Deck 10: Coming Apartthe Divorce Experience

Question 1

According to the text,what was often called the "poor man's divorce"?

A)adultery
B)desertion
C)applying to the Senate
D)annulment

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following was one change in the 1985 divorce law?

A)Divorcing couples needed to show who was at fault for the marriage breakdown.
B)The waiting period for divorce on the grounds of marriage breakdown was reduced.
C)The person seeking a divorce had to prove both adultery and cruelty.
D)Divorces became more difficult if the couple had young children.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

What does the feminist perspective state about divorce?

A)Divorce is more frequent because women now have more opportunities.
B)Women are realizing that marriage is often unsatisfying.
C)Men are afraid of giving up power in marriage,which is why the divorce rate is increasing.
D)Divorce is more likely when social stigma is greater.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

What happened to the divorce rate following the changes to the divorce law in 1985?

A)it increased rapidly,then dropped
B)it continued to increase rapidly
C)it stayed about the same
D)it declined slightly

Question 5

By 1968,all provinces except two had divorce laws with adultery basically the sole ground for divorce.Which two provinces did not have divorce laws?

A)Newfoundland and Quebec
B)Alberta and Newfoundland
C)Quebec and New Brunswick
D)British Columbia and Nova Scotia

Question 6

Following Confederation in 1867,what was the situation in provinces where there was no divorce law?

A)It was impossible to get a divorce.
B)To get a divorce,it was necessary to have a private member's bill passed in parliament.
C)Anybody could get divorced easily because there were no regulations.
D)Only men could get divorces.

Question 7

Researchers have identified three kinds of reasons for divorce.Which of the following is one of these reasons?

A)personal reasons
B)experiential reasons
C)substantive reasons
D)emotional reasons

Question 8

During the 1960s,the churches were strongly involved in the debate over changing the divorce law.Which of the following statements is true regarding this debate?

A)The Roman Catholic Church supported a bill to make divorces more difficult to obtain.
B)The United Church and the Baptist Church stated that grounds for divorce should not be widened.
C)The Anglican Church argued that cruelty,but not marriage breakdown,should become grounds for divorce.
D)The Catholic Women's League stated that Roman Catholics should not make other Canadians live by their beliefs.

Question 9

Which of the following is true regarding Bill C-187,passed in 1968?

A)It introduced the "no-fault" principle of marital breakdown as legitimate grounds for divorce.
B)It allowed women to sue for divorce on the same grounds as men.
C)It reduced the waiting period for a divorce to one year.
D)It was not acknowledged by the Catholic Church.

Question 10

What happened following passage of the new divorce law in 1968?

A)the number of divorces dropped
B)the divorce rate increased slightly
C)the divorce rate increased,then dropped to previous levels
D)divorces increased dramatically

Question 11

Which was the first province with a divorce law?

A)Ontario
B)Quebec
C)New Brunswick
D)Prince Edward Island

Question 12

Currently,what is the most commonly stated grounds for divorce?

A)adultery
B)mental cruelty
C)separation for at least one year
D)physical cruelty

Question 13

What does the exchange perspective state about divorce?

A)it is less likely if the wife has many male colleagues
B)it is less likely if there are many costs
C)it occurs more often when couples are more dependent on each other
D)it is more likely when social stigma is greater

Question 14

Which term did John Gottman use to describe the four types of negative interaction that are lethal to a marriage?

A)Four Divorce Lawyer Signals
B)Four Marriage Busters
C)Four Deadly Reasons
D)Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

Question 15

According to symbolic interactionist thought,what shift has occurred in marriage?

A)Women have gone from depending on men for support to supporting themselves.
B)Spouses have gone from emphasizing security in marriage to reaching one's highest potential.
C)Spouses have gone from having a greater to a lower cost in getting divorced.
D)Value has shifted from the implied contract of marriage to demands for personal freedom.

Question 16

Which of the following describes the divorce rate?

A)the number of couples who get divorced divided by the number of couples who marry in a given year
B)the number of married couples who get divorced before their 30th wedding anniversary times 100
C)a prediction of the proportion of couples that can be expected to divorce before their 30th wedding anniversary based on current patterns of divorce
D)an estimate of the proportion of people who get divorced each year divided by the total number of married couples in the population

Question 17

Which of the following is consistent with the structural functionalist view of divorce?

A)The liberalization of laws has made divorce more likely.
B)Divorce is more likely if other desirable partners are available.
C)The presence of children reduces the likelihood of divorce.
D)The patterns of communication between spouses help predict divorce.

Question 18

According to research,which of the following is a risk factor for divorce?

A)later age at marriage
B)having more than a high school education
C)having children
D)cohabiting before marriage

Question 19

What factor is probably a reason for the decrease in divorces since 1987?

A)more people cohabit instead of marry
B)people are younger when they marry
C)cohabitators who separate are now included in divorce statistics
D)the churches have gained greater influence over people's decisions

Question 20

In which situation do almost all Canadians feel that divorce is justified?

A)when one partner abuses the other
B)when the couple has an unsatisfactory sex life
C)when one partner is infertile
D)when the couple constantly disagrees about money

Question 21

Typically,how long does the disequilibrium usually last following separation or divorce?

A)six months
B)from one to three years
C)from three to four years
D)more than five years

Question 22

Which of the following is an important developmental task for a divorced person to accomplish?

A)a custody battle
B)an emotional divorce
C)preoccupation with the lost relationship
D)achieving a transitional state

Question 23

Kathryn is newly divorced.How are she and her daughter probably coping economically?

A)They are better off financially because their family is smaller.
B)They are better off because they receive child support payments.
C)They experience a drop in their standard of living.
D)They experience severe poverty and welfare dependency.

Question 24

Divorce usually produces a transitional state.Which of the following is usually part of such a state?

A)negotiation new relationships
B)a return to old patterns of behaviour
C)holding on to previous roles
D)continuation of family developmental tasks

Question 25

Zack and Chloe,who have just separated,are still having many fights,particularly about their children.According to the text,what is an important task they need to accomplish?

A)learning to get a response from each other
B)separating marital and parental relationships
C)combining parental and ex-partner relationships
D)developing strong boundary ambiguity

Question 26

Which of the following is usually part of the emotional crisis of divorce?

A)building new social networks as a divorcing couple
B)still being emotionally attached to the ex-partner as a spouse
C)redefining themselves as nonparents
D)forming a new identity as a single person

Question 27

Which situation usually results in the least disruption following a divorce?

A)the husband initiates the divorce
B)the wife initiates the divorce
C)the couple have already raised their children
D)the couple are newly married with no children

Question 28

Samantha lives with her mother and visits her father each weekend.From Samantha's point of view,what is this arrangement?

A)joint custody
B)a binuclear family
C)a one-parent family
D)a transitional state

Question 29

According to the Federal Child Support Guidelines,what happens after a divorce?

A)The custodial parent is solely responsible for supporting children after a divorce.
B)Both parents must contribute exactly the same amount of child support.
C)All divorcing families must follow the Guidelines.
D)Both parents must contribute a similar percentage of income toward supporting a child.

Question 30

Generally,within how many years will most divorced persons have built a reasonably satisfying life?

A)two
B)four
C)six
D)eight

Question 31

Divorcing couples may delay separation until a time that is suitable.What happens during this time?

A)new roles are developed
B)the couple moves past blaming each other
C)division of assets is determined
D)the divorcing couple becomes involved in activities outside the family

Question 32

Which of the following is a pattern of adjustment to divorce?

A)depressed
B)desperate
C)defeated
D)demented

Question 33

According to the text,which of the following are anxious for a new mate and may not be careful in their choice following divorce?

A)single mothers
B)the defeated
C)seekers
D)goodenoughs

Question 34

Which of the following is probably a sign that an emotional divorce has taken place?

A)anger over the breakup
B)friendship with the ex-spouse
C)yearning for the lost relationship
D)custody battle to punish the ex-spouse

Question 35

During temporary separations,the family can be under a great deal of stress since its members are uncertain who is part of the family.What is this kind of stress called?

A)a transitional state
B)a sleeper effect
C)boundary ambiguity
D)member uncertainty

Question 36

What is an important aspect of separation?

A)deciding custody arrangements for children
B)slowing down the "divorce cascade"
C)taking advantage of sleeper effects
D)working out how to separate from the ex-spouse's extended family

Question 37

Many couples who divorce appear to follow a "divorce cascade." What does this mean?

A)They experience similar challenges and situations.
B)Those caught in the cascade inevitably divorce.
C)The farther along they are in the sequence,the less likely they are to divorce.
D)The entire family realizes that the marriage is falling apart.

Question 38

Which of the following is least likely to be a part of planning the breakup of the family system?

A)telling extended family members
B)settling custody of the children
C)working out finances
D)getting married again

Question 39

Which steps does the "divorce cascade" usually involve?

A)decision to divorce,planning the breakup,separation
B)increased conflict,consideration of divorce,separation
C)emotional crisis,separation,family reorganization
D)emotional separation,custody decision,family reorganization

Question 40

What is the term for a divorced person who shares the responsibility for his or her child?

A)custodial parent
B)binuclear parent
C)co-parent
D)nonresidential parent

Question 41

Why might children be emotionally neglected after a divorce?

A)Parents are paralyzed by an initial state of shock.
B)Children act out in ways that make nurturing them difficult for their parents.
C)Parents are preoccupied with new dating partners.
D)Custody may be granted to a father who is less sensitive to their emotional needs.

Question 42

Following their divorce,Peter's parents were both still legally responsible for him,although he lived only with his mother.Which term describes this situation?

A)legal custody
B)shared custody
C)joint custody
D)binuclear custody

Question 43

How does divorce affect the children?

A)They are more attached to their parents than children from two-parent families.
B)They usually have serious difficulties in later life.
C)They are unable to understand divorce in a realistic way until their mid-teens.
D)They are at greater risk of developing problems than children from two-parent families.

Question 44

What does split custody mean?

A)One or more children live with one parent,and one or more children live with the other parent.
B)The child lives with each parent at least 40% of the time.
C)One parent gets weekdays,and the other parent gets weekends and some weeknights.
D)Custody arrangements are renegotiated on an annual basis.

Question 45

How can grandparents fill an important role following their children's divorce?

A)by giving financial support
B)by taking over the role of the divorced parents
C)by providing social support to their grandchildren
D)by providing tangible resources to the custodial parent

Question 46

Which of the following statements is true?

A)in Canada,the provincial governments have authority over marriage and divorce
B)property division laws apply to cohabiting couples as well
C)property acquired during the course of a marriage belongs to the spouse who paid for it
D)in Quebec,partners do not owe each other anything when a common-law union ends

Question 47

What is children's adjustment to their parents' divorce probably most affected by?

A)the level of parental conflict
B)the sleeper effect
C)custody arrangements
D)the level of parental involvement

Question 48

When do teens have the most difficulty with their parents' divorce?

A)if they are involved in sex or drugs
B)if parents do not limit contact with the nonresidential parent
C)if they are expected to take sides
D)if they separate prematurely from their family

Question 49

Researchers suspect that the connection between divorce and greater rates of delinquency and underachievement of children depends primarily upon which of the following?

A)the custody decision
B)stress produced by changes
C)the fact of divorce itself
D)sleeper effects

Question 50

Which type of custodial fathers do best?

A)those who carry the full burden of parenting
B)those with only sons
C)those with very young children
D)those with higher incomes

Question 51

When can some abusive ex-partners form co-parenting relationships?

A)if the courts allow them continued contact
B)if the children haven't taken sides in marital conflicts
C)if they are able to separate their spouse and parent roles
D)if both partners are motivated enough to do so

Question 52

The current standard for custody arrangements in Canada is to consider the best interests of which of the following?

A)the father
B)the mother
C)the child
D)both parents

Question 53

When do nonresidential parents see their children more often and provide support more regularly?

A)if parents agree on custody and visiting arrangements
B)if the judge sets out clear requirements at the time of the divorce
C)if the father rather than the mother is the residential parent
D)if the children are boys rather than girls

Question 54

When do fathers most often gain custody?

A)when the child asks for this
B)when the mother consents
C)when he has a good salary
D)when the mother is neglectful

Question 55

Why might divorcing parents not be able to respond to their children's needs?

A)They want to explain too much about the divorce to their children.
B)Children don't understand what is going on.
C)They are depressed and thus less sensitive to others.
D)The initial shock emotionally paralyzes the children.

Question 56

Which of the following is usually a part of the parenting crisis following divorce?

A)sharing authority and responsibility concerning children
B)maintaining existing rules for the child
C)allowing each parent to relate to the child without prejudice
D)establishing a relationship with children that excludes the other parent

Question 57

What happened in English common law prior to the 19th century?

A)mothers were usually granted custody
B)the best interests of the child were important for custody decisions
C)there was a strong movement toward joint custody
D)fathers had automatic right to custody of their children

Question 58

Following her divorce,Lori has custody of her two sons.She has experienced continuing financial problems.These problems are least likely to have resulted from which of the following?

A)the fact that she is greedy and extravagant
B)her difficulty in collecting child support
C)her lack of marketable skills in finding employment
D)the low level of support paid by her ex-husband

Question 59

What is the term for a problem that emerges only long after an event such as a divorce?

A)sleeper effect
B)lurking disequilibrium
C)delayed transition
D)double whammy

Question 60

Robbie is nine.His parents separated four years ago and are now divorced.When his mother stated that she and Robbie's father were getting along well as co-parents,what did Robbie probably say?

A)"Why don't you marry Dad again?"
B)"You should leave him alone."
C)"But Dad has a new girlfriend."
D)"I get more things if you fight."

Question 61

A ____________________ is a temporary imbalance resulting from changes in relationships.

Question 62

__________________ is the legal right and responsibility of both parents to make decisions and care for their child.

Question 63

A problem that emerges only long after an event such as divorce is referred to as a ____________________.

Question 64

In a kidnapping case,who is the main victim?

A)the custodial parent
B)the noncustodial parent
C)the grandparents
D)the child

Question 65

What is stated in the Hague Convention on Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction?

A)The rights of custody that have effect are those of the country where the child has been taken.
B)Fathers normally have custody unless mothers can prove them to be unfit parents.
C)Mothers normally have custody unless fathers can prove them to be unfit parents.
D)The rights of custody and access of one country are respected by other countries.

Question 66

The ____________ is a measure that predicts the proportion of couples that can be expected to divorce before their 30th wedding anniversary,based on current patterns of divorce.

Question 67

Following a divorce,when do children tend to do best?

A)when there is a clean break and they get on with their life
B)when they move to another city
C)when they change schools and meet new friends
D)when they have continuity in their relationships

Question 68

What is one of the most urgent steps in cases of child abduction?

A)appealing to the Hague Convention on child abduction
B)locating the child
C)phoning relatives
D)changing custody and visiting arrangements

Question 69

Bill C-187,passed in 1968,led to a(n)__________________ in divorce rates.

Question 70

According to Gottman,there are four types of negative interaction so lethal to a marriage that he has labelled them _____________________________.

Question 71

Lower socioeconomic status is linked with ________________ divorce rates.

Question 72

The current standard used for granting custody is that of ______________________________.

Question 73

A lack of balance in the family system is called ____________________.

Question 74

Explain the relationship between the divorce law and the divorce rate.

Question 75

Before Confederation,marriage was controlled by ________________ in Upper Canada (now Ontario).

Question 76

The level of ____________________ before and after separation probably has more impact on children's post-divorce adjustment than the absence of a parent.

Question 77

In a ____________________,both father and mother act as parents to their children following divorce,while they maintain separate homes.

Question 78

Which divorced parents face the greatest stigma?

A)mothers without custody of their children
B)fathers without custody of their children
C)mothers with custody of their children
D)fathers with custody of their children

Question 79

Sara left her two children with their father when she moved out before their divorce.He now has custody.When Sara tells others of the arrangement,what reaction does she probably experience?

A)approval,for being unselfish
B)sympathy,for making a difficult choice
C)stigma,for being unnatural
D)jealousy,for now having more freedom

Question 80

Briefly describe the effect of changes in divorce law in 1968 and 1985.