Deck 9: Marriage and Intimate Relationships

Question 1

Which of the following statements is true regarding the commonly held stereotype of single people?

A) The previously negative stereotype is vanishing.
B) The previously positive stereotype is vanishing.
C) The stereotype is changing from positive to negative.
D) The stereotype is changing from negative to positive.

Answer 1

The previously negative stereotype is vanishing.

Question 2

Homogamy represents an example of ____ effects in action.

A) similarity
B) ingratiation
C) actor-observer
D) complementarity

Answer 2

similarity

Question 3

Juan and Dori recently got married. If current demographics continue, what is the likelihood they will get divorced or separated?

A) 25%
B) 50%
C) 75%
D) 83%

Answer 3

50%

Question 4

The popular view in Western Culture is that people marry because of

A) love.
B) parental pressure.
C) economic needs.
D) a multitude of pressures.

Question 5

John and Jenny are an interracial couple. When Jenny looked into statistics to see how unusual they were, she likely found

A) interracial marriages have slowly declined in the past two decades.
B) people are finding the extra burden of interracial relationships too difficult.
C) there is a significant difference between interracial and intra-racial couples in quality of the relationship.
D) Interracial couples tend to report higher relationship satisfaction.

Question 6

The traditional model of marriage has been challenged by a number of social trends, including

A) changing gender roles.
B) declining popularity of cohabitation.
C) increased premium on permanence.
D) decreased acceptability of singlehood.

Question 7

In terms of what they look for in a marital partner, women place a higher value than men on which of the following?

A) youthfulness
B) socioeconomic status
C) physical attractiveness
D) interest in raising a family

Question 8

The validity of evolutionary concepts in psychology rests on the assumption that

A) environment can affect genes.
B) people contemplate what would be best for their "genes" in the long run.
C) human motivations differ from other animals when selecting a mate.
D) genes are a cause of psychological behaviors.

Question 9

Jerry is seeking a mate based on evolutionary theory. His most primary, underlying concern will be to look for a female that is

A) likely to be successful at having children.
B) likely to provide him love.
C) likely to be intelligent.
D) likely to be stronger than average.

Question 10

Endogamy refers to the tendency

A) of people to marry within their social group.
B) for women to marry "up" in socioeconomic status.
C) for men to marry a woman who is much younger.
D) to marry others who have similar personal characteristics.

Question 11

Approximately what percentage of marriages will result in separation or divorce?

A) 25
B) 50
C) 75
D) 83

Question 12

In terms of what they look for in a marital partner, men place a higher value than women on which of the following?

A) ambition
B) intelligence
C) financial prospects
D) youthfulness

Question 13

Which of the following is not true regarding the current view of marriage?

A) The traditional nuclear family is less realistic than previously.
B) The traditional nuclear family as shown in older television shows was never very accurate.
C) People are not as interested in monogamous relationships now.
D) Television shows today seem to avoid a traditional family structure.

Question 14

What percentage of Americans will marry at least once?

A) 50
B) 75
C) 90
D) 98

Question 15

Which statement most accurately reflects the current state of marriage in modern Western society?

A) It is a cherished but dying tradition.
B) It remains popular but appears to be under assault from changes in society.
C) It is being largely replaced by cohabitation and serial monogamy.
D) It is beset by tragic interpersonal violence in all segments of society.

Question 16

Sara is marrying Bill, a man three years older than her, who has completed college. Sara is completing college next year. In relation to the text's discussion of deviations from homogamy, this couple would be considered

A) unusual.
B) typical.
C) typical for age, but not education.
D) typical for education, but not age.

Question 17

An increasing number of married couples are deciding

A) not to have children.
B) to have only one child.
C) to have larger families than in the past.
D) to have children earlier in the marriage.

Question 18

Living together in a sexually intimate relationship without actually being married is called

A) endogamy.
B) cohabitation.
C) pseudo-marriage.
D) common law marriage.

Question 19

Which of the following characteristics of potential mates is not valued equally by both sexes?

A) ambition
B) emotional stability
C) amiable disposition
D) dependability

Question 20

Jean is seeking a mate based on evolutionary theory. Her most primary, underlying concern will be to look for a male that is

A) likely to be devious.
B) likely to provide her love.
C) likely to be attractive.
D) likely to provide well for her children.

Question 21

According to stimulus-value-role theory, during the first stage in mate selection, attraction depends mainly on

A) parents' attitudes.
B) compatibility in values.
C) performance of role obligations.
D) superficial, easily identifiable characteristics.

Question 22

The theory that couples experience a three-stage process of mate selection is also known as the

A) evolutionary theory.
B) meeting-chasing-catching theory.
C) stimulus-value-role theory.
D) find'em-fool'em-forget'em theory.

Question 23

Crisis during the transition to first parenthood is more likely for

A) males.
B) females.
C) Males and females are equally likely to experience crisis.
D) Research does not support a major transition to adulthood.

Question 24

Which of the following reasons do couples give for remaining childless?

A) the cost of raising children
B) less time to spend with each other
C) loss of independence
D) all of these

Question 25

Which of the following is associated with a higher probability of marital success?

A) conscientiousness
B) having divorced parents
C) perfectionism
D) all of these

Question 26

In which stage of the family life cycle is marital satisfaction likely to be the lowest?

A) newly married couples
B) families with young children
C) families in the launching stage
D) families in later life

Question 27

An orderly sequence of stages through which families progress is called

A) family development.
B) the family life cycle.
C) group dynamics.
D) serial monogamy.

Question 28

Monique (28 years old ) and Ramon (30 years old ) are planning their wedding. They wonder how their situation compares to current trends. They are most likely to find

A) people will think it is unusual they are not already married.
B) higher education needs do not affect marrying ages.
C) they are older than most.
D) the number of marriages in their age range have increased dramatically.

Question 29

Bonita's mother pointed out that Bonita and Ahmad tended to be negative and slightly sarcastic to each other and that this was going to cause problems in the future if they got married. Bonita, an attentive psychology student, said:

A) research shows that commutation tends to improve after marriage.
B) research shows that commutation is not that important.
C) research did not support her mother's statement.
D) research support her mother's statement.

Question 30

The term "marital bliss" would be most characteristic of which of the following stages of the family life cycle?

A) beginning families
B) families with preschool children
C) families with teenagers
D) families in the middle years

Question 31

In which of Murstein's stages of mate selection does evaluation of the other in the role of intimate companion occur?

A) role
B) value
C) stimulus
D) response

Question 32

Which of the following is associated with a higher probability of marital success?

A) younger age
B) shorter courtship
C) having happily married parents
D) all of these

Question 33

Since 1980, the percentage of childless couples has

A) barely increased.
B) doubled.
C) tripled.
D) none of these

Question 34

If you asked newly married couples why they want to have children, they will most likely cite

A) pressure from their parents.
B) the joy of watching children grow up.
C) needing someone to care for them in old age.
D) all of these.

Question 35

Kyra and Thomas have started evaluating each other on their attitudes about sex, politics and religion. They are likely in which of Murstein's stages?

A) response
B) value
C) stimulus
D) role

Question 36

Which of the following personality traits is most likely to be associated with marital problems?

A) conscientiousness
B) agreeableness
C) perfectionism
D) a and b

Question 37

Which of the following factors is most likely to contribute to higher divorce rates?

A) marrying later in life
B) marrying younger in life
C) divorce is unrelated to age at the time of marriage
D) disruptions associated with mid-20s and older

Question 38

Rosa and Garrett have started evaluating each other on their likelihood of making a good companion. They are likely in which of Murstein's stages?

A) response
B) value
C) stimulus
D) role

Question 39

Critics of Murstein's stimulus-value-role theory believe

A) marital relationships are based on feelings of love alone.
B) people decide to marry without logical considerations.
C) the three stages may overlap in time, rather than occur sequentially.
D) most people are unable to evaluate values.

Question 40

The main problem with research on marital success is that

A) few researchers are interested in the topic.
B) marital quality is hard to measure.
C) most people don't like to reveal such information to researchers.
D) all of these.

Question 41

Gottman asserts that

A) conflict and anger in marital interaction are not normal.
B) jealousy is by far the greatest of all threats to marital stability.
C) the style of communication is the key issue in predicting marital dissolution.
D) there are eight communication patterns that are predictive of marital dissolution.

Question 42

How do happily married couples and those who get divorced differ in their handling of money?

A) Happy couples engage in more joint decision making on finances.
B) Eventually-divorced couples have more arguments about how much money each partner earns.
C) Among couples who get divorced, one spouse provides a regular allowance for the other.
D) Among happy couples, typically there is agreement about who is primarily responsible for financial matters.

Question 43

Wives account for ____ percent of the housework.

A) 35
B) 50
C) 78
D) 92

Question 44

Which of the following is not one of the communication styles identified by Gottman as a risk factor for divorce?

A) contempt
B) criticism
C) belligerence
D) complaining

Question 45

Betty has the attitudes of a typical married woman. She likely does ____ housework than her husband and ____ consider it unfair.

A) more; does
B) less; does not
C) more; does not
D) less; does

Question 46

Which of the following statements about divorce is not true?

A) Divorce is usually more disruptive for women than men.
B) Women are more likely to assume responsibility for the children.
C) Half of fathers lose contact with their children within the first year.
D) Both men and women experience a decrease in their standard of living.

Question 47

In the post-parental period, marital satisfaction tends to

A) decrease.
B) increase.
C) level off.
D) decrease sharply, then gradually increase.

Question 48

Young adults who return home after living independently have been called

A) losers.
B) the x-box generation.
C) the fast-food generation.
D) the boomerang generation.

Question 49

Which of the following is not a problem in family later life?

A) disagreements about leisure activities
B) disappointments about intimacy
C) lack of time to spend together
D) disagreements about finances

Question 50

While Fatima is very busy as a mother, wife, and employee, research has shown an advantage of these multiple roles is that

A) she and her husband are more satisfied with the wife's role.
B) her husband can still be the primary breadwinner.
C) time away from children is a good stress relief.
D) she receives extra social support and success.

Question 51

According to the text, mismatched expectations about marriage roles are especially likely among today's husbands and wives because

A) gender roles are changing rapidly.
B) people are getting married at a younger age today.
C) in childhood, boys and girls get different messages about marriage.
D) of the abundance of unhealthy marriages portrayed in the mass media.

Question 52

At their peak, divorce rates were about ____%; the risk of divorce today is about ____%.

A) 60; 50
B) 60; 40
C) 50; 60
D) 50; 40

Question 53

The text states that the stress that accompanies the transition to parenthood is likely to be greatest when

A) the newborn child wasn't planned.
B) the new parents are relatively young.
C) there are unrealistic expectations about parenting responsibilities.
D) the father is unlikely to be heavily involved in child care.

Question 54

Which of the following is most likely to be a source of conflict between adolescents and their parents?

A) drug use
B) career plans
C) style of dress
D) educational goals

Question 55

Gender equality in marital chores is

A) notably increased since the 1960s.
B) fairly common.
C) idealistic and probably not really desirable.
D) fairly rare.

Question 56

Which of the following is not one of the social trends contributing to increasing divorce rates?

A) Marriage has lost some of its sacred quality.
B) The stigma attached to divorce has gradually eroded.
C) Counselors are increasingly recommending divorce for troubled couples.
D) Working wives are less financially dependent on the continuation of their marriage.

Question 57

Satisfied and non-satisfied couples can almost always be differentiated by ____ in the relationship.

A) jealousy
B) sexual infidelity
C) communication
D) in-law problems

Question 58

When financial resources are plentiful in a marriage, arguments about money

A) simply don't occur.
B) may still be a problem.
C) generally don't threaten marital satisfaction.
D) tend to occur if the wife doesn't work outside the home.

Question 59

What does research tell us about the relationship between women's employment status and the quality of infant-mother emotional attachment?

A) Full-time mothers are more likely to have securely attached children.
B) Part-time working mothers have more securely attached children than full-time mothers or women employed full-time.
C) Mothers who work full-time can have securely attached children, but only if the husband shares child-rearing responsibilities.
D) There appears to be no relationship.

Question 60

In order to develop his theory of the role of marital communication and risk factors for divorce, Gottman

A) analyzed his own marital experiences and those of three close friends.
B) did an Internet survey of 500 couples.
C) observed couples at 20 shopping malls in the United States over a period of two months.
D) studied over 50 couples using a combination of interview and observational techniques.

Question 61

Which of the following is not true? Cohabitation

A) is legal in all states.
B) rates have increased.
C) rates are higher in the less-educated, lower-income population.
D) leads to increased likelihood of divorce.

Question 62

The strength of the relationship between mental and physical health and marriage may be related to

A) less stress when married.
B) emotional and social support reducing the impact of stress.
C) more stress when married.
D) more active lifestyles when single.

Question 63

Which of the following statements regarding adjustment to divorce is not true?

A) People are less happy after a divorce.
B) People who forgive the ex-spouse will be less likely to be depressed.
C) Less happy people are more likely to get a divorce
D) All of these are true.

Question 64

Research on satisfaction with one's life among single people indicates that single

A) men are more satisfied than single women.
B) women are more satisfied than single men.
C) people are happier than married people.
D) people are more satisfied with their sex lives.

Question 65

Divorce rates for second marriages are

A) higher than those for first marriages.
B) lower than those for first marriages.
C) the same as those for first marriages.
D) different depending on the wife's age at the time of the second marriage.

Question 66

The strength of the relationship between mental and physical health and marriage is ____ for males than females.

A) less important
B) equally important
C) more important
D) Gender is unrelated to marriage and health.

Question 67

People who remain single are

A) mostly frustrated, lonely losers.
B) mostly carefree, suave swingers.
C) generally happier than their married counterparts.
D) not easily fit into stereotypes.

Question 68

Research indicates that following a divorce, children may exhibit

A) depression.
B) nightmares.
C) reduced physical health.
D) all of these.

Question 69

Which of the following has been found in adults whose parents divorced when they were children?

A) marital instability
B) maladjustment
C) reduced occupational attainments
D) all of these

Question 70

Which of the following is not a prominent characteristic among people who choose cohabitation?

A) lower economic status
B) well-educated
C) liberal in values
D) nontraditional about intimate relationships

Question 71

Which of the following is not true regarding the adjustment of stepchildren?

A) They experience the stepfamily as less cohesive and warm than their original family.
B) Their psychological adjustment is similar to that of children from single parent homes.
C) The differences between child adjustment in stepfamilies and intact families is substantial.
D) All of these are true of stepchildren.

Question 72

Available evidence indicates that remaining in an unhappy marriage tends to

A) be best for the children.
B) be better than getting a divorce.
C) be detrimental to one's adjustment.
D) make the marriage stronger in the end.

Question 73

According to Furstenberg and Kiernan, most researchers

A) are coming closer to establishing the truth about the lasting effects of divorce on children.
B) are now able to define the specific factors that lead to better adjustment of children of divorce.
C) are becoming more wary about making blanket statements about a complex phenomenon such as divorce.
D) no longer wish to do research on divorce because of serious ethical and practical concerns.

Question 74

About ____ of divorced people eventually remarry.

A) one-fourth
B) one-half
C) one-third
D) three-fourths

Question 75

The greater happiness of married people could be attributed to which of the following?

A) social support
B) physical health
C) financial well-being
D) all of these

Question 76

The proportion of young adults who choose to remain single

A) is increasing.
B) is decreasing.
C) has remained stable.
D) is increasing for men, but decreasing for women.

Question 77

Which of the following has caused much of the increase in the proportion of single adults?

A) loss of faith in the institution of marriage
B) people marrying at a higher median age
C) society's positive view toward cohabitation
D) fewer young people willing to assume the financial burdens associated with marriage

Question 78

____ percent of children show emotional or psychological problems 2-3 years after their parents divorce.

A) 25
B) 50
C) 75
D) 90

Question 79

Compared to married people, single people can be characterized as exhibiting

A) poorer mental health.
B) better physical health.
C) more happiness than married counterparts.
D) all of these.

Question 80

Most theorists see cohabitation as

A) a threat to the institution of marriage.
B) a new stage in the courtship process.
C) a fad that will level off in the next several decades.
D) an indication of young people's preference for alternative lifestyles.