Ch10 – Marriage And Communication In + Test Bank + Answers

Chapter 10: Marriage and Communication in Intimate Relationships

10.1 Quick Quiz

1. Which of the following is true of marriage rates in America?
2. Marriage rates are higher among people with college degrees than among those without.
3. Marriage rates have been steadily increasing since 1980.
4. Marriage rates among whites are lower than those among blacks.
5. Marriage rates among Latinos are higher than those among whites.

Learning Objective: 10.1 Explain how and why U.S. marriage rates have changed.

Topic: Is Marriage Disappearing?

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

1. Which of the following is considered a latent reason for getting married?
   1. love and companionship
   2. social legitimacy
   3. children
   4. adult identity

Learning Objective: 10.2 Identify the manifest and latent reasons for getting married and describe some pre-marriage and marriage rituals.

Topic: Why and How We Marry

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

1. Matthew is of the opinion that a traditional and religious wedding results in a longer and happier marriage compared to a nontraditional simple civil wedding. Which of the following is an accurate statement that weakens Matthew’s argument?
   1. National data suggest that divorce rates are higher among people who did not have a traditional wedding when compared to those who had a traditional wedding.
   2. Family practitioners emphasize that the wedding can have far-reaching results on the marriage and that traditional weddings have a more positive impact.
   3. If couples and their parents go into debt to pay for an elaborate wedding, both groups may experience strained relationships.
   4. Most in-laws report that they often feel disrespected and snubbed at nontraditional weddings.

Learning Objective: 10.2 Identify the manifest and latent reasons for getting married and describe some pre-marriage and marriage rituals.

Topic: Why and How We Marry

Skill Level: Analyze It

Difficulty Level: Difficult

1. In a __________ marriage, partners fight, both verbally and physically, but do not believe that fighting is a good reason for divorce. They feel that fighting is an acceptable way to try to solve problems, and they thrive on their incompatibility.
   1. vital
   2. conflict-habituated
   3. devitalized
   4. passive-congenial

Learning Objective: 10.3 Describe contemporary marriage variations in the United States and other countries.

Topic: Contemporary Marriages

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

1. __________ refers to whether a marriage is intact.
2. Marital satisfaction
3. Marital stability
4. Marital conflict
5. Marital commitment

Learning Objective: 10.4 Explain how marital happiness, marital success, and health are interrelated.

Topic: Marital Happiness, Success, and Health

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

1. In __________, partners negotiate adjustments to their new married roles.
2. identity bargaining
3. role dictation
4. role identifying
5. marital generalization

Learning Objective: 10.5 Describe how couples establish, negotiate, and learn marital roles.

Topic: Marital Roles

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

1. James, a graduate student, moved out of his parents’ house for a period of 2 years. However, he was unable to support himself and decided to move back with his parents. James’s condition is said to be a part of the __________.
2. Silent Generation
3. Lost Generation
4. boomerang generation
5. baby bloomer cycle

Learning Objective: 10.6 Describe how marriages change throughout the life course.

Topic: How Marriages Change throughout Life

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

1. __________ is telling another person about oneself and one’s thoughts and feelings with the expectation that truly open communication will follow.
2. Self-disclosure
3. Brutal honesty
4. Empty nesting
5. Boomeranging

Learning Objective: 10.7 Explain how communication, power, and conflict affect a relationship.

Topic: Communication: A Key to Successful Relationships

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

1. Emma and Joan are a middle-aged married couple. When they get into a disagreement, they always just “agree to disagree” and drop the argument without achieving a resolution. This couple is engaging in what kind of conflict resolution strategy?
2. accommodation
3. compromise
4. standoff
5. withdrawal

Learning Objective: 10.8 Describe the most common issues that couples fight about and how they deal with conflict.

Topic: What Couples Fight about and How to Deal with Conflict

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

1. In an effort to improve communication with his spouse, Jason has decided to smile more, hug often, and try to hold hands when they walk together. Jason is focusing on which of the positive communication patterns?
2. Use nonverbal communication.
3. Make it kind.
4. Ask for information.
5. Be specific.

Learning Objective: 10.9 Identify productive communication patterns that strengthen relationships.

Topic: Productive Communication Patterns

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

10.2 Test Questions

1. Which of the following groups has the lowest marriage rates?
2. low-income African Americans
3. middle-income whites
4. highly educated Latinas
5. working-class Asians

Learning Objective: 10.1 Explain how and why U.S. marriage rates have changed.

Topic: Is Marriage Disappearing?

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

1. By age 52, almost __________ of Americans have been married at least once or are currently married.
2. 50 percent
3. 62 percent
4. 76 percent
5. 87 percent

Learning Objective: 10.1 Explain how and why U.S. marriage rates have changed.

Topic: Is Marriage Disappearing?

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

1. Which of the following is a manifest reason for getting married?
2. desire to have children
3. social pressures
4. economic security
5. social legitimacy

Learning Objective: 10.2 Identify the manifest and latent reasons for getting married and describe some pre-marriage and marriage rituals.

Topic: Why and How We Marry

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

1. Which of the following is a difference between manifest and latent reasons for getting married?
2. Unlike manifest reasons for getting married, latent reasons emphasize love and companionship.
3. Unlike manifest reasons for getting married, latent reasons include commitment and personal fulfillment.
4. Unlike manifest reasons for getting married, latent reasons are more likely to result in unhappy, short-term marriages.
5. Unlike manifest reasons for getting married, latent reasons are respected and approved by the society.

Learning Objective: 10.2 Identify the manifest and latent reasons for getting married and describe some pre-marriage and marriage rituals.

Topic: Why and How We Marry

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Skill Level: Analyze It

1. In the marriage context, the need for commitment and personal fulfillment are considered to be __________.
2. inherent reasons
3. manifest reasons
4. dormant reasons
5. latent reasons

Learning Objective: 10.2 Identify the manifest and latent reasons for getting married and describe some pre-marriage and marriage rituals.

Topic: Why and How We Marry

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

1. The formalization of a couple’s decision to marry is called a(n) __________.
2. wedding
3. nuptial promise
4. wedding shower
5. engagement

Learning Objective: 10.2 Identify the manifest and latent reasons for getting married and describe some pre-marriage and marriage rituals.

Topic: Why and How We Marry

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

1. Which of the following is typically considered to be a traditional reason for marriage?
2. legitimize a nonmarital birth
3. adult identity
4. desire for children
5. rebellion against parents

Learning Objective: 10.2 Identify the manifest and latent reasons for getting married and describe some pre-marriage and marriage rituals.

Topic: Why and How We Marry

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

1. Which of the following is a function of engagements?
2. It gives the couple the chance to strengthen their identities as individuals.
3. It provides couples with the opportunity to copulate legally.
4. It signals that the union is inherently legal.
5. It sends a hands-off message to other interested sexual partners.

Learning Objective: 10.2 Identify the manifest and latent reasons for getting married and describe some pre-marriage and marriage rituals.

Topic: Why and How We Marry

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

1. In honor of her impending marriage, Jenna’s female friends and relatives organized a get together in which they presented her with personal and household gifts. This ritual is often referred to as a(n) __________.
2. prenup
3. baby shower
4. engagement
5. bridal shower

Learning Objective: 10.2 Identify the manifest and latent reasons for getting married and describe some pre-marriage and marriage rituals.

Topic: Why and How We Marry

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

1. Maria, a wealthy businesswoman, was engaged to Ryan. Before the marriage, Maria’s parents insisted that Ryan should sign an agreement that would absolve Maria from parting with her wealth to Ryan in case of a divorce. Such an agreement is known as a(n) __________.
2. exclusionary clause
3. voidance agreement
4. prenuptial agreement
5. due process clause

Learning Objective: 10.2 Identify the manifest and latent reasons for getting married and describe some pre-marriage and marriage rituals.

Topic: Why and How We Marry

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

1. Which of the following is true of using a wedding ceremony?
2. It is used to provide authenticity to the engagement ceremony.
3. It legalizes the couple’s ability to adopt children.
4. It is used to justify the bridal shower.
5. It reinforces the idea that the marriage is a permanent bond.

Learning Objective: 10.2 Identify the manifest and latent reasons for getting married and describe some pre-marriage and marriage rituals.

Topic: Why and How We Marry

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

1. Megan is of the opinion that prenuptial agreements (prenups) do not serve any purpose, setting a pessimistic tone for a marriage and fostering a lot of problems. Which of the following is an accurate statement that weakens Megan’s argument?
2. If a contract is executed in a state other than the one in which it was drawn up, the couple will have legal problems enforcing a prenup.
3. People are likely to change over time and the prenups may not reflect the attitude and behaviors of the persons involved.
4. If one partner has considerable assets, a prenup will help make the divorce less complicated.
5. Because men usually are the ones who suffer financially after a divorce, a contract gives them some legal protection.

Learning Objective: 10.2 Identify the manifest and latent reasons for getting married and describe some pre-marriage and marriage rituals.

Topic: Why and How We Marry

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Skill Level: Analyze It

1. Stephen and Molly, a married couple, constantly fight and engage in both physical and verbal abuse. However, they don’t believe that such fights are a reason to obtain a divorce. In this scenario, the couple is involved in a __________ marriage.
2. devitalized
3. conflict-habituated
4. total
5. vital

Learning Objective: 10.3 Describe contemporary marriage variations in the United States and other countries.

Topic: Contemporary Marriages

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

1. When Mike and Julie were first married, they spent much of their time together and had a strong, satisfying sex life. As time has passed, they spend less time with each other and more time raising the children, entertaining, or meeting community responsibilities. They do so out of a sense of obligation rather than out of love. Mike and Julie's marriage may be characterized as __________.
2. vital
3. conflict-habituated
4. devitalized
5. passive-congenial

Learning Objective: 10.3 Describe contemporary marriage variations in the United States and other countries.

Topic: Contemporary Marriages

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

1. In a __________ marriage, the partners are relatively high on most dimensions of their relationships, except parenting.
2. harmonious
3. conflicted
4. vitalized
5. traditional

Learning Objective: 10.3 Describe contemporary marriage variations in the United States and other countries.

Topic: Contemporary Marriages

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

16. Alexander and Marianne are in a hostile-detached marriage. Which of the following statements is most likely to convey their opinion about their marriage?

1. Marriage leaves couples feeling frustrated, lonely, and resigned.
2. Love and affection sustain a marriage; conflicts can always be resolved by compromise.
3. Participating in each other’s lives and making sacrifices for each other.
4. Quarreling and feuding are normal between couples and conflicts over minor issues do occur in a marriage.

Learning Objective: 10.3 Describe contemporary marriage variations in the United States and other countries.

Topic: Contemporary Marriages

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Skill Level: Analyze It

17. In a __________ marriage, the partners’ lives are closely intertwined. They spend a great deal of time together, resolve conflicts through compromise, and often make sacrifices for each other.

1. passive-congenial
2. devitalized
3. total
4. vital

Learning Objective: 10.3 Describe contemporary marriage variations in the United States and other countries.

Topic: Contemporary Marriages

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

18. In a __________ marriage, the partners participate in each other’s lives at all levels and have few areas of tension or unresolved hostility.

1. total
2. utilitarian
3. devitalized
4. passive-congenial

Learning Objective: 10.3 Describe contemporary marriage variations in the United States and other countries.

Topic: Contemporary Marriages

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

19. According to Cuber and Haroff, which of the following is true of a passive-congenial marriage?

1. It is characterized by little emotional investment.
2. It is characterized by high involvement.
3. It involves high emotional investment.
4. It is considered to be an intrinsic marriage.

Learning Objective: 10.3 Describe contemporary marriage variations in the United States and other countries.

Topic: Contemporary Marriages

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

20. According to Olson and Fowers, which of the following is characterized as a traditional marriage?

1. very low on most dimensions
2. very high on most dimensions
3. low on most dimensions except egalitarian roles,
4. moderate on most dimensions

Learning Objective: 10.3 Describe contemporary marriage variations in the United States and other countries.

Topic: Contemporary Marriages

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

21. Gottman and colleagues found that __________ marriages incorporated humor and expressiveness.

1. volatile
2. hostile
3. validator
4. hostile-detached

Learning Objective: 10.3 Describe contemporary marriage variations in the United States and other countries.

Topic: Contemporary Marriages

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Understand the concepts

22. Which of the following is a similarity between a conflict-habituated marriage and a volatile marriage?

1. Both types involve a great deal of verbal and physical violence.
2. Both types involve specific conflicts that are quickly resolved through compromise.
3. Both types involve a likelihood and commitment to stay married.
4. Both types involve a great deal of emotional intensity and affection.

Learning Objective: 10.3 Describe contemporary marriage variations in the United States and other countries.

Topic: Contemporary Marriages

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Skill Level: Analyze It

23. Stan and Lily have been married for over 10 years and their lives are closely intertwined. They like to spend a lot of time together and are quick to resolve any disputes that may occur. Also, they are willing to make sacrifices for each other in order to make the marriage work. In this scenario, the couple has a __________.

1. devitalized marriage
2. vital marriage
3. passive marriage
4. congenial marriage

Learning Objective: 10.3 Describe contemporary marriage variations in the United States and other countries.

Topic: Contemporary Marriages

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

24. Which of the following is a difference between a passive-congenial and a validator marriage?

1. Unlike in a passive-congenial marriage, spouses in a validator marriage maintain separate activities and interests.
2. Unlike in a passive-congenial marriage, spouses in a validator marriage thrive on their incompatibility.
3. Unlike in a validator marriage, spouses in a passive-congenial marriage have a low emotional investment in the marriage.
4. Unlike in a validator marriage, spouses in a passive-congenial marriage make sacrifices for each other and take interest in each other’s lives.

Learning Objective: 10.3 Describe contemporary marriage variations in the United States and other countries.

Topic: Contemporary Marriages

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Skill Level: Analyze It

25. Couples in total marriages differ from couples in passive-congenial marriages in that couples in a total marriage __________.

1. have a low emotional investment in the marriage
2. have few areas of tension
3. thrive on their incompatibility
4. believe that feuding is an acceptable way to try to solve problems

Learning Objective: 10.3 Describe contemporary marriage variations in the United States and other countries.

Topic: Contemporary Marriages

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Skill Level: Analyze It

26. According to Cuber and Haroff, which of the following is an example of an intrinsic marriage?

1. conflict-habituated marriage
2. passive-congenial marriage
3. vital marriage
4. devitalized marriage

Learning Objective: 10.3 Describe contemporary marriage variations in the United States and other countries.

Topic: Contemporary Marriages

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

27. Which of the following is true of same-sex marriages?

1. Same-sex marriages are legally prohibited in the U.S.
2. Same sex marriages are legal in all 50 states in the U.S.
3. Empirical studies on lesbian marriages are abundant.
4. Newly married same-sex couples tend to be younger than their different-sex counterparts.

Learning Objective: 10.3 Describe contemporary marriage variations in the United States and other countries.

Topic: Contemporary Marriages

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

28. __________ refers to whether each partner sees the marriage as a good one.

1. Marital satisfaction
2. Marital constancy
3. Marital stability
4. Marital recognition

Learning Objective: 10.4 Explain how marital happiness, marital success, and health are interrelated.

Topic: Marital Happiness, Success, and Health

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

29. In order to predict divorce and understand inadequate parenting, psychological distress, and poor physical health, researchers are likely to measure __________.

1. marital feasibility
2. marital stability
3. marital satisfaction
4. marital longitude

Learning Objective: 10.4 Explain how marital happiness, marital success, and health are interrelated.

Topic: Marital Happiness, Success, and Health

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

30. Which of the following is an accurate statement concerning Americans’ self-reports of marital happiness?

1. Men report being less happily married than women.
2. Both marital stability and marital satisfaction tend to be higher for those with a college education.
3. Marital happiness increases when couples experience poverty, job loss, and financial problems.
4. People who were married in their teens tend to be happier than people who marry after age 20.

Learning Objective: 10.4 Explain how marital happiness, marital success, and health are interrelated.

Topic: Marital Happiness, Success, and Health

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

31. Some researchers claim that married people are healthier than their unmarried counterparts because healthy people are attracted to others who are like themselves. This phenomenon is referred to as the __________ effect.

1. protection
2. robust
3. emotional
4. selection

Learning Objective: 10.4 Explain how marital happiness, marital success, and health are interrelated.

Topic: Marital Happiness, Success, and Health

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

32. When Martha was asked how she felt about her marriage, she replied that she was happy. She said that getting married helped her get past her depression and overcome financial problems as her husband is very supportive. Martha’s marriage exemplifies the __________.

1. placebo effect
2. ripple effect
3. protection effect
4. selection effect

Learning Objective: 10.4 Explain how marital happiness, marital success, and health are interrelated.

Topic: Marital Happiness, Success, and Health

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

33. Neil believes that, in general, married people tend to be healthier than unmarried people. Which of the following is an accurate statement that supports this view?

1. Studies have found that marriage increases anxiety levels leading to health problems.
2. Marriage is found to decrease risky activities such as driving too fast and smoking.
3. Sociologists have observed that marriage itself does not improve health.
4. Cohabitants report being happier than married couples because their relationships are more flexible.

Learning Objective: 10.4 Explain how marital happiness, marital success, and health are interrelated.

Topic: Marital Happiness, Success, and Health

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Skill Level: Analyze It

34. The selection effect differs from the protection effect in that __________.

1. the protection effect posits that marriage helps increase a person’s health by decreasing the opportunities for risky activities
2. the selection effect posits that it is marriage itself, and not the choice of the mate that increases a person’s health
3. the protection effect does not take the couple’s health into account
4. the selection effect entails that receiving emotional, physical, and financial support from a spouse improves one’s general health

Learning Objective: 10.4 Explain how marital happiness, marital success, and health are interrelated.

Topic: Marital Happiness, Success, and Health

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Analyze It

35. Keith is of the opinion that, overall, married women are less healthy than married men. Janet, on the other hand, believes that marriage benefits women more than men. Which of the following is an accurate statement that strengthens Keith’s position?

1. Many married women enjoy “emotional capital” because husbands provide nurturing and companionship.
2. Women work harder if the marriage is distressed and tend to neglect their own health while caring for family members.
3. Men typically are more attuned than women to the emotional quality of marriages.
4. Married women who work full time tend to have fewer domestic responsibilities.

Learning Objective: 10.4 Explain how marital happiness, marital success, and health are interrelated.

Topic: Marital Happiness, Success, and Health

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Skill Level: Analyze It

36. The gradual deterioration of love and ultimate loss of an emotional attachment between married partners is called __________.

1. the divorce slide
2. marriage deterioration
3. disaffection
4. marital burnout

Learning Objective: 10.4 Explain how marital happiness, marital success, and health are interrelated.

Topic: Marital Happiness, Success, and Health

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

37. Stuart and Kelly have been married for 10 years. Over the past few years, Kelly has become disenchanted with the marriage and the couple has experienced a loss of emotional attachment. Stuart provides for the family but does not confide his problems with his wife and prefers his friends’ company. In this scenario, the couple is experiencing __________.

1. total marriage
2. marital burnout
3. congenial burnout
4. identity bargaining

Learning Objective: 10.4 Explain how marital happiness, marital success, and health are interrelated.

Topic: Marital Happiness, Success, and Health

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

38. The term “__________” refers to the specific ways that married couples define their behavior and structure their time.

1. marital roles
2. marital burnout
3. marital bargaining
4. marital conflict

Learning Objective: 10.5 Describe how couples establish, negotiate, and learn marital roles.

Topic: Marital Roles

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

39. The process by which newly married partners modify their idealized expectations and deal with the realities of living together is called __________.

1. identity bargaining
2. cognitive bias
3. cognitive dissonance
4. role conflict

Learning Objective: 10.5 Describe how couples establish, negotiate, and learn marital roles.

Topic: Marital Roles

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

40. After their marriage, Carlos and Rosanne decided that they would share cooking and cleaning responsibilities. However, over a period of time, Carlos resented these household responsibilities as he is also the primary breadwinner in the family. In this scenario, the couple is trying to structure their __________.

1. marital conflict
2. marital nuances
3. marital roles
4. marital resentment

Learning Objective: 10.5 Describe how couples establish, negotiate, and learn marital roles.

Topic: Marital Roles

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

41. Ben and Melissa, a married couple, agree that they will share household duties such as cooking, cleaning, and washing equally. Also, since both partners are working, they decide to hire a fulltime babysitter for their son, age 1. Which of the following steps in the process of learning marital roles and identity bargaining is seen in this scenario?

1. treating the partners as a friend
2. identifying with the roles
3. negotiating changes in their new roles
4. treating the partner as a confidant

Learning Objective: 10.5 Describe how couples establish, negotiate, and learn marital roles.

Topic: Marital Roles

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

42. Young adults who live away from their parents’ home for a while and then return to it are referred to as the __________.

1. baby boomer group
2. Silent Generation
3. G.I. Generation
4. boomerang generation

Learning Objective: 10.6 Describe how marriages change throughout the life course.

Topic: How Marriages Change throughout the Life Course

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

43. Kurt, a sociologist, claims that unmarried couples are less likely to be happy than their married counterparts. Which of the following accurate statements strengthens Kurt’s argument?

1. Unlike their married counterparts, unmarried couples cannot legally raise their children as their own.
2. Unlike their unmarried counterparts, married couples tend to have smaller extended family ties.
3. Unlike their unmarried counterparts, married couples are reported to have greater financial security and stability.
4. Unlike their married counterparts, unmarried couples are generally afraid of being ridiculed by society.

Learning Objective: 10.6 Describe how marriages change throughout the life course.

Topic: How Marriages Change throughout the Life Course

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Skill Level: Analyze It

44. When he turned 18, Jim wished to move out of his parents’ home. Jim’s mother reluctantly agreed to let him leave but felt depressed and lonely after a few months. She experienced a lessened sense of well-being as well. In this scenario, Jim’s mother is experiencing the __________.

1. empathy syndrome
2. boomerang syndrome
3. flying-the-coop syndrome
4. empty-nest syndrome

Learning Objective: 10.6 Describe how marriages change throughout the life course.

Topic: How Marriages Change throughout the Life Course

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Skill Level: Analyze It

45. Blake left his parents’ house at the age of 20 in order to be independent. However, he was unable to find a steady job and support himself financially. Due to the economic circumstances, he was forced to move back into his parents’ home. Blake’s condition is characteristic of the __________.

1. boomerang generation
2. Baby Boomers
3. Silent Generation
4. privileged generation

Learning Objective: 10.6 Describe how marriages change throughout the life course.

Topic: How Marriages Change throughout the Life Course

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

46. Nicky, a social theorist, opines that in order to have a good relationship, each partner must be willing to tell the other about their own thoughts, about themselves, and their feelings, with the expectation that open communication will result from it. In this scenario, Nicky is advocating __________.

1. esteem support
2. validation
3. self-disclosure
4. scapegoating

Learning Objective: 10.7 Explain how communication, power, and conflict affect a relationship.

Topic: Communication: A Key to Successful Relationships

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

47. During a heated debate about marriage, Jake argues that men should be more dominant in most relationships. However, Ronald disagrees and states that most families should be egalitarian. Both Jake and Ronald respect each other’s opinion and politely agree to disagree. In this scenario, Jake and Ronald are exhibiting __________.

1. validation
2. information support
3. cognitive dissonance
4. reciprocal self-disclosure

Learning Objective: 10.7 Explain how communication, power, and conflict affect a relationship.

Topic: Communication: A Key to Successful Relationships

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

48. Sandra is of the opinion that conflicts in a marriage aren’t always negative and are sometimes important. On the other hand, Jacob believes that conflicts always erode relationships. Which of the following is an accurate statement that is most likely to support Sandra’s point of view?

1. Some sociologists believe that if partners recognize and actively attempt to resolve conflicts, it can strengthen a relationship.
2. Studies have found that most conflicts end in compromise which is the worst way of ending a conflict.
3. Even discrete, isolated disagreements invariably result in chronic relationship problems.
4. Conflicts happen only among spouses who are incompatible; partners who are supportive and caring family members do not face conflicts.

Learning Objective: 10.7 Explain how communication, power, and conflict affect a relationship.

Topic: Communication: A Key to Successful Relationships

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Skill Level: Analyze It

49. What is the most common issue for married couples to fight about?

1. money
2. children
3. infidelity
4. social media

Learning Objective: 10.8 Describe the most common issues that couples fight about and how they deal with conflict.

Topic: What Couples Fight about and How to Deal with Conflict

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Skill Level: Analyze It

50. Children are especially likely to be a source of conflict for which of the following types of married couples?

1. same-sex couples
2. remarried couples
3. middle-aged couples
4. middle-class couples

Learning Objective: 10.8 Describe the most common issues that couples fight about and how they deal with conflict.

Topic: What Couples Fight about and How to Deal with Conflict

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

51. Which of the most common conflict resolution strategies is most effective in helping couples deal with conflict?

1. accommodation
2. compromise
3. standoff
4. withdrawal

Learning Objective: 10.8 Describe the most common issues that couples fight about and how they deal with conflict.

Topic: What Couples Fight about and How to Deal with Conflict

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

52. Kaylin and Bret are a newly married couple. When they get into a disagreement, Bret yells at Kaylin until she just gives in and goes along with his position. Kaylin is engaging in what kind of resolution strategy?

1. accommodation
2. compromise
3. standoff
4. withdrawal

Learning Objective: 10.8 Describe the most common issues that couples fight about and how they deal with conflict.

Topic: What Couples Fight about and How to Deal with Conflict

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

53. Megan engages in negative communication patterns with her partner. She is often controlling and deceptive. She frequently presents herself as a long-suffering martyr in her relationships. Which of the following positive communication patterns should Megan focus on?

1. Don’t generalize.
2. Be specific.
3. Express appreciation.
4. Keep it honest.

Learning Objective: 10.9 Identify productive communication patterns that strengthen relationships.

Topic: Productive Communication Patterns

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

54. Which of the following is the best example of a positive communication style?

1. being defense when your partner has a complaint
2. engaging in general criticism
3. thanking your partner
4. using manipulation

Learning Objective: 10.9 Identify productive communication patterns that strengthen relationships.

Topic: Productive Communication Patterns

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

55. Which of the following is the best example of a negative communication style?

1. asking for information
2. being specific
3. listening carefully to your partner
4. using brutal honestly

Learning Objective: 10.9 Identify productive communication patterns that strengthen relationships.

Topic: Productive Communication Patterns

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

56. Explain why U.S. marriage rates are falling.

An ideal answer will include:

1. Attitudes about marriage are changing.
2. In many cases, single people get more tax breaks than married couples. Because of tough economic times young adults have postponed marriage.
3. Economic downturns have a more negative impact on less-educated.
4. Americans are more like to cohabit than to marry. Cohabitation and nonmarital births have now become socially acceptable.

Learning Objective: 10.1 Explain how and why U.S. marriage rates have changed.

Topic: Is Marriage Disappearing?

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

57. Describe the functions of an engagement.

An ideal answer will include:

1. Traditionally, an engagement formalizes a couple’s decision to marry.
2. It sends a hands-off message to other interested sexual partners.
3. Moreover, it gives both partners a chance to become better acquainted with their future in-laws and to strengthen their identity as a couple.
4. An engagement also provides an opportunity for secular or religious pre-marital counseling, especially if the partners are of different religions or racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Learning Objective: 10.2 Identify the manifest and latent reasons for getting married and describe some pre-marriage and marriage rituals.

Topic: Why and How We Marry

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

58. Briefly describe, marital success, marital stability, and marital satisfaction.

An ideal answer will include:

1. Researchers usually measure marital success in terms of marital stability and marital satisfaction.
2. Marital stability refers to whether a marriage is intact.
3. Marital satisfaction refers to whether each partner sees the marriage as a good one.
4. To determine satisfaction, researchers have examined relationship factors such as marital conflict, contentment, commitment, and happiness.

Learning Objective: 10.4 Explain how marital happiness, marital success, and health are interrelated.

Topic: Marital Happiness, Success, and Health

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

59. Summarize research on the consequences of the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States discussed in the text.

An ideal answer will include:

1. Couples in same-sex marriages, on average, are more satisfied than their heterosexual counterparts.
2. Some said that getting married had a positive impact on their family relationships, such as being included in family gatherings and e-mail.
3. Some however, have had negative or mixed experiences, such as family members not attending the wedding, openly disapproving of the marriage, and being emotionally distant.
4. Before legalization, for example, same-sex couples who lived in states where marriage was legal had less anxiety, greater well-being, and better self-reported physical health than did same-sex couples who lived in states where marriage was illegal

Learning Objective: 10.4 Explain how marital happiness, marital success, and health are interrelated.

Topic: Contemporary Marriages

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

Difficulty Level: Moderate

60. Dr. Hughes, a sociologist, postulates that self-disclosure is beneficial only under certain conditions. Identify the conditions under which self-disclosure is considered beneficial.

An ideal answer will include:

1. Esteem support can reduce a person’s anxiety about troubling events. If the listener is attentive, sympathetic, and uncritical, disclosure can motivate people to change significant aspects of their lives.
2. Disclosure can provide instrumental support if the listener offers concrete help, such as grocery shopping or sharing child care responsibilities.
3. A listener may be able to offer information support through advice and guidance.
4. Even if a problem isn’t easily solved, listeners can provide motivational support.

Learning Objective: 10.7 Explain how communication, power, and conflict affect a relationship.

Topic: Communication: A Key to Successful Relationships

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know