Deck 8: Power, Influence, and Decision-Making in Families

Question 1

The "silent treatment" is what type of strategy?

A) Confirming
B) Disconfirming
C) Directional
D) Rejecting

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The following example illustrates which term referring to power? Sergio and Isabelita each have power over different things in their household. Sergio is in charge of the purchase and maintenance of the cars and making decisions about home improvement projects. Isabelita has decision-making power over the children's activities and the day-to-day family budget.

A) Syncratic
B) Coercive
C) Autonomic
D) Reward

Answer 2

C

Question 3

To say that power operates transactionally in a family means:

A) Power belongs to an individual
B) Power belongs to a relationship of two or more people
C) Power belongs to different people at different times
D) Power belongs to the entire family

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Before he left for work, Dad asked Billy to mow the yard, Kristen to put out the garbage, and Nicholas to straighten up the playroom. If they did those tasks, Dad promised to buy them tickets to that night's Sox baseball game. Which power base is Dad using?

A) Normative resources
B) Affective resources
C) Economic resources
D) Cognitive resources

Question 5

Which of the following is not an influence strategy discussed in this chapter?

A) Shouting
B) Threatening
C) Bargaining
D) Withdrawal

Question 6

When making joint purchases, which types of influence strategies do married or cohabiting couples tend to use?

A) Smiling and flirting
B) Acting helpless and displaying negative emotions
C) Bargaining and reasoning
D) Emotional appeals and requests

Question 7

Which of the following was reported as a frequently used influence strategy by spouses regarding health behaviors?

A) Engaging in healthy behavior together
B) Discussing the health issue
C) Engaging in facilitative behavior
D) All of the above

Question 8

When a parent is trying to influence a child, the success of the influence strategy will likely depend on:

A) The parent's sex
B) The parent's age
C) The child's sex
D) The child's age

Question 9

Jana and Richard are celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary next month. Richard's father will be visiting from out of town during their anniversary. The couple wanted to try a new Thai restaurant for their anniversary dinner, but Richard's father insists on taking them to a steakhouse. Jana and Richard consent, not because they really want steak, but because they figure it is better to let him have his way and not "rock the boat." Which type of decision-making process has occurred in this example?

A) Consensus
B) De-facto
C) Laissez-faire
D) Accommodation

Question 10

Which statement applies to the family problem-solving loop?

A) There are twelve steps of interaction in problem solving.
B) Families go through a circular pattern in making decisions
C) Over time the loops in families become more linear and families go through decision making in a more direct, organized pattern.
D) In step 7, the family brainstorms for solutions.

Question 11

Affective resources are related to which of the following concepts:

A) Self-disclosure
B) Privacy boundaries
C) Relational currencies
D) Role enactment

Question 12

Which of the following is not one of the principles suggested for families to adhere to in decision making?

A) Create a sense of autonomy
B) Create a sense of competition
C) Create a sense of loyalty
D) Create a sense of awareness

Question 13

Which of the following examples demonstrate implementation power?

A) Dad tells Brian he can decide where the family goes on vacation over break
B) Amy tells her husband it's time to buy a new car
C) Ryan tells his mother to buy him cereal when she's at the grocery store
D) Jasmine tells her younger brother that Mom wants him to clean his room

Question 14

Skewed power relationships (such as husband or wife dominance) can result in

A) More rapid decision-making in the relationship
B) Less conflict for power in the relationship
C) More violence in the relationship
D) Less role confusion in the relationship

Question 15

When Chrissy asks if she can have a sucker at the grocery store, her dad says "no." She says, "why not?" and he says, "because I said so; that's why." What power resource is Chrissy's dad asserting?

A) Normative
B) Economic
C) Affective
D) Cognitive

Question 16

Jen complements Kelly on his new haircut… and then asks him for a ride to the airport. Which influence strategy is this?

A) Direct request
B) Bargaining
C) Emotional
D) Deception

Question 17

In their relationship, Monique has authority over the children and activities; Marco has authority over finances and budget. What type of authority does this couple exhibit?

A) Wife-dominant
B) Husband-dominant
C) Autonomic
D) Syncratic

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT a source of relational power?

A) Possessing or controlling access to resources.
B) A high desire for resources
C) High availability
D) A highly committed partner

Question 19

A syncratic relationship fosters shared authority and joint decision making.

Question 20

Power outcomes include the control attempts each family member makes using influence, persuasion, and assertiveness.

Question 21

A family member who acts helpless cannot control others as effectively as another member who shouts orders.

Question 22

Influence is said to occur when a family member uses power to try to change or modify another family member's beliefs or behavior.

Question 23

Influence attempts do not occur very often in families.

Question 24

Children try to influence their parents, but parents do not try to influence their children.

Question 25

Decision-making is a certain type of power that belongs to a single individual in the family.

Question 26

Instrumental decisions include finding a job, hiring a sitter and arranging for a housekeeper.

Question 27

Consensus is a type of decision-making that occurs when family members consent to a certain decision, not because they agree with that decision, but because they feel further discussion will be useless.

Question 28

Issues of decision-making between parents and children really only occur when the children are still living in their parents' homes.

Question 29

Disagreements serve as a functional part of decision-making.