Deck 15: Remarriage and Stepfamilies

Question 1

Of the following divorced women,who is the most likely to remarry: Tricia,who is 24 years old and recently divorced; Mary,who is 50 years old with teenage children; Sylvia,who was married to an attorney,has three children,and receives $1,500 a month in child support; or Tanya,who is African American and has two young children?

A)Tricia
B)Mary
C)Tanya
D)Sylvia

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Nationally,__________ percent of women have remarried within three years of having been divorced.

A)19
B)29
C)39
D)59

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Overall,about __________ percent of American children live with both biological parents.

A)22.6
B)31.2
C)49.3
D)62.5

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT one of the myths of remarriage?

A)confront criticism
B)be an individual first and a couple second
C)avoid mistakes of the past
D)things must work out

Question 5

Bill is determined to make his remarriage work,so he "walks on eggs," rather than confronting,challenging,or arguing with other family members.Bill's behavior reflects which myth of remarriage?

A)focus on the positive and forget criticism
B)avoid mistakes of the past
C)marriage makes people happier
D)consider other people first

Question 6

__________ marriage refers to three or more marriages that occur as a result of repeated divorces.

A)Serial
B)Shotgun
C)Staccato
D)Low-duration

Question 7

The challenge of unresolved emotional issues that faces those who remarry includes:

A)positive emotions about the ex-spouse.
B)negative emotions about the ex-spouse.
C)residual negative emotions such as jealousy over the new spouse.
D)both a and b

Question 8

In general,the rate of divorce for remarrieds is __________ than that for first marriages.

A)much higher
B)slightly higher
C)slightly lower
D)much lower

Question 9

Holly and Norman are in a remarriage.Holly maintains that she married the first time for all the wrong reasons but this time,she is truly in love.She plans for everything to go right in this marriage,including candlelight dinners and romantic weekends.This is an example of which myth surrounding remarriage?

A)consider the other person above oneself
B)be an individual
C)things must work out
D)allow no criticism

Question 10

The text observes that the presence of stepchildren __________ remarriages.

A)strengthens
B)has little or no effect on
C)is particularly destabilizing for
D)dooms

Question 11

Joan has just remarried and believes that success this time demands that she place her personal needs secondary to her spouse and his children from a previous marriage.Joan's behavior reflects which myth of remarriage?

A)be an individual first and a couple second
B)avoid mistakes of the past
C)marriage makes people happier
D)consider other people first

Question 12

Those who remarry tend to assume and expect that the new spouse will be:

A)unfaithful.
B)unwilling to help discipline the children.
C)reluctant to help deal with problems.
D)committed to making the marriage last.

Question 13

The biggest problem faced by remarried couples involves:

A)children.
B)finances.
C)emotional issues from the first marriage.
D)compatibility.

Question 14

Fred has recently remarried.In his first marriage,he devoted full attention to his wife.Now,he believes that he must "look out for number one" regardless of what this means for his marital relationship.Fred's behavior reflects which myth of remarriage?

A)avoid mistakes of the past
B)things must work out
C)be an individual first and a couple second
D)consider other people first

Question 15

Most divorced people:

A)will eventually marry again.
B)plan to never marry again.
C)are so disillusioned with marriage and the opposite sex that they choose to avoid intimate relationships altogether.
D)wait for more than 10 years to remarry.

Question 16

The optimal time period between divorce and remarriage seems to be __________ year(s).

A)one
B)two
C)three to five
D)five to six

Question 17

The reason that people give most frequently for their decision to remarry is:

A)to have regular sex and intimacy.
B)that they were very lonely.
C)"it was time."
D)financial.

Question 18

Marie's remarriage is not progressing well.In response,she reflects upon her first marriage and tries to avoid the problems she perceived in this relationship.Marie's behavior reflects which myth of remarriage?

A)consider other people first
B)avoid mistakes of the past
C)marriage makes people happier
D)focus on the positive and forget criticism

Question 19

Research has shown that the most frequently mentioned issue discussed by couples who are anticipating remarriage is:

A)children from a previous marriage.
B)having children of their own.
C)money.
D)leisure pursuits.

Question 20

Stepfamilies are:

A)remarriages after the death of a spouse.
B)remarriages in which the spouses have a child between them.
C)remarriages involving children from previous marriages.
D)families with foster children.

Question 21

In evaluating stepfamily functioning,the text points out that stepchildren:

A)are usually dysfunctional in adulthood.
B)always benefit less from the stepfamily than the single-parent experience.
C)have lower self-esteem and academic achievement.
D)none of the above

Question 22

Positive stepparenting experiences are more likely to happen when stepfathers

A)have prior,involved parenting experience with their natural children.
B)communicate often and well with their stepchildren.
C)are supported by their wives in their involvement with and discipline of stepchildren.
D)all of the above

Question 23

Boundaries in stepfamilies are:

A)usually quite clear and unambiguous.
B)becoming less standardized as stepfamilies become more common.
C)often not very clear-cut.
D)usually not a problem for remarried couples.

Question 24

In defining who is part of her family,Jamie includes her biological parents and her sister by those parents.She does not include her stepfather or her stepsiblings.This way of defining family is termed:

A)retention.
B)substitution.
C)reduction.
D)augmentation.

Question 25

The text points out that if the partners in remarriage do not feel that the financial arrangements are equitable,the marriage will be severely strained.This observation reflects __________ theory.

A)systems
B)exchange
C)conflict
D)symbolic interactionist

Question 26

James defines his family in terms of the biological parents with whom he lives.This way of defining family is:

A)retention.
B)augmentation.
C)reduction.
D)substitution.

Question 27

According to the text's discussion of the quality of remarried life:

A)the factors that led to satisfaction in a first marriage will probably not be important in remarriage.
B)the remarried are less divorce-prone in comparison with the first-married.
C)remarried couples almost always deal with conflict more effectively than the first-married.
D)in general,the quality of remarried life can be as high as that of first marriages.

Question 28

The text points out that for remarried people with stepchildren,__________ is a particularly problematic area.

A)economic resources
B)communication with their stepchildren
C)discipline of stepchildren
D)physical violence

Question 29

Which of the following is an example of normative ambiguity?

A)The mother usually gets custody.
B)Stepsiblings may be in the same class at school.
C)There are no set ways for stepparents and stepchildren to address each other.
D)Paternal grandparents have visitation rights.

Question 30

In a nine-year study of over 200 stepfather families (Bray and Kelly),there are three phases in the first ten years of stepfamily life.Which of the following is NOT one of these phases?

A)the "turbulent first two years"
B)the "golden period"
C)"biding one's time"
D)"singing in the rain"

Question 31

Satisfaction in remarriage is higher when:

A)the children from the previous marriage are very young.
B)one person has children from a previous marriage.
C)both people have children from a previous marriage.
D)neither person has children from a previous marriage.

Question 32

Jean was in her early twenties when she married a man who had joint custody of two children with his ex-wife.The children avoided Jean and would not talk to her directly.This situation illustrates the long cultural tradition of the:

A)"wicked stepmother."
B)"Snow White syndrome."
C)"Cinderella complex."
D)"Hansel and Gretel relationship."

Question 33

Some couples who remarry opt for a __________ that takes into account what each has brought to the marriage and protects each spouse as well as the children of each and any children they may have in common.

A)contract marriage
B)limited-timespan marriage
C)premarital agreement
D)trial marriage

Question 34

Susan defines her family as consisting of both biological parents and her stepparents.This way of defining family is:

A)augmentation.
B)substitution.
C)reduction.
D)retention.

Question 35

The authors of your text point out that stepfamilies will work well to the extent that they confront and adequately respond to a number of challenges and tasks,including:

A)helping each other deal with feelings of loss.
B)the downplaying of loyalty conflicts.
C)accepting the reality that most lingering issues with ex-spouses cannot be resolved.
D)all of the above

Question 36

In summarizing the facts surrounding remarriage,the text observes that:

A)the marital relationship of the remarried is usually less satisfying than that of the first-married.
B)second marriages break down for the same reason as first marriages.
C)the remarried are less likely than the first-married to divorce.
D)none of the above

Question 37

Walter defines his family as his mother,stepfather,and brothers and sisters.He considers his stepfather as part of the family but not a replacement for his biological father.This way of defining family is:

A)retention.
B)substitution.
C)reduction.
D)augmentation.

Question 38

The text points out that students' reactions to the terms stepparent and stepchild is generally:

A)positive.
B)negative.
C)indifferent.
D)extremely hostile.

Question 39

The concept of who is considered "in" the family and who is "out" is termed:

A)family territory.
B)black sheep/white sheep.
C)kin bonds.
D)family boundary.

Question 40

Regarding their structure,the text observes that stepfamilies:

A)pose a greater challenge to the quest for intimacy.
B)are more complex because of the number of relationships.
C)involve a greater number of cultural norms with which to deal with life.
D)have clear-cut boundaries.