Communication Accommodation Theory of Howard Giles
50 questions available
Questions
In Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT), what is the term for adapting one's communication behavior to become more similar to someone else, often to gain their approval?
View answer and explanationWhat does Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT) identify as the main motivation for convergence?
View answer and explanationAccording to Communication Accommodation Theory, what is the term for a communication strategy that accentuates the differences between oneself and another person?
View answer and explanationWhat theory do Giles and other CAT theorists draw upon to explain communication behavior that occurs when people act as representatives of a group?
View answer and explanationWithin CAT, what is the concept of persisting in your original communication style regardless of the communication behavior of the other person?
View answer and explanationWhat is the term for demeaning or patronizing talk, often characterized as 'baby talk', where excessive concern is paid to vocal clarity, message simplification, or repetition?
View answer and explanationThe chapter lists five factors that increase the odds that a communicator will see a conversation as an intergroup encounter. Which of the following is NOT one of those five factors?
View answer and explanationAccording to CAT researchers, what defensive, face-saving strategy do the elderly often use that invokes age as a reason for not performing well?
View answer and explanationIn the context of CAT, what does the term 'initial orientation' refer to?
View answer and explanationTo what does the term 'social distance' refer in Communication Accommodation Theory?
View answer and explanationIn the Cincinnati study on police-citizen interactions, how many randomly selected video recordings from police cars were viewed by the research team?
View answer and explanationAccording to the Cincinnati study, when did a police officer's communication tend to be judged as divergent?
View answer and explanationThe chapter refers to the work of Henri Tajfel and John Turner as foundational to CAT. Their theory is known as:
View answer and explanationWhat does CAT suggest is the ultimate factor in how an interaction is evaluated?
View answer and explanationHow is 'counteraccommodation' defined within Communication Accommodation Theory?
View answer and explanationWhat is the primary motivation for divergence, according to CAT and Social Identity Theory?
View answer and explanationThe chapter lists seven ways the elderly often talk that continually remind younger listeners of their age, according to researcher Jake Harwood. Which of the following is NOT on that list?
View answer and explanationAccording to the chapter's critique, what is a primary weakness or complexity of Communication Accommodation Theory?
View answer and explanationHow does attribution theory contribute to CAT?
View answer and explanationIn intergenerational communication, CAT researchers found that which strategy is the norm rather than the exception, especially when the two people are not family members?
View answer and explanationThe chapter broadly defines 'elderly communicators' for the purpose of intergenerational research as those who are how old?
View answer and explanationWhich of the following is NOT given as an example of convergence?
View answer and explanationIn CAT, if an individual's 'social identity' is salient, their communication is most likely to become:
View answer and explanationWhat does Giles suggest about the intentionality of convergence and divergence?
View answer and explanationWhat is the potential downside or cost of convergence for the accommodating individual?
View answer and explanationAccording to Giles, what is the 'upside' or benefit for a communicator who chooses a divergent strategy?
View answer and explanationIn the gap between objective and subjective accommodation, what might happen when a granddad uses phrases like 'really hep' to identify with his grandkids?
View answer and explanationWhich factor of attribution theory would be relevant if you attribute an elderly man's divergent behavior to him being hard of hearing?
View answer and explanationWhat is a key difference between maintenance and divergence as forms of nonaccommodation?
View answer and explanationWhen do young people typically characterize the elderly as closed-minded, out of touch, angry, and complaining according to CAT research?
View answer and explanationAccording to the chapter, why is an I-centered focus of individualistic cultures described as being 'definitely oriented toward individual identity'?
View answer and explanationA study on police officer deaths mentioned in the chapter found a rise of what percentage from 2015 to 2016?
View answer and explanationGiles states that listeners generally regard convergence as positive and divergence as negative. How are converging speakers specifically viewed?
View answer and explanationWhat does the term 'intergroup contact' mean in the context of Social Identity Theory and CAT?
View answer and explanationWhich of the five factors for initial orientation is exemplified by an oft-stated rule to 'respect your elders'?
View answer and explanationCAT is described as having morphed from a theory of social psychology into a communication theory of enormous scope. What two theories were essential to its explanation of accommodation?
View answer and explanationIn the example of Lucile, the 70-year-old widow, why would Giles predict she would have an initial intergroup orientation when talking to the health official?
View answer and explanationIn the Cincinnati police-stop study, how were drivers who were courteous, apologetic, and showed respect rated?
View answer and explanationWhat does CAT say about low-power individuals (e.g., immigrants) who converge upward toward high-power individuals (e.g., citizens)?
View answer and explanationWhen the author discusses his experience in the Deep South, his sister's disdainful reaction, 'You sound ridiculous,' illustrates what concept from CAT?
View answer and explanationThe theory is criticized for its complexity, with one point being that the meaning of 'accommodation' itself is slippery. What are the two different ways the term is sometimes used?
View answer and explanationAccording to Giles, what is accommodation to the in-group rather than to members of the out-group?
View answer and explanationIf you are in a social situation where you feel you need to be a 'good ambassador' for others like you, which identity is most salient?
View answer and explanationWhat is the two-step, cause-and-effect relationship that seems justified when both parties are acting as unique individuals?
View answer and explanationGiles realized that people do not converge toward the actual speech of a recipient, but rather toward what?
View answer and explanationIn the Cincinnati police study, which party's communication did NOT support the prediction of similar adjustments in mixed-race dyads?
View answer and explanationWhat does Tajfel and Turner's motivational continuum picture on its two opposing ends?
View answer and explanationA key tenet of CAT is that communication can be used to manage what?
View answer and explanationIn the critique of CAT, what is the problem with the theory becoming so complex that researchers must develop 'mini-theories' to suit their contexts?
View answer and explanationIf a young person, after a frustrating conversation with an older person, says 'Every other elder I’ve talked to has made me fear or want to avoid getting old,' this reflects which of the five factors influencing initial orientation?
View answer and explanation