Deck 4: Communication Patterns and the Creation of Family Identity

Question 1

American families have been called _______ because of the wide range of communication media they used to stay connected:

A) Wired
B) Digital
C) Cyber
D) Networked

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Each couple that lives together for a period of time develops its own set of relationship agreements. What are these called?

A) Networks
B) Patterns
C) Themes
D) Rules

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Family communication over time takes on definite patterns, depending upon how the family organizes its activities. As working parents, Brian and Peggy call their housekeeper to relay separate messages to their son when he comes home from school. Which answer best describes this message sending?

A) Y-network
B) Wheel network
C) All-channel network
D) Chain network

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Why is ethnicity discussed as an influence in family communication?

A) We see and relate to the world partly through cultural lenses.
B) Ethnicity does not disappear after the first generation.
C) Ethnicity is a deep-rooted part of identity.
D) All of the above

Question 5

Constitutive rules do not:

A) Define what counts as communication.
B) Construct meanings among family members.
C) Indicate how and when to speak.
D) Provide family members with common understandings

Question 6

Which network provides the maximum use of feedback?

A) Y-Network
B) All-channel network
C) Wheel network
D) Chain network

Question 7

Which network style involves two-way exchanges of information flowing between all family members in all directions?

A) Chain networks
B) Y-networks
C) All-channel networks
D) Wheel networks

Question 8

There are different kinds of secrets. For example, Jane and her brothers were told of their parents' previous marriages, but they know not to tell this to their friends. Which kind of secret does this exemplify?

A) Whole family secret
B) Individual secret
C) Safe harbor secret
D) Sweet secret

Question 9

Jaclyn decided not to tell her daughter that she had cancer. This secret created stress and uncertainty for both Jaclyn and her daughter, as the family issue remained unclear and un-discussed. What type of family secret does this illustrate?

A) Essential secret
B) Sweet secret
C) Toxic secret
D) Dangerous secret

Question 10

According to Vangelisti, secrets serve functions in families. Which of the following is NOT a function?

A) Privacy
B) Bonding
C) Adaptability
D) Evaluation

Question 11

Carrie and Craig have been married for two years and have experienced quite a few conflict episodes that become physically violent. Carrie's cousin, Doug, lives in the apartment below them, and knows about their violent fighting, but has not told anyone about their secret because he's afraid to get them in trouble with the law. What type of family secret is this?

A) Dangerous
B) Essential
C) Dysfunctional
D) Toxic

Question 12

Jen is an electrician and was recently diagnosed with degenerative arthritis, a condition that will likely affect her ability to effectively do her job. Jen's husband doesn't tell anyone so that her employers don't find out, just in case they will hold it against her. Which function of family secrets is this upholding?

A) Bonding
B) Defense
C) Maintenance
D) Evaluation

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT true about telling stories?

A) Connected couples tell stories as if they are co-owned.
B) Dysfunctional separate couples exhibit contradiction, disagreement, and poor listening.
C) Functional separate couples demonstrate respect, validation, and support.
D) Men/Fathers are more active in telling stories than women/moms.

Question 14

Trystan Salinas's parents tell him a story about when they first got married and spent too much money, leading to bad credit and financial struggles. What type of question does this story answer?

A) Are parents human?
B) How did the family come to be?
C) Will the family stand behind its members?
D) What does it mean to be a Salinas?

Question 15

Jian's family tells a story every Chinese New Year about the sacrifices their ancestors made to give them the lives they lead. What function does this story serve?

A) Teach expected behavior and values
B) Entertain
C) Manage stress
D) Create belonging and sense of history

Question 16

According to Dickson's research on couple storytelling, couples who engage in validating and individual storytelling are called:

A) Separates
B) Functional separates
C) Connected
D) Traditionals

Question 17

At 8:30 p.m., the Horstman children are expected to brush their teeth and go to bed. This is an example of what type of rule?

A) Regulative
B) Consitutive
C) Pluralistic
D) Discursive

Question 18

Josef decided to tell his partner that he had lied about a trip he took to Las Vegas because he figured his partner would eventually find out about the trip anyway. What criteria for revealing did he consider?

A) Judgment
B) Intimate exchange
C) Exposure
D) Urgency

Question 19

Rules are maintained or changed via feedback processes.

Question 20

A relational culture refers to the degree to which family members identify with their cultural heritage.

Question 21

The more similar the background of the members of a couple, the more negotiation is needed to arrive at a mutually agreed upon worldview.

Question 22

Nonverbal behaviors may distinguish between a distressed and a nondistressed couple.

Question 23

Coordinated meanings between partners develop early and quickly within the relationship.

Question 24

The all-channel network maintains the parents at the center of the network.

Question 25

Family rules tend to reflect the current culture and social environment of the family rather than the family's ethnic background.

Question 26

Metarules are the rules that regulate family rules.

Question 27

Secrets in families are usually destructive to family functioning because they undermine open communication patterns and promote unhealthy alliances among members.

Question 28

Functional relationships involve people who don't have to work very hard to coordinate their meanings and partners have very few misunderstandings.

Question 29

Verbal messages are more important for constructing family meanings and identities than nonverbal messages.