CHAPTER 6
NONVERBAL LANGUAGE IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
Test Bank
Essay Questions
1. Define the term paralanguage and discuss the role of paralanguage in intercultural
2. Discuss at least three aspects of nonverbal communication and give specific examples
3. In what ways can nonverbal communication signals indicate power and status?
4. How can private space be used to understand the nonverbal communication through
5. What can you learn about the Japanese by studying the layout of their offices?
6. "The silence spoke volumes." Discuss this statement. Compare the attitude towards
8. The meaning of nonverbal communication signals varies from culture to culture.
9. Paralanguage refers to the sounds we make but not the words we use.
10. Volume, pitch, and intonation are vocal qualifiers.
12. In Japanese culture, eye contact is related to honesty.
13. In Asian cultures smiling can be a sign of embarrassment.
14. By Western standards, Asian cultures use restraint in facial expressions and gestures.
15. Women in most cultures tend to use fewer and smaller gestures than men.
16. The timing of verbal exchanges usually indicates who is in charge.
17. The German bow is a bow of the head that men use when greeting other people.
18. The handshake is the accepted form of greeting business people everywhere.
19. Personal space in the United States is about the length of an arm.
20. The use of space is an indication of the attitudes towards privacy.
21. Office size is an indicator of importance in all cultures.
22. The Japanese office arrangement illustrates the group orientation of the Japanese.
23. A businessperson in Venezuela who has discussions with two different people and
24. In Japanese offices the manager sits at the head at the table because Japanese employees
25. Japanese people create mental space around them to cope with crowded conditions.
26. Suit, dress shirt, and tie are acceptable business dress for men around the globe.
27. People from low-context cultures tend to feel uncomfortable with silence during a
28. Paralanguage refers to
a. Eye contact
b. Touching
c. Fillers and intonation
29. The volume, pitch, and intonation are referred to as
a. Vocalization
b. Fillers
c. Nonverbal qualities
30. In Japanese culture, intense eye contact is
a. A sign of honesty
b. A sign of shiftiness and untrustworthiness
c. An invasion of privacy
31. In which of the following cultures are men most likely to show their anger through big
gestures?
a. Saudi Arabia
b. Japan
c. China
32. Which of the following does not help in examining the timing of spoken exchanges?
a. Who initiates the communication?
b. What language do the speakers use?
c. What is acceptable behavior for interrupting the speaker?
33. Which of the following statements is not true?
a. When German businesspeople meet, they shake hands.
b. Businesspeople from Latin America touch each other frequently while speaking.
c. The Japanese avoid personal contact when speaking to one another.
d. The Maori from New Zealand kiss each other when meeting
34. The size and location of the office are symbols of status and power. This statement is
most appropriate for
a. Japan
b. China
c. The United States
35. The open office arrangement in Japan emphasizes
a. The importance of the group
b. A lack of trust for individual workers
c. The hierarchy in the organization
36. Who of the following would feel most comfortable with silence during a conversation? A
manager from
a. The United States
b. Germany
c. Great Britain
37. Nonverbal communication signals
a. Are culture specific
b. Change over time
c. Vary within cultures