Deck 5: Social Roles

Question 1

role of grandparent _______.

A) is less common today than it was in the past
B) is experienced by most at the average age of 65
C) is one that most think they are doing an average job at, but regret not being able to play an important role in their grandchildren's lives
D) involves more intimacy for women than for men

Answer 1

D

Question 2

woman's youngest child starts first grade and she begins working part time. This is an example of a change in a(n) _______.

A) social role
B) biological role
C) gender role
D) age stratum

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Unlike today, early social role theory described adulthood in terms of:

A) the number of roles an individual occupied at different ages.
B) the amount of time an individual spent in each of the different roles.
C) the perceived quality of the roles occupied at different ages.
D) the willingness of the person to transition from one role to another.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

woman's youngest child starts first grade and she begins working part time. This is an example of a change in a(n) _______.

A) social role
B) biological role
C) gender role
D) age stratum

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT consistently part of the male gender role stereotype in Williams and Best's cross-cultural studies?

A) active
B) independent
C) superstitious
D) enterprising

Question 6

Current research in the United States on leaving (and returning) home has shown that _______.

A) more females than males aged 18-24 live with their parents
B) the older they are when they move out, the more likely they are to return
C) the proportion of young adults living in their parents homes has increased from 2005-2011.
D) more individuals aged 25 to 34 were living with their parents than those who were between 18 and 24 years of age

Question 7

Imagine that you are a business executive and you are about to have a meeting with a rival executive whom you know to be a woman. You know nothing else about her, but you imagine that she must be less competitive than your male colleagues-probably more conciliatory. What process are you demonstrating with such thoughts?

A) intellectualization
B) stereotyping
C) differentiation
D) pragmatics

Question 8

Gender stereotypes

A) in most countries involve instrumental qualities for females.
B) have not been studies in other cultures because they do not assign roles based on one's biological sex.
C) are inconsistent across cultures.
D) are consistent across cultures.

Question 9

Gender stereotypes refer to sets of shared beliefs about how men and women should behave. This can be harmful when ________.

A) the origins of the roles are studied
B) males are considered equal to females
C) they are used to judge men and women
D) U.S. males and females are similar to other cultures

Question 10

Which of the following best describes our current research on childlessness?

A) Hispanic women are more likely to be childless than those of other races or ethnic groups.
B) Childless women tend to have lower-level jobs and earn less money than their counterparts with children.
C) The increase in the number of childless women is unique to the U.S.; most other developed countries have seen a decrease in childlessness.
D) The number of childless women has increased since the 1970s.

Question 11

adult describes himself as adventurous, daring, independent, rude, stern, and wise. In Williams & Best typology, this individual would be classed as _______.

A) feminine
B) masculine
C) androgynous
D) undifferentiated

Question 12

Proximal causes of the origins of gender roles means _______.

A) exaggerated male/female differences
B) minimal acceptance of gender stereotypes
C) factors present in the immediate environment
D) undifferentiated gender schemas

Question 13

After dating her boyfriend for only three weeks, thirty-eight-year-old Carla was excited that she was getting married, despite the fact that a few days before, she was not sure if they had much in common. Carla's decision seems to be ________.

A) an example of the parental imperative
B) evidence of crossover of gender roles
C) dictated by the social clock
D) an example of the marital selection effect

Question 14

brief definition of a gender role is _______.

A) a job description for being a male or a female
B) a rigid stereotype of male and female behavior
C) a typical position taken during sexual intercourse
D) the degree of match between a gender stereotype and behavior

Question 15

the following individuals, who is LEAST LIKELY to remarry?

A) Marshall, a European-American male
B) Jennifer, an Hispanic American female
C) Kim, an Asian-American female
D) Vanessa, an African-American female

Question 16

Research in different cultures has led to the following conclusion:

A) gender roles are the same for males and females regardless of where they live.
B) gender roles are dynamic.
C) traditional gender roles are the most adaptive.
D) societal changes only affect gender roles in the U.S.

Question 17

Which of the following conclusions is the most reasonable statement of current data on gender role crossover at midlife?

A) There is no evidence to support the concept of gender role crossover.
B) There is reasonably strong evidence that men become more feminine, but no clear evidence that women become more masculine after midlife.
C) There is clear evidence that women become more masculine, but little indication that men become more feminine after midlife.
D) There is evidence for an expansion of gender role boundaries at midlife, but little indication of a full crossover.

Question 18

which age in the life cycle are adults likely to add the greatest number of new roles?

A) at 20-30 years old
B) at 40-50 years old
C) at 60-70 years old
D) at 80-90 years old

Question 19

school of thought that explains gender roles as dispositional traits we are genetically predisposed to perform is known as _______.

A) learning schema theory
B) social role theory
C) evolutionary psychology
D) none of the above

Question 20

Research on gender roles around the world shows that _______.

A) gender roles are particularly evident in industrialized cultures
B) gender roles are particularly evident in nonindustrialized cultures
C) only about half the cultures in the world have clear gender roles
D) every culture has some form of gender roles

Question 21

According to the marital crisis effect:

A) women benefit more from marriage than do men.
B) people in poor mental and physical health are not as likely to marry as those who are better off.
C) people seek out committed relationships more when they are experiencing stress in their lives.
D) it is not marriage that provides good health, but rather, the trauma of being widowed or divorced that brings poor health.

Question 22

is most likely to be cohabiting?

A) Oksana, from Russia
B) Sarah, from Sweden
C) Karly, from the U.S.
D) Marika, from Switzerland

Question 23

Imagine that you are a business executive and you are about to have a meeting with a rival executive whom you know to be a woman. You know nothing else about her, but you imagine that she must be less competitive than your male colleagues-probably more conciliatory. What process are you demonstrating with such thoughts?

A) intellectualization
B) stereotyping
C) differentiation
D) pragmatics

Question 24

Before they married, Bill and Tanya were determined to have an egalitarian relationship, sharing household tasks and childcare. But after the birth of their first child, Jason, Tanya found herself doing the majority of the childcare, and Bill found himself working longer hours at his job than ever. This is an illustration of what theoretical principle or concept?

A) androgyny
B) the parental imperative
C) the biological clock
D) gender-role crossover

Question 25

researcher asks couples in their 70s to think back on their marriages and say which period had been the happiest in their married lives. Which period, on average, are these adults likely to say was the happiest?

A) right after their first child was born
B) when they had young children
C) when their youngest child began kindergarten
D) when all the children left home

Question 26

which age in the life cycle are adults likely to add the greatest number of new roles?

A) at 20-30 years old
B) at 40-50 years old
C) at 60-70 years old
D) at 80-90 years old

Question 27

According to Arnett, which of the following is NOT a feature of emerging adulthood?

A) the age of identity explorations
B) the age of settling down
C) the age of feeling in-between
D) the age of possibilities

Question 28

Which of the following groups showed poorer health outcomes such as, higher heart rates, blood pressure, and changes in immune function?

A) couples who did not show emotion during discussions
B) couples in which the man spoke more than the woman during discussions
C) couples who were high in conflict and hostility during discussion
D) couples who used sarcasm and joking during heated discussions

Question 29

and Lucetta have just had their first child. According to Gutmann's principle of the parental imperative, what effect (if any) will this new arrival have on Dion's behavior?

A) He will spend more time at home than he did before the child's birth.
B) He will spend more time focused on his work than he did before the child's birth.
C) He will spend more time interacting with his own parents.
D) It will have no effect.

Question 30

David Gutmann refers to the magnification of gender role differences after the birth of the first child as _______.

A) the parental imperative
B) a species-specific imperative
C) a legacy from our distant ancestors
D) sexual determinism

Question 31

Miguel and Sara, who live in New York, have been together for six years and now have two children, aged 1 and 3. According to research, at what period in their relationship might they have had egalitarian gender roles, or equal gender roles?

A) before they began dating
B) at the beginning of a marriage or partnership, before children are born
C) when they have at least one child
D) American men and women are incapable of equal gender roles

Question 32

term psychologists use to describe the typical collection of female stereotyped qualities is _______.

A) agentic
B) communal
C) instrumental
D) emotional

Question 33

Analyses of marriage and cohabitation rates in the United States over the past several decades suggest that among young people in their early 20s, ________.

A) marriage rates have risen, and cohabitation rates have declined
B) marriage rates have declined, and cohabitation rates have risen
C) marriage rates have remained about the same, and cohabitation rates have risen
D) marriage rates and cohabitation rates have both risen

Question 34

Which of the following theories explains gender role differences among new parents by saying that men and women function as a couple to swap goods and services?

A) the parental investment theory
B) the parental imperative theory
C) economic exchange theory
D) social role theory.

Question 35

the U.S., the roles of men and women have changed over the past few decades. Which of the following best describes the relationship between male and female gender roles in our current culture?

A) symmetrical
B) asymmetrical
C) traditional
D) none of the above

Question 36

Early gender roles in partnerships, before children are born, are more ______ than they will be when the partners are parenting.

A) egalitarian
B) traditional
C) male-oriented
D) female-oriented

Question 37

During which age period is the highest density of shifts in social roles found?

A) young adulthood
B) at the age-30 transition
C) in middle adulthood
D) in late adulthood

Question 38

According to _________ children are taught to view the world and themselves through gender-polarized lenses that make artificial distinctions between what is masculine and what is feminine.

A) social role theory *b learning schema theory
C) the biosocial perspective
D) evolutionary theory

Question 39

Which of the following people is likely to spend the LEAST time on child care?

A) gay parents
B) parents who work more hours outside the home
C) lesbian parents
D) parents who were raised by a working mothers

Question 40

Current studies in the United States on the leaving-home process have shown that:

A) the proportion of young adults living in their parents' homes has stayed stable since 2005.
B) more 25 to 34-year-olds live with their parents than individuals of ages18 to 24.
C) more females return to fill the empty nest than males.
D) the average age that young people leave their family home is 20.

Question 41

Heckhausen's theory of social timing suggests that the stronger the correlation between people's social role sequence and developmental norms,

A) the larger their friendship network is likely to be.
B) the better chances they will have of remarrying.
C) the higher their socioeconomic status is likely to be.
D) the less stress they will have in life. SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

Question 42

proportion of 65 years or older living with relatives other than spouses depends on:

A) type of chronic illness.
B) ethnic background.
C) socioeconomic status.
D) personality traits of the elderly individual.

Question 43

Based on Gottman's interview research, which of the following is considered the glue that holds the marriage together for couples who experienced the transition to parenthood?

A) passion
B) fondness and admiration spouses expressed for each other
C) the expression of the commitment to stay together "no matter what"
D) attraction and a sense of dependence on one another

Question 44

Which of the following is TRUE regarding recent national survey data on unpaid caregivers of aging parents?

A) More men than women are now taking care of their parents because of more women entering the work force.
B) The average age of caregivers was 48.
C) The age of caregivers has decreased in the past five years.
D) The age of care receivers has decreased in the past five years.

Question 45

_______ who provide care for elderly relatives are less apt to experience caregiver burden and depression than ________ .

A) Hispanic-American family caregivers; White caregivers
B) African American; White caregivers
C) Women; men
D) High SES individuals; Middle SES individuals

Question 46

concept of gender role crossover suggests that at some point in the life cycle, men begin to take on aspects of the women's role and women take on aspects of the men's role. At what stage does Gutmann think this occurs?

A) newlywed couples
B) young couples with infants
C) couples with school-aged children
D) couples in midlife

Question 47

Which of the following conclusions is the most accurate statement of current data on gender roles at midlife?

A) Expansion of gender roles has been found only among European-Americans.
B) There is reasonably strong evidence that men become more feminine, but no clear evidence that women become more masculine after midlife.
C) There is clear evidence that women become more masculine, but little indication that men become more feminine after midlife.
D) There is evidence for an expansion of gender role boundaries at midlife.

Question 48

Seventy-six-year-old Elizabeth, a white woman in the U.S., has been recently widowed. She is thinking about her choices of living arrangements. What is her first choice most likely to be?

A) to live with her daughter
B) to live with her son
C) to move in with her sister
D) to live alone

Question 49

Kirsten is a 40-year-old, married, childless woman. What reasonable guess might you make about other facets of Kirsten's life?

A) she has been a full-time housewife since her marriage
B) she has struggled with depression for most of the past 20 years
C) she has had a strong commitment to a career
D) she is the oldest child in her family

Question 50

Which of the following is TRUE?

A) Men are more likely to remarry than women.
B) African-American women are more likely to remarry than European-American women.
C) Women with more children are more likely to remarry than women with fewer children.
D) Less than 10% of people who remarry eventually divorce.

Question 51

Which two groups, among families at different stages of the family life cycle, show the highest levels of marital satisfaction?

A) couples with infants and couples at retirement age
B) newlywed couples without children and couples at retirement age
C) newlywed couples without children and couples with adolescents
D) couples with preschoolers and couples with adolescents

Question 52

Which of the following is the most commonly acquired new role in the postparental period?

A) regular care of aging parent
B) community volunteer
C) grandparent
D) mentor

Question 53

Which of the following hypothetical or actual pieces of evidence would provide the best support for the existence of a gender role crossover in midlife?

A) cross-sectional comparisons of young and middle aged adults showing higher levels of androgyny among middle-aged men and women
B) cross-sectional comparisons of levels of independence in women showing that women in their 50s are more independent than women in their 20s
C) longitudinal analysis of men's work roles showing that some men acquire the role of mentor at midlife
D) longitudinal analysis of behavior in married couples between age 30 and age 50 showing women becoming more assertive and men becoming more passive.

Question 54

Gretta is 81 and has four children. Her husband, Ronald, recently died. When asked who would be most likely to care for her if she became disabled or ill, she would most likely:

A) name her daughter.
B) say that it would be the adult child who was most available to help.
C) say that it would be the child who had not helped as much in the past because she would not want to burden those who have already helped her a lot.
D) say that she did not know who she would ask for help.

Question 55

elderly individuals without a spouse in the U.S. prefer to:

A) live alone.
B) live with another elderly woman.
C) live with their son.
D) live with their daughter.

Question 56

Which of the following is most accurate in regard to research on grandparents as surrogate parents?

A) One of the major areas of stress came from problems with the grandchildren's parents.
B) Surrogate parenting is decreasing among white and Hispanic families.
C) African-American surrogate parents report more difficulties with this role than white surrogate parents.
D) There is no research on surrogate grandfathers; all the research is on surrogate grandmothers..

Question 57

comparison to women with children, childless women are _______.

A) less work committed
B) more work committed
C) happier in old age
D) less happy in old age

Question 58

the final stage of the family life cycle, roles become _______.

A) more clearly defined and more dominant
B) more clearly defined but less dominant
C) less clearly defined and more dominant
D) less clearly defined and less dominant

Question 59

the U.S., which of the following individuals over the age of 65 is most likely to be single and never married?

A) Loreto, a Hispanic-American male.
B) Jerry, a European-American male.
C) Jon, an Asian-American male.
D) Jim, a Native-American male.

Question 60

Which new adult role is accompanied by a decrease in marital happiness and satisfaction?

A) engagement
B) marriage
C) becoming parents
D) becoming an empty nester

Question 61

Bjorklund notes that the impact of multiple social roles in the lives of middle-aged adults depends on many factors. What are some of the factors that determine whether they experience these roles as fulfilling or a source of major stress?

Question 62

Describe briefly what happens to gender roles in couples after the birth of a child. What is David Gutmann's explanation for this phenomenon?

Question 63

Compare and contrast the major family and gender roles of young adults and retired adults. How can you best characterize the differences?

Question 64

Sociologist Thomas Leopold (2012) examined the experience of adult children who live with their parents in 14 countries in Europe. What did he find out about these "late leavers?"

Question 65

What do we know about the adult lives of never-married adults? What kind of research would we need to do to add to our fund of information?

Question 66

Jeffrey Arnett proposed the theory of emerging adulthood. Name and briefly describe two of the five features that he says makes this developmental period different from either adolescence or adulthood.

Question 67

Describe the major age changes in social roles over the adult years in your own culture at this point in history.

Question 68

What are two different explanations for the finding that marital status has a significant affect on physical and mental health?.

Question 69

Researchers have consistently found that married adults are happier and less likely to show emotional disturbance than are unmarried adults. Describe two possible explanations for this pattern, and indicate which of the two you consider to be the better explanation and why.

Question 70

People who are off-time with the social clock of their culture are more apt to have difficulty in their roles and less apt to report high levels of life satisfaction. Using an example from a television sit-com, movies, or novel, illustrate a similar-themed fictional situation, whereby an individual is off-time with his or her social clock and struggles with his or her social roles.

Question 71

More adults in the past few years have chosen to marry later, to have their children later, and/or to have fewer children. Cumulatively, what will be the effects of such changes on the life patterns of adults? What are the possible advantages? What are the possible disadvantages?

Question 72

Describe two variables that play a role in the likelihood that a person will remarry.

Question 73

Recall the traditional social roles of early, middle, and late adulthood. Now create a fictitious adult and mix up those roles, creating some that are on-time and some off-time. Describe how changing the timing of traditional roles affects the lifestyle and choices of the fictitious adult, and how your adult copes with these effects.

Question 74

What did Neugarten and colleagues (1965) mean by the "social clock." Give at least two examples.

Question 75

Describe one or more types of study you would have to do in order to find out what proportion of middle-aged adults will take on the role of caring for an aging parent at some time in their adult lives.

Question 76

Explain the phenomenon of gender role crossover in midlife. What are some advantages to this phenomenon?

Question 77

Folklore has it that women are likely to experience serious upheaval and difficulty following the departure of their last child from home. What evidence is there for or against this expectation?

Question 78

Discuss the research on adult children living with their parents in the U.S. What are some reasons for the sex difference?. Do you see this "full nest" situation as having more benefits or more potential problems? Explain.

Question 79

List at least seven characteristics that are part of the common cross-cultural male gender role stereotype and seven that are part of the female stereotype. Indicate briefly some of the consequences of these role stereotypes for adult development.

Question 80

Describe briefly the series of role changes that is likely to occur for a woman, and for a man, following a divorce.