Deck 16: Remarriage: a Growing Way of American Life

Question 1

Most divorced people tend to marry:

A) men or women who have never been married.
B) other divorced people.
C) a widowed individual.
D) someone they meet at work.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Most people who return to the single life involuntarily tend to find it:

A) frightening.
B) exhilarating.
C) a minor transition.
D) similar to married life.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Marilyn is 54 years old and Jeff is 38 years old. If Marilyn and Jeff marry, their marriage will be called a:

A) July-December marriage.
B) May-December marriage.
C) serial marriage.
D) remarriage.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Most divorced people are ready to return to the single social life:

A) immediately after their married friends abandon them.
B) about a year after the divorce.
C) when family members advise them to do so.
D) after signing the divorce papers.

Question 5

From the remarriage statistics, we can conclude that divorce mainly serves as:

A) an escape hatch from marriage.
B) a justification for singlehood.
C) an excuse for sexual experimentation.
D) a recycling mechanism for improving marital situations.

Question 6

The interval between the time of divorce and reentering a new relationship is shorter when consideration is given to:

A) age difference.
B) infidelity.
C) children in the relationship.
D) cohabitation.

Question 7

Sexual experimentation is fairly common among newly divorced people who were:

A) married for more than ten years.
B) granted no-fault divorces.
C) married in the late 1960s.
D) rejected by their spouses.

Question 8

Originally the term "step" in stepfather and stepmother meant:

A) "second."
B) "orphan."
C) "surrogate."
D) "half."

Question 9

Cox and Demmitt attribute the low remarriage rate of the widowed to:

A) chronic disease.
B) religious beliefs.
C) limited choices.
D) pessimistic attitudes.

Question 10

In light of the definition of serial monogamy, it would be reasonable to assume that:

A) Americans are not allowed to have several spouses simultaneously.
B) widowed people have high remarriage rates.
C) a lot of women in their forties have never been married.
D) remarriage rates were much higher in past centuries.

Question 11

Which of the following couples has a May-December marriage?

A) a 60-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman
B) a 50-year-old woman and a 50-year-old man
C) a 20-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman
D) a 75-year-old man and a 78-year-old woman

Question 12

Which of the following is an example of a May-December marriage?

A) Jon is 30 and Fred is 34.
B) Christine is Hispanic and Adam is African American.
C) Edith is 70 and Karl is 75.
D) Jon is 50 and Rachel is 30.

Question 13

What advantage does Internet dating provide?

A) It creates a meat market of available people to meet.
B) People on dating sites are typically more honest in their words and pictures.
C) Anonymity allows people to reveal as much or little as they want during early interactions.
D) Internet dating is a cheap alternative to going to singles clubs.

Question 14

Which of the following divorced women is least likely to remarry?

A) Joan, a Ph.D. in her mid-fifties
B) Stacy, a 24-year-old high school graduate
C) Chris, a 19-year-old without a job going to college part-time
D) Sue, a 35-year-old nurse

Question 15

The only category in which brides are generally older than their grooms are marriages of:

A) first-married couples.
B) never-married women and divorced men.
C) divorced men and divorced women.
D) previously-married women and never-married men.

Question 16

Most remarriages in past centuries occurred because of:

A) widowhood.
B) divorce.
C) desertion.
D) annulments.

Question 17

Technology has found a place in the single life in the form of:

A) cell phones.
B) video games.
C) Internet dating.
D) fax machines.

Question 18

In general, men tend to remarry:

A) to punish their ex-wife.
B) for status and social acceptance.
C) more quickly than women.
D) without expecting the marriage to survive.

Question 19

The main purpose of many singles clubs is to:

A) get single people involved in politics.
B) introduce people to new acquaintances.
C) provide child care for single parents.
D) educate singles about STDs.

Question 20

Liz is a successful lawyer. She was married for 29 years before getting a divorce three years ago. At age 58, the chances that Liz will marry again are:

A) highly likely.
B) somewhat likely.
C) not likely.
D) more likely than her ex-husband's chances.

Question 21

Homogamy is the belief that:

A) it is wrong to marry relatives.
B) male and female characteristics are interchangeable.
C) people with similar backgrounds are attracted to one another.
D) a person can only fall in love once.

Question 22

The divorced may marry quickly for all these reasons EXCEPT:

A) jealousy.
B) loneliness.
C) insecurity.
D) they don't know how to live any other way.

Question 23

Although the divorced person may cohabitate because they are cautious, it will increase stress for:

A) their children.
B) their partner.
C) their friends.
D) their extended family.

Question 24

One of the drawbacks to Internet dating is the fact that it is:

A) dangerous.
B) expensive.
C) immoral.
D) ineffective.

Question 25

The most common reaction to remarriage is:

A) jumping at the first chance to remarry.
B) living together but avoiding legal marriage.
C) careful, cautious testing of the relationship.
D) avoiding it unless "swept away" by love.

Question 26

Many widowed individuals are psychologically unable to remarry because they feel disloyal to:

A) former in-laws.
B) the deceased spouse.
C) their close friends.
D) a transition person.

Question 27

Women who have children living with them are:

A) less likely to marry men without children.
B) less likely to marry men with or without children.
C) more likely to marry men with or without children.
D) more likely to marry men who have not been married before.

Question 28

Divorced people who cohabit before remarrying tend to increase their chances of:

A) divorcing within five years.
B) living in poverty.
C) marital success.
D) having large families.

Question 29

Many newly divorced people find that dating someone new means:

A) a romantic evening on the town.
B) endless financial worries.
C) being a teenager all over again.
D) getting acquainted with the date's children.

Question 30

When Cox and Demmitt say "ghosts at the table" are present in second marriages, they mean that:

A) children from a first marriage make things difficult.
B) the basic personalities of the spouses don't change at all.
C) former spouses influence the newly married pair.
D) childhood experiences interfere with intimacy.

Question 31

Charlie has been supportive of Tricia through her divorce, move, and getting back on her feet. According to your text, Charlie is a:

A) serial monogamist.
B) transition person.
C) May-December person
D) supportive person.

Question 32

Lawrence Ganong and Marilyn Coleman found that the primary way that people prepare for remarriage is by:

A) living together.
B) reading self-help books.
C) fantasizing about marriage.
D) talking to happily-married couples.

Question 33

The chance to prescreen dates is the most attractive feature of:

A) personal newspaper ads.
B) singles clubs.
C) blind dating.
D) social media dating.

Question 34

Megan and her husband are recently divorced. If Megan decided to begin dating again, she will have the best chance of finding someone new if she:

A) doesn't live in a small town.
B) doesn't have children.
C) is older.
D) is struggling with poor self-esteem.

Question 35

Cox and Demmitt believe that remarried partners must make a special effort to free themselves from attitudes and behaviors that stem from:

A) religious guilt.
B) the first marriage.
C) childhood experiences.
D) parental influences.

Question 36

Ninety percent of stepfamilies are:

A) stepfather families.
B) stepmother families.
C) childless.
D) include children from both parents.

Question 37

A remarriage between divorced persons is more difficult than a first marriage for all the following reasons EXCEPT:

A) each may have low self-esteem.
B) the past relationship is never really over.
C) the remarriage that involves children is more complicated.
D) the partners lack experience.

Question 38

It is difficult for divorced people to meet someone new if they live in:

A) the South.
B) working-class neighborhoods.
C) a small town.
D) their own homes.

Question 39

A dating divorced person will usually differ from the never-married dating person in the following ways EXCEPT:

A) age.
B) children.
C) social status.
D) marital experience.

Question 40

According to your text, the most important step a newly divorced person can take is to:

A) wallow at home in their own misery.
B) participate in the social world.
C) set up an online dating profile.
D) quickly seek someone else to marry.

Question 41

The division of labor in remarriage tends to be:

A) unclear.
B) traditional.
C) more equitable.
D) hotly debated.

Question 42

Adolescents are more likely to break up a remarriage because:

A) they can get in trouble with the law.
B) they have more friends.
C) they have more power in the family.
D) they can be more dangerous to stepsiblings.

Question 43

Remarriages involving adolescent children tend to have:

A) fewer parental rules.
B) more sustained problems.
C) shorter adjustment periods.
D) traditional gender roles.

Question 44

The "intimate outsider label" evokes the image of stepparents as being members of the family as well as:

A) friends.
B) intruders.
C) guardians.
D) phantoms.

Question 45

What are the contrasting emotions present in a relationship where a divorced individual with children is dating?

A) The children are typically excited at expanding their family. However, the dating couple is nervous about making marriage successful.
B) It is difficult to discuss feelings in second marriages.
C) The single parent is excited and happy at the prospect of remarriage. However, the children are anxious about what the new relationship will mean.
D) The couple in the relationship is excited, but anxious about the expense of a new family.

Question 46

Stepparents can assure themselves of the same rights as biological parents by:

A) changing the original divorce settlement.
B) providing financial support.
C) developing a marital contract.
D) adopting stepchildren.

Question 47

The longer a family is a single-parent family, the more difficult the adjustment for ________ in remarriage.

A) the stepmother
B) the stepfather
C) the children
D) the extended family

Question 48

The doctrine of "in loco parentis" allows stepparents to:

A) avoid paying alimony to their first spouse.
B) assume parental obligations.
C) marry adult stepchildren.
D) receive special divorce counseling.

Question 49

Stepparents are obligated to support stepchildren in:

A) no-fault divorce states.
B) half the states.
C) joint custody states.
D) a minority of states.

Question 50

Carol has been remarried for six months. Although she and her new husband have experienced a great deal of conflict, Carol insists that the marriage is perfect. One reason that Carol tends to need to characterize her second marriage as happy may be that:

A) she is pregnant.
B) she doesn't want to raise her two children alone.
C) she is afraid that he will leave her, just like her first husband.
D) she can wipe away some of the guilt over the failure of the first marriage.

Question 51

In remarriage, more sustained problems are noted for:

A) the stepparent.
B) the couple.
C) younger children.
D) adolescent children.

Question 52

Matt and Jenny have recently entered into a remarriage. They both have small children. Although rocky at first, the adjustment for the new stepfamily has gone smoothly. As the years go by, they may expect:

A) problems to reappear as the children reach adolescence.
B) the marriage to disintegrate.
C) a blended family with little or no problems.
D) interference from the non-custodial parents.

Question 53

Cox and Demmitt use the phrase "his, hers, and ours" to describe the children in:

A) nuclear families.
B) blended families.
C) single-parent families.
D) cohabiting families.

Question 54

Probably the best course for a stepparent is to:

A) replace the natural parent.
B) assume a supplemental role.
C) move quickly to establish parental authority.
D) try to outdo the child's biological parent.

Question 55

Stepparents and stepchildren have a great deal of trouble in their relationships for all reasons EXCEPT:

A) stepparents feel confusion about their roles.
B) children feel loyalty conflicts.
C) the split of parental authority with the biological parents.
D) the change in economic status.

Question 56

The research findings on the effects of remarriage on children are:

A) sparse.
B) positive.
C) negative.
D) mixed.

Question 57

The most troubling unrealistic expectation of those remarrying is:

A) their financial status.
B) that the new family will function the same as the family they left.
C) the amount of attention they expect from their spouse.
D) that their ex-spouse will leave them alone.

Question 58

According to the text, why is the stepparent-stepchild relationship more difficult than with a biological parent?

A) The stepparent usually produces a loving relationship immediately, causing problems for the non-custodial biological parent.
B) The relationship starts midstream and hasn't developed from the beginning.
C) The myth of the wicked stepmother is true.
D) Young children find it more difficult to form a bond, but adolescents are usually able to interact with the stepparent as a parent.

Question 59

The myth of instant love suggests that:

A) stepmothers will automatically love their stepchildren.
B) it is relatively easy for the newly divorced to fall in love.
C) sexual abuse is a serious problem in stepfamilies.
D) second marriages are more satisfying than first marriages.

Question 60

Steve has recently married a woman with children from a previous marriage. The oldest child, Benjamin, is showing signs of resentment and hostility towards Steve. Benjamin is probably:

A) grieving the loss of friends.
B) fighting unrealistic expectations the new family has placed on him.
C) not used to the attention of a parent.
D) feeling disloyalty to his biological father.

Question 61

Remarried couples who have divorce in their backgrounds and have gone through a great deal of conflict at the time of their divorce may benefit from:

A) mediation to settle conflicts.
B) avoiding conflict in their new relationship.
C) separate vacations.
D) non-custodial parenting.

Question 62

Sexual relations between members of blended families are regulated by:

A) a few states.
B) half of the states.
C) most states.
D) all states.

Question 63

Because of the complexity of blended families:

A) people are better off not remarrying.
B) it is surprising any remarriages are successful.
C) adolescent sexual exploration is more common.
D) relationships are less intense and diluted.

Question 64

The prenuptial agreement is:

A) a waste of time and money in a remarriage.
B) too complex to be practical in a remarriage.
C) more important in a remarriage than in a first marriage.
D) best suited for remarriages that don't involve children.

Question 65

In dealing with sexuality in the stepfamily, remarried families lack:

A) affection.
B) biological incest taboos.
C) a sexual atmosphere.
D) sexual fantasies.

Question 66

Divorced people as a group are against marriage.

Question 67

Stepsiblings often fight against sexual feelings for one another by engaging in:

A) sporting activities.
B) drug abuse.
C) open conflict.
D) harmless pranks.

Question 68

Stepparents should deal with the sexual fantasies of stepchildren by encouraging them to:

A) verbalize them.
B) control their thoughts.
C) avoid their stepsiblings.
D) weigh the consequences of their actions.

Question 69

All of the following statements about blended families are true EXCEPT:

A) they tend to experience more trauma and crisis than first marriage families.
B) children are exposed to a wider variety of people.
C) stepfamilies are generally better for children than single-parent families.
D) stepparents try harder to be good parents.

Question 70

Five years ago, Dave married a widow with children. He has grown to love the children as his own and they think of him as a father. Given the circumstances, Dave is more likely to:

A) stay married because of the children.
B) divorce again within the first 10 years.
C) adopt the children.
D) leave the discipline to the children's mother.

Question 71

Society can help build blended family strengths by:

A) making it easier to enter marriage.
B) repealing sole custody laws.
C) enforcing the Christian interpretation of divorce.
D) recognizing the validity of blended families.

Question 72

The immediate effect of divorce on relative interaction is:

A) declining contact with immediate family.
B) intensified contacts between blood relatives.
C) greater focus on in-laws.
D) new family bonds.

Question 73

Perhaps the most important financial decision in remarried families is:

A) whether to combine money into a single pot.
B) the development of a retirement plan.
C) establishing an emergency fund.
D) having an attorney draw up a will.

Question 74

Stepparents should follow all of the following guidelines EXCEPT:

A) set limits and enforce them.
B) provide neutral territory.
C) try to fit a preconceived role.
D) expect ambivalence.

Question 75

With remarriage, the children's circle of relatives:

A) shrinks.
B) expands.
C) remains constant.
D) disappears.

Question 76

Keeping money separate in a remarriage usually means:

A) a tighter bond to the first family.
B) greater conflict over finances.
C) increasing tension about ownership.
D) lack of communication and trust.

Question 77

One area where partners in a remarriage should keep money separate is in:

A) house payments.
B) child-support payments.
C) paychecks.
D) the household fund.

Question 78

Parents who want to promote healthy sexual adjustment in stepfamilies should follow all of the following suggestions EXCEPT:

A) be prepared to discuss sexual feelings that might arise.
B) try to discourage the children from verbalizing their sexual fantasies.
C) resist the temptation to push opposite-sex stepsiblings to become closer friends.
D) accept the intersibling hostilities.

Question 79

Tyler is part of a large stepfamily. At times he shows a strong affection for his new stepfather, but at other times, he acts like he hates him. Tyler's stepfather is confused, but he should recognize this behavior as:

A) a preconceived role.
B) neutral territory.
C) mealtime misery.
D) ambivalence.

Question 80

Because remarriages are more complicated than first marriages, one of the best ways to build a healthy stepfamily may be to:

A) develop clear-cut roles that are non-negotiable.
B) arrange joint custody with ex-spouses.
C) separate all finances.
D) cultivate a sense of humor.