Deck 5: Social Roles

Question 1

Gender stereotypes refer to sets of shared beliefs about how men and women should behave. This can be harmful when ________.

A) the origins of the roles are studied
B) males are considered equal to females
C) they are used to judge men and women
D) U.S. males and females are similar to other cultures

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Recent theories of roles in development emphasize all BUT which of the following?

A) The numerous roles acquired in early adulthood are simply shed when completed.
B) With a few exceptions, roles are neither gained nor lost.
C) Roles change relative to life circumstances.
D) Today's research involves studying role transitions and adjustments.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of the following is NOT consistently part of the male gender role stereotype in Williams and Best's cross-cultural studies?

A) active
B) independent
C) superstitious
D) enterprising

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The school of thought that explains gender roles as dispositional traits we are predisposed to perform is known as _______.

A) learning schema theory
B) social role theory
C) evolutionary psychology
D) none of the above

Question 5

Imagine that you are a business executive and you are about to have a meeting with a rival executive whom you know to be a woman. You know nothing else about her, but you imagine that she must be less competitive than your male colleagues-probably more conciliatory. What process are you demonstrating with such thoughts?

A) intellectualization
B) stereotyping
C) differentiation
D) pragmatics

Question 6

In the U.S., the roles of men and women have changed over the past few decades. Which of the following best describes the relationship between male and female gender roles in our current culture?

A) symmetrical
B) asymmetrical
C) traditional
D) none of the above

Question 7

In the final stage of the family life cycle, roles become _______.

A) more clearly defined and more dominant
B) more clearly defined but less dominant
C) less clearly defined and more dominant
D) less clearly defined and less dominant

Question 8

Research on gender roles around the world shows that _______.

A) gender roles are particularly evident in industrialized cultures
B) gender roles are particularly evident in nonindustrialized cultures
C) only about half the cultures in the world have clear gender roles
D) every culture has some form of gender roles

Question 9

A woman's youngest child starts first grade and she begins working part time. This is an example of a change in a(an) _______.

A) social role
B) biological role
C) gender role
D) age stratum

Question 10

Gender stereotypes are _______ across cultures.

A) dissimilar
B) widely divergent
C) inconsistent
D) consistent

Question 11

Proximal causes of the origins of gender roles means _______.

A) exaggerated male/female differences
B) minimal acceptance of gender stereotypes
C) factors present in the immediate environment
D) undifferentiated gender schemas

Question 12

Current studies in the United States of the process through which young people leave home for independent living suggest that _______.

A) the great majority of young people move from living at home to living with a cohabiting partner or marriage partner
B) at least 60 percent of young people move back in with their parents after a period of independent living
C) young people from single-parent homes are likely to remain at home longer than those from 2-parent families
D) there is no longer a dominant common pathway from living at home to independent living

Question 13

At which age in the life cycle are adults likely to add the greatest number of new roles?

A) at 20-30 years old
B) at 40-50 years old
C) at 60-70 years old
D) at 80-90 years old

Question 14

The role of grandparent _______.

A) is central to the life satisfaction of most elderly adults
B) is clearly defined and well understood
C) is better defined for men than for women
D) is fuzzy, with many possible patterns

Question 15

Which of the following conclusions is the most reasonable statement of current data on gender role crossover at midlife?

A) There is no evidence to support the concept of gender role crossover.
B) There is reasonably strong evidence that men become more feminine, but no clear evidence that women become more masculine after midlife.
C) There is clear evidence that women become more masculine, but little indication that men become more feminine after midlife.
D) There is evidence for an expansion of gender role boundaries at midlife, but little indication of a full crossover.

Question 16

Gender role stereotypes refer to sets of shared beliefs about how men and women should behave. This can be harmful when ________.

A) the origins of the roles are studied
B) males are considered equal to females
C) they are used to judge men and women
D) U.S. males and females are similar to those in other cultures

Question 17

A woman's youngest child starts first grade and she begins working part time. This is an example of a change in a(an) _______.

A) social role
B) biological role
C) gender role
D) age stratum

Question 18

A brief definition of a gender role is _______.

A) a job description for being a male or a female
B) a rigid stereotype of male and female behavior
C) a typical position taken during sexual intercourse
D) the degree of match between a gender stereotype and behavior

Question 19

An adult describes himself as adventurous, daring, independent, rude, stern, and wise. In Williams & Best typology, this individual would be classed as _______.

A) feminine
B) masculine
C) androgynous
D) undifferentiated

Question 20

Which of the following best describes our current knowledge about the impact of childlessness on adult life patterns?

A) Childlessness has little effect in early adulthood, but in old age childless adults are significantly less happy.
B) Childless men and women are both more committed to their work than are men and women with children and are also less likely to care for an aging parent.
C) Childless women are consistently less happy with their lives than are women with children, but there are no differences for men.
D) Childless adults appear to be as happy as those with extended families.

Question 21

Gender stereotypes are clearest when subjects are asked _______.

A) to indicate the probability that each gender will show some specific qualities
B) to say whether a given quality is more characteristic of men or more characteristic of women
C) to say what roles or qualities men and women could display
D) to describe the actual behavior of men and women in their culture

Question 22

The role of grandparent _______.

A) is central to the life satisfaction of most elderly adults
B) is clearly defined and well understood
C) is better defined for men than for women
D) is not clear, with many possible patterns

Question 23

Current studies in the United States of the process through which young people leave home for independent living suggest that _______.

A) the great majority of young people move from living at home to living with a cohabiting partner or marriage partner
B) at least 60 percent of young people move back in with their parents after a period of independent living
C) young people from single-parent homes are likely to remain at home longer than those from 2-parent families
D) there is no longer a dominant common pathway from living at home to independent living

Question 24

Which of the following groups has been found to report the

Question 25

Dion and Lucetta have just had their first child. According to Gutmann's principle of the parental imperative, what effect (if any) will this new arrival have on Dion's behavior?

A) He will spend more time at home than he did before the child's birth.
B) He will spend more time focused on his work than he did before the child's birth.
C) He will spend more time interacting with his own parents.
D) It will have no effect.

Question 26

During which age period is the highest density of shifts in social roles found?

A) young adulthood
B) at the age-30 transition
C) in middle adulthood
D) in late adulthood

Question 27

Before they married, Bill and Tanya were determined to have an egalitarian relationship, sharing household tasks and childcare. But after the birth of their first child, Jason, Tanya found herself doing the majority of the childcare, and Bill found himself working longer hours at his job than ever. This is an illustration of what theoretical principle or concept?

A) androgyny
B) the parental imperative
C) the biological clock
D) gender-role crossover

Question 28

A researcher asks couples in their 70s to think back on their marriages and say which period had been the happiest in their married lives. Which period, on average, are these adults likely to say was the happiest?

A) when they were newlyweds, before the first child was born
B) when they had young children
C) when all the children left home
D) both a and c

Question 29

Early gender roles in partnerships, before children are born, are more ______ than they will be when the partners are parenting.

A) egalitarian
B) traditional
C) male-oriented
D) female-oriented

Question 30

Which of the following best describes the current research information on the impact of the "empty nest" stage on adults?

A) Both men and women show some negative symptoms, such as increased worries or depression.
B) Neither men nor women show widespread negative reactions; marital satisfaction typically increases.
C) Women show little effect; men typically show an increase in worries or depression.
D) Men show little effect; women typically show an increase in depression or worries.

Question 31

David Gutmann refers to the magnification of gender role differences after the birth of the first child as _______.

A) the parental imperative
B) a species-specific imperative
C) a legacy from our distant ancestors
D) sexual determinism

Question 32

Research in the U.S. indicates that among couples where both husband and wife work full time, the family role stage during which there is the LARGEST gap in the hours devoted to housework by husbands and wives is _______.

A) in the newlywed period
B) when children are young
C) when children are teenagers
D) in the postparental period

Question 33

Which of the following groups of adults shows the highest and which the lowest rates of good physical and mental health?

A) married women highest, unmarried women lowest
B) unmarried women highest, married women lowest
C) married men highest, unmarried men lowest
D) unmarried men highest, married men lowest

Question 34

At which age in the life cycle are adults likely to add the greatest number of new roles?

A) at 20-30 years old
B) at 40-50 years old
C) at 60-70 years old
D) at 80-90 years old

Question 35

In 2003, roughly what percentage of men and women aged 18-24 were still living with their parents?

A) 15 percent
B) 5 percent
C) 25 percent
D) 50 percent

Question 36

The term psychologists use to describe the typical collection of female stereotyped qualities is _______.

A) agentic
B) communal
C) instrumental
D) emotional

Question 37

In the U.S., the roles of men and women have changed over the past few decades. Which of the following best describes the relationship between male and female gender roles in our current culture?

A) symmetrical
B) asymmetrical
C) traditional
D) none of the above

Question 38

Analyses of marriage and cohabitation rates in the United States over the past several decades suggest that among young people in their early 20s, ________.

A) marriage rates have risen, and cohabitation rates have declined
B) marriage rates have declined, and cohabitation rates have risen
C) marriage rates have remained about the same, and cohabitation rates have risen
D) marriage rates and cohabitation rates have both risen

Question 39

Imagine that you are a business executive and you are about to have a meeting with a rival executive whom you know to be a woman. You know nothing else about her, but you imagine that she must be less competitive than your male colleagues-probably more conciliatory. What process are you demonstrating with such thoughts?

A) intellectualization
B) stereotyping
C) differentiation
D) pragmatics

Question 40

Which new adult role is accompanied by a decrease in marital happiness and satisfaction?

A) engagement
B) marriage
C) becoming parents
D) empty nest

Question 41

Which of the following conclusions is the most reasonable statement of current data on gender role crossover at midlife?

A) There is no evidence to support the concept of a gender role crossover.
B) There is reasonably strong evidence that men become more feminine, but no clear evidence that women become more masculine after midlife.
C) There is clear evidence that women become more masculine, but little indication that men become more feminine after midlife.
D) There is evidence for an expansion of gender role boundaries at midlife, but little indication of a full crossover.

Question 42

Ronald is 81. His wife Gretta recently died, and he finds himself having a lot of trouble handling everyday activities such as getting his own meals and doing his shopping. Given the research on assistance patterns in families, who in the family would you predict is most likely to provide help to Ronald on a day-to-day basis?

A) his daughter Diane, who lives nearby
B) his son Peter, who lives nearby
C) Peter's wife Angela, who is working full-time
D) his granddaughter Sarah, who is 19 and unemployed

Question 43

Childless couples in late adulthood _______.

A) report lower levels of social support
B) report lower levels of life satisfaction
C) report high regret at their lack of children
D) are as happy as adults with children

Question 44

A symptom of caregiver burden includes _______.

A) loss of weight
B) increased use of anti-anxiety medication
C) increased immune functioning
D) all of these occur

Question 45

Which of the following hypothetical or actual pieces of evidence would provide the best support for the existence of a gender role crossover in midlife?

A) cross-sectional comparisons of young and middle aged adults showing higher levels of androgyny among middle-aged men and women
B) cross-sectional comparisons of levels of independence in women showing that women in their 50s are more independent than women in their 20s
C) longitudinal analysis of men's work roles showing that some men acquire the role of mentor at midlife
D) longitudinal analysis of behavior in married couples between age 30 and age 50 showing exchange of role features such as housework or relationship "maintenance"

Question 46

Among adults over 65 in the U.S. today, what percentage of women live alone?

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

Question 47

The concept of gender role crossover suggests that at some point in the life cycle, men begin to take on aspects of the women's role and women take on aspects of the men's role. At what stage does Gutmann think this occurs?

A) newlywed couples
B) young couples with infants
C) couples with school-aged children
D) couples in the postparental stage

Question 48

Seventy-six-year-old Elizabeth, a white woman in the U.S., has been recently widowed. She is thinking about her choices of living arrangements. What is her first choice most likely to be?

A) to live with her daughter
B) to live with her son
C) to move to a nursing home
D) to live alone

Question 49

Kirsten is a 40-year-old, married, childless woman. What reasonable guess might you make about other facets of Kirsten's life?

A) she has been a full-time housewife since her marriage
B) she has struggled with depression for most of the past 20 years
C) she has had a strong commitment to a career
D) she is the oldest child in her family

Question 50

Which of the following best describes our current knowledge about the impact of childlessness on adult life patterns?

A) Childlessness has little effect in early adulthood, but in old age childless adults are significantly less happy.
B) Childless men and women are both more committed to their work than are men and women with children and are also less likely to care for an aging parent.
C) Childless women are consistently less happy with their lives than are women with children, but there are no differences for men.
D) Childless adults appear to be as happy as those with extended families.

Question 51

In the final stage of the family life cycle, roles become _______.

A) more clearly defined and more dominant
B) more clearly defined but less dominant
C) less clearly defined and more dominant
D) less clearly defined and less dominant

Question 52

Miguel and Sara, who live in New York, have been together for six years and now have two children, aged 1 and 3. According to research, at what period in their relationship might they have had egalitarian gender roles, or equal gender roles?

A) before they began dating
B) at the beginning of a marriage or partnership, before children are born
C) when they have at least one child
D) American men and women are incapable of equal gender roles

Question 53

Which 2 groups, among families at different stages of the family life cycle, show the highest levels of marital satisfaction?

A) couples with infants and couples at retirement age
B) newlywed couples without children and couples at retirement age
C) newlywed couples without children and couples with adolescents
D) couples with preschoolers and couples with adolescents

Question 54

Generational squeeze refers to __________.

A) the strain of multiple roles
B) the benefit of multiple roles
C) caregiver burden
D) competing demands from parents and children

Question 55

Which of the following is the most commonly acquired new role in the postparental period?

A) regular care of aging parent
B) community volunteer
C) grandparent
D) mentor

Question 56

Which subgroup of adults is most likely to take on the role of regular caregiver to an aging parent?

A) daughters and daughters-in-law
B) sons and sons-in-law
C) daughters and her children
D) daughters and sons equally

Question 57

Approximately what percentage of adults in the U.S. become grandparents before they are 65?

A) 35 percent
B) 55 percent
C) 75 percent
D) 95 percent

Question 58

Middle-aged daughters are MOST likely to provide assistance to an aging parent when that parent is _______.

A) a widowed mother who lives nearby
B) a widowed father who is very frail
C) a widowed mother who lives several hours away
D) a frail widowed mother who has remarried

Question 59

Which descriptor(s) best capture the authors' findings in regard to surrogate parenting?

A) Surrogate parents often assume a parenting role for the child and supply help.
B) Surrogate parenting is decreasing among white families.
C) African-American surrogate parents report more difficulties with this role than white surrogate parents.
D) None of the statements correctly capture the findings.

Question 60

Among unmarried women in late old age in the U.S., what is the most common living arrangement?

A) living alone
B) living with another elderly woman
C) living in a nursing home
D) living with a child

Question 61

Folklore has it that women are likely to experience serious upheaval and difficulty following the departure of their last child from home. What evidence is there for or against this expectation?

Question 62

Describe briefly the series of role changes that is likely to occur for a woman, and for a man, following a divorce.

Question 63

Describe one or more types of study you would have to do in order to find out what proportion of middle-aged adults will take on the role of caring for an aging parent at some time in their adult lives.

Question 64

In comparison to women with children, childless women are _______.

A) less work committed
B) more work committed
C) happier in old age
D) less happy in old age

Question 65

Describe briefly what happens to gender roles in couples after the birth of a child. What is David Gutmann's explanation for this phenomenon?

Question 66

We have discussed several reasons why the social clock in the U.S. no longer operates via a "family life cycle." Describe a few of these reasons and discuss the overall ramifications of this change.

Question 67

List at least seven characteristics that are part of the common cross-cultural male gender role stereotype and seven that are part of the female stereotype. Indicate briefly some of the consequences of these role stereotypes for adult development.

Question 68

Describe the major age changes in social roles over the adult years in your own culture at this point in history.

Question 69

Heckhausen's theory of social timing suggests that the stronger the _____ between a person's social role sequence and developmental norms, the less stress he or she will have in life.

A) correlation
B) intersection
C) standard deviation
D) gap

Question 70

In young adulthood, there are three major new roles acquired by the majority of people. Describe these three roles and the problems and joys that accompany them.

Question 71

Researchers have consistently found that married adults are happier and less likely to show emotional disturbance than are unmarried adults. Describe two possible explanations for this pattern, and indicate which of the two you consider to be the better explanation and why.

Question 72

Compare and contrast the major family and gender roles of young adults and retired adults. How can you best characterize the differences?

Question 73

Describe why there are such large cultural effects on older (65 years of age and older) women living alone. Include relevant research to support your claim.

Question 74

What do we know about the adult lives of never-married adults? What kind of research would we need to do to add to our fund of information?

Question 75

Evaluate the evidence for (and against) the concept of a gender role crossover in midlife. What additional type(s) of research would we need to confirm or reject this hypothesis?

Question 76

Aqulano (1996) has found that 44 percent of young adults aged 19-24 had returned home after living away. Based on what you have learned in this class, provide several arguments for why this would be and the larger effect it has on the changing life cycle.

Question 77

Which of the following groups is most likely to remarry after a divorce?

A) men in their 20s or 30s
B) men in their 50s or 60s
C) women in their 20s or 30s
D) women in their 50s or 60s

Question 78

Research on the economic effects of divorce suggests that a one-family income needs to be stretched to support two families, a fact that____________.

A) suggests the families will recover immediately after a divorce
B) underscores the perception that men are the breadwinners
C) lowers the standard of living for all family members. drop sharply immediately after divorce and remain low unless the woman remarries
D) validates divorce wreaking emotional havoc

Question 79

List and describe three sources of gender stereotyping.

Question 80

More adults in the past few years have chosen to marry later, to have their children later, and/or to have fewer children. Cumulatively, what will be the effects of such changes on the life patterns of adults? What are the possible advantages? What are the possible disadvantages?