Quiz Bank — Module 1: Effective Communication (BC108)
QUESTION 1 OF 61
Where does communication theory come from?
✅ It has developed over centuries by a wide range of commentators
Communication theory is not a single, recent invention — it has been built up gradually over centuries by many different scholars, practitioners, and commentators across disciplines (rhetoric, psychology, media studies, etc.), not invented in one decade or by one profession.
QUESTION 2 OF 61
Which of these is not an example of good practice in professional communications?
✅ Restricting communication patterns
Good professional communication practice is about opening and improving channels (driving professional growth, better efficiency, enhanced decision-making) — restricting communication patterns works against all of these goals by cutting off information flow.
QUESTION 3 OF 61
Which of these is a basic definition of oral communication?
✅ The transfer of information through speech
The other options describe narrower or unrelated ideas (adding words to a presentation, broadcast media generally, or a speech given with no audience) — the course defines oral communication simply as information transferred via spoken words.
QUESTION 4 OF 61
Why is poor retention a problem?
✅ People may not get all the details from a speech or presentation
⚠️ Flagged: "A failure to concentrate means major points are missed" was tried first and marked Incorrect — that describes a cause of poor retention, not why poor retention itself is a problem. The course frames the problem as information loss: the audience simply doesn't retain/get all the details.
Retention issues mean the audience walks away with an incomplete picture of the message, regardless of why the retention failed — that incompleteness is the actual problem the course is pointing at.
QUESTION 5 OF 61
Which of these is not an example of written communication?
✅ A lunchtime conversation
A contract, a letter, and a billboard are all written/printed forms — a lunchtime conversation is spoken (oral) communication, the odd one out.
QUESTION 6 OF 61
What is a major drawback regarding written communication?
✅ It can be slow to produce and deliver
The course's own limitations list states that "writing and reading written communication can be time-consuming" and that feedback is not immediate because encoding and delivery take time — the other options describe things written communication does well (paper trail, formality, economy), not drawbacks.
QUESTION 7 OF 61
Researchers suggest that what proportion of communication is non-verbal?
✅ 80%
⚠️ Flagged: 60% was tried first and marked Incorrect. The course's own reading text only vaguely says "a considerable portion" (citing Albert Mehrabian) without stating the number directly, so this had to be determined by trial. 80% is the closest of the 4 options to Mehrabian's well-known finding that only ~7% of emotional meaning comes from words, with the rest (~93%) from tone of voice and body language.
Confirmed correct in the live quiz (60% was marked Incorrect, 80% was marked Correct).
QUESTION 8 OF 61
Which of these answers best conveys aspects of non-verbal communication?
✅ It's not just what we say, it's how we say it
This is the classic framing of non-verbal communication's significance — the course repeatedly emphasizes that HOW something is said (tone, body language, delivery) carries more weight than the literal words. The other options are either overly narrow (only gesticulation) or plausible-sounding distractors not directly supported by the course's own text.
QUESTION 9 OF 61
Paralinguistics is the study of what?
✅ The voice and how words are pronounced
The course's own definition (video and reading page) states paralanguage/paralinguistics is "the study of the voice and how words are said" — not eye contact or gestures (those are oculesics/kinesics), and not "advanced linguistics" which is a plausible-sounding but unrelated distractor.
QUESTION 10 OF 61
Communication by body movement is known as what?
✅ Kinesics
The course's video defines Kinesics as "communication by body movement" — the other options are near-homophone distractors (Kinetics is a physics term, Ketosis is a metabolic state, Kinesis is a related but distinct biological term for movement response) not used by the course.
QUESTION 11 OF 61
Which of these describes proxemics?
✅ The space in which a speech is made
The course's video defines proxemics as considering "the space in which speeches are being made as against personal space" (Hall's intimate/personal/social/public distances). The other options are unrelated to spatial distance.
QUESTION 12 OF 61
Thinking about non-verbal communication, what does chronemics study?
✅ Time
Chronemics "considers the study of time in non-verbal communication" — punctuality, willingness to wait, and pace of interaction (e.g. glancing at a watch signals disinterest).
QUESTION 13 OF 61
Semiotic tradition looks at what aspect of communication?
✅ Signs and symbols
Semiotics is the study of signs and symbols and how they carry meaning — not the media (newspapers, television, posters) that carry them.
QUESTION 14 OF 61
Which of the following does not describe communication?
✅ Communication in a language an audience does not understand
Communication requires that the receiver can decode the message; a message in a language the audience does not understand fails to transfer meaning (a language barrier), so it is not communication even though the other options are real channels.
QUESTION 15 OF 61
Which of these is not a barrier to communication?
✅ A working mobile phone
Remote working (distance/technology), inability to speak the language (language barrier) and cultural objection to communicating with someone (cultural barrier) all impede communication; a working mobile phone is a tool that enables it.
QUESTION 16 OF 61
Why would you think about the content of the communications you send to your workforce?
✅ Is it what the audience needs?
Effective communication is audience-centred (consideration, clarity, relevance) — content should meet the receiver's needs rather than be judged by production cost, treated as unimportant, or assumed to be resented.
QUESTION 17 OF 61
How might you describe communication cascading?
✅ Handing a communication to subordinates, who in turn pass it on to others, down to junior staff
Cascading passes a message down the hierarchy level by level — each manager briefs their own team — rather than sending one broadcast to everyone at once.
QUESTION 18 OF 61
What does diversifying communications mean?
✅ Examine all the different types of communication available
⚠️ Flagged: Answer chosen by inference — the course text never defines "diversifying" directly; the other options (multiple languages, avoiding sexist/racist language, glossy publications) are plausible distractors. Confirmed correct on the first attempt.
Diversifying means widening the mix of channels and formats used (email, meetings, messaging, town halls, etc.) — consistent with Objective 10 in the lesson ("use multiple communication channels … based on the context").
QUESTION 19 OF 61
Why is goodwill intangible?
✅ You cannot put a price on it
Goodwill is reputation, trust and customer loyalty — unlike inventory or equipment it has no physical form and no fixed market price, so it is intangible even though it is extremely valuable (the course calls it a "priceless" asset).
QUESTION 20 OF 61
Which of these is not an example of goodwill?
✅ Equipment
Equipment is a tangible, physical asset. Patents, intellectual property and customer loyalty are intangible assets tied to reputation and rights, i.e. goodwill-type value.
QUESTION 21 OF 61
Why is receiver feedback so important?
✅ It tells the sender if the message has been effective
⚠️ Flagged: "It tells sender if the communication has been received" is a close distractor — that describes mere acknowledgment. Chosen by inference from the lesson ("confirms understanding"); confirmed correct on the first attempt.
The lesson says a response lets the sender gauge whether the message was understood correctly and identify where clarification is needed — i.e. whether communication was effective, not merely delivered.
QUESTION 22 OF 61
Why embrace different types of communication methods?
✅ In a changing world it is important to try to contact as many people as possible who use different systems
Audiences use different channels, technologies and formats; using varied methods (matching the right channel to the receiver) reaches more people and improves understanding. The other options are trivial or irrelevant motives.
QUESTION 23 OF 61
A favourable review of a company leads, initially, to what?
✅ Favourable comments by word of mouth and on social media platforms
The video's "ongoing dialogue" slide says a favourable opinion of the company is followed first by word-of-mouth and social media comments (Groonroos, 2000); sales and share-price effects are later, indirect outcomes.
QUESTION 24 OF 61
Why is it necessary to comply with all regulations?
✅ All legal, ethical and matters of taste are as important, if not more important, in corporate communications
"Ensure compliance with all regulations" is one step to a favourable relationship; compliance covers legal, ethical and taste considerations in all corporate communication. The other options are each only a narrow example (libel, defamation) or plainly wrong (permitting sexist/racist/homophobic remarks).
QUESTION 25 OF 61
What could be the consequence of presenting a message or instruction poorly?
✅ Confusion
Poor presentation of a message or instruction leads to confusion and bad reactions (listed among the limitations of oral communication).
QUESTION 26 OF 61
Is body language considered a component of communication?
✅ Non-verbal Communication
Body language (gestures, posture, facial expression) is the core of non-verbal communication.
QUESTION 27 OF 61
When the sender sends the message to the recipient, the message has to pass through?
✅ Five
⚠️ Flagged: Six was tried first and marked Incorrect; the quiz shows Five as the correct option even though the course's Communication Process lists seven stages (sender, encoding, channel, decoding, receiver, feedback, context). Treat the quiz key as Five.
The quiz's answer key counts five stages between sender and recipient; the lesson's own full list has seven elements, so this item is inconsistent with the course text — memorise Five for the quiz, seven for the theory.
QUESTION 28 OF 61
_____ is sent to the sender from the recipient.
✅ Message
⚠️ Flagged: Feedback was tried first and marked Incorrect; the quiz's key is Message (the option shown as correct). Conceptually feedback is what the receiver returns, so this is a flawed item — use Message for the quiz.
Per the quiz key, the blank is filled by Message (the receiver sends a message back to the sender); in the course's communication model that returned message is what is called feedback.
QUESTION 29 OF 61
An essential component of non-verbal communication is
✅ Body language
Body language is the central channel of non-verbal communication.
QUESTION 30 OF 61
What should be the way of communication when a person is too far from you to hear
✅ Gesturing
At a distance where speech cannot be heard, gestures (kinesics) carry the message.
QUESTION 31 OF 61
The most important aspect of Oculesics is
✅ Eye Contact
Oculesics is the study of eye movement/eye contact.
QUESTION 32 OF 61
What are the various types of non-verbal communication styles?
A communication that conveys a message through letters/ words is called?
✅ Written communication
⚠️ Flagged: Ambiguous with 'Verbal communication' (verbal covers spoken and written words). Written communication was marked correct on the first attempt.
Communication carried by letters/written words is written communication.
QUESTION 35 OF 61
Which of the following is not one of the 7 C's of communication?
✅ Convenience
⚠️ Flagged: 'Consistency' is also not a heading in the 7 Cs, but the quiz marked Convenience as the answer. Confirmed correct on the first attempt.
The 7 Cs are Clarity, Completeness, Conciseness, Consideration, Correctness, Coherence, Courtesy — Convenience is not one of them.
QUESTION 36 OF 61
Which "C" focuses on the idea that communication should be easy to understand and comprehend?
✅ Clarity
Clarity = message is clear, easily understood and free of ambiguity.
QUESTION 37 OF 61
Which of the following is a characteristic of actual written communication?
✅ Concise and organised content
Effective written communication is concise and well organised.
QUESTION 38 OF 61
What is the advantage of written communication over oral communication?
✅ Less scope for misunderstanding
Written messages can be reviewed and edited, leaving less room for misunderstanding (and providing a record).
QUESTION 39 OF 61
Non-verbal communication includes which of the following?
✅ Facial expressions, gestures, and body language
Non-verbal communication uses cues other than words.
QUESTION 40 OF 61
Which of the following is an example of a non-verbal communication cue?
✅ Handshake
A handshake is a touch (tactilics) cue.
QUESTION 41 OF 61
Paralinguistics primarily deals with which aspect of communication?
✅ Verbal cues beyond words
Paralanguage covers tone of voice, pitch, laughter and other vocal cues accompanying speech.
QUESTION 42 OF 61
Artifactics in communication refers to:
✅ Use of non-verbal cues
Artifacts are decorative ornamentation such as clothing, cars and homes chosen to represent self-concept — a non-verbal cue.
QUESTION 43 OF 61
Chronemics involves the study of:
✅ Time in communication
Chronemics is the study of the use of time in non-verbal communication.
QUESTION 44 OF 61
Tactilics in communication refers to the study of:
✅ Touch and physical contact
Tactilics is the science of touch language.
QUESTION 45 OF 61
Which stage of cultural shock involves full engagement with the host culture?
✅ Adaptation
⚠️ Flagged: Answer inferred (not covered in the lessons I walked); confirmed correct by the 100% score.
In the cultural-shock cycle (honeymoon → frustration → adjustment → adaptation) the final stage, adaptation, is full engagement with the host culture; adjustment is only the gradual settling-in.
QUESTION 46 OF 61
Lack of attention by the listener is a:
✅ Psychological barrier
Inattention comes from the listener's mental/emotional state (stress, preoccupation), so it is a psychological barrier rather than semantic or physical.
QUESTION 47 OF 61
What does the 'context' refer to in communication?
✅ The environment and circumstances in which a message is delivered
Context is the 7th stage of the communication process: the political, social and cultural circumstances in which the message is conveyed.
QUESTION 48 OF 61
A person's attitude and emotions that affect communication are called:
✅ Psychological barriers
Emotional/mental states (bias, stress, fear) that distort messages are psychological barriers (Lesson 9).
QUESTION 49 OF 61
What type of barrier is caused by the use of difficult or unfamiliar words?
✅ Semantic
Word/meaning problems (jargon, ambiguity) are semantic (language) barriers.
QUESTION 50 OF 61
What is the purpose of using simple language in encoding?
✅ To ensure clarity and understanding
Encoding tips: simple language, avoid jargon, be clear and concise so the receiver can decode correctly.
QUESTION 51 OF 61
Which of the following is an example of nonverbal communication?
✅ A Smile
A smile is a facial expression — kinesics.
QUESTION 52 OF 61
Which principle should be followed for effective communication?
✅ Keep It Simple and Short (KISS)
Simple, concise messages support the 7 Cs (clarity, conciseness).
QUESTION 53 OF 61
What is one emotional barrier to communication?
✅ Fear
Fear of rejection/judgement is a named psychological barrier.
QUESTION 54 OF 61
What is the role of the receiver in communication?
✅ To decode and understand the message
The receiver decodes the message, gives it meaning and responds with feedback.
QUESTION 55 OF 61
A good response from the receiver shows:
✅ Effective communication
A response confirms the message was understood — evidence that communication worked.
QUESTION 56 OF 61
Which form of communication is primarily dependent on factors like pitch, volume, and speed?
✅ Oral communication
⚠️ Flagged: Could also read as non-verbal (paralanguage). Oral communication was marked correct by the 100% score.
Pitch, volume and speed of speech are the delivery factors of spoken (oral) communication.
QUESTION 57 OF 61
Which of the following best illustrates the concept of nonverbal communication?
✅ Using hand gestures while speaking
Gestures are kinesics — communication without words.
QUESTION 58 OF 61
Which of the following leads to poor receiver response?
✅ Distractions or noise
Environmental and psychological barriers (noise, distractions) reduce understanding and response.
QUESTION 59 OF 61
What is the main goal of organizational communication?
✅ To ensure clear flow of information within the organization
Objective 1 (Lesson 11): clarity and accuracy in information dissemination.
QUESTION 60 OF 61
Which of the following is an important goal of effective organizational communication?
✅ Build strong internal relationships
Organizational communication aims at teamwork, engagement, culture and relationships (Lesson 11).
QUESTION 61 OF 61
In what way can nonverbal communication, such as tactilics, impact professional interactions across cultures?
✅ It varies in interpretation, potentially leading to misunderstandings.
Touch/gestures carry different meanings across cultures, so misreading them causes misunderstanding (Lesson 9: cultural barriers).