Test Bank For
Introduction to Mass Communication 2026 Release Stanley J. Baran
Chapters 1-15
Chapter 1:
Mass Communication, Culture, and Media Literacy
Test Questions
Multiple-Choice Questions
1. Communication is best defined as
a. the transmission of a message from a receiver to a source.
b. conversation between two or a few people.
c. the process of creating shared meaning.
d. the product of large media industries.
Answer: c
Bloom‘s level: Remember
2. Feedback is
a. the response to a given communication.
b. distortion typically attributed to electronic equipment.
c. sometimes present in communication.
d. rarely present in communication.
Answer: a
Bloom‘s level: Remember
3. Communication between two or a few people is
a. mass communication.
b. feedback.
c. interpersonal communication.
d. reciprocal communication.
Answer: c
Bloom‘s level: Remember
4. When messages are transformed into an understandable sign and symbol system by a
participant in the communication process, _____________ is said to have occurred.
a. noise
b. encoding
c. decoding
d. feedback
Answer: b
Bloom‘s level: Remember
5. When signs and symbols are interpreted by a participant in the communication process,
_____________ is said to have occurred.
a. noise
b. encoding
c. decoding
, d. feedback
Answer: c
Bloom‘s level: Remember
6. Anything that interferes with successful communication is said to be
a. noise.
b. encoding.
c. decoding.
d. feedback.
Answer: a
Bloom‘s level: Remember
7. In communication, the means by which messages are carried is
a. the feedback loop.
b. encoding.
c. decoding.
d. the medium.
Answer: d
Bloom‘s level: Remember
8. The process of creating shared meaning between the mass media and their audiences is
a. mass communication.
b. feedback.
c. interpersonal communication.
d. encoding.
Answer: a
Bloom‘s level: Remember
9. In mass communication, feedback is typically
a. instant and direct.
b. quite powerful.
c. absent.
d. delayed and inferential.
Answer: d
Bloom‘s level: Understand
10. Large, hierarchically structured organizations are typical of
a. mass communication.
b. feedback.
c. interpersonal communication.
d. noise.
Answer: a
Bloom‘s level: Understand
11. Ongoing and reciprocal messages are characteristic of
a. mass communication.
b. feedback.
c. interpersonal communication.
d. noise.
,Answer: c
Bloom‘s level: Understand
12. ―Communication is a symbolic process whereby reality is produced, maintained, repaired, and
transformed‖ is
a. the cultural definition of communication.
b. a sophisticated definition of feedback.
c. interpersonal communication when it works well.
d. the biological definition of communication.
Answer: a
Blooms level: Remember
13. The communication scholar credited with developing the cultural definition of communication
is
a. James Carey.
b. Marshall McLuhan.
c. Wilbur Schramm.
d. Harold Lasswell.
Answer: a
Bloom‘s level: Remember
14. Culture is
a. opera, theater, and symphonic music.
b. communication between two or a few people.
c. the learned behavior of members of a given social group.
d. the improvement of public tastes.
Answer: c
Bloom‘s level: Remember
15. The culture that seems to hold sway with the majority of a given people is the
a. primary culture.
b. bounded culture.
c. dominant culture.
d. transformed culture.
Answer: c
Bloom‘s level: Remember
16. Groups with specific but not dominant cultures that exist as part of those larger cultures are
a. secondary cultures.
b. bounded cultures.
c. minority cultures.
d. transformed cultures.
Answer: b
Bloom‘s level: Remember
17. Culture is constructed and maintained
a. through the mass media.
b. through feedback.
c. through encoding and decoding.
d. through communication.
, Answer: d
Bloom‘s level: Remember
18. The idea that machines and their development drive economic and cultural change is
a. technological determinism.
b. manifest destiny.
c. technological despotism.
d. latent destiny.
Answer: a
Bloom‘s level: Remember
19. Lasswell‘s model of communication is expressed as ―Who Says What in Which Channel
_____________ with What Effect.‖
a. with How Much Noise
b. to Whom
c. Using Which Medium
d. to Which Interpreter
Answer: b
Bloom‘s level: Remember
20. The Osgood and Schramm conception of the mass communication process replaces source
and receiver with
a. initiator and destination.
b. interpreters.
c. decoders.
d. Participant A and Participant B.
Answer: b
Bloom‘s level: Remember
21. Culture is the world made meaningful; it is socially constructed and maintained through
communication. It limits, as well as liberates us; it differentiates as well as unites us. It defines
our realities and thereby
a. shapes the ways we think, feel, and act.
b. tells us what is true and false.
c. creates a national togetherness.
d. offers us hope for a unified future.
Answer: a
Bloom‘s level: Remember
22. We can think of mass communication as a giant courtroom where, as a people, we discuss
and debate our culture—what it is and what we want it to be. This view sees mass
communication as a
a. cultural storyteller.
b. repository of cultural understanding.
c. cultural forum.
d. unrelenting agent of change.
Answer: c
Bloom‘s level: Remember
23. If we apply the standard model of capitalism to prime-time television programming, the
Introduction to Mass Communication 2026 Release Stanley J. Baran
Chapters 1-15
Chapter 1:
Mass Communication, Culture, and Media Literacy
Test Questions
Multiple-Choice Questions
1. Communication is best defined as
a. the transmission of a message from a receiver to a source.
b. conversation between two or a few people.
c. the process of creating shared meaning.
d. the product of large media industries.
Answer: c
Bloom‘s level: Remember
2. Feedback is
a. the response to a given communication.
b. distortion typically attributed to electronic equipment.
c. sometimes present in communication.
d. rarely present in communication.
Answer: a
Bloom‘s level: Remember
3. Communication between two or a few people is
a. mass communication.
b. feedback.
c. interpersonal communication.
d. reciprocal communication.
Answer: c
Bloom‘s level: Remember
4. When messages are transformed into an understandable sign and symbol system by a
participant in the communication process, _____________ is said to have occurred.
a. noise
b. encoding
c. decoding
d. feedback
Answer: b
Bloom‘s level: Remember
5. When signs and symbols are interpreted by a participant in the communication process,
_____________ is said to have occurred.
a. noise
b. encoding
c. decoding
, d. feedback
Answer: c
Bloom‘s level: Remember
6. Anything that interferes with successful communication is said to be
a. noise.
b. encoding.
c. decoding.
d. feedback.
Answer: a
Bloom‘s level: Remember
7. In communication, the means by which messages are carried is
a. the feedback loop.
b. encoding.
c. decoding.
d. the medium.
Answer: d
Bloom‘s level: Remember
8. The process of creating shared meaning between the mass media and their audiences is
a. mass communication.
b. feedback.
c. interpersonal communication.
d. encoding.
Answer: a
Bloom‘s level: Remember
9. In mass communication, feedback is typically
a. instant and direct.
b. quite powerful.
c. absent.
d. delayed and inferential.
Answer: d
Bloom‘s level: Understand
10. Large, hierarchically structured organizations are typical of
a. mass communication.
b. feedback.
c. interpersonal communication.
d. noise.
Answer: a
Bloom‘s level: Understand
11. Ongoing and reciprocal messages are characteristic of
a. mass communication.
b. feedback.
c. interpersonal communication.
d. noise.
,Answer: c
Bloom‘s level: Understand
12. ―Communication is a symbolic process whereby reality is produced, maintained, repaired, and
transformed‖ is
a. the cultural definition of communication.
b. a sophisticated definition of feedback.
c. interpersonal communication when it works well.
d. the biological definition of communication.
Answer: a
Blooms level: Remember
13. The communication scholar credited with developing the cultural definition of communication
is
a. James Carey.
b. Marshall McLuhan.
c. Wilbur Schramm.
d. Harold Lasswell.
Answer: a
Bloom‘s level: Remember
14. Culture is
a. opera, theater, and symphonic music.
b. communication between two or a few people.
c. the learned behavior of members of a given social group.
d. the improvement of public tastes.
Answer: c
Bloom‘s level: Remember
15. The culture that seems to hold sway with the majority of a given people is the
a. primary culture.
b. bounded culture.
c. dominant culture.
d. transformed culture.
Answer: c
Bloom‘s level: Remember
16. Groups with specific but not dominant cultures that exist as part of those larger cultures are
a. secondary cultures.
b. bounded cultures.
c. minority cultures.
d. transformed cultures.
Answer: b
Bloom‘s level: Remember
17. Culture is constructed and maintained
a. through the mass media.
b. through feedback.
c. through encoding and decoding.
d. through communication.
, Answer: d
Bloom‘s level: Remember
18. The idea that machines and their development drive economic and cultural change is
a. technological determinism.
b. manifest destiny.
c. technological despotism.
d. latent destiny.
Answer: a
Bloom‘s level: Remember
19. Lasswell‘s model of communication is expressed as ―Who Says What in Which Channel
_____________ with What Effect.‖
a. with How Much Noise
b. to Whom
c. Using Which Medium
d. to Which Interpreter
Answer: b
Bloom‘s level: Remember
20. The Osgood and Schramm conception of the mass communication process replaces source
and receiver with
a. initiator and destination.
b. interpreters.
c. decoders.
d. Participant A and Participant B.
Answer: b
Bloom‘s level: Remember
21. Culture is the world made meaningful; it is socially constructed and maintained through
communication. It limits, as well as liberates us; it differentiates as well as unites us. It defines
our realities and thereby
a. shapes the ways we think, feel, and act.
b. tells us what is true and false.
c. creates a national togetherness.
d. offers us hope for a unified future.
Answer: a
Bloom‘s level: Remember
22. We can think of mass communication as a giant courtroom where, as a people, we discuss
and debate our culture—what it is and what we want it to be. This view sees mass
communication as a
a. cultural storyteller.
b. repository of cultural understanding.
c. cultural forum.
d. unrelenting agent of change.
Answer: c
Bloom‘s level: Remember
23. If we apply the standard model of capitalism to prime-time television programming, the
