Question

choosing effective communication
kayla’s sister, jenna, has just come into the kitchen yelling. jenna is very upset about an incident that happened at school. jenna believes that kayla and her best friend, valentina, are responsible for spreading a rumor about her. kayla does not like the accusation, but she can see that her sister is very emotional about the situation, and she does not want to escalate the argument.
what steps can kayla take to communicate effectively in this situation? check all that apply.
☐ tell jenna she does not have the facts
☐ maintain eye contact
☐ leave until jenna calms down
☐ remain quiet until jenna is finished
☐ stay relaxed but attentive

Explanation:

To communicate effectively in a situation where someone is emotional (like Jenna), we analyze each option:

• "Tell Jenna she does not have the facts" would likely escalate the argument as Jenna is already upset, so this is not effective.
• "Maintain eye contact" shows attentiveness and respect, which helps in effective communication.
• "Leave until Jenna calms down" avoids the situation and doesn't address communication, so it's not effective for communicating.
• "Remain quiet until Jenna is finished" allows Jenna to express her feelings without interruption, which is part of active listening in communication.
• "Stay relaxed but attentive" helps in creating a non - confrontational environment and shows that Kayla is engaged in the conversation.

Answer:

B. maintain eye contact
D. remain quiet until Jenna is finished
E. stay relaxed but attentive