The way we handle time can express both intentional and unintentional messages. For instance, in a culture like ours that values time highly, waiting can be an indicator of status. "Important" people (whose time is supposedly more valuable than that of others) may be seen by appointment only, whereas it is acceptable to intrude without notice on lesser beings. To see how this rule operates,

Question

consider how natural it is for a boss to drop into a subordinate's office unannounced, whereas the subordinate would never intrude into the boss's office without an appointment. A related rule is that low-status people must never make high-status people wait. It would be a serious mistake to show up late for a job interview, whereas the interviewer might keep you cooling your heels in the lobby. Important people are often whisked to the head of a restaurant or airport line, whereas presumably less exalted masses are forced to wait their turn. The use of time depends greatly on culture. In some cultures, punctuality is critically important, whereas in others it is barely considered. Punctual mainlanders often report welcoming the laid-back Hawaiian approach toward time. One psychologist discovered the difference between North and South American attitudes when teaching at a university in Brazil. He found that some students arrived halfway through a two-hour class and that most of them stayed put and kept asking questions when the class was scheduled to end. A half-hour after the official end of the class, the psychologist finally closed off discussion because there was no indication that the students intended to leave. This flexibility of time is quite different from what is common in North American colleges! The author thinks of "important people" as

a. those who can be seen without an appointment.
b. psychologists and university professors.
c. people who can be intruded on without consequences.
d. those whose time is very valuable.

Answer 1

D