Soft Skills Interpersonal Communication 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which nonverbal cue is generally the MOST reliable indicator of a person's true emotional state?
- Facial expressions
- Microexpressions (Correct answer)
- Posture
- Hand gestures
Correct answer: Microexpressions
Microexpressions are brief, involuntary facial movements that flash in under a second and are difficult to mask or fake.
Question 2: What is the primary purpose of 'minimal encouragers' such as 'uh-huh,' 'I see,' and 'go on'?
- To show you agree with the speaker
- To signal attentiveness and encourage the speaker to continue (Correct answer)
- To interrupt politely
- To summarize what was said
Correct answer: To signal attentiveness and encourage the speaker to continue
Minimal encouragers signal active engagement without interrupting the speaker's flow or implying agreement.
Question 3: During a performance review, your supervisor only focuses on your most recent mistake and ignores months of strong work. This is called:
- The primacy effect
- Attribution error
- Recency bias (Correct answer)
- Selective perception
Correct answer: Recency bias
Recency bias causes evaluators to overweight the most recent events, overshadowing a longer track record of performance.
Question 4: Which of the following is an example of a 'closed' question in interpersonal communication?
- How did that situation make you feel?
- What challenges are you facing this week?
- Did you finish the report? (Correct answer)
- Can you walk me through your thought process?
Correct answer: Did you finish the report?
Closed questions invite only a yes/no or short factual answer, limiting the depth of the conversation.
Question 5: The concept of 'face-saving' in interpersonal communication refers to:
- Avoiding video calls to hide your appearance
- Preserving a person's sense of dignity and self-image (Correct answer)
- Presenting only your best arguments
- Maintaining eye contact to appear confident
Correct answer: Preserving a person's sense of dignity and self-image
Face-saving strategies protect the self-esteem and social image of yourself or others during difficult interactions.
Question 6: If two people in a meeting keep talking over each other, the MOST effective immediate intervention is to:
- Let the conflict resolve on its own
- Establish a structured turn-taking protocol (Correct answer)
- Ask one person to leave the room
- Raise your voice to regain control
Correct answer: Establish a structured turn-taking protocol
Establishing clear turn-taking rules reduces interruptions and ensures each person feels heard without power struggles.
Question 7: What is 'stonewalling' in the context of interpersonal conflict?
- Using logic to counter emotional arguments
- Physically blocking a person's exit during an argument
- Withdrawing from interaction and refusing to engage (Correct answer)
- Repeating your point more loudly until the other person agrees
Correct answer: Withdrawing from interaction and refusing to engage
Stonewalling is when one party shuts down, gives the silent treatment, or disengages entirely, preventing resolution.
Soft Skills Interpersonal Communication 4
Which nonverbal cue is generally the MOST reliable indicator of a person's true emotional state?