1. Read the situation, respond to the question.
Situation:
Mom: Hey Arnie. Do you have a minute to talk?
Arnie: Sure. What's up?
Mom: Remember we talked about your sister's wedding coming up on Saturday? You agreed to mow the lawn and wash the car before relatives get here. I know you've been putting in a lot of hours at work and probably forgot.
Arnie: Oh, right. But I'm working today, and I've got plans with friends tonight. How about I do it early Saturday Morning?
Mom: When's the last time you got up before noon on Saturday? I really need it done before everybody arrives.
Arnie: Okay, if you're worried I won't get it done in time Saturday, I'll do it before I go out with my friends tonight.
Mom: Thanks! What about inviting your friends over to help wash the car? You'd have more time with them and be done earlier.
Question 1: Which of the following constructive communication behaviors best describe the contributions of Arne's mom to this conversation? Select three.
- Asking for clarification
- Useful metacommunication
- Validation of each other
- Focus on specific issues
- Summarizing the concerns
- Compromises and contracts
Question 2: Read the situation, respond to the question.
Situation:
Mom: Hey Arnie. Do you have a minute to talk?
Arnie: Sure. What's up?
Mom: Remember we talked about your sister's wedding coming up on Saturday? You agreed to mow the lawn and wash the car before relatives get here. I know you've been putting in a lot of hours at work and probably forgot.
Arnie: Oh, right. But I'm working today, and I've got plans with friends tonight. How about I do it early Saturday Morning?
Mom: When's the last time you got up before noon on Saturday? I really need it done before everybody arrives.
Arnie: Okay, if you're worried I won't get it done in time Saturday, I'll do it before I go out with my friends tonight.
Mom: Thanks! What about inviting your friends over to help wash the car. You'd have more time with them and be done earlier.
Which of the following constructive communication behaviors best describe Arne's contributions to this conversation? Select three.
- Recognition of other's concerns
- Asking for clarification
- Useful metacommunication
- Focus on specific issues
- Summarizing the concerns
- Compromises and contracts
Question 3: Read the situation, respond to the question.
Situation:
Consider a parallel universe where the conversation goes less productively:
Mom: Hey Arnie. You promised to mow the lawn and wash the car before relatives arrived for your sister's wedding.
Arnie: I don't have time. I've got to work.
Mom: Maybe if you took a break from playing video games, you'd have the time.
Arnie: I'm not playing anything; I'm going to work. Why don't you do it if it's so important?
Mom: I would if I wasn't cleaning up after you all day.
Arnie: Maybe if you stopped watching soap operas, you'd have the time.
Mom: That's my reward for all the time I spend keeping a roof over your head.
Arnie: Give me a break. You need the roof whether I'm here or not.
Mom: I'll give you a break after you paint the basement like you promised last month.
Arnie: I'm waiting for warmer weather so I can open some windows.
Mom: Are you waiting for warmer weather to take out the garbage too?
Which of the following unproductive communication behaviors best describe both Arne and his mom's contributions to this conversation? Select three.
- Hostile mind reading
- Cross-complaining
- Poor listening
- Kitchen-sinking
- Frequent interruptions
- Counterproposals
Question 4.: Read the situation, respond to the question.
Situation:
Skip, a guy Siri was friends with many years ago in college showed up on her Facebook® page wanting to reminisce about old times drinking in college...
Skip: Remember the time we got smashed and woke up in your car the next morning - in somebody else's driveway.
Siri: I'd prefer not to laugh and reminisce about our hard drinking days. These days I work really hard at staying sober.
Skip: Yeah, but how can you not laugh at Ralph waking up at 8 a.m. in a giant barf-encrusted taco outfit as students were coming into Biology 101!?
Siri: I understand you consider these fond memories and can enjoy looking back on them, but they are painful to me. This is now the third time you've written about this stuff since I asked you not to.
Skip: Hey. No need to get hostile. You think I'm being immature because I still think that stuff is funny, but I think something happened to you - you've lost your sense of humor.
Siri: I'm not judging you. Reminisce all you want. All I'm saying is, I don't want to be a part of it.
Which of the following unproductive communication behaviors best describe Skip's contributions to this conversation? Select three.
- Cross-complaining
- Hostile mind reading
- Poor listening
- Preoccupation with self
- Disconfirmation of each other
- Kitchen-sinking
Question 5: Read the situation, respond to the question.
Situation:
Skip, a guy Siri was friends with many years ago in college showed up on her Facebook page wanting to reminisce about old times drinking in college...
Skip: Remember the time we got smashed and woke up in your car the next morning - in somebody else's driveway.
Siri: I'd prefer not to laugh and reminisce about our hard drinking days. These days I work really hard at staying sober.
Skip: Yeah, but how can you not laugh at Ralph waking up at 8 a.m. in a giant barf-encrusted taco outfit as students were coming into Biology 101!?
Siri: I understand you consider these fond memories and can enjoy looking back on them, but they are painful to me. This is now the third time you've written about this stuff since I asked you not to.
Skip: Hey. No need to get hostile. You think I'm being immature because I still think that stuff is funny, but I think something happened to you - you've lost your sense of humor.
Siri: I'm not judging you. Reminisce all you want. All I'm saying is, I don't want to be a part of it.
Which of the following constructive communication behaviors best describe Siri's contributions to this conversation? Select three.
- Asking for clarification
- Useful metacommunication
- Recognition of other's concerns
- Summarizing the concerns
- Focus on specific issues
- Dual perspective