Your boss has just left your office. You heard what she said but feel there was a hidden message in her statements. What type of communication did your boss most likely practice?

A) Supportive communication
B) Nonsupportive communication (it was person-oriented communication)
C) Nonsupportive communication (it was incongruent communication)
D) Nonsupportive communication (it was evaluative communication)
E) Nonsupportive communication (it was problem-oriented communication)

Answer: C
Explanation: A) Incorrect. You left the meeting feeling like there was a hidden message, something the boss was feeling but did not say. This is characteristic of incongruent (and therefore nonsupportive) communication.
B) Incorrect. There is no evidence that your boss focused on you as the person rather than on the problem. You left the meeting feeling like there was a hidden message, something the boss was feeling but did not say. This is characteristic of incongruent communication.
C) Correct. You left the meeting feeling like there was a hidden message, something the boss was feeling but did not say. This is characteristic of incongruent (and therefore nonsupportive) communication.
D) Incorrect. There is no evidence that your boss evaluated your behavior rather than describing the events. You left the meeting feeling like there was a hidden message, something the boss was feeling but did not say. This is characteristic of incongruent communication.
E) Incorrect. Supportive communication should actually be problem-oriented rather than person-oriented. You left the meeting feeling like there was a hidden message, something the boss was feeling but did not say. This is characteristic of incongruent communication.