Deck 14: Divorce and Relationship Dissolution

Question 1

Which of the following options requires spouses to prove fault or live apart for a certain length of time in order to obtain a divorce?

A)serial monogamy
B)covenant marriage
C)divorce mediation
D)premarital counseling

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Though research on the topic is just beginning, it appears that the divorce rate for gay and lesbian couples

A)is not different from that for heterosexual couples.
B)has skyrocketed over the past two years.
C)is practically zero.
D)is much higher than that of heterosexual couples.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of the following is NOT considered a reason for the stabilization of the divorce rate over the past three decades?

A)Fewer people are marrying at younger ages.
B)Married people are more likely to be educated.
C)Divorce has once again become socially unacceptable.
D)Economic uncertainty and the high cost of obtaining a divorce is keeping people together.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Marriage was originally a social institution directed toward the practical purposes of economic support and responsible child rearing. Today, marriage tends to be viewed as a

A)flexible agreement.
B)legally binding contract.
C)relationship of convenience.
D)companionate relationship.

Question 5

The text points out that children, fear of losing the child, religion, and a lack of financial resources are sometimes perceived by spouses as __________ divorce.

A)barriers to
B)preludes to
C)concomitants of
D)consequences of

Question 6

______ have more negative attitudes toward divorce.

A)Hispanics
B)African-Americans
C)Asian-Americans
D)Native Americans

Question 7

The text observes that although it may not affect marital quality, employment might nevertheless contribute to a divorce by giving an unhappily married woman the economic power, the increased independence, and the self-confidence to help her decide on divorce. This set of circumstances illustrates what is called the __________ effect.

A)income
B)divorce
C)independence
D)dependence

Question 8

Divorces occur relatively early in marriage. A large percentage end in about

A)six months.
B)one year.
C)two years.
D)five years.

Question 9

All of the following demographic factors have been associated with the breakup of cohabiting unions EXCEPT

A)remarriage.
B)younger age at first marriage.
C)strong religious belief.
D)heterogamous marriage.

Question 10

Divorce among older couples and those in long-term marriages has been termed ______ divorce.

A)late-term
B)golden
C)silver
D)elder

Question 11

Between 1960 and a peak in 1980, the refined divorce rate

A)declined.
B)stayed the same.
C)increased slightly.
D)more than doubled.

Question 12

The crude divorce rate is

A)the number of divorces per 1,000 population.
B)the number of divorces per 1,000 married women over age 18.
C)the number of divorces per year.
D)the ratio of current marriages to current divorces.

Question 13

The high marriage rates in the ______ combined with younger age at marriage have resulted in more divorces and higher divorce rates in that region.

A)Northeast
B)Midwest
C)Pacific Northwest
D)South

Question 14

Sociologist Andrew Cherlin suggests that the U.S.'s high divorce rates may be in part a reflection of a broad sense of ____ unique to American culture.

A)"resentment"
B)"restlessness"
C)"dissatisfaction"
D)"loveless"

Question 15

There are_____ social, moral, and legal constraints on divorce than in the past.

A)far fewer
B)slightly fewer
C)slightly more
D)far more

Question 16

No-fault divorce is sometimes referred to as ______ divorce because one partner can secure the divorce even if the other wants to continue the marriage.

A)mutual
B)unilateral
C)singular
D)narcissistic

Question 17

A consequence of remarriage, which has a higher divorce rate than first marriages, is an emerging trend of

A)redivorce.
B)legal separation.
C)serial monogamy.
D)overall divorce decline.

Question 18

For the most part, the divorce rate

A)is still on the rise.
B)has stabilized for the time being.
C)is beginning to decline.
D)has declined drastically in the last five years.

Question 19

Today, the rural-urban distinction in divorce has

A)completely disappeared.
B)become significantly more pronounced, with the divorce rate higher in rural areas than in urban areas.
C)become significantly more pronounced, with the divorce rate higher in urban areas than in rural areas.
D)become impossible to measure.

Question 20

About __________ of all first marriages in the United States are likely to end in divorce.

A)one-quarter
B)one-third
C)one-half
D)two-thirds

Question 21

Most research presents a consistent picture of postdivorce __________ for women.

A)economic decline
B)occupational opportunity
C)career enhancement
D)economic improvement

Question 22

One study cited in the text looked at the general character of postdivorce extended-kin relationships. This investigation found that, in half the cases, the kinship system included __________ of divorce and of remarriage.

A)relatives
B)a typology
C)stations
D)ingredients

Question 23

In nearly____ percent of married couple families in the United States the main householder reported that the couple was "separated."

A)5
B)10
C)15
D)20

Question 24

Hetherington maintains that __________ percent of those who obtain a divorce have a "good enough" post-divorce adjustment.

A)10
B)20
C)30
D)40

Question 25

A change in marital status is likely to result in

A)a decrease in the number of hours worked on the job.
B)a near-total collapse of the kinship system.
C)closer relationships with former in-laws.
D)changes in one's community of friends.

Question 26

About ___ percent of children born to married parents will experience marital disruption.

A)20
B)40
C)60
D)80

Question 27

The _______ perspective assumes that a family with both parents living in the same household is the optimal environment for children's development.

A)rehabilitative alimony
B)child support
C)parental loss
D)parental compensation

Question 28

When a group of researchers cited in the text examined the relationship between actual divorces and perceived barriers to divorce, they found that only three of the nine barriers studied were associated with a lower likelihood of divorce. Which of the following is NOT one of these?

A)when the wife's income was a smaller percentage of the family income
B)when church attendance was high
C)when there was a new child
D)when the parties involved realize that something must be done

Question 29

Children in high-conflict marriages

A)fall into a deep denial of the situation.
B)almost never get married themselves.
C)seem to benefit from a divorce.
D)always suffer from a divorce.

Question 30

The ___________ perspective holds that conflict between parents is responsible for the lowered well-being of children of divorce.

A)life stress
B)economic hardship
C)interparental conflict
D)parental adjustment

Question 31

"Divorce parties" and "divorce rings" are indicative of the ______ that some people experience soon after divorce.

A)sexual confusion
B)deep sense of loneliness
C)feelings of elation
D)emotional stress

Question 32

Charlene is a single mother with low income. She receives a government grant based on the number of children she has. Charlene's situation reflects

A)guaranteed child support.
B)a children's allowance.
C)child welfare.
D)Aid to Families With Dependent Children.

Question 33

Because mothers retain custody in the preponderance of divorce cases, and because women are economically disadvantaged in employment, fathers are the most likely to

A)suffer economically.
B)experience frustration.
C)pay child support.
D)be granted an entitlement.

Question 34

Marie lives in Paris, France, and is the custodial parent of her 2-year-old son. Even if her ex-husband fails to pay his court-ordered child support, the government sends Marie the full amount of support awarded to her son. This procedure is referred to in the text as

A)government-based child support allowance.
B)a children's allowance.
C)guaranteed child support.
D)cost-sharing child support.

Question 35

The research of ______ and her colleagues has been very influential in defining the situation of children of divorce for both professionals and the public.

A)Judith Wallerstein
B)Alfie Kohn
C)Emile Durkheim
D)Barbara Risman

Question 36

Jack and Bethany have worked out a divorce settlement through an alternative, non-adversarial means of dispute resolution, and with the assistance of a

A)lawyer.
B)mediator.
C)judge.
D)jury panel.

Question 37

Research based on a national representative sample of more than 10,000 U.S. teens found that the negative effects of divorce and living with a single mother were less serious for black and Hispanic adolescents than they were for

A)Asian-Americans.
B)Native Americans.
C)Pacific Islanders.
D)whites.

Question 38

Improvements in unhappy marriages come about for various reasons. Which of the following is NOT one of the reasons cited in the text?

A)the passage of time (children got older, job or other problems improved)
B)hormonal changes (helped with moods and fighting)
C)partners' efforts to work on problems, make changes, and communicate better
D)individual partners made personal changes (travel, work, hobbies, etc.)

Question 39

More than __________ of all divorces involve children under eighteen, and about 40 percent of children born to married parents will experience marital disruption.

A)one-quarter
B)one-third
C)half
D)two-thirds

Question 40

Custodial fathers receive about ___ percent of the child support amounts that custodial mothers receive.

A)96
B)78
C)67
D)54

Question 41

Over the past decade, there has been a _____ in fathers who have joint physical custody.

A)slight increase
B)dramatic increase
C)dramatic decrease
D)slight decrease

Question 42

In Amato's typology, the __________ perspective stresses the quality of parenting in terms of children's adjustment to divorce.

A)economic hardship
B)parental loss
C)interparental conflict
D)parental adjustment

Question 43

Which of the following was NOT a problem with the Wallerstein study?

A)It was a small, unrepresentative sample.
B)It lacked a control group.
C)It looked at a time period when divorce was fairly uncommon.
D)Researchers coached participants on how to answer survey questions.

Question 44

In Amato's typology, the __________ perspective assumes that, just as divorce is known to be an emotionally challenging life event for adults, it must also be so for children.

A)interparental conflict
B)life stress
C)parental adjustment
D)economic hardship

Question 45

Today, mothers receive sole physical custody of their children about ___ percent of the time.

A)20
B)40
C)60
D)80

Question 46

Most research supports the hypothesis that

A)sibling abuse virtually disappears after divorce.
B)siblings become closer and more supportive after divorce.
C)sibling rivalry increases after divorce.
D)sibling relationships are unchanged after divorce.

Question 47

Researchers advise noncustodial mothers to

A)focus on building a relationship with their children.
B)try to take on the traditional mother role.
C)stay largely out of their children's lives.
D)try to get joint custody of their children.

Question 48

In the __________ custody variation in joint custody agreements, both parents have the right to participate in important decisions and retain a symbolically important legal authority, with physical custody (that is, residential care of the child)going to just one parent.

A)modified egalitarian
B)joint legal
C)joint legal and physical
D)semi-combined

Question 49

About _____ of children with a nonresident father have no contact with him.

A)a tenth
B)a quarter
C)a third
D)a half

Question 50

_____ custody refers to who has the right to make decisions with respect to a child's upbringing.

A)Physical
B)Power
C)Legal
D)Joint

Question 51

Studies have found _____ in well-being between children living with only their fathers (apart from their mothers)versus only with their mothers.

A)significant differences
B)few or no differences
C)a moderate amount of differences
D)none of the above

Question 52

On average, in comparison with their counterparts from stable households, adult children of divorced parents

A)acquire more education.
B)marry later in life.
C)are less likely to cohabit.
D)have weaker ties to their divorced parents.

Question 53

In Amato's typology, the __________ perspective holds that financial difficulties brought about by marital dissolution are primarily responsible for the problems faced by children of divorce.

A)interparental conflict
B)parental adjustment
C)economic hardship
D)life stress

Question 54

In the United States, as part of a patriarchal system of law, divorced fathers were automatically given custody of their children until the __________ century.

A)early eighteenth
B)mid-eighteenth
C)early-nineteenth
D)mid-nineteenth

Question 55

Emerging developmental theories of childhood well-being provided support to a presumption that when divorce occurs, mother custody was always in the child's best interest. This point of view came to be known as the so-called "__________" doctrine.

A)best interests of the child
B)primary caretaker
C)tender years
D)lonely hearts

Question 56

Children of divorce also are more likely to have been _____  meaning they were forced to take on adult responsibilities before they were developmentally mature enough to handle them.

A)"custody stunted"
B)"custodialized"
C)"adult rushed"
D)"parentified"

Question 57

_____ is a "team" approach to raising children after divorce.

A)Co-parenting
B)Family Wizardry
C)Tag-teaming
D)Parent rotation

Question 58

Split custody, in which each parent has physical custody of at least one child, remains uncommon and only occurs in about ___ percent of divorce cases.

A)2 to 4
B)6 to 8
C)10 to 12
D)14 to 16

Question 59

While studying children's postdivorce adjustment, psychologist Judith Wallerstein was surprised to find that __________ percent of the study children were likely to receive less education than their fathers.

A)60
B)50
C)40
D)30

Question 60

In looking at outcomes for divorced parents, Hetherington found that __________ percent of children were "coping reasonably well."

A)75-80
B)50-60
C)30-50
D)10-25

Question 61

The __________ divorce rate refers to the number of divorces per 1,000 married women over age 15.

Question 62

More than half of all divorces involve children under eighteen.

Question 63

In Ahrons' postdivorce relationship typology, "__________" were friends who called each other often and brought their common children and new family ties together on holidays or for outings or other activities.

A)cooperative colleagues
B)angry associates
C)perfect pals
D)fiery foes

Question 64

Many observers attribute our society's high divorce rate to the fact that Americans' expectations for marriage are too high these days.

Question 65

About 60 percent of custodial parents reported receiving some form of noncash support for their children.

Question 66

The large disparity in divorce rates between those with and without a college degree is known as the _______.

Question 67

The crude divorce rate is the number of divorces per 1,000 married women over age fifteen.

Question 68

The high divorce rate implies that Americans are "giving up" on marriage.

Question 69

Home ownership elevates the risk of divorce.

Question 70

Long marriages are more likely to end in divorce because marital happiness declines over time.

Question 71

The good divorce does not end a family but instead produces a __________-two households, one family.

A)second option
B)split home
C)double home front
D)binuclear family

Question 72

Which of the following is NOT one of the types of postdivorce relationships identified by Ahrons?

A)"Perfect Pals"
B)"Bitter Pills"
C)"Fiery Foes"
D)"Angry Associates"

Question 73

The life stress perspective assumes that divorce is a single event, rather than a process of associated events.

Question 74

To date, most research and discussion on visiting parents has been about mothers.

Question 75

The Binuclear Family Study was led by sociologist

A)Sharon Houseknecht.
B)David Popenoe.
C)Constance Ahrons.
D)Talcott Parsons.

Question 76

Most observers conclude that, for the time being, the divorce rate continues to rise dramatically.

Question 77

Race and ethnicity are differentially associated with the chances of divorcing.

Question 78

The frequency of divorce increased throughout most of the twentieth century.

Question 79

According to the text, it appears that no-fault divorce laws have themselves led to more divorce.

Question 80

The marital complaint most frequently mentioned by both men and women involves the lack of satisfying sex.