Deck 4: Families

Question 1

The tensions that result from teenagers and adults having differences of personal taste and preferences are referred to as the

A) parent-child rift.
B) generation gap.
C) empty nest syndrome.
D) midlife crisis.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which statement concerning parent-adolescent conflict is true?

A) Ethnic minority adolescents are more likely than White adolescents to experience conflict with their parents.
B) Ethnic minority adolescents are less likely than White adolescents to experience conflict with their parents.
C) Adolescents and their parents do not tend to conflict over everyday issues, such as chores.
D) Less conflict resulting from the generation gap is seen outside the United States.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The popular notion of a "generation gap" has only been supported in differences between parents and children with regard to

A) values and attitudes.
B) personal taste.
C) mother-daughter relationships.
D) father-son relationships.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

For which of the following decisions would Nozomi, an older adolescent, be most likely to accept her parents' rules?

A) what she should wear on her first day of school
B) what music she should play at her birthday party
C) what time of night she needs to be home by
D) how clean and organized her room should be

Question 5

As Alex enters adolescence, he and his parents are experiencing severe relationship problems. The most likely explanation is that

A) adolescence is a period of "storm and stress."
B) the generation gap is a major issue for parents and their adolescents.
C) their problematic relationship has existed since Alex's childhood.
D) Alex has been negatively affected by his entrance into the high school system.

Question 6

Which of the following has the most influence over a typical adolescent's beliefs regarding religion and morality?

A) teachers
B) friends
C) media
D) parents

Question 7

Peers usually have more influence than parents on matters of

A) occupational ambitions.
B) educational goals.
C) patterns of leisure activity.
D) basic values.

Question 8

The fact that most books for parents of teenagers tend to focus on the problems instead of normative development is concerning because

A) the stereotypes are usually based on facts.
B) the more parents believe in the stereotypes, the worse their relationships with their teenagers become.
C) most parents have no idea what to expect when their children reach adolescence.
D) the more parents expect that their teenagers will be difficult, the more prepared they will be.

Question 9

Which of the following statements about family conflict is true?

A) Family problems are more likely to occur during adolescence than in other developmental periods.
B) Among teenagers and parents who report having problems, the great majority had problematic relationships during childhood.
C) Adolescents frequently report declines in the quality of family interactions.
D) A large percentage of families who have positive relations during childhood develop serious problems during adolescence.

Question 10

After midlife, parents are more likely to think about the future in terms of

A) how much time they have been alive.
B) how much time their children have been alive.
C) how much time until their children are adults.
D) how much time they have left to live themselves.

Question 11

The idea that an individual's behavior is influenced by other's expectations for them is a description of a(n)

A) parent-child rift.
B) self-fulfilling prophecy.
C) empty nest syndrome.
D) midlife crisis.

Question 12

Research has indicated that one source of conflict between teenagers and parents is that they define issues very differently. This finding

A) has not been replicated in non-White groups.
B) is not true for middle- and lower-class adolescents.
C) has not been replicated internationally.
D) has been replicated across many cultural and ethnic groups.

Question 13

Jim and Savannah are the parents of two preteen girls. Throughout the girls' childhood, the family has enjoyed fairly harmonious relationships. The likelihood that they will experience serious problems as the girls go through adolescence is

A) highly likely.
B) average.
C) not likely.
D) not easily predicted.

Question 14

Conflict between parents and adolescents over appropriate leisure activities is

A) most common in East Asian countries.
B) seen mostly in democratic countries.
C) primarily found in the United States.
D) common across many cultures.

Question 15

Over the period of adolescence, individuals' perspectives change. Research indicates that one manifestation of this change in perspective is a(n) ________ in adolescents' willingness to lie to their parents.

A) increase
B) decrease
C) initial increase, but then a strong decrease
D) increase, but only for girls

Question 16

Marcus is a teenager who generally respects his parents. On which of the following issues, however, is Marcus most likely to side with his friends and against his parents?

A) how to wear his hair
B) the issue of capital punishment
C) his religious beliefs
D) the value of a college education

Question 17

One reason that the adolescent years may constitute a difficult period of adjustment is that parents

A) are frequently becoming more involved in building their own careers.
B) seem to be pushing children toward financial independence at earlier ages.
C) are at home more often and do not give their children adequate freedom.
D) may also be experiencing identity crises of their own.

Question 18

Adolescents often judge keeping one's room clean and style of dress as matters of personal choice, whereas parents tend to judge these issues as matters of

A) social convention.
B) moral absolutes.
C) house rules.
D) hygiene.

Question 19

Research on the nature of parent-adolescent relationships reveals that most adolescents

A) experience considerable storm and stress in relationships with their parents.
B) resent their parents and rebel against their restrictions.
C) appear to maintain close, respectful, and loving relationships with parents.
D) become even closer to parents, and report almost no disruptions in their relationships with them.

Question 20

When it comes to basic, core values (e.g., religion, work, education), diversity within the adolescent population is much more striking than are differences

A) between the generations.
B) within the adult population.
C) between families.
D) between siblings.

Question 21

Luis and Carla Hernandez are getting a divorce. It is likely that the family will go through a period of ________ before it can adjust to this challenge.

A) disequilibrium
B) equilibrium
C) disinhibition
D) inhibition

Question 22

Studies of immigrant families suggest that parental effectiveness is greatest in households in which

A) adolescents and their parents prefer communicating in the same language.
B) parents communicate in English as much as possible.
C) adolescents use English to communicate, and the parents use their native language.
D) parents have adjusted to living in the United States.

Question 23

Which child would be expected to have the most conflict with his parents?

A) Li, an 8-year-old
B) Robert, a 13-year-old
C) Anton, a 17-year-old
D) Eduardo, a 19-year-old

Question 24

Why is it difficult to determine the exact nature (and direction of the effect) of family characteristics and adolescent development?

A) Adolescent behavior may be a stronger determinant of family relationships than parents' behavior.
B) Parents and adolescents reciprocally influence each other.
C) How parenting patterns impact adolescent behavior is unknown until adulthood.
D) Genetic inheritance has a stronger impact on adolescent behavior than parenting practices.

Question 25

Which of the following examples best represents a typical relationship between an adolescent and his or her mother and father?

A) Although Noelia fights often with her mother, she confides in her when she has issues with her friends. She is not as close to her father and mostly talks to him about her soccer team.
B) Connor is closest with his father and goes to him for advice about his girlfriend. He doesn't spend much time with his mother, who tends to rely on his father for information.
C) Bao is close to both her parents and spends about equal time with both her mother and father. She is likely to talk about emotional matters with either parent.
D) Lishan is distant from both his parents. He does not confide in either parent and spends little time at home. Lishan is most likely to talk to his peers about emotional matters.

Question 26

Alesandro has aspirations to become a professional musician, but whenever he speaks to his father about his career plans, his father emphasizes that Alesandro needs a backup plan and should think of something more practical. The most likely reason for this conflict is that

A) parents do not understand their teenagers' tastes and personal preferences very well.
B) those experiencing middle age tend to be more pragmatic and are coming to terms with their life choices.
C) Alesandro and his father experienced a lot of conflict during Alesandro's childhood.
D) Alesandro's values have changed, and his father does not approve of his life choices.

Question 27

Which of the following American adolescents is more likely to become depressed and experience conflict with his or her parents?

A) Agwe, a 17-year-old boy who lies to his Jamaican immigrant mother about which friends he is spending time with.
B) Mei Lien, a 15-year-old girl who would rather spend time with her American friends than do the chores assigned by her Chinese immigrant mother.
C) Manuel, a 15-year-old boy who speaks Spanish with his Guatemalan immigrant father and feels it is important to spend time with his parents.
D) Nevinka, a 17-year-old girl whose Sri Lankan immigrant parents speak English with her and encourage her to socialize with her American friends.

Question 28

Which of the following statements about parents of adolescents is true?

A) Adjusting to adolescence takes a greater toll on the mental health of children than on their parents.
B) Mothers typically feel the greatest sense of loss when their teenagers leave home.
C) Parents' mental health declines when they enter the "empty nest" stage.
D) Parents' mental health is worse when their teenage children are living at home.

Question 29

Before making weekend plans with his friend, 15-year-old Adithan considers his family's schedule and checks with his parents to see if they need his help with anything. He also offers to bring along his 13-year-old sister, so that his parents can have time to relax. Adithan's attitude toward the importance of his family's needs is an example of

A) obligation.
B) familism.
C) prosocial values.
D) generational dissonance.

Question 30

In addition to coping with the increasing importance of an adolescent's peer group, one of the biggest concerns in families with adolescents is often

A) the future.
B) sexual appeal.
C) money.
D) adult roles.

Question 31

Which of the following statements best describes how adolescent sons and daughters interact with their parents?

A) Girls are closer to their mothers, while boys are closer to their fathers.
B) Girls are closer to their fathers, while boys are closer to their mothers.
C) Girls and boys interact with their parents in similar ways.
D) Boys are closer to both parents, while girls are more distant.

Question 32

Which of the following is one of the three major factors that influence the transformation in family relationships that takes places during early adolescence?

A) the adolescent's peer group
B) pubertal maturation
C) gender of the adolescent
D) the parents' mental health

Question 33

Professor Ngo is studying family transitions. According to family systems theory, he is most likely to see dramatic changes in family relationships during which of the following events?

A) when individual family members are changing, such as during adolescence
B) when the family is free from major outside distractions, such as job changes or moves
C) when children are in elementary school and parents are approaching middle age
D) when the family is financially stable and its prospects for the future are strong

Question 34

Which of the following statements about the way in which teenagers relate to mothers and fathers is true?

A) Adolescents tend to be closer to their mothers.
B) Adolescents relate to their mothers and fathers very similarly.
C) Adolescents fight more often with their fathers than their mothers.
D) Adolescents perceive fathers as more controlling than their mothers.

Question 35

Benjamin's parents expect him to tell them everything. However, now that he's 13 years old, he feels entitled to keep secrets from them. This is an example of an adolescent-parent disagreement over which kind of issue?

A) parental control
B) emotional distress
C) compromise
D) familism

Question 36

The divergence of views between adolescents and parents that is common in families consisting of immigrant parents and U.S.-acculturated adolescents is called generational ________.

A) rebellion
B) dissonance
C) familism
D) separation

Question 37

Which of the following is an accurate example of familism, an orientation in which the needs of one's family take precedence over the needs of the individual.

A) Because tennis practice would conflict with Friday night dinners with Nyala's grandparents, she chooses to join the track team instead.
B) Chanthou hates driving his little sister to her voice lessons, so he asks his mother to do it instead.
C) Although Daphne's father is fluent in English, he and Daphne both prefer to speak Greek at home.
D) Gael's mother allows him to go to a movie with friends on Saturday, even though they originally had plans to visit to his uncle.

Question 38

Which of the following research findings best describes the phenomenon known as generational dissonance?

A) Recent studies have found that stress and conflict are higher in Latino families in which adolescents are relatively more acculturated than their parents.
B) One recent study of Black families found that teenagers rated their mothers' behaviors far more negatively than did either the mothers or the researcher.
C) Several researchers have demonstrated that family relationships change during puberty, with bickering between adolescents and their parents increasing and closeness between adolescents and their parents diminishing.
D) Research suggests that the distancing that takes place between parents and teenagers in early and middle adolescence is temporary.

Question 39

Adults tend to be ________ when their children are adolescents than the past generation.

A) younger
B) less busy
C) more conservative
D) older

Question 40

The identity changes of adolescence may interact with the ________ to increase family conflict.

A) hormonal surges of puberty
B) family systems theory
C) generational gap
D) midlife crisis of adults

Question 41

Adolescents who spend more time with their fathers are more likely to experience

A) poor school performance and delinquent behavior.
B) social competence and feelings of self-worth.
C) academic and athletic success.
D) frequent conflict with their mother.

Question 42

Lupe's parents express love toward her and want her to be happy. They let her, for the most part, establish her own schedule. Lupe eats when she's hungry, has full run of the house, goes out when she pleases, and sleeps when she's tired. This parenting style is best described as

A) authoritative.
B) authoritarian.
C) indulgent.
D) indifferent.

Question 43

Tamari's father has absolute standards and expects Tamari to conform to them without exception. If she disobeys he generally punishes her and sees no reason why he should explain his rules to Tamari. Instead, his response is, "I'm the father and I love you. I know what's best for you." Her father is best described as having what kind of parenting style?

A) authoritative
B) authoritarian
C) indulgent
D) indifferent

Question 44

Which of the following statements about minority families and parenting styles is true?

A) Because ethnic minorities are more likely to live in dangerous areas, parental control may actually be beneficial for these adolescents.
B) The distinction between authoritative parenting's positive outcomes for adolescents and authoritarian parenting's negative outcomes holds true across all cultures and ethnic groups.
C) Authoritarian parenting is most prevalent among White middle-class families, while minority families tend to use authoritative styles.
D) Authoritarian parenting styles are associated with an even greater number of adverse effects for ethnic minority adolescents, relative to their White adolescent counterparts.

Question 45

Over the course of adolescence, relationships among siblings become more egalitarian but ________ distant and ________ emotionally intense.

A) more; less
B) less; more
C) more; more
D) less; less

Question 46

Which of the following parenting styles is most closely associated with overall psychological competence?

A) authoritative
B) authoritarian
C) indulgent
D) indifferent

Question 47

Which of the following is an effective way to enhance the development of an adolescent's reasoning abilities, moral judgment, and empathy?

A) family discussions in which rules and expectations are explained
B) giving them as much freedom as is practical
C) helping adolescents better enforce rules for their younger siblings
D) restricting their activities so they are less likely to make mistakes

Question 48

Decha's teacher is concerned about him because he is passive and indifferent to new experiences and shows little intellectual curiosity. He also shows signs of developing low self-esteem. Based on Baumrind's classification of parenting styles, Decha's parents are most likely

A) authoritative.
B) authoritarian.
C) indulgent.
D) indifferent.

Question 49

Viktor feels like his parents do not care about him because they allow him to set his own rules and they seldom provide much support. He even wishes they would punish him because that would at least indicate they are paying attention to him. Viktor's parents would be described best as fitting into which of Baumrind's parenting styles?

A) authoritative
B) authoritarian
C) indulgent
D) indifferent

Question 50

Corinna is more responsible, more self-assured, more adaptive, more creative, and more intellectually curious than most of her peers. Felix, on the other hand, is very dependent, more passive, less socially adept, less self-assured, and less intellectually curious than most of his peers. It is most likely that Corinna has ________ parents and Felix has ________ parents.

A) authoritarian; indifferent
B) authoritative; authoritarian
C) indulgent; authoritative
D) indifferent; indulgent

Question 51

Adolescents tend to perceive their mothers as ________ than their fathers.

A) less nurturing
B) more distant
C) less supportive
D) more controlling

Question 52

Based on developmental research, which adolescent is most likely to experience healthy development?

A) Kenji, whose parents encourage freedom and spontaneity
B) Alonso, whose parents engage with him in verbal give-and-take
C) Sanjay, whose parents encourage dependence and obedience
D) Bernie, whose parents encourage autonomy and personal distance

Question 53

Felicia is very warm and accepting towards both of her two children, but she also sets firm rules that the children must follow with very few exceptions. According to Baumrind, the characteristics that best describe her are

A) responsive and demanding.
B) indulgent and submissive.
C) authoritarian and understanding.
D) lenient and supportive.

Question 54

Which parenting characteristic is more prevalent among ethnic minorities?

A) supportiveness
B) demandingness
C) warmness
D) intrusiveness

Question 55

Max tells his friends that his mother is a "real marshmallow" who does whatever he wants and never enforces the rules she tries to set. If Max's statement is true, his mother's parenting style is best characterized as

A) authoritarian.
B) indifferent.
C) indulgent.
D) submissive.

Question 56

According to Baumrind, children of indulgent parents tend to be

A) more involved in delinquent behavior.
B) less mature and more conforming to their peers.
C) more curious and more impulsive.
D) more dependent and less socially adept.

Question 57

Ethnic differences in parenting practices suggest that

A) authoritarian parenting is most likely to be used by Black, Asian, and Hispanic families.
B) ethnic minority families are more likely than White families to use an authoritative parenting style.
C) authoritative parenting is less commonly used by ethnic minority families, but its effects are beneficial in all ethnic groups.
D) authoritarian parenting has equally negative effects on adolescent development across all ethnic groups.

Question 58

Authoritative parenting promotes intellectual development and psychosocial maturity through which of the following?

A) discussions about decisions and rules that help children understand social relationships
B) asserting parental authority by turning adolescents' personal decisions into moral issues
C) giving children as much independence as possible as young as possible to help them develop self-reliance
D) making children spend time with their parents, even when they do not get along

Question 59

Which of the following is one of the 10 Basic Principles of Good Parenting?

A) Avoid being too loving and indulgent.
B) Use harsh discipline only when necessary.
C) Demand that your child treat you with respect.
D) Adapt your parenting to fit your child.

Question 60

Yusuf's parents set rules for him, but he feels that when a rule seems unfair, he can discuss it with his parents and even if they don't agree to change the rule, they at least listen to his opinions. Yusuf's parents fit best into which of the following parenting styles?

A) authoritative
B) authoritarian
C) indulgent
D) indifferent

Question 61

Close to ________ of children in the United States grow up either in abject poverty or in low-income families.

A) 15%
B) 20%
C) 30%
D) 40%

Question 62

Studies have found that in ethnic groups that emphasize the importance of ________, adolescents may be somewhat buffered from the effects of divorce.

A) extended family
B) school
C) religion
D) peer groups

Question 63

With regard to single-parent families in the United States,

A) more of these families are the result of divorce than of the mother never having been married.
B) very few children are born outside marriage and live in a single-parent household from birth.
C) the classification of "single-parent household" often includes other adults, such as the unmarried partner of a child's parent.
D) children living with remarried parents usually live with the biological father.

Question 64

Which of the following is the best example of the diathesis-stress model in action?

A) Dmitry's family has no history of mental health issues; however, after his parents get a divorce, he begins showing signs of depression.
B) Anita's father has obsessive-compulsive disorder. After Anita's girlfriend breaks up with her, Anita begins to show signs of obsessive-compulsive behavior.
C) Kirabo's mother is an alcoholic and responds to stress by drinking. When Kirabo feels stressed, he goes for long runs in the park.
D) Farzin's parents raise her in a supportive and respectful environment. Farzin does well in school and is socially active with both her family and peers.

Question 65

Divorces are most common

A) among the college-educated.
B) in families with adolescents.
C) in the early years of a marriage.
D) in Hispanic families.

Question 66

Which of the following is a finding of social scientists regarding the effects of divorce on adolescents?

A) Adolescents living with both of their parents, even if their relationships with those parents are not warm, tend to have fewer problems than adolescents from one-parent homes.
B) It is the process of going through a divorce, not the new family structure that results from one, that most affects the mental health of adolescents.
C) The adverse consequences of divorce for adolescents are directly linked to living in a single-parent household.
D) Adolescents from single-parent families that have not experienced divorce have more difficulties than those from divorced or remarried homes.

Question 67

Black adolescents are ________ likely to experience their parents' divorce and ________ likely to experience their remarriage.

A) more; less
B) more; more
C) less; more
D) less; less

Question 68

Which of the following statements accurately reflects research on adolescent-sibling relationships?

A) Adolescents see aggression towards siblings as less acceptable than aggression toward friends.
B) Adolescent-sibling relationships involve more conflict than adolescent-friend relationships.
C) Adolescent-sibling relationships are characterized by a significant decrease in sibling rivalry.
D) The quality of adolescent-sibling relationships is not affected by the quality of the parent-child relationship.

Question 69

What factor offers the most likely explanation the fact that Dorothy and Rose, sisters who are only 1 year apart in age, have different memories of their family life as they were growing up?

A) a shared environment
B) a nonshared environment
C) genetic differences
D) genetic similarities

Question 70

Which of the following statements concerning sibling relationships is true?

A) The quality of sibling relationships affects adolescents' peer relationships.
B) Sibling relationships do not ameliorate the negative effects of family stress.
C) Siblings are generally not good role models or sources of advice.
D) Siblings are likely to be closer in families under economic stress than in affluent families.

Question 71

In adolescents, genetic factors have a strong influence on ________ but have less influence on ________.

A) intelligence; school performance
B) antisocial behavior; intelligence
C) school performance; risk of depression
D) risk of depression; antisocial behavior

Question 72

According to behavioral geneticists, siblings are actually quite different from each other. Which of the following has been used to explain this difference?

A) Siblings tend to have very little in common aside from their genes.
B) Siblings may experience their family environment very differently.
C) Siblings go through the pubertal transition at different times.
D) Because they are different ages, siblings are always at different developmental stages.

Question 73

Which of the following is considered a shared environmental influence for siblings?

A) family socioeconomic status
B) differential treatment by parents
C) peer relations
D) school experiences

Question 74

When siblings are treated differently by parents, research shows that they are likely to

A) get along worse because they feel competition.
B) perceive the discrepancy as being unfair.
C) get along better because they feel unique.
D) try to be more like one another.

Question 75

Which of the following adolescents is most likely to be living in a single-parent household?

A) Janet, a White adolescent
B) Naomi, an Asian adolescent
C) Jeff, a Black adolescent
D) Bruce, a Hispanic adolescent

Question 76

Which of the following is an important topic of study in the field of behavioral genetics?

A) whether adolescents and parents who are biologically related get along better
B) whether the same environment affects people with different genetic makeups in the same way
C) whether modifying people's genes leads to better life outcomes
D) whether sibling relationships are positively or negatively affected by biological relatedness

Question 77

When a specific gene has more than one version, those versions are known as

A) molecules.
B) alleles.
C) diathesis.
D) environmental factors.

Question 78

Growing up, Tinashe's parents had a lot of marital conflict and divorced when she was 13. Tinashe is more likely to develop depression, aggression, or delinquency if she was also exposed to which of the following?

A) authoritative parenting
B) domestic violence
C) remarriage
D) shared environmental influences

Question 79

Which of the following adolescents best exemplifies the differential susceptibility theory?

A) Nela's first year of college was very stressful and her grades and her mood were poor. After finding a supportive mentor, however, she became a top student and is now much happier.
B) Bashar has battled addiction problems for several years, and although he has made many changes to his life and sought help on several occasions, nothing seems to help.
C) Kirra has a difficult relationship with her divorced parents and lives in a poor neighborhood. Nevertheless, Kirra strives to do well in school and make the best of her situation.
D) Sergey's parents use an authoritative style and give him a lot of emotional support. In spite of this, Sergey engages in delinquent behavior, skipping school and using alcohol.

Question 80

Mallory and Malakai are sister and brother. They have grown up together in the same family, just one year apart in age, but they have very different personalities. Which of the following offers the best explanation for this?

A) They have had different perceptions of similar experiences.
B) As a girl, Mallory has a closer relationship with her parents.
C) Genetically, they have very little in common.
D) Second children, like Malakai, harbor resentment toward their family members.