Deck 10: Understanding Family Relationships

Question 1

All systems can be described in terms of three characteristics. They are:

A) structure, function, and evolution.
B) open, closed, and random boundaries.
C) constitutive, regulative, and negative roles.
D) inclusion, control, and affection.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

In a positional family:

A) lines of authority are hierarchically arranged.
B) children usually have lots of opportunities to verbalize their own opinions.
C) all members defend and explain their positions to one another.
D) All of the above

Answer 2

A

Question 3

In a person-oriented family:

A) members use restricted codes exclusively.
B) children have limited opportunities to verbalize their opinions.
C) power is related to age and gender.
D) members have an opportunity to use communication to try to influence each other.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The Smiths make all family decisions by majority vote. This is an example of:

A) consensus decision making.
B) accommodation decision making.
C) de facto decision making.
D) random decision making.

Question 5

After a 20-minute discussion on where to eat dinner, there is only one restaurant still open, so the Jones family must eat there. This is an example of what style of decision making?

A) Consensus decision making
B) Accommodation decision making
C) De facto decision making
D) Random decision making

Question 6

The Jacksons never succeed in making decisions and always have to let events decide for them. They use:

A) consensus decision making.
B) accommodation decision making.
C) de facto decision making.
D) random decision making.

Question 7

When the Bradys want to make a decision, everyone sits around the kitchen table and discusses the issue until agreement is reached. This is an example of:

A) consensus decision making.
B) accommodation decision making.
C) de facto decision making.
D) random decision making.

Question 8

In the Brown household, Mr. Brown is quite remote. When he has something to say to the children, he funnels it through Mrs. Brown, who passes it on to their daughter Tina as well as their son Tom. As Tina and Tom frequently aren't talking to their brother Jackson, Jackson often misses out on communication unless Mrs. Brown remembers to tell him. The network they use is:

A) a wheel network.
B) a Y network.
C) an all-channel network.
D) a chain network with an isolate.

Question 9

Which of the following can we tell for sure about the Brown household described in the question directly above?

A) They are an enmeshed family.
B) They are a person-oriented family.
C) They use de facto decision making.
D) They have a centralized network.

Question 10

Braithwaite and Baxter (2006) studied which of the following issues about family?

A) Resolution and management of sibling conflict
B) Factors leading to divorce
C) The impact of spousal violence on children
D) Nonresidential parents and step-families

Question 11

The rules defining who participates in the family and who is considered an outsider as well as how much participation is expected define the system's:

A) evolution.
B) internal functions.
C) external functions.
D) boundaries.

Question 12

The Jones family is suspicious of society as a whole, so outside activities are restricted. Their family is:

A) an open family.
B) a random family.
C) a closed family.
D) a disengaged family.

Question 13

The Simpsons encourage their children to take dance classes and piano lessons, to play sports, and to sleep over at their friends' homes. Their family is:

A) an open family.
B) a random family.
C) a closed family.
D) a disengaged family.

Question 14

Which of the following type of family is most unpredictable and conflict ridden?

A) An open family
B) A random family
C) A closed family
D) An enmeshed family

Question 15

Which is one of the external functions of the family?

A) Passing on cultural values to the next generation
B) Providing members with emotional support
C) Providing family recreation
D) Providing food, shelter, and caretaking

Question 16

Which is one of the suggestions made by architects Duany and Plater-Zyberk to decrease isolation in communities?

A) Make sure offices and stores are separated from residences.
B) Build high walls to surround each house.
C) Place garages at the front of each house.
D) Make neighborhoods small enough for people to walk through them in 5 to 10 minutes.

Question 17

In parallel parenting:

A) both parents are extremely consistent in the rules they set for their children.
B) parents rarely talk to one another about their children and each develops an independent style of disciplining them.
C) parents treat all of the children in exactly the same way.
D) parents match their parenting style to the individual personality of each child.

Question 18

A modal type of family is:

A) a type of family that is so unusual that it is rejected by the families around it.
B) the most frequently occurring type of family within a given time period.
C) a family that is very normal and uncontroversial.
D) a family that is torn by conflict and dissension.

Question 19

In the godly family:

A) parents did their best to build the self-esteem of their children.
B) parents encouraged self-expression and independence.
C) children were pampered and spoiled.
D) children were considered to be miniature adults in need of strong discipline.

Question 20

Which is true of the democratic family?

A) It evolved in the 20th century.
B) Child rearing was the joint job of the mother and father working together.
C) Children were seen as sinful, and attempts were made to rid them of evil.
D) The goal of the wife was to reform her husband and set a strong moral example.

Question 21

Which is true of the compassionate family?

A) It was popular in the 19th century.
B) Parents tried to be friends to their children.
C) The size of families was very large.
D) Because of the early death of children, parents did not become emotionally invested in them until they were quite old.

Question 22

Which is the first stage in responding to a crisis?

A) Anger, blaming, and guilt
B) Depression
C) Shock and denial
D) Acceptance and recovery

Question 23

Which is NOT a good way for families to cope with change?

A) Learn to expect change.
B) Encourage family disengagement.
C) Develop alternate ways of handling problems.
D) Build support systems.

Question 24

Which of the following is NOT an example of a constitutive rule?

A) Going to X-rated movies is a sin.
B) Helping your brother with his chores means you care.
C) Whistling at the table is a mark of disrespect.
D) All are constitutive rules.

Question 25

Which of the following statements adopts an other-centered approach?

A) "You shouldn't be so upset."
B) "Why don't you try doing . . . "
C) "I know you feel very hurt now."
D) All of the above

Question 26

Which of the following ways of comforting someone was rated as being most helpful?

A) Giving advice
B) Encouraging recovery
C) Being very cheerful
D) Expressing concern for the other's situation

Question 27

Which of the following is not a predictable change associated with family life?

A) Birth of first child
B) Launching families
C) Empty nest syndrome
D) Divorce

Question 28

Which of the following is not a characteristic of family structures?

A) Role differentiation
B) Boundaries
C) Coordination of subsystems
D) Decision making

Question 29

The art and writing of William Hogarth show that family life in early 18th-century London was:

A) victimized by a corrupt society that needed reform.
B) a child's private haven from public corruption and moral erosion.
C) a self-sustaining unit.
D) none of the above

Question 30

Which of the following is not one of Howard's "good" family characteristics?

A) Respect for elders
B) Conflict avoidance
C) Cohesion
D) Affection

Question 31

Shania and Shane Twain are very emotionally expressive, do not avoid conflict, and have high self-disclosure. According to Fitzpatrick's studies, the Twains would be a:

A) traditional couple.
B) separate couple.
C) independent couple.
D) separate/traditional couple.

Question 32

A centralized network has a single member who interacts a great deal with all members and decides which messages to pass on.

Question 33

The all-channel network is highly centralized.

Question 34

The more cohesive a family, the more centralized it is likely to be.

Question 35

Architect Philip Langdon believes the modern suburb encourages a sense of community in American families.

Question 36

Urban planners are now suggesting that neighborhoods contain "third places," where people can socialize without feeling compelled to invite others into their homes.

Question 37

Many urban planners believe that communities should contain a mixture of houses of different sizes, prices, and types.

Question 38

Regardless of what one thinks of the suburbs as a place to live, they provide a stable environment with a very low turnover rate.

Question 39

After the birth of their first child, couples often assume more traditional sex roles.

Question 40

In most marriages, the launching period is a high point in marital satisfaction.

Question 41

If a child goes away to college, his or her parents' communication is more positive than if he or she lives at home and commutes to college.

Question 42

Regulative rules serve as guides to action; constitutive rules determine meaning.

Question 43

Of the four types of couples described by Fitzpatrick, independent couples show the most satisfaction with their marriages.

Question 44

Studies show that older couples are more adept at using communication to resolve conflicts than are younger couples.

Question 45

Journalist Jane Howard believes that good families prize rituals.

Question 46

Parental support messages are linked to both higher levels of self-esteem in children and to greater conformity to authority.

Question 47

Research shows that children are better able to distinguish reality from fiction if their families exert strong discipline and control over TV viewing.

Question 48

Older brothers and younger sisters tend to have the most conflict, while older sister-younger brother relationships usually have the least conflict.

Question 49

In offering comfort to a friend who has been hurt, you should berate and negatively evaluate the person who hurt your friend.

Question 50

To show someone you understand a problem, it is a good idea to describe the person's pain in very specific detail.

Question 51

The only form of advice that helps to comfort someone is putting events into perspective for that person.

Question 52

Your authors believe that although a social construction, family is one of the richest sources of communication patterns.

Question 53

The various working orders developed by the entire family could be called the family relationship.

Question 54

The services the family provides for its members and society at large are called the family functions.

Question 55

Family systems evolving over time remain static upon maturity.

Question 56

Family systems are in constant evolution.

Question 57

Change is an inevitable part of family life. Identify and explain the strategies for coping with change discussed in your text.

Question 58

The family can be viewed as a system with its members forming subsystems. Discuss each of the following subsystems and explain the changes it is likely to undergo and its impact on the overall family system: husband/wife; parent/child; siblings.

Question 59

Please explain the following terms as they apply to family interaction: regulative rules, constitutive rules, family themes, family identities.

Question 60

Jane Howard identified a number of factors she thinks define the "good family." List and describe five of these. Do you agree or disagree with her. Why?

Question 61

Burleson identifies at least three general principles on comforting that might aid competence in this area. Discuss what these steps are and how they work.

Question 62

What is the function or purpose of communication within the family unit? Be sure to include a discussion of both internal and external functions.

Question 63

Evolution is one of the factors of every human system. Discuss the dynamics of change in the family. Identify both predictable and unpredictable changes associated with family life.