Deck 8: Communication

Question 1

Studies conducted to test the self-expansion model proposed by Aron and colleagues suggest that:

A) even conflict,if it is sufficiently arousing and frequent,can improve relationships.
B) engaging in novel and arousing activities can counteract the "typical honeymoon-then-years-of-blandness pattern" that tends to happen as relationships develop.
C) self-expansion is more important than other-expansion early in relationships.
D) arousing activities must also be self-expanding for relationships to be maintained.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Petula's mother has a terminal illness and she is not expected to live more than a few weeks.Petula just placed her mother in hospice.Petula told her romantic partner,Sarah,that she feels guilty and that she feels she is abandoning her mother.Sarah responds by saying,"Well,everyone has to die sometime." What perspective from your text helps us understand Sarah's response?

A) intimacy process model
B) attachment theory
C) self-expansion model
D) capitalization

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Your friend Mia is in a bad spot in her 5-year relationship with Lee.She finds the relationship boring and complains that she never does anything new;she does not feel particularly attracted to Lee anymore.Given this information,which of the following is the most credible explanation for why Mia is dissatisfied?

A) Mia desires quality time more than Lee,so she is likely to be unhappy with Lee.
B) Mia has an avoidant attachment system,so she is likely to become bored with Lee.
C) Mia and Lee are engaging in more self-expansion opportunities compared to routine ones.
D) Mia and Lee are engaging in more pleasant activities compared to self-expanding ones.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The intimacy process model is important because it draws attention to:

A) how support can sometimes be costly because it involves vulnerable disclosures.
B) capitalization processes in relationships.
C) the empathy process in relationships.
D) how partner responses to disclosures influence the perception of the relationship.

Question 5

Which types of shared-couple activities have been shown to increase relationship satisfaction and communication?

A) outdoor
B) trust-building
C) novel
D) pleasant

Question 6

________ refers to the routine behaviors and strategies partners undertake to help ensure that their relationship will continue.

A) Capitalization
B) Relationship maintenance
C) Intimacy process model
D) Support

Question 7

Over the course of the semester,your friend Samantha meets someone and falls in love.From the self-expansion perspective,what changes can you expect to observe in Samantha?

A) She will be more likely to share good experiences with her new partner.
B) She will feel less effective in her schoolwork because she will be spending more time with her new partner.
C) She will have a richer sense of her own identity.
D) She will engage in fewer new activities because she will be building intimacy with her new partner.

Question 8

Julian tells his wife,Danielle,"I'm worried that my brother might be drinking again." She nods and goes back to typing on the computer.Julian tries again,"I smelled alcohol on my brother last week,and I really hope he hasn't fallen off the wagon." After a few seconds of silence,his wife turns to him and says,"Hmm,right." What is this an example of?

A) vulnerable disclosure
B) empathy
C) interpretive filters
D) disengagement

Question 9

You know your partner has been studying all day for an exam and will not have had time to cook supper,so you pick up some takeout on your way home from work.Your behavior is an example of:

A) empathy.
B) capitalization.
C) relationship maintenance.
D) intimacy process model.

Question 10

According to the intimacy process model:

A) factual disclosures provide greater opportunities for intimacy than emotional disclosures.
B) motives,needs,goals,and fears affect how partners interpret one another's behaviors.
C) feelings of being understood,validated,and cared for are determined by one's attachment history.
D) responses to disclosures are unrelated to intimacy development.

Question 11

You design a couples experiment where half the couples go on weekly dates and do activities that they find exciting and novel (e.g. ,cooking class,skydiving)and the other half go on weekly dates and engage in activities that they typically enjoy (e.g. ,movies,dinner).What prediction do you make about the effect of this experiment on their relationship satisfaction?

A) The two groups should have the same satisfaction at the end of the study because they are both engaging in pleasant activities.
B) The couples in the novel and exciting group should have higher relationship satisfaction because they are self-expanding together.
C) The couples in the pleasant activities group should have higher relationship satisfaction because they are not imposing certain activities on each other.
D) The couples in the pleasant activities group should have higher relationship satisfaction because they are self-expanding together.

Question 12

Which of the following is true?

A) Self-expansion only occurs in the context of relationships.
B) Engaging in exciting activities,even unpleasant ones,will always enrich relationships.
C) In the early stages of self-expansion,relationship satisfaction is mostly derived from the shared activities that are novel and exciting to at least one member of the couple.
D) Engaging in shared pleasant activities is not as self-expanding as engaging in shared novel activities.

Question 13

You have been under a great deal of stress at work for the past few months.You tell your partner about your concerns.Your partner responds by saying,"It sounds like this is really difficult for you to handle." What kind of response has your partner made?

A) invalidation
B) empathy
C) invisible support
D) active-constructive

Question 14

When a partner makes a personal disclosure,how does that affect the self-esteem of the other partner?

A) Individuals with high self-esteem are likely to feel less valued by their partners.
B) Individuals with high self-esteem are likely to feel more valued by their partners.
C) Individuals with low self-esteem are likely to feel more valued by their partners.
D) Regardless of the level of self-esteem,individuals are likely to feel valued by their partners if their partner is a good listener.

Question 15

Ivan's father had a stroke and is now living with Ivan's sister.Ivan told his wife,Ann,that he feels guilty that his sister has to bear the burden of caring for their father.Ann responds by saying,"Well,maybe we can help pitch in for some of the extra groceries." What perspective from your text helps us understand Ann's response?

A) intimacy process model
B) attachment theory
C) self-expansion model
D) capitalization

Question 16

Regarding maintenance processes in relationships,which of the following is true?

A) Invisible support is typically detrimental to relationships because it goes unnoticed.
B) Social scientists have not established sound procedures for observing social support.
C) Forgiveness does not require an apology.
D) Capitalization has more to do with the perception of behavior than with the actual behavior.

Question 17

Adnan has had a tough day at work and his partner,Georges,listens to him complain and then makes sure that Adnan eats a good meal and gets to bed early.The next day,Adnan tells Georges that he wishes Georges was more supportive about his work problems.What is the most likely explanation for Adnan's comment to Georges?

A) Adnan views Georges' responses through an interpretive filter.
B) Georges views Adnan's responses through an interpretive filter.
C) Georges failed to provide good social support to Adnan.
D) Adnan is the kind of person who simply complains a lot.

Question 18

Jaswinder has been in a relationship with Sukhdip for about 2 years;they have set up a joint bank account and have bought a house together,and Jaswinder has taught Sukhdip how to ski and has introduced her to his hobby of photography.What model or perspective best explains these behaviors?

A) self-expansion
B) intimacy process model
C) social support
D) capitalization

Question 19

Asian Americans are ________ likely than European Americans to disclose their needs for support to a romantic partner because of concern that ________.

A) more;not doing so will cause embarrassment
B) more;the partner will value them less if they do not
C) less;doing so will burden the partner
D) less;it might be interpreted as disengagement

Question 20

Studies by Aron and colleagues suggest that couples who engage in ________ activities together tend to experience increases in relationship satisfaction and communication.

A) cooperative
B) passionate
C) trust-building
D) novel

Question 21

Acts that communicate caring and validate the other's feelings are known as _____ support.

A) perceived
B) social
C) accepted
D) instrumental

Question 22

Your roommate is studying for a big final exam.You notice that she is anxious,so,to help out,you decide to wash all the dinner dishes,even though it is her turn.What kind of support is this?

A) emotional support
B) invisible support
C) active-constructive support
D) passive-constructive support

Question 23

Sharing positive emotions will enhance our relationships and thus build resources (e.g. ,strong relationships)on which we can draw in times of need.With what theory of relationships is this most consistent?

A) self-expansion theory
B) broaden-and-build theory
C) attachment theory
D) self-verification theory

Question 24

Your partner just got a promotion at work and shares the news with you.Which of the following responses would be most likely to enhance your partner's relationship satisfaction?

A) "That's nice."
B) "Does this mean you're going to be working even longer hours?"
C) "That's good to know;now we can go on that vacation next summer."
D) "Wow,that's fantastic! Let's go out to dinner tonight to celebrate."

Question 25

Visible support is to ________ as invisible support is to ________.

A) not helpful;helpful
B) known;unknown
C) practical;emotional
D) satisfied;dissatisfied

Question 26

Niall Bolger and his colleagues (2000)conducted a study of law students taking the bar exam and their partners.Which of the following is true?

A) Law students had the best adjustment (i.e. ,more positive mood)when they perceived support from their partners.
B) Law students were most satisfied in their relationships when their distress level (anxiety,depression,etc. )was the lowest.
C) Law students had the best adjustment when their partners provided more support than the law students reported receiving.
D) Law students had the best adjustment when they perceived more support,but their partners said they had not provided it.

Question 27

Shelly Gable and colleagues (2004)investigated the association between partners' disclosures of positive life events and relationship satisfaction.Which of the following statements best describes the findings from this line of research?

A) Active-constructive responses are positively related to relationship satisfaction.
B) Passive-constructive responses are positively related to relationship satisfaction.
C) Active-destructive responses to partners' disclosures are negatively related to relationship satisfaction.
D) Passive-destructive responses to partners' disclosures are not related to relationship satisfaction.

Question 28

Your partner is dealing with an upcoming important deadline at work.What type of support should you provide and why?

A) emotional support to bolster his self-esteem
B) practical support to help him with his work
C) visible support so that he knows you care for and value him
D) invisible support so as not to undermine his self-esteem

Question 29

Passive-constructive capitalization responses are negatively associated with relationship satisfaction.Why might this be?

A) They are invisible,so there is no benefit of this type of response.
B) There is a problem with the reliability of the measure of passive-constructive responses.
C) The passive aspect of these responses overwhelms the constructive nature of the comments.
D) These responses focus only on the positive emotion that the discloser experienced and not enough on the positive nature of the good news.

Question 30

Mohinder takes care of making dinner and washing the dishes while Sally is studying for her exam.Based on this,Mohinder is offering what type of support?

A) tangible
B) invisible
C) visible
D) emotional

Question 31

Carl told his wife,Meena,that he got a raise at work.Meena (although happy for Carl)did not say much.What type of capitalization response is this?

A) active-constructive
B) active-destructive
C) passive-destructive
D) passive-constructive

Question 32

What is social integration?

A) when people acquire resources,enrich their identities,and elaborate on what they know via their close relationships
B) when people respond positively to their partners' disclosures of positive news
C) when people have stronger social ties and connections
D) when people take on aspects of their partners' identities as their own

Question 33

Lisa is in the middle of studying for four final exams and feels a great deal of stress.Her partner,Alex,is trying to decide how best to help: he could do more around the house by doing the dishes and cooking dinner more often and mowing the lawn,or he could offer to help quiz her on some of the material.What should Alex do and why?

A) Alex should offer to help quiz Lisa on the material so that she knows it really well in time for her exam.
B) Alex should offer to help quiz Lisa on the material because it is clear she cannot handle the situation on her own.
C) Alex should do more around the house because Lisa is likely to notice and appreciate everything he is doing for her.
D) Alex should do more around the house in a way that Lisa will not notice so that she will not feel like she cannot handle the situation on her own.

Question 34

Lisa is in the middle of studying for four final exams and feels a great deal of stress.Her partner,Alex,offers to help quiz her on some of the material.According to the textbook,Alex is providing:

A) emotional support.
B) visible support.
C) accepted support.
D) invisible support.

Question 35

Self-expansion theory provides an explanation for:

A) why relationship satisfaction declines over time.
B) why people prefer predictability in their relationship.
C) mate selection.
D) why people stay in a relationship that is not particularly satisfying.

Question 36

Lisa is in the middle of studying for four final exams and feels a great deal of stress.Her partner,Alex,decides to help more around the house by doing the dishes and cooking dinner more often and mowing the lawn;however,Lisa does not notice that Alex has stepped up because she is too busy studying for finals.According to the textbook,Alex is providing:

A) emotional support.
B) visible support.
C) accepted support.
D) invisible support.

Question 37

Carl learns that Meena got a promotion.Carl said congratulations,but he then expressed his concern that this promotion might actually increase her workload.What kind of capitalization response is this?

A) active-constructive
B) active-destructive
C) passive-destructive
D) passive-constructive

Question 38

Selena is proud of herself for getting an article published in her school newspaper and has called her boyfriend,Nick,to tell him the good news.Which of the following factors will most likely determine whether Selena benefits from her attempt at capitalization?

A) the response she receives from Nick
B) how much time passes between the event and telling Nick about it
C) the level of intimacy in their relationship
D) whether Nick also shares his own good news with Selena at the same time

Question 39

According to Gable and her colleagues,passive-constructive responses to capitalization attempts are associated with:

A) greater relationship trust.
B) greater relationship satisfaction.
C) lower relationship intimacy.
D) lower relationship trust.

Question 40

As the rate of self-expansion drops in a relationship,_____ and ___________begin to fade.

A) satisfaction;love
B) visible support;invisible support
C) boredom;disappointment
D) real support;perceived support

Question 41

According to the intimacy process model,interpretive filters can influence perceptions of a partner's behavior.Describe how interpretive filters can influence social support provision,capitalization,and forgiveness in relationships.

Question 42

In response to a blunder John made,John's wife,Carineh,said,"You are so dumb,John." John got angry,and Carineh quickly apologized.John forgave Carineh even though he didn't tell her so.What type of forgiveness is John displaying?

A) hollow
B) partial
C) silent
D) interpersonal

Question 43

According to the text,________ describes the transformation that occurs when people's motivation to seek revenge for hurtful actions diminishes and their motivation to pursue conciliatory courses of action increases.

A) invisible support
B) intimacy
C) forgiveness
D) capitalization

Question 44

Describe the intimacy process model.

Question 45

Maytal has an insecure attachment style and is married to her wife,Sally.Sally recently poked fun at Maytal for putting on a bit of weight in the past month,which hurt Maytal's feelings.Sally apologized.While Maytal could tell Sally was sincere,Maytal was still upset.What factor is most likely making it difficult for Maytal to forgive Sally?

A) personality of the victim
B) qualities of the apology
C) qualities of the relationship
D) seriousness of the offense

Question 46

Danny and Stella were in therapy following the revelation of Stella's relationship with another man.Danny felt hurt,angry,and confused about his relationship and feelings for Stella.Stella was defensive about the affair and tried to hide the full extent of her relationship with the other man.What stage of forgiveness do you think this couple is experiencing?

A) impact
B) meaning
C) moving on
D) reconciliation

Question 47

Liam has adjusted to the revelation that his wife cheated on him a year ago.He recognizes that if he holds a grudge against her,it is going to affect their family negatively,so he decides to forgive her.What stage of forgiveness is Liam most likely experiencing?

A) impact
B) meaning
C) moving on
D) silent

Question 48

Brad and Jing-Mei have been married for several years.Recently Brad discovered that Jing-Mei had a brief affair.Which of the following will NOT increase the likelihood that Brad will forgive Jing-Mei?

A) Brad believes Jing-Mei is fully in control of her actions.
B) Jing-Mei apologized and promised never to do it again.
C) Brad is generally an amiable,easygoing person.
D) Brad is extremely committed to Jing-Mei and their relationship.

Question 49

Gertrude just got a new job.Her boyfriend,Andre,responded by saying,"I really hope I can find a summer job.It is going to be hard this late in the semester." What would you conclude about their relationship from this exchange?

A) They are probably satisfied with their relationship.
B) They are probably dissatisfied with their relationship.
C) Andre is probably satisfied,and Gertrude is dissatisfied in the relationship.
D) Gertrude is probably satisfied,and Andre is dissatisfied in the relationship.

Question 50

According to Gable (2004),there are four basic types of capitalization responses.List the four types and discuss how each is related to relationship intimacy.

Question 51

In response to a blunder John made,John's wife,Carineh,said,"You are so dumb,John." John got angry,and Carineh quickly apologized.John told Carineh he forgave her even though he did not mean it because he was still angry with her.What type of forgiveness is John displaying?

A) hollow
B) partial
C) silent
D) intrapersonal

Question 52

Anthony has been struggling with the decision to return to school to become an architect or to continue in his high-paying,but very dissatisfying,job.He decides to talk to his wife,Mei,about the problem.He tells her,"Mei,I know it would be tough financially,but I'm thinking about going back to school to become an architect.What do you think?" Provide an example of an empathic response that Mei could give Anthony.

Question 53

Lisa discovered that her wife had lied about a bad investment that has cost them a good portion of their life savings.Still unhappy about the situation,Lisa is asking many questions about what happened.What stage of forgiveness do you think Lisa is experiencing?

A) impact
B) meaning
C) moving on
D) silent

Question 54

Mila is an emotionally stable person,who has had a positive and committed relationship with her husband,Dwayne.However,she recently learned that Dwayne had an affair 6 months ago when she was out of town on a work trip.Although Dwayne apologized to Mila,expressing remorse,she is still extremely upset by the situation.What factor is most likely making it difficult for Mila to forgive Dwayne?

A) personality of the victim
B) qualities of the apology
C) qualities of the relationship
D) seriousness of the offense

Question 55

Cassandra's coworkers celebrate her birthday by taking her to a spa for a manicure and pedicure instead of working in the afternoon.She tells her wife,Patricia,all about the outing.What might Patricia say or do that would represent the (1)active-constructive; (2)active-destructive;and (3)passive-destructive capitalization responses to Cassandra's disclosure?

Question 56

Ken is an agreeable person with a secure attachment style.He recently scheduled a date with his wife,Diane,but she never showed up.Diane offered a sincere apology to Ken for forgetting about their dinner date;however,Ken was still upset.What factor is most likely making it difficult for Ken to forgive Diane?

A) personality of the victim
B) qualities of the apology
C) qualities of the relationship
D) seriousness of the offense

Question 57

Lloyd is an emotionally stable man,who has a secure relationship with his husband,Mario.One day,Mario tells Lloyd that Lloyd was being annoying by not doing the household duties,which made Lloyd upset.Mario apologized to Lloyd;however,Lloyd did not find Mario's apology to be sincere.What factor is most likely making it difficult for Lloyd to forgive Mario?

A) personality of the victim
B) qualities of the apology
C) qualities of the relationship
D) seriousness of the offense

Question 58

Which of the following is NOT one of the four factors that determines whether an individual forgives the partner for a transgression?

A) personality of the victim
B) quality of the apology
C) sexual orientation of the couple
D) quality of the relationship

Question 59

Following a transgression,Juan feels angry,yet acts warmly to his partner.Juan's feelings of anger are considered _________,whereas his acting warmly is considered _________.

A) intrapersonal;interpersonal
B) interpersonal;intrapersonal
C) an example of silent forgiveness;an example of hollow forgiveness
D) an example of hollow forgiveness;an example of silent forgiveness

Question 60

According to definitions of forgiveness given in the text,which of the following is required for a couple to experience forgiveness?

A) immediate reconciliation with the transgressor
B) a promise from the offender not to re-offend
C) a decline in the partner's motivation for revenge against the transgressor
D) an increase in emotional distance from the offender

Question 61

You go on a local television show to promote your new research study on social support.The interviewer asks,"Why do you need to study social support? Isn't it simple: Being supportive is better?" How do you respond to her comment,referring to specific research findings on support presented in the text?

Question 62

Your friend Humpreet asks you what she can do to put the "spice" back into her 2-year relationship with Tasha.She says the two of them get along fine,but the relationship seems to be routine compared with when they first started dating.From a self-expansion perspective,what suggestion(s)would you give Humpreet and why?

Question 63

How does the self-expansion model help us explain the deterioration of relationship satisfaction?

Question 64

Describe the three stages of forgiveness developed by Gordon and Baucom (1998).

Question 65

Compare and contrast silent forgiveness and hollow forgiveness,and discuss how they operate in the context of intimate relationships from an intra- and interpersonal level.

Question 66

Meg and Jian have been married 10 years and both feel generally dissatisfied with their marriage.Although they still get along fine and spend lots of time together,both feel that their relationship and their lives,in general,are rather flat.From a self-expansion perspective,give two interpretations of what the problem might be.

Question 67

Your partner is dealing with an upcoming important deadline at work and needs to spend most nights working on the project rather than watching TV with you.What is the best way for you to support him during this stressful time and why?

Question 68

Brad and Jing-Mei have been married for several years.Recently Brad discovered that Jing-Mei had a brief affair.The text describes four factors that increase the likelihood of forgiveness following a relationship transgression.Which of these factors might argue for Brad's forgiveness and which might argue against Brad's forgiveness.

Question 69

Define invisible and visible support,and discuss which type may be more beneficial under certain conditions.

Question 70

Compare and contrast the processes of social support and capitalization and how they are related to relationship quality.