Test Bank

Chapter 3: Dynamic Family Commitments

Multiple Choice

1. _______ wrote about the family being shelter, as it is the place where we launch, return, and land.

a. Bessel Van der Kolk

b. Mary Pipher

c. John Gottman

d. Sigmund Freud

Learning Objective: 3.2: Explain the obligations of individual family members toward the family unit.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Launching and Landing: The Dynamic Tasks of the Family

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. Which of the following is characteristic of a healthy and functional family?

a. members fulfilling their individual responsibilities without feeling any obligations to their family

b. members exhibiting the rugged individualism required by society

c. members being actively responsible for themselves and caring for family members

d. members being dependent on their family to meet their needs

Learning Objective: 3.2: Explain the obligations of individual family members toward the family unit.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: The Dynamic Tasks of the Family

Difficulty Level: Easy

3. The social customs and culture of most families from the United States are ______.

a. individualistic

b. socialistic

c. action oriented

d. collectivistic

Learning Objective: 3.3: Identify the different types of engagement.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The Family Orchestra

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. Which of the following statements is true about responsive parenting?

a. It means that the parent is able to read and understand what their child is communicating.

b. It means that the parent reacts to the needs the child displays.

c. It implies that the parent understand commonly accepted childcare practices.

d. It implies that the parent follows their intuition in parenting decisions.

Learning Objective: 3.4: Analyze the relationship between the childhood experiences of parents and their subsequent parenting skills.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Relationship Responsibilities

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. Ghosting is a form of _______.

a. disengagement

b. engagement

c. stonewalling

d. communication

Learning Objective: 3.3: Identify the different types of engagement.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Availability and emotional investment

Difficulty Level: Easy

6. ________ is considered the most toxic way of stopping communication.

a. Criticism

b. Name calling

c. Stonewalling

d. Defensiveness

Learning Objective: 3.3: Identify the different types of engagement.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Disengagement

Difficulty Level: Medium

7. _______ identified dysfunctional communication patterns and called these the “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.”

a. Murray Bowen

b. John Gottman

c. Desmond Tutu

d. Clara Gerhardt

Learning Objective: 3.3: Identify the different types of engagement.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Disengagement

Difficulty Level: Easy

8. Elise’s dad hears her distressed cry in her crib in the middle of the night and he gets up to soothe her. Which one of this best describes the outcome for the one-year-old Elise?

a. She continues to manipulate for attention.

b. She learns that she cannot trust anyone else.

c. She learns that she is safe and can trust her dad.

d. There is no effect on her feeling of safety.

Learning Objective: 3.4: Analyze the relationship between the childhood experiences of parents and their subsequent parenting skills.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Shaping the Dynamics of the System

Difficulty Level: Medium

9. Marco immigrated with his parents when he was one year old to escape violence. His family endured many physical and emotional hardships. His parents were unable to bond with Marco and he had difficulty regulating his emotions throughout his childhood and adolescence. Now as an adult and parent, he is likely to ______.

a. have difficulty being nurturing with his own children

b. be concerned about his child’s need for connection

c. be responsible in learning how to be a good parent

d. travel with his kids to the country he immigrated from

Learning Objective: 3.4: Analyze the relationship between the childhood experiences of parents and their subsequent parenting skills.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Shaping the Dynamics of the System

Difficulty Level: Medium

10. What do researchers on family dynamics contend about the effects of growing up in an emotionally abusive family?

a. It may help build resiliency for challenges later in life

b. It has little impact on one’s ability to form attachments in adulthood

c. It has had limited consistent findings in research about impact on adult mental health

d. It may set the tone for adult relationships and parenting in the next generation

Learning Objective: 3.4: Analyze the relationship between the childhood experiences of parents and their subsequent parenting skills.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Shaping the Dynamics of the System

Difficulty Level: Easy

11. The American Psychological Association reports that the effects of ______ can adversely affect a child’s physiology and subsequently the impact of unmet needs.

a. stress and high amounts of the hormone, cortisol

b. excitement and release of endorphins

c. sadness and release of dopamine

d. stress and high amounts of growth hormone

Learning Objective: 3.4: Analyze the relationship between the childhood experiences of parents and their subsequent parenting skills.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Shaping the Dynamics of the System

Difficulty Level: Easy

12. In what way do healthy families differ from dysfunctional families?

a. Healthy families may take many years to recover from adversity and trauma.

b. Dysfunctional families often have extended support systems.

c. Healthy families show resiliency and explore ways to cope with adversity.

d. Healthy families strive for perfection and often achieve it.

Learning Objective: 3.4: Analyze the relationship between the childhood experiences of parents and their subsequent parenting skills.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Healthy families

Difficulty Level: Medium

13. How does communication play a role in healthy family functioning?

a. Healthy families do not see a need to discuss rules within the family.

b. Healthy families will openly talk about intimate aspects of the parents’ relationship.

c. Healthy families do not allow discussion about opportunities for correcting misbehavior.

d. Healthy families model safe and emotionally supportive ways of talking to each other.

Learning Objective: 3.4: Analyze the relationship between the childhood experiences of parents and their subsequent parenting skills.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Healthy families

Difficulty Level: Medium

14. What is a way to deal with blaming or abusive family interactions?

a. When being attacked by another member, change the conversation to a neutral topic.

b. Refrain from reacting by asking yourself if your reaction would help the relationship.

c. Use stonewalling to escape the interaction.

d. End your relationship with that family member.

Learning Objective: 3.5: Specify the patterns of dysfunctional families.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Dysfunctional Families

Difficulty Level: Medium

15. Addiction, domestic violence, poor communication patterns are often continued through what family systems dynamic?

a. intergenerational transmission process

b. negative and positive feedback loops

c. dynamic equilibrium

d. equifinality

Learning Objective: 3.5: Specify the patterns of dysfunctional families.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Changing the Intergenerational Script | Family Systems Theory

Difficulty Level: Medium

16. What is a helpful way to learn how to become responsive and responsible in healthy family interactions?

a. Choose to have kids.

b. Read self-help books.

c. Develop a partnership with a person who was raised in a nurturing family.

d. Attempt to help friends who are from addictive or abusive families.

Learning Objective: 3.5: Specify the patterns of dysfunctional families.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Changing the Intergenerational Script

Difficulty Level: Medium

17. Which two family system theories or therapies are often integrated?

a. psychoanalytic and strategic

b. strategic and structural

c. bowenian and cognitive behavioral

d. gestalt and psychodynamic

Learning Objective: 3.6: Summarize family systems theory and discuss its explication of family interactions.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Spotlight on Theories

Difficulty Level: Easy

18. A fifth grade student who has recently been acting out in school was referred by the school counselor to Dr. Garcia, a licensed counselor. Dr. Garcia found out that the student’s parents recently separated. What type of therapy might be appropriate given the student’s circumstances?

a. cognitive behavioral therapy

b. psychoanalytic psychotherapy

c. gestalt therapy

d. structural family therapy

Learning Objective: 3.6: Summarize family systems theory and discuss its explication of family interactions.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Spotlight on Theories

Difficulty Level: Medium

19. A ______ is often used to show the interconnected influence that family members have on each other.

a. series of dashes

b. circle

c. decorative mobile

d. tree and its roots

Learning Objective: 3.6: Summarize family systems theory and discuss its explication of family interactions.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Spotlight on Theories

Difficulty Level: Easy

20. Causality in family systems theories is viewed as ______ rather than ______.

a. circular; linear

b. cause and effect; intrapsychic

c. psychodynamic; behavioral

d. linear; circular

Learning Objective: 3.6: Summarize family systems theory and discuss its explication of family interactions.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Spotlight on Theories: Family Systems Theory

Difficulty Level: Easy

True/False

1. The importance of the circle of safety provided within family life is important for our survival and part of our ancestral human heritage.

Learning Objective: 3.1: Examine the importance of a circle of safety for an individual.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The Circle of Safety

Difficulty Level: Easy

2. Responsive parenting is intuitive and requires little trial and error on the part of the parents.

Learning Objective: 3.4: Analyze the relationship between the childhood experiences of parents and their subsequent parenting skills.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Relationship Responsibilities

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. Healthy families are not “perfect families”, but they are able to recover from adversity and achieve stability after some dysfunctional interactions.

Learning Objective: 3.4: Analyze the relationship between the childhood experiences of parents and their subsequent parenting skills.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Shaping the Dynamics of the System

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. Family systems therapists search for the cause of the presenting problematic behavior that brings the family to therapy and work to rectify that causal dynamic in the family.

Learning Objective: 3.6: Summarize family systems theory and discuss its explication of family interactions.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Spotlight on Theories: Family Systems Theory

Difficulty Level: Medium

Short Answer

1. What is meant by intergenerational transmission process in family systems theory and describe an example.

Learning Objective: 3.5: Specify the patterns of dysfunctional families.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Dysfunctional Families

Difficulty Level: Hard