Interpersonal Communication Skills Flashcards

When dealing with a hearing-impaired individual, which accommodation best ensures effective communication?

Answer: Provide written communication or use a qualified sign language interpreter

Written communication or a qualified sign language interpreter provides the most effective accommodation for a hearing-impaired person under the ADA.

In an officer-citizen encounter, an officer who maintains appropriate eye contact, nods while listening, and faces the person they are speaking with is demonstrating:

Answer: Active listening

Eye contact, nodding, and facing the speaker are non-verbal behaviors associated with active listening, which shows engagement and encourages open communication.

Which communication barrier is most likely to occur when an officer uses excessive law enforcement jargon with a civilian?

Answer: Semantic noise

Semantic noise occurs when specialized language, jargon, or terminology creates confusion because the receiver does not understand the words being used.

Which of the following best describes 'motivational interviewing' as used in law enforcement?

Answer: A collaborative conversation style to strengthen a person's motivation to change behavior

Motivational interviewing (MI) is a collaborative, goal-oriented communication style used to build intrinsic motivation and elicit behavior change, widely used in substance abuse and CIT contexts.

An officer is dispatched to a domestic disturbance and arrives to find both parties shouting at each other. The best initial communication strategy is to:

Answer: Separate the parties and speak with each individually in a calm manner

Separating the parties reduces mutual escalation and allows the officer to speak with each person calmly to gather accurate information and assess the situation.

When an officer says 'I understand why you're upset — let's talk about how we can resolve this,' they are demonstrating:

Answer: Assertive communication with empathy

This statement is assertive (proposing resolution) and empathic (acknowledging feelings), combining both qualities for effective professional communication.