JMU SCOM TEST 2 QUESTIONS ANSWERED CORRECTLY LATEST UPDATE 2025-2026
state of mutual agreement among members; all concerns of individual have been addressed by
group - Answers consensus
recquries full discussion of issues; team members are likely to be committed to decision and
defend it when challenged by outsiders; usually produce group satisfaction - Answers
advantages of consesus
very difficult to achieve; becomes highly unlikely as group increases in size (you have to hear
everyones concerns and meet them) - Answers disadvantages of consensus
most popular decision-making method in U.S. - Answers majority rule
efficient, can provide rapid closure on relatively unimportant issues; in large groups may be only
way to make decision - Answers advantages of majority rule
sometimes majority support preposterous decisions; may encourage a dominance; power
dynamic in the team; majorities may make decision too quickly, thus eliminating synergy -
Answers disadvantages of majority rule
on rare occasions the minority can overcome the majority (only disadvantages) - Answers
minority rule
a designated expert can ignore group input; members may engage in power plays to get closer
with leader who makes decisions; can encourage discontinuous change decision - Answers
disadvantages of minority rule
composed of probing, supporting, and understanding responses (all are confirming responses
and enhance person's self-esteem and confidence) - Answers empathetic listening
occurs during initial introductions, business relationships, and formal occasions. the handshake
is the standard form of social-polite touch in American culture; many European cultures greet
strangers with a hug and a perfunctory kiss on each cheek - Answers social-polite touch
least intense form of touching. the touch is instrumental communication that takes place
between doctors and patients, coaches and athletes, and the like. Lately, teacher-student touch
communication is limited to this type, if engaged in at all. functional-professional touching is
businesslike and limited to the requirements of the situation. a nurse helping a patient in bed or
a football coach demonstrating the "bump and run" are examples - Answers functional-
professional touch
most ambiguous type of touch and leads to the most misunderstandings between people. the
amount of touch has to be negotiated when showing friendship and warmth toward others. too
little may show unfriendliness, indifference and coldness; too much seems too intimate and can
be mistakenly perceived as sexually. - Answers friendship-warmth touch
, the source of most signal reactions - Answers connotative meaning
personal meaning, changes from individual to individual; connotations have three dimensions:
evaluations (good/bad), potency (strong/weak) and activity (active passive) (ex) Rottweiler:
"cute" or "vicious", "powerful" or "indifferent" - Answers connotation
shared meaning; objective meaning of words commonly agreed to by members of a speech
community and usually found in a dictionary (ex) Rottweiler: large breed of dog characterized by
short tail and short, black hair with tan markings - Answers denotative meaning
ability to use language to talk about language (all languages are self-reflexive) - Answers self-
reflexiveness of language
the expressed struggle of interconnected parties who perceive incompatible goals and
interference from one or more parties from attaining these goals - Answers conflict
specifically identify acceptable and unacceptable behavior (ex) JMU Honor Code, things
outlined in syllabus - Answers explicit norms
learn by observing patterns of behavior in group - Answers implicit norms
disagreement is discouraged; strong pressure to conform; group lacks a structured decision
making process; in group and out group (don't agree with group) mentality - Answers
characteristics of group-think
complaints by one party are countered by complaints by the other party in a one-up contest -
Answers cross complaining
a form of linguistic Novocain whereby word choices numb us to or camouflage unpleasant or
offensive realities; ex) saying "passed away" instead of "dead" - Answers euphemism
two individuals interacting for the achievement of some common purpose who influence and
are influenced by one another - Answers dyadic communication
debate concerning the power of language to affect thought and perception; two versions:
linguistic determinism (we are prisoners of our native language) and relativity - Answers Sapir-
Whorf hypothesis
the grammar and lexicon of our native language powerfully influence but do not imprison our
thinking and perception - Answers linguistic relativity
sharing meaning with others nonlinguistically (accentuations, repetition, contradiction,
substitution, and complimenting) - Answers nonverbal communication and functions
intensifying verbal messages; ex) PLEASE don't touch anything in the store, or Don't you EVER
say that word - Answers accentuations
state of mutual agreement among members; all concerns of individual have been addressed by
group - Answers consensus
recquries full discussion of issues; team members are likely to be committed to decision and
defend it when challenged by outsiders; usually produce group satisfaction - Answers
advantages of consesus
very difficult to achieve; becomes highly unlikely as group increases in size (you have to hear
everyones concerns and meet them) - Answers disadvantages of consensus
most popular decision-making method in U.S. - Answers majority rule
efficient, can provide rapid closure on relatively unimportant issues; in large groups may be only
way to make decision - Answers advantages of majority rule
sometimes majority support preposterous decisions; may encourage a dominance; power
dynamic in the team; majorities may make decision too quickly, thus eliminating synergy -
Answers disadvantages of majority rule
on rare occasions the minority can overcome the majority (only disadvantages) - Answers
minority rule
a designated expert can ignore group input; members may engage in power plays to get closer
with leader who makes decisions; can encourage discontinuous change decision - Answers
disadvantages of minority rule
composed of probing, supporting, and understanding responses (all are confirming responses
and enhance person's self-esteem and confidence) - Answers empathetic listening
occurs during initial introductions, business relationships, and formal occasions. the handshake
is the standard form of social-polite touch in American culture; many European cultures greet
strangers with a hug and a perfunctory kiss on each cheek - Answers social-polite touch
least intense form of touching. the touch is instrumental communication that takes place
between doctors and patients, coaches and athletes, and the like. Lately, teacher-student touch
communication is limited to this type, if engaged in at all. functional-professional touching is
businesslike and limited to the requirements of the situation. a nurse helping a patient in bed or
a football coach demonstrating the "bump and run" are examples - Answers functional-
professional touch
most ambiguous type of touch and leads to the most misunderstandings between people. the
amount of touch has to be negotiated when showing friendship and warmth toward others. too
little may show unfriendliness, indifference and coldness; too much seems too intimate and can
be mistakenly perceived as sexually. - Answers friendship-warmth touch
, the source of most signal reactions - Answers connotative meaning
personal meaning, changes from individual to individual; connotations have three dimensions:
evaluations (good/bad), potency (strong/weak) and activity (active passive) (ex) Rottweiler:
"cute" or "vicious", "powerful" or "indifferent" - Answers connotation
shared meaning; objective meaning of words commonly agreed to by members of a speech
community and usually found in a dictionary (ex) Rottweiler: large breed of dog characterized by
short tail and short, black hair with tan markings - Answers denotative meaning
ability to use language to talk about language (all languages are self-reflexive) - Answers self-
reflexiveness of language
the expressed struggle of interconnected parties who perceive incompatible goals and
interference from one or more parties from attaining these goals - Answers conflict
specifically identify acceptable and unacceptable behavior (ex) JMU Honor Code, things
outlined in syllabus - Answers explicit norms
learn by observing patterns of behavior in group - Answers implicit norms
disagreement is discouraged; strong pressure to conform; group lacks a structured decision
making process; in group and out group (don't agree with group) mentality - Answers
characteristics of group-think
complaints by one party are countered by complaints by the other party in a one-up contest -
Answers cross complaining
a form of linguistic Novocain whereby word choices numb us to or camouflage unpleasant or
offensive realities; ex) saying "passed away" instead of "dead" - Answers euphemism
two individuals interacting for the achievement of some common purpose who influence and
are influenced by one another - Answers dyadic communication
debate concerning the power of language to affect thought and perception; two versions:
linguistic determinism (we are prisoners of our native language) and relativity - Answers Sapir-
Whorf hypothesis
the grammar and lexicon of our native language powerfully influence but do not imprison our
thinking and perception - Answers linguistic relativity
sharing meaning with others nonlinguistically (accentuations, repetition, contradiction,
substitution, and complimenting) - Answers nonverbal communication and functions
intensifying verbal messages; ex) PLEASE don't touch anything in the store, or Don't you EVER
say that word - Answers accentuations
