Final answer:
Closed-ended questions are questions that allow for a limited number of response options and are used to gather quantitative data. They are often used in surveys to efficiently collect information.
Step-by-step explanation:
Closed-ended questions are questions that allow for a limited number of response options, such as yes/no or multiple-choice. They have a specific purpose in communication, which is to gather quantitative data that can be counted and statistically analyzed. These types of questions are often used in surveys or questionnaires to gain information efficiently and facilitate data comparison. For example, asking participants about their college education plans can be done using closed-ended questions with response options like 'pursue a specific career', 'continue education', or 'undecided'.