Question 1

Evidence suggests that coital frequency in marriage increases with the amount of education of the wife and is highest among career-motivated women.

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that wives with higher levels of education and career aspirations have higher frequency of sexual activity with their husbands compared to their counterparts with lower levels of education and fewer career aspirations. This link between coital frequency and education/career motivation may be due to factors such as increased communication and shared values between spouses, greater financial stability, and a desire for personal fulfillment in all aspects of life.

Question 2

As more women enter the labor force, what has happened to the gender differences in time spent in housework?

Accepted Answer

As more women enter the labor force, the gender differences in time spent in housework have diminished mostly due to women spending fewer hours in housework. Studies have shown that women still do more housework than men, but the gap has decreased over time. However, men have not dramatically increased their contributions to housework, leading to only a slight decrease in overall time spent in housework.

Question 3

Power involves the crucial dimensions of

Accepted Answer

Power is closely related to authority and influence. While wealth and property can be sources of power, they do not necessarily encompass all aspects of power. Likewise, while caste and class can be powerful social forces, they are not the only dimensions of power. The notion of male dominance and female submissiveness is a gender stereotype and does not accurately capture the complexity of power dynamics.

Question 4

In comparing two generations of marriage cohorts in 1980 and 1992, Rogers and Amato found the younger cohort to report higher levels of marital conflict and marital problems than the older cohort.

Accepted Answer

Rogers and Amato found that the younger cohort reported higher levels of marital conflict and marital problems than the older cohort.

Question 5

Catholic women under age 45 are as likely to use contraceptives as are non-Catholic women.

Accepted Answer

According to a survey conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute in 2019, Catholic women under age 45 are just as likely to use contraceptives as non-Catholic women. The survey found that 89% of non-Catholic women and 88% of Catholic women under age 45 had ever used a contraceptive method.

Question 6

As of 1980, the group of women least likely to favor housework was

Accepted Answer

According to the information given, as of 1980, the group of women who were least likely to favor housework was younger wives with high levels of education.

Question 7

In Japan, men have considerable sexual freedom compared to U.S. and European men.

Accepted Answer

In Japan, there is a cultural acceptance of male sexual desire and men have a greater degree of sexual freedom compared to the United States and Europe. However, this does not mean that women have the same level of sexual freedom and often face double standards and societal pressure to conform to traditional gender roles.

Question 8

When commitment to a relationship is high, individuals tend to ignore alternatives and are willing to absorb costs without leaving.

Accepted Answer

According to relationship theory, high commitment leads to a decreased likelihood of considering alternatives and a willingness to endure costs, such as conflict or sacrifice, to maintain the relationship.

Question 9

Several studies suggest that if a cohort type of analysis is used, evidence fails to support the belief that marriages improve at midterm and the later years.

Accepted Answer

Several studies have found that the traditional belief that marriages improve in midterm and later years does not hold true when analyzing cohorts over time.

Question 10

Mary Rogers makes several points about power. Which statement is true?

Accepted Answer

Power is linked to specific social systems and the positions occupied within that system, as it is often derived from the roles and structures within those systems rather than being inherent in a person.

Question 11

For women, the likelihood of sexual infidelity decreases with marital duration, but for men, it is U-shaped (decreasing for about eighteen years then increasing).

Accepted Answer

Studies have found that the likelihood of sexual infidelity in women decreases over time in a marriage, while for men, it is U-shaped, decreasing for the first few years and then increasing after around the 18-year mark.

Question 12

People from the lower social classes are less sexually inhibited than those from the middle and upper classes.

Accepted Answer

Sexual behavior and attitudes vary widely among individuals and are influenced by a multitude of factors including cultural norms, personal beliefs, and experiences rather than strictly by social class. There is no consistent evidence to support the claim that people from lower social classes are less sexually inhibited than those from middle or upper classes.

Question 13

Studies that have attempted to show how marital quality changes over the life course suggest that quality declines rapidly in the first year or two, but among marriages that survive, tends to increase sharply after the third year.

Accepted Answer

Most studies on marital quality over the life course suggest that marital satisfaction tends to start high, decrease over time, especially with the arrival of children, and may increase again during the later stages, particularly after children leave home. The pattern is not typically a rapid decline followed by a sharp increase after the third year.

Question 14

Studies have consistently demonstrated that the presence of children in the family increases the marital happiness of the parents.

Accepted Answer

This statement is false. Research has found that the effect of children on marital happiness varies and is influenced by many factors, including the age of the parents, the temperament of the children, and the level of support and stress in the family. Some studies have even suggested that the arrival of children can initially decrease marital satisfaction.

Question 15

Scott South found that over the past thirty years, wives' employment

Accepted Answer

Scott South's research found that wives' employment has increased in its effect on marital dissolution over the past thirty years. This means that the likelihood of divorce is now more strongly related to a wife's employment status than it was in the past.

Question 16

From a feminist perspective, the unequal division of household labor is best explained by

Accepted Answer

Feminist theory argues that patriarchal gender ideologies and unequal opportunities for men and women lead to the unequal division of household labor. Women are expected to take on the majority of household tasks and care work due to cultural norms and expectations, which are reinforced by economic and social structures that limit women's opportunities outside the home. Men are less likely to take on household tasks because they do not feel as responsible for this work, and society reinforces this by not valuing this labor as much as paid work.

Question 17

Donnelly found that sexually inactive married couples were less happy and stable than sexually active married couples.

Accepted Answer

Donnelly's research supports the idea that sexual activity is important for the happiness and stability of married couples.

Question 18

The relationships of same sex couples are very similar to those of heterosexuals.

Accepted Answer

Same sex couples experience similar emotions, challenges, and joys in their relationships as heterosexual couples. Love, respect, communication, and commitment are all important factors in both types of relationships. The only difference is the gender of the partners involved.

Question 19

Jessie Bernard stated that in comparing the experiences of husbands and wives,

Accepted Answer

Jessie Bernard argued that "his" marriage was often better than "her" marriage, as men typically experienced more benefits from marriage than women did.

Question 20

Research results from Swiss couples between the ages of 60 and 80 reveal that the majority had little interest in sexual activity.

Accepted Answer

Research on sexual activity in older adults, including those in Switzerland, often shows that many maintain an interest in sex. Interest in sexual activity can persist well into older age, although the nature and frequency of sexual activities may change.

Quiz 9: The Marital System