Deck 10: Power and Conflict in Marriage

Question 1

In Egypt,the Muslim marriage contract requires that:

A)husbands support their wives.
B)wives obey their husbands.
C)husbands agree to a "dower."
D)all of the above

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Janet is exhausted but agrees to have sex with her husband in order to avoid his verbal abuse.This illustrates __________ power.

A)informational
B)referent
C)expert
D)coercive

Answer 2

D

Question 3

A study of wives in Mexico reported that those with higher levels of education were:

A)less likely to be victims of violence.
B)more likely to have an equal say in decisions.
C)more likely to be satisfied with their influence in the decision-making process.
D)all of the above

Answer 3

D

Question 4

John and Martha are looking for a house to buy.Martha says: "John,I will leave this decision up to you since you are better at making business decisions." John responds: "Thanks,you are right,and I will make the decision." The type of power interaction between John and Martha is:

A)submissive symmetry.
B)neutralized symmetry.
C)competitive symmetry.
D)complementary interaction.

Question 5

Rebecca is a Republican but her husband convinces her that women will benefit more from Democratic leadership so she decides to vote a straight Democratic ticket.This is an example of __________ power in marriage.

A)legitimate
B)informational
C)referent
D)expert

Question 6

A wife learns how to fish because her husband loves the sport and she wants to please him.In this instance,the husband has __________ power.

A)referent
B)legitimate
C)expert
D)reward

Question 7

The "__________" states that the partner who is least interested in maintaining the relationship has the most power.

A)silent partner theory
B)principle of least interest
C)commitment/power theory
D)law of ASUMH

Question 8

In the "__________" type of equalitarian marriage,the spouses share authority over all decisions.

A)no-spouse-dominant
B)autonomic
C)gender-non-specific
D)syncratic

Question 9

According to the text's discussion,power and conflict:

A)are abnormal in and inconsistent with intimate relationships.
B)can wreck a relationship.
C)necessarily lead to dissatisfaction and always detract from the quality of relationships.
D)all of the above

Question 10

According to the authors of your text,power:

A)contradicts the very meaning of marriage.
B)means a sense of having some control and is,therefore,necessary to our mental health.
C)corrupts,and absolute power totally corrupts the intimacy of marriage.
D)both a and c.

Question 11

The idea that we will resist when someone tries to force us to engage in a type of behavior,even if that behavior is consistent with our attitudes,is called:

A)the principle of least resistance.
B)resource theory.
C)referent power.
D)reactance theory.

Question 12

Resources that determine power in families are:

A)always nonmaterial.
B)always material.
C)both material and nonmaterial.
D)attitudes only.

Question 13

Molly trusts her husband's judgment about automobiles and lets him decide which car to buy.This illustrates which type of power in marriage?

A)coercive
B)reward
C)expert
D)referent

Question 14

When neither spouse wants to control the situation and tries to give control to the other,they are practicing:

A)complementary interaction.
B)neutralized symmetry.
C)submissive symmetry.
D)interactive power.

Question 15

According to __________ theorists,issues of power and conflict are central to all human interaction.

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

Question 16

According to the text,the important point is not whether an outside observer would detect power,but whether people define their situation as one in which they have some power.This observation reflects __________ theory.

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

Question 17

The resource theory of power holds that:

A)the person with the most interest in the relationship has the most power.
B)the person with the fewest resources has the most power.
C)the person with more resources has more power.
D)the amount of power determines the number of resources.

Question 18

The text defines power as the:

A)use of force to get one's way.
B)ability to get someone to think or act in a certain way.
C)ability to get someone to do something against his or her wishes.
D)successful exercise of influence.

Question 19

The text cites a study of 90 couples which found that those with satisfying marriages:

A)allowed for one spouse to handle all of the decision making.
B)relegated all critical decision making to the husband.
C)divided up decision making so that each spouse had some power in the relationship.
D)none of the above

Question 20

In the "__________" type of equalitarian marriage,the decision making is equal,but separate.

A)autonomic
B)syncratic
C)husband-dominant
D)wife-dominant

Question 21

Which of the following is NOT one of Vuchinich's four ways in which a verbal attack by one member on another can end?

A)withdrawal
B)standoff
C)submission
D)tension outlet

Question 22

Psychiatrist Martin Goldberg points out six areas of marital interaction that underlie much of the conflict in a marriage.Which of the following is NOT one of these?

A)power and control
B)nurturance
C)fidelity
D)careers

Question 23

__________ involves some concern about both one's own interests and the interests of the other.

A)Accommodation
B)Compromise
C)Competition
D)Avoidance

Question 24

Sean and Rita are arguing over how little Sean has helped with housework and child care since Rita went back to work.To not make Sean feel bad,Rita says apologetically that she will continue to do most of the housework without complaining.Their style of conflict is:

A)competition.
B)avoidance.
C)accommodation.
D)compromise.

Question 25

A study of 130 newlyweds found that those couples in the happiest unions dealt with their problems by discussing them:

A)with gentleness,soothing,and de-escalation of negativity.
B)argumentatively.
C)without limiting conflict.
D)in an attempt to avoid confrontation.

Question 26

In her survey of 1,152 spouses who have been married 50 or more years,Alford-Cooper found that a majority of the respondents identified __________ as the most common source of conflict.

A)the spouse's annoying habits
B)raising the children
C)finances
D)relatives

Question 27

Since she married Duncan,Candy does not feel that she gets enough time to herself.When Duncan proposes they go out together,Candy suggests he go by himself.Duncan gets jealous and says she does not want to be seen with him.What is the underlying source of tension?

A)power and control
B)infidelity
C)differences in style
D)intimacy and privacy

Question 28

According to the text,when couples fight,it is important to:

A)use conflict to attack problems,not one's partner.
B)be flexible and willing to compromise.
C)keep loving while fighting.
D)all of the above

Question 29

Bill wants Tammie to attend his family reunion with him.Tammie fires back: "No,I'm not going,you never do anything with my family,and you put them down all the time." Bill and Tammie's interaction represents which type of power relationship?

A)submissive symmetry
B)neutralized symmetry
C)competitive symmetry
D)complementary interaction

Question 30

According to the text's discussion,well-managed conflict:

A)can create and maintain an equitable balance of power.
B)helps to defuse more serious conflict.
C)helps people to grow.
D)all of the above

Question 31

Which of the following is NOT one of the illusions mentioned in the text that create tension in marriage?

A)the belief that all couples have a 50/50 chance of a lasting marriage.
B)the notion that a marriage can be carefree
C)the belief that whatever problems there are,they will improve with time
D)the various unrealistic expectations we hold about marriage or the meaning of being a husband and a wife

Question 32

The style of conflict that indicates little concern for one's own interests or for the interests of the partner is:

A)collaboration.
B)accommodation.
C)avoidance.
D)egocentrism.

Question 33

The text cites longitudinal research concluding that the most powerful predictor of whether a couple will break up or stay together is:

A)the way they handle their differences.
B)who decides to resort to violence first.
C)who ultimately gets power.
D)who makes the decisions.

Question 34

Among the following combinations,which is most likely to be conducive to a stable and satisfying relationship?

A)two competitors
B)two avoiders
C)a competitor and an accommodator
D)a collaborator and a compromiser

Question 35

Which of the following does not represent a "social source" of tension?

A)high rate of inflation
B)a belief that problems will solve themselves over time
C)concerns about trust
D)moving to a new home

Question 36

The text identifies three main issues over which married couples have conflict.Which of the following is NOT one of these?

A)money
B)children
C)sex
D)division of labor for household chores

Question 37

In terms of conflict in marriage,the most important element is:

A)who has the most power.
B)who eventually wins the most decision-making authority.
C)whether the participants resort to violence.
D)how the conflict is handled.

Question 38

Social scientists who specialize in interpersonal conflict have identified five different styles of fighting.Which of the following is NOT one of these?

A)competition
B)avoidance
C)accommodation
D)instigation

Question 39

Peggy resents Steve's lack of affection for her as his spouse.She does not say anything about this though,because she values peace between them.Her style of conflict is:

A)competition.
B)avoidance.
C)accommodation.
D)compromise.

Question 40

Christina keeps all her bills and papers in marked envelopes,which makes them neat and easy to find.Her husband,Dennis,lets his papers stack up in haphazard piles around the house.Christina thinks Dennis is being irresponsible.Dennis thinks Christina is trying to show him up.What is the most likely underlying cause of their tension?

A)lack of trust
B)concern about privacy
C)differences in style
D)insufficient nurturance