Deck 13: Coming Apart: Separation and Divorce

Question 1

Division of property, alimony, and child support are aspects of

A)the emotional divorce.
B)the economic divorce.
C)the legal divorce.
D)the coparental divorce.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

All of the following are factors affecting divorce EXCEPT

A)collectivistic cultural values.
B)changed nature of the family.
C)employment status.
D)educational level.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

The surge in divorce rates which began in the mid-1960s

A)did not level off until the 1970s.
B)did not level off until the 1980s.
C)did not level off until the 1990s.
D)has not leveled off.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The first stage of disintegration, when one partner begins to disengage, is termed

A)the emotional divorce.
B)the psychic divorce.
C)the legal divorce.
D)the coparental divorce.

Question 5

The statistic "one out of two marriages ends in divorce"

A)is misleading.
B)is based derived from comparing the number of divorces to marriages in a given year.
C)reflects how popular or common marriage and divorce are in a given year.
D)all of the above

Question 6

Rates of divorce are lower in _____ than they are in the United States.

A)Canada
B)Australia
C)Central America
D)all of the above

Question 7

Scholars suggest that divorce does not represent a devaluation of marriage but

A)an idealization of marriage.
B)an obsession with marriage.
C)a misunderstanding of marriage.
D)all of the above

Question 8

Until ____, more marriages ended in the death of a spouse than ended in divorce.

A)1960
B)1974
C)1980
D)1990

Question 9

New ways of relating to children and former spouses are part of

A)the community divorce.
B)the economic divorce.
C)the emotional divorce.
D)the coparental divorce.

Question 10

Today, approximately _____ of all new marriages are likely to end in divorce.

A)10% to 15%
B)15% to 20%
C)35% to 45%
D)50% to 55%

Question 11

This divorce rate represents the number of divorces in a given year for every 1,000 people in the population.

A)ratio of marriages to divorces rate
B)crude divorce rate
C)refined divorce rate
D)predictive divorce rate

Question 12

According to the text, the higher the _____, the more likely a person is to divorce.

A)family income
B)status level of occupation
C)attendance at religious services
D)woman's individual income

Question 13

According to the text, many unresolved issues of the _____ divorce may be acted out during the _____ divorce.

A)psychic, coparental
B)emotional, legal
C)psychic, community
D)emotional, community

Question 14

The _____ represents the number of divorces in a given year for every 1,000 people in the population.

A)ratio measure of divorce
B)crude divorce rate
C)refined divorce rate
D)predictive divorce rate

Question 15

All of the following are true of American marriages EXCEPT

A)We have one of the highest marriage rates in the industrialized world.
B)We have one of the highest divorce rates in the world.
C)We have one of the highest remarriage rates in the world.
D)We have one of the lowest divorce rates in the world for remarriages.

Question 16

A marriage might be annulled if

A)a person was underage at the time of marriage.
B)a person was under the influence of drugs or alcohol when marrying.
C)a person was already married when marrying.
D)all of the above

Question 17

When old friends are lost and new ones must be found to replace them, the _____ divorce is being experienced.

A)the community divorce
B)the economic divorce
C)the emotional divorce
D)the coparental divorce

Question 18

All of the following are true of no-fault divorce EXCEPT

A)no-fault divorce requires that a person prove they are not at fault in bringing about a divorce.
B)no-fault divorce is allowed in all states.
C)no-fault divorce allows the couple to divorce without having to accuse the other or prove the other responsible for the failure of their marriage.
D)no-fault divorce is permitted in more states than fault-based divorce.

Question 19

When the former spouse becomes irrelevant to one's self and emotional well-being, a person has accomplished the _____ divorce.

A)community
B)psychic
C)emotional
D)economic

Question 20

Desertion

A)occurred more often than divorce during the Depression.
B)was less common than divorce during the Depression.
C)is viewed as serious, but rarely as grounds for divorce.
D)is recognized legally as the same as divorce.

Question 21

Which of the following is associated with a decreased chance of divorce?

A)college-education
B)low-status occupations
C)working the night shift
D)low-income

Question 22

When child support obligations exceed _____ percent of a father's income, he is less likely to comply.

A)25
B)35
C)37
D)41

Question 23

Ways in which dating following separation and divorce differ from premarital dating include all of the following EXCEPT

A)It is less spontaneous.
B)Sexual relationships are as satisfying for women as for men.
C)It is not as leisurely.
D)Finances may be strained.

Question 24

Marital happiness is most strongly linked to risk of divorce

A)during the early years of marriage.
B)after children are born.
C)during midlife.
D)in the later years of marriage.

Question 25

How is religion related to divorce?

A)The greater a person's commitment to religious activity, the lower the risk of divorce.
B)The more often one goes to church, the lower the risk of divorce.
C)Marriages in which wives attend church weekly but husbands don't are more at risk for divorce.
D)all of the above

Question 26

In general, _____ fathers are required to pay greater shares of their income in child support.

A)lower-income
B)moderate-income
C)higher-income
D)rich

Question 27

With respect to the postdivorce identity, when people separate or divorce, they often feel as if

A)they have failed miserably.
B)they will never love again.
C)they have lost an arm or a leg.
D)they have been severely mistreated.

Question 28

Which of the following is a proximal cause of divorce?

A)age at marriage
B)features of the relationship
C)prior cohabitation
D)church attendance

Question 29

Uncoupling

A)occurs in fairly predictable stages.
B)is an intentional turning away.
C)ends when the couple separates.
D)is malicious.

Question 30

Based on social integration, we would expect which people to have higher divorce rates?

A)people who are religious
B)people who are independent
C)people who live in rural areas
D)people who are more involved in the community.

Question 31

The economic consequences of divorce for women

A)are much more severe than they were in the 1970s.
B)are less dire than they were in the past.
C)are relatively absent.
D)are less than they are for men.

Question 32

Alimony

A)is required by all states.
B)is the same thing as child support.
C)is designed as a punitive measure against the paying spouse.
D)may still be paid by a deceased's estate.

Question 33

Remarriages are _____ as first marriages.

A)less likely to end in divorce
B)more likely to end in divorce
C)just as likely to end in divorce
D)much less likely to end in divorce

Question 34

When a marriage breaks up, almost everyone experiences all of the following EXCEPT

A)suffers separation distress.
B)suffers distress which is real but does not last forever.
C)a lack of apprehension.
D)centers their attention on the missing partner.

Question 35

For women, divorce may be associated with

A)autonomy.
B)self-confidence.
C)happiness.
D)all of the above

Question 36

Separation distress refers to

A)anxiety, fear, and pain centered on the missing partner.
B)fear partners have that their spouse may leave them.
C)doubt partners have when they are considering divorcing.
D)the attacks partners often make on one another during separation.

Question 37

Establishing a postdivorce identity involves

A)transition.
B)recovery.
C)relocation.
D)both a and b

Question 38

Children living in _____ appear to be the worst adjusted.

A)tranquil single-parent families
B)happy two-parent families
C)conflict-ridden two parent families
D)tranquil stepfamilies

Question 39

One of the most damaging consequences of the no-fault divorce laws is that

A)they have tripled the divorce rate.
B)they keep people from trying to settle their differences.
C)they are unavailable in most states.
D)they systematically impoverish women and their children.

Question 40

The most consistent predictor of marital stability in social science research is

A)religiosity.
B)age.
C)race.
D)social class.

Question 41

In which of the following custody arrangements do children live with both parents, dividing time more or less equally between the two parents?

A)sole
B)joint physical
C)combined
D)split

Question 42

The divorce rate today is the lowest it has been in 40 years.

Question 43

The emotional divorce begins after the legal divorce.

Question 44

In considering the effects of divorce on children, Hetherington reports that _____ percent of her sample of youths from divorced and remarried families was troubled and displayed a range of problems.

A)43
B)37
C)25
D)20

Question 45

A study of 6-12 year old white children found that _____ initially blamed themselves for their parents' divorce.

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

Question 46

Uncoupling ends when the couple physically separate.

Question 47

Mandatory visitation has been suggested as a way to keep custodial parents from limiting contact between the children and the noncustodial parent.

Question 48

Determining how to deal with divorce largely depends on

A)whether we are dealing with children or adults.
B)whether we see divorce as a problem or as a solution to problems.
C)finding the best way to "dismantle the divorce culture."
D)knowing which social class we are dealing with.

Question 49

According to the text, mothers are typically awarded custody for all the following reasons EXCEPT

A)women usually prefer custody and men do not.
B)custody to the mother is traditional.
C)placing the child in the father's custody places them at greater risk for abuse.
D)the law reflects a bias that assumes women are naturally better able to care for children.

Question 50

Couples who marry today have a 50 percent chance of divorcing.

Question 51

Goals of mediation include all of the following EXCEPT

A)to encourage divorcing parents to see shared parenting as a viable alternative.
B)to save the marriage if possible.
C)to reduce anxiety about shared parenting.
D)to see that couples exit the marriage with less conflict.

Question 52

The property settlement, alimony, or child support are part of the economic divorce.

Question 53

Which of Wallerstein's (1997) stages of children's experience of divorce is characterized by restructuring the family and by social and economic changes?

A)the initial stage
B)the transition stage
C)the restabilization stage
D)the growth stage

Question 54

During the uncoupling process, the initiator is dissatisfied or unhappy, but keeps such feelings to themselves.

Question 55

The constant association of marriage partners makes each almost a physical part of the other.

Question 56

Psychic divorce is accomplished when the former spouse becomes irrelevant to one's sense of self and emotional well-being.

Question 57

Which of the following custody arrangements often has harmful effects on sibling bonds and should only be entered into cautiously?

A)sole
B)joint physical
C)combined
D)split

Question 58

A person goes through two distinct phases in establishing a new identity following marital separation: transition and recovery.

Question 59

Most divorcing families today seek split custody agreements.

Question 60

Children from which of the following age groups are usually the most upset by their parents' divorce?

A)preadolescent children
B)preschool children
C)infants
D)teenagers

Question 61

The Child Support Enforcement Amendments and the Family Support Act require states to deduct delinquent support from fathers' paychecks.

Question 62

Adolescents usually blame themselves for their parents' divorce.

Question 63

Discuss how societal factors influence divorce in America.

Question 64

Cohabitation reduces the risk of divorce.

Question 65

Divorce never comes as a relief to children.

Question 66

Noncustodial parental involvement varies depending on whether the custodial family is a single- parent family or a stepfamily.

Question 67

Compare Wallerstein's view of divorce with that of Hetherington and Amato.

Question 68

Identify and describe the stations of the divorce process.

Question 69

Among the divorced, more women than men commit suicide.

Question 70

Parental hostility may make joint custody the worst form of custody.

Question 71

Describe the process of "uncoupling."

Question 72

Divorced fathers are more likely to consider their children sources of support in times of need.

Question 73

Discuss factors which appear to be important in children's adjustment after divorce.

Question 74

Following divorce, women are primarily responsible for both childrearing and the economic support of children.