Deck 7: Communication, Power, and Conflict

Question 1

The basic content of a message is expressed

A)verbally.
B)nonverbally.
C)both verbally and nonverbally.
D)sometimes verbally, sometimes nonverbally.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Research has found that couples in satisfied marriages tend to do all of the following except

A)disclose mostly negative thoughts.
B)engage willingly in conflict.
C)encode and decode messages accurately.
D)spend less time in conflict.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

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.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Jenny believes in the reliability and integrity of John.This illustrates

A)love.
B)trust.
C)commitment.
D)security.

Question 5

All of the following are guidelines for effective feedback to one's partner EXCEPT

A)focus on "I" statements.
B)focus on carefully thought-out advice.
C)focus feedback according to its value to the recipient.
D)focus feedback at an appropriate time and place.

Question 6

Jim and Sarah have conflict over who should start dinner and who should pick up their son after school.This illustrates:

A)basic conflict.
B)nonbasic conflict.
C)situational conflict.
D)personality conflict.

Question 7

According to your text, barriers to communication include all of the following EXCEPT

A)the traditional male gender role.
B)personal reasons.
C)fear of conflict.
D)need for neutrality.

Question 8

All of the following are conditions that must exist for trust to occur EXCEPT

A)we must believe we are able to predict how the person will behave.
B)a relationship has to exist and have the likelihood of continuing.
C)the person must have other acceptable options.
D)we must have similar beliefs about relationships.

Question 9

All of the following are obstacles to self-awareness and expression of feelings EXCEPT

A)suppression of feelings.
B)denial of feelings.
C)projection of feelings.
D)displacement of feelings.

Question 10

All of the following are true of touch EXCEPT

A)it is the most basic of all senses.
B)it is a life-giving force for infants.
C)sexual behavior relies above almost all else on touch.
D)there are no gender differences in touch.

Question 11

Bob and Jenn are struggling with Jenn's decision to end their sexual relationship in marriage.This illustrates:

A)basic conflict.
B)nonbasic conflict.
C)situational conflict.
D)personality conflict.

Question 12

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 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

One of the problems with nonverbal communication is

A)it causes an information overload.
B)the imprecision of its message.
C)it is difficult for people to pay attention to it and concentrate on the verbal message at the same time.
D)each person has a different "nonverbal language."

Question 15

According to _____ the person gaining the most from the relationship is the one who is most dependent.

A)the principle of least interest
B)relative love and need theory
C)the hierarchy of rules
D)none of the above

Question 16

More of the relationship part of a message is expressed

A)verbally.
B)nonverbally.
C)both verbally and nonverbally.
D)neither verbally nor nonverbally.

Question 17

The ability to influence another person or group is

A)strength.
B)force.
C)coercion.
D)power.

Question 18

Withholding self-disclosure erodes

A)love.
B)friendship.
C)trust.
D)power.

Question 19

All of the following statements are true regarding gender differences in communication EXCEPT

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

Question 20

According to the text, 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 21

"Can you explain what you mean a little bit more?" is an example of

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

Question 22

The physiological functioning of all EXCEPT which of the following systems is impacted by marital conflict?

A)cardiac
B)neurological
C)immunological
D)endocrine

Question 23

"Let me see if I can repeat the different points you are making," is an example of

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

Question 24

Resource theory fails to explain

A)why wives have more power when they are employed.
B)why employed wives have more influence in family decisions.
C)the power men continue to enjoy when they have less education than their wives.
D)why men usually have more influence in big decisions than wives.

Question 25

Layne watched her parents argue constantly when she was growing up.Now she assumes that marriage is about conflict.This illustrates

A)the marital trap.
B)the marital paradigm.
C)the marital prototype.
D)the marital code.

Question 26

Carrie is very angry with her husband Doug.If she is like most people she will handle her anger by _____ it.

A)projecting or displacing
B)displacing or denying
C)denying or repressing
D)venting or suppressing

Question 27

When one partner yells "You're wrong!" and the other, "I only did what I was supposed to do!" it is an example of

A)clarification.
B)confrontation and defensiveness.
C)complaining and defensiveness.
D)attacking and defensiveness.

Question 28

When one partner says, "I work so hard to come home to this!" and the other says, "This is the best I can do with no help!" it is an example of

A)clarification.
B)confrontation and defensiveness.
C)complaining and defensiveness.
D)attacking and defensiveness.

Question 29

When considering the consequences of marital conflict, we find that all increase EXCEPT

A)anxiety.
B)depression.
C)eating disorders.
D)male alcohol abuse.

Question 30

What impact does marital conflict have on children?

A)They tend to receive poorer parenting.
B)It can result in health problems.
C)It lowers self-esteem.
D)all of the above

Question 31

Jessica does not realize that she has power in her marriage although she makes decisions about the care-giving 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 32

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

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

Question 33

"What you are saying is that you feel bad when you don't acknowledge my feelings" is an example of

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

Question 34

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

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

Question 35

Unhappily married couples displayed all of the following behavior patterns EXCEPT

A)confrontation.
B)confrontation and defensiveness.
C)complaining and defensiveness.
D)clarification.

Question 36

Amy is quiet, distant, and rarely gives in to her partner's requests.Chances are her attachment style is

A)secure.
B)insecure.
C)avoidant.
D)distrustful.

Question 37

Beth is very demanding of support and attention in her marriage.Chances are her attachment style is:

A)secure
B)insecure
C)ambivalent
D)distrustful

Question 38

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 secretive.
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 39

Happily married couples display all of the following behaviors EXCEPT

A)confrontation.
B)summarizing.
C)validation.
D)clarification.

Question 40

"Alright, let's go eat Mexican food if that's what you want!" 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 41

In _____ relationships, we see the lowest levels of violence.

A)"power divided"
B)egalitarian
C)new
D)traditional

Question 42

According to the text, ten topics that are most difficult for couples to discuss include all of the following EXCEPT

A)relationship doubts.
B)money.
C)lack of communication.
D)disrespectful behavior.

Question 43

Most of the time women realize how much power they have in their marriages.

Question 44

Conflict can be beneficial.

Question 45

Couples with the greatest degree of agreement have the greatest eye contact with each other.

Question 46

The degree of trust in a relationship influences the interpretation of ambiguous messages.

Question 47

Nonverbal messages are used to express the basic content of the message.

Question 48

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

Question 49

The ability to forgive is NOT associated with this personal quality

A)humility
B)emotional stability
C)pride
D)agreeableness

Question 50

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

Question 51

Feminists argue our understanding of power is limited by

A)emphasizing how couples can resolve conflict.
B)focusing only on heterosexual relationships.
C)focusing only on marital relationships.
D)emphasizing how age impacts communication.

Question 52

Positive strategies for resolving conflict include all of the following EXCEPT

A)supporting your partner.
B)avoidance of the issue.
C)using rational arguments.
D)negotiation.

Question 53

Forgiveness leads to all EXCEPT which of the following?

A)long-term physical health benefits.
B)improved self-esteem.
C)more positive feelings toward the transgressor.
D)increased vulnerability to attack.

Question 54

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

Question 55

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

Question 56

Personal space is the same in all cultures.

Question 57

Which of the following statements is FALSE regarding touch?

A)Lower status individuals do not touch people of higher status.
B)Touch can convey intimacy.
C)Lower status individuals are more likely to initiate handshakes than higher status individuals.
D)Touch can convey dominance.

Question 58

Conflicts in marital relationships can be resolved through negotiation by all of the following EXCEPT

A)bargaining.
B)coexistence.
C)agreement as a gift.
D)insistence.

Question 59

Marriage counselors

A)tend to have graduate education from accredited programs.
B)include psychiatrists, social workers, and pastoral counselors.
C)who hold licensures are subject to recourse if engaging in unethical practices.
D)all of the above

Question 60

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 61

Sex can be used as a scapegoat for nonsexual problems.

Question 62

The best approach to helping yourself is prevention.

Question 63

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

Question 64

While forgiveness is good for a relationship, it has no effect on the forgiver's self-esteem.

Question 65

Discuss five of the guidelines developed by David Johnston for engaging in effective dialogue and feedback with your partner.

Question 66

One of the most important reasons couples have money a conflict is because of power issues.

Question 67

Discuss the consequences of conflict.

Question 68

Describe the functions of nonverbal communication.

Question 69

Cohabiting couples are less likely to divorce than couples who did not cohabit prior to marriage.

Question 70

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

Question 71

Too much disclosure can be damaging to a relationship.

Question 72

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

Question 73

In power struggles, sexuality can be used to bring couples closer together.

Question 74

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

Question 75

Identify and explain five ways of resolving conflict.

Question 76

Secure adults are more likely to compromise than are anxious or ambivalent adults.