Soft Skills FREE Soft Skills - Communication Non-Verbal Communication Cues Questions and Answers 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During a team meeting, a colleague crosses their arms tightly and leans back in their chair while you present an idea. What does this body language most likely indicate?
- They are cold and trying to stay warm
- They are feeling defensive or resistant to the idea (Correct answer)
- They are concentrating deeply on your presentation
- They are preparing to ask a supportive question
Correct answer: They are feeling defensive or resistant to the idea
Crossed arms combined with leaning back typically signals defensiveness, disagreement, or emotional withdrawal from the conversation.
Question 2: Which of the following is the most effective use of eye contact during a one-on-one professional conversation in the United States?
- Maintaining constant, unbroken eye contact throughout
- Looking at the person about 60-70% of the time while naturally glancing away occasionally (Correct answer)
- Avoiding eye contact to show respect and deference
- Focusing on the person's forehead instead of their eyes
Correct answer: Looking at the person about 60-70% of the time while naturally glancing away occasionally
In U.S. professional settings, maintaining eye contact about 60-70% of the time conveys confidence and attentiveness without creating discomfort.
Question 3: A job candidate sits with an open posture, palms visible, and feet flat on the floor during an interview. What impression does this combination of cues most likely convey?
- Nervousness and anxiety about the interview
- Boredom and disinterest in the position
- Openness, honesty, and confidence (Correct answer)
- Arrogance and overconfidence
Correct answer: Openness, honesty, and confidence
Open posture with visible palms and grounded feet projects transparency, confidence, and a willingness to engage honestly.
Question 4: What is the term for the study of how physical space and distance between people affects communication?
- Kinesics
- Proxemics (Correct answer)
- Haptics
- Chronemics
Correct answer: Proxemics
Proxemics, coined by anthropologist Edward T. Hall, is the study of how people use personal space and physical distance in communication.
Question 5: A manager nods slowly while listening to an employee's concern but keeps glancing at their watch. Which non-verbal cue is most likely to undermine the manager's apparent attentiveness?
- The slow nodding
- The employee's tone of voice
- The repeated glancing at the watch (Correct answer)
- The manager's seated position
Correct answer: The repeated glancing at the watch
Repeatedly checking a watch signals impatience or disinterest, which contradicts and overrides the supportive message conveyed by nodding.
Question 6: Which type of non-verbal communication involves the use of vocal elements such as tone, pitch, volume, and speaking rate — separate from the actual words spoken?
- Paralanguage (Correct answer)
- Kinesics
- Oculesics
- Artifactics
Correct answer: Paralanguage
Paralanguage refers to the vocal qualities that accompany speech, including tone, pitch, volume, pace, and vocal fillers.
Soft Skills FREE Soft Skills - Communication Non-Verbal Communication Cues Questions and Answers 2
During a team meeting, a colleague crosses their arms tightly and leans back in their chair while you present an idea.
What does this body language most likely indicate?