationship formation; the popular framing significantly overstates what the research showed.
  12. Rubric: Award full credit for accurate definition of face (the public self-image social actors need to maintain), correct identification of both speaker face risk (explicit rejection) and listener face risk (obligation to respond), and a substantive point about unequal costs — e.g., the interpretive labor burden falling disproportionately on the party with less social power to misread.