Deck 7: Communication, Power, and Conflict

Question 1

Which party tends to have the most power in the relationship?

A) The in-laws tend to have more power than the couple
B) The party with the most resources and the most need
C) The party with the least interest in continuing the relationship
D) The party with the most interest in continuing the relationship

Answer 1

C

Question 2

"I can understand how you feel" is an example of

A) summarizing.
B) paraphrasing.
C) validating.
D) clarifying.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Conflicts in marital relationships can be resolved through negotiation by which of the following?

A) Avoidance
B) Disengagement
C) Agreement as a gift
D) Insistence

Answer 3

C

Question 4

A partner avoiding issues by withdrawing from the conversation is an example of

A) clarification.
B) stonewalling.
C) defensiveness.
D) criticism.

Question 5

The impact of marital stress on physical health seems to be greatest on

A) newlyweds.
B) same-sex couples.
C) men.
D) women.

Question 6

"Why are you even bringing up this problem now?" is an example of

A) physiological self-soothing.
B) stonewalling.
C) validating.
D) defensiveness.

Question 7

Affiliative humor

A) creates insecurity and self-silencing.
B) tends to lessen conflict.
C) is an example of mutual avoidance.
D) is distrustful.

Question 8

Husbands send clearer messages to their wives than wives send to their husbands.

Question 9

"Alright, let's go eat Mexican food if that's what you want, but it has to be at Amigos," grins Jack. His wife, Alexis has just benefitted from which type of conflict resolution?

A) Coexistence
B) Forgiveness
C) Bargaining
D) Agreeing as a gift

Question 10

Self-disclosure before or soon after marriage is related to relationship satisfaction later.

Question 11

Unhappily married couples displayed which behavior pattern?

A) Confrontation
B) Paraphrasing
C) Validation
D) Clarification

Question 12

Conflicts over housework in a marriage

A) are rare in contemporary families.
B) are rare in dual-earner families only.
C) have both practical and symbolic dimensions.
D) have a practical but not a symbolic dimension.

Question 13

Markham found that negativity or positivity of a couple's communication pattern had little impact on their marital satisfaction during the first year due to

A) love.
B) relative love and need theory.
C) honeymoon effect.
D) the newlywed delusional effect.

Question 14

Jessica does not realize that she has power in her marriage, although she makes decisions about the caregiving for her children and sets the standard for their discipline. This kind of power is referred to as

A) parental.
B) gatekeeping.
C) maternal.
D) dominance.

Question 15

All of the following are positive ways of resolving conflict except

A) coercion.
B) assertion.
C) negotiation.
D) supporting your partner.

Question 16

According to the text, during negative communication interactions, nonverbal acts such as rolling one's eyes in response to a statement or complaint made by a spouse can convey

A) contempt.
B) amusement.
C) power.
D) confusion.

Question 17

One problem with nonverbal communication is the imprecision of its message.

Question 18

If conflicts arise and one partner keeps their feelings to themselves, it is called

A) affiliative humor.
B) self-gratification.
C) self-silencing.
D) mutual avoidance.

Question 19

Which of the following is a consequence of marital conflict?

A) Sexual satisfaction
B) Overconfidence
C) STIs
D) Alcohol abuse

Question 20

All of the following are true regarding couples and money, except

A) one of the most important reasons couples fight over money is power.
B) discussing money matters is very contentious.
C) dating relationships are good indicators of how couples will deal with money matters in a marriage.
D) a major source of conflict is allocation of the family's income.

Question 21

Conflict can be beneficial.

Question 22

Describe five of the characteristics that researchers have found to be common to those in satisfied marriages.

Question 23

According to the text, which of the following is considered to be the most difficult topic for couples to discuss?

A) Criticism
B) Relationship doubts
C) In-laws
D) Sex

Question 24

Identify and explain five ways of resolving conflict.

Question 25

Every time Tammy tells her husband Michael that she wants to talk about their marriage, Michael either leaves the room or changes the subject. This type of marital communication is referred to as

A) demand-withdraw communication.
B) the request-refuse pattern.
C) demand-ignore communication.
D) the solicit-deny pattern.

Question 26

It is common and normal for couples to have disagreements or conflicts.

Question 27

Which of the following is true of touch?

A) It is unimportant in human development.
B) All people respond to touch in the same way.
C) Sexual behavior relies above almost all else on touch.
D) There are no gender differences in touch.

Question 28

Sex can be used as a scapegoat for nonsexual problems.

Question 29

Which of the following is not a common example of a positive communication strategy?

A) Allowing one partner to always lead in affection
B) More time spent talking together
C) Mirroring the other partner
D) Validating the other partner

Question 30

Which statement is true regarding gender differences in communication?

A) Husbands tend to send clearer messages than wives.
B) Husbands tend to set the emotional tone of an argument.
C) Wives tend to use emotional appeals more than husbands.
D) Wives tend to give neutral messages, or to withdraw.

Question 31

Traditional male gender roles work against the idea of expressing feelings.

Question 32

The resource theory of power argues that

A) as resources become scarce in a marriage, it tends to become a more egalitarian relationship.
B) as wives' earning power increases, so does their decision-making in the relationship.
C) there is no power without resources.
D) as resources increase, the man's power base becomes much weaker.

Question 33

Agreement to a gift is a way to negotiate the resolution of conflict.

Question 34

The relative love and need theory explains power in terms of an individual's involvement and needs in the relationship.

Question 35

If Jim does not really care whether his wife Francis stays with him or not, he will have the most power in the relationship according to

A) the principle of least interest.
B) resource theory.
C) investment theory.
D) the principle of affection.

Question 36

Describe the functions of nonverbal communication.

Question 37

Research has found that couples in satisfied marriages tend to do which of the following?

A) Disclose mostly negative thoughts
B) Engage willingly in conflict
C) Avoid conflict at all costs
D) Conceal private thoughts and feelings

Question 38

Discuss the consequences of conflict.

Question 39

Husbands often believe that they have more power in relationships than they actually do.

Question 40

What is demand-withdraw communication, and how might it affect a relationship?