Deck 10: Divorce and Remarriage

Question 1

Divorce issues have been debated in America for almost 400 years.Opponents of divorce rights have usually maintained which of the following?

A)There are no legitimate reasons for allowing divorce.
B)There is only one legitimate reason for allowing divorce,and that is adultery.
C)There is only one legitimate reason for allowing divorce,and that is physical violence.
D)There is only one legitimate reason for allowing divorce,and that is insanity.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Recent research indicates that divorce rates among Army officers ____________ since the time before the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

A)remained the same
B)increased significantly
C)decreased significantly
D)decreased temporarily the first year but returned to the same level

Answer 2

B

Question 3

What is the relationship between age at first marriage and divorce?

A)People who marry after the age of 25 have a significantly higher rate of divorce than those who marry in their teens.
B)People who marry after the age of 25 have a significantly lower rate of divorce than those who marry in their teens.
C)Age at first marriage makes no statistically significant difference in divorce rates.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Before 1970,divorce laws in the United States were based on the concept of

A)crime.
B)fault.
C)marriage as religious contract.
D)marriage as a civil contract.

Question 5

According to the Whitehead and Propenoe research cited in Aulette,which of the following correlates reduces the probability of divorce the most?

A)Income of over $50,000 (vs.under $25,000)
B)Education - having some college (vs.high school drop out)
C)Religious affiliation (vs.none)
D)Having own family of origin intact (vs.divorced parents)

Question 6

Which of the following is true about the relationship between race ethnicity and divorce?

A)European Americans have a higher rate of divorce than African Americans.
B)Latinos have a lower rate of divorce than European Americans.
C)Chinese Americans have very low rates of divorce.
D)There is no documented relationship between race ethnicity and divorce rates.

Question 7

Aulette noted that Chinese Americans have a very low rate of divorce.She cites Glenn,who suggests which of the following as the reason?

A)Since China still does not allow divorce,many Chinese Americans are following the culture of their ancestors.
B)Chinese women are sufficiently submissive to reduce the conflict,which in turn reduces the divorce rate.
C)Many Chinese American couples are also business partners with a family business thus making divorce more difficult.
D)Chinese Americans view marriage as a contractual relationship in which love and affection are irrelevant.

Question 8

The first legal divorce in North America was granted in

A)1492.
B)1639.
C)1853.
D)1920.

Question 9

Of the various ways to measure divorce,which of the following is considered the best?

A)Reporting the number of divorces per year.
B)Using the crude divorce rate as the number of divorces per 1,000 population.
C)Measuring the ratio of current marriages to current divorces.
D)Using the refined divorce rate as the number of divorces per 1,000 married women over age fifteen.

Question 10

No-fault divorce legislation had six major innovations compared to the traditional fault-based divorce.These include all of the following EXCEPT:

A)Neither spouse has to prove fault to obtain a divorce.
B)One spouse can decide unilaterally to obtain a divorce.
C)Financial awards are based on who violated the marriage contract.
D)New standards for alimony and property treated women and men equally.

Question 11

Divorce issues have been debated in America for almost 400 years.The pro-divorce rights faction in the United States has maintained that divorce

A)should require at least one of four,legally-recognized faults: adultery; violence; alcoholism or drug addiction; or conviction of a felony.
B)rates could and should be reduced by increasing the minimum age for marriage to 21 and increasing the marriage license waiting period to six months.
C)is a citizen's right in a democratic society.
D)should not be regulated by the state in any way.

Question 12

Aulette cited the 2005 National Marriage Project research that reported that one in ________ marriages in the United States end in divorce.

A)two
B)three
C)four
D)five

Question 13

Divorces are more likely to occur for couples who have been married between about

A)two and six months.
B)two and four years.
C)six and eight years.
D)twenty and twenty-two years.

Question 14

What is the relationship between education and divorce?

A)There is no documented relationship between education and divorce.
B)College educated people have a higher rate of divorce than high-school dropouts.
C)College educated people have a lower rate of divorce than high-school dropouts.

Question 15

Demography is the study of

A)the causes of divorce.
B)human behavior in urban areas.
C)the size,composition,and distribution of human populations.
D)legal systems.

Question 16

What is the general relationship between income and divorce?

A)Higher income people have higher divorce rates.
B)Lower income people have higher divorce rates.
C)Income and divorce are not related.

Question 17

In 1970,California instituted the first _________ in the Western world.By 1985 all states had adopted some version of the same.

A)common-law marriage
B)civil marriage
C)legal divorce
D)no-fault divorce

Question 18

No fault divorce laws are available in

A)only California,Minnesota,Iowa and Massachusetts.
B)about half of the states.
C)all states except Florida,Alabama,Arkansas and South Carolina.
D)all states.

Question 19

All of the following are true about the history of divorce EXCEPT:

A)The Puritans thought divorce was too easy and frequent in England so they initially forbade it in the American colonies.
B)Puritan officials in Plymouth declared in 1620 that marriage was a civil rather than an ecclesiastical matter,making divorce possible.
C)Divorce was not available in England until the late 1600's.
D)From the late 1600's until 1853 divorce could be obtained in England only by a decree from Parliament.

Question 20

Louisiana,Arizona and Arkansas have enacted the option of __________ to replace no-fault divorce.

A)binding arbitration
B)common-law marriage
C)covenant marriage
D)legal separation

Question 21

In Louisiana,Arizona and Arkansas,couples may choose to have a covenant marriage.Covenant marriage includes all of the following EXCEPT:

A)Couples must be married in a church by an ordained minister.
B)Couples receive premarital counseling.
C)Couples sign an affidavit that confirms their lifetime commitment and their understanding of the limited grounds under which they may divorce.
D)Couples must agree to go through counseling to work through problems before a divorce can be obtained.

Question 22

Who is more likely to initiate a divorce?

A)At least two-thirds of divorces are initiated by women.
B)At least two-thirds of divorces are initiated by men.
C)Women and men are equally likely to initiate divorce.

Question 23

All of the following are grounds for divorce that may be used by a couple with a covenant marriage EXCEPT:

A)adultery.
B)commission of a felony that results in imprisonment.
C)living separately for two or more years.
D)irreconcilable differences.

Question 24

No-fault divorce laws

A)are based on the premise of equality between women and men.
B)have been especially helpful to women.
C)provide a guaranteed income to full-time homemakers.
D)have made divorce more legally complex and expensive.

Question 25

If a couple has a covenant marriage they may

A)never divorce.
B)divorce for only adultery.
C)divorce only for a limited number of grounds such as adultery,abuse,or chemical dependency.
D)choose a no-fault divorce if they both agree.

Question 26

After divorce,Inuit (Eskimos)believed it was acceptable to reactivate a marriage between the formerly married couple in which of the following cases?

A)If they began living together again.
B)If they obtain a document of reactivation from the court.
C)If the couple had children,particularly if they were young.
D)Never; divorced couples were forbidden to marry each other again.

Question 27

Aulette cited Kurz who interviewed women about why their marriages ended.All of the following are among the primary reasons given by at least 17% of the women EXCEPT:

A)Personal dissatisfaction (lack of love,too much fighting or they did not like the way their husbands treated them).
B)Violence.
C)Hard living (drinking,drug use,and frequent absences).
D)Money problems.

Question 28

Among the traditional Inuit (commonly called Eskimos)

A)divorce was not allowed for any reason.
B)husbands could divorce wives but wives could not divorce husbands.
C)wives could divorce husbands but husbands could not divorce wives.
D)either the husband or wife could decide on a divorce which was accomplished without ceremony when they stopped living together.

Question 29

Aulette cited several researchers who had surveyed people about their divorces.They generally found most people

A)were happier after their divorce than when married.
B)regretted their divorce and wished they had worked harder to save their marriage.
C)were evenly split - almost half were happier and slightly more than half regretted their divorce.
D)Most people felt socially isolated and lonely after their divorce.

Question 30

Women are more likely to be socially stigmatized for a divorce if

A)their husbands leave them for a more traditional woman.
B)they get an especially good property settlement.
C)they have young children.
D)they start dating "too soon" - within several months.

Question 31

Aulette cited Ahrons who identified _______ transitions in the divorce experience,including ___________.

A)three ...before,during,after
B)four ...psychological,sociological,geographic,legal
C)five ...decision,announcement,separation,formal,aftermath.
D)six ...emotional,physical,social,legal,parental,property,

Question 32

Men are more likely to be socially stigmatized for a divorce if they

A)began affairs before their divorce.
B)started dating women who are younger and prettier than their wives.
C)were violent.
D)were financial failures.

Question 33

Some social analysts (including Aulette)assert that no-fault laws disadvantage women.All of the following are among the reasons they give for this claim EXCEPT:

A)Married couples tend to make decisions that reduce the earning capacity of women leaving them more economically vulnerable in a divorce.
B)Women make less money than men in the labor market.
C)Equal division of marital property generally excludes pensions and education as assets and means that the house is no longer awarded to women.
D)Although women's contributions to their husbands' earning capacity is a legally-recognized asset,it is most often undervalued.

Question 34

Alimony or spousal support is awarded in _________ of divorce settlements.

A)14%
B)32%
C)53%
D)86%

Question 35

Comparisons of Asian Americans and other Americans after divorce indicate that Asian American women experience a stronger sense of

A)shamefulness and failure.
B)serenity and peace.
C)freedom and opportunity.
D)anger and frustration.

Question 36

From 1900 until the late 1990's,

A)an increase in the mortality rate was offset by an decrease in the divorce rate but marital dissolution from death or divorce increased significantly.
B)an increase in the mortality rate was offset by an decrease in the divorce rate but marital dissolution from death or divorce actually declined significantly.
C)a decline in the mortality rate was offset by an increase in the divorce rate but marital dissolution from death or divorce actually increased significantly.
D)a decline in the mortality rate was offset by an increase in the divorce rate but marital dissolution from death or divorce is not much different.

Question 37

Among the traditional Inuit (Eskimos)the estimated divorce rate

A)was almost zero.
B)was about one-third.
C)was slightly more than half.
D)was almost 100%.

Question 38

After a divorce among the traditional Inuit (Eskimos),

A)one of the spouses is required to leave the community to avoid conflict.
B)ex-spouses ignore each other and never speak again.
C)ex-spouses are obligated to treat each other in a friendly and supportive manner.
D)there is much bitterness,anger and conflict with friends and relatives taking sides.

Question 39

Property settlements in divorce among the Inuit (Eskimos)were easy because

A)people owned so little.
B)women and men owned different kinds of property.
C)only men were allowed to own property.
D)property was redistributed to the community after a couple divorced.

Question 40

Aulette cited 2005 data indicating that,after a divorce,women on average experienced

A)a decline in both family income and per capita income of their household.
B)a decline in family income but an improvement in per capita income of their household.
C)an improvement in family income but a decline in per capita income of their household.
D)an improvement in family income and per capita income of their household.

Question 41

Arendell (cited by Aulette)interviewed divorced men and grouped them into three categories according to their response to divorce.Which group focused on their parental responsibilities for their children rather than their rights as fathers?

A)Traditionalists
B)Neo-traditionalists
C)Structuralists
D)Innovators

Question 42

Aulette cited Ahrons who wrote a book titled The Good Divorce.She maintains that a good divorce includes all of the following EXCEPT:

A)It allows children to continue relationships with family members who were important to them before the divorce.
B)Both parents cooperate with one another in regards to the children.
C)Both parents are supportive of the children after the divorce.
D)Children and both parents maintain the same lifestyle as before the divorce.

Question 43

Until the mid-1800's in the United States,

A)divorce was not allowed.
B)fathers received custody of children after a divorce unless proven unfit.
C)mothers received custody of children after a divorce unless proven unfit.
D)courts removed children from divorcing parents and placed them with extended family.

Question 44

Sociologists have found that divorce is beneficial for children when

A)the noncustodial parent prevents split loyalties by basically disappearing from children's lives.
B)the marriage had a high level of conflict.
C)children continue to live in the family home.
D)they experience joint physical custody.

Question 45

Which of the following is true regarding remarriage after divorce?

A)Women are more likely to remarry than men.
B)Men are more likely to remarry than women.
C)Women and men are equally likely to remarry.
D)Women and men are almost equally likely to remarry though women do so more quickly.

Question 46

All of the following are true regarding divorce and remarriage EXCEPT:

A)The majority of people who divorce will eventually remarry.
B)People who divorce before the age of 25 have a higher probability of remarriage than those who divorce after the age of 25.
C)Women with children have a higher probability of remarriage than women without children.
D)Men are more likely to remarry than women.

Question 47

Arendell (cited by Aulette)interviewed divorced men and grouped them into three categories according to their response to divorce.Which category had limited contact with wives,continued to define them as the enemy and were especially distressed about the loss of control over their wives and children?

A)Traditionalists
B)Neo-traditionalists
C)Structuralists
D)Innovators

Question 48

Aulette cited Constance Ahrons who wrote a book titled The Good Divorce.What is her definition of a good divorce?

A)When both people are happier after the divorce.
B)When neither person is required to make continued financial transfers (such as spousal maintenance)after a 50-50 settlement.
C)One that does not injure children.
D)One that does not cause poverty for either person.

Question 49

All of the following are true regarding joint child custody arrangements after divorce EXCEPT one.Which is FALSE?

A)has been shown to be beneficial for children.
B)has been shown to be beneficial for mothers.
C)has been shown to be beneficial for fathers.
D)requires children to live with each parent for an approximately equal amount of time.

Question 50

Laws in nearly all states currently use which criteria to determine child custody in contested divorces?

A)"Principle of Tender Years"
B)"Best Interest of the Child"
C)"Convincing and Compelling Evidence"
D)"Principle of Economic Advantage"

Question 51

Social researchers have identified some key factors that distinguish children who had been damaged by divorce and those who had not.All of the following are listed in Aulette as factors contributing to the well being of children of divorce EXCEPT

A)parents who cooperate with each other.
B)parents who are mutually supportive of the children.
C)ability to maintain their middle-class lifestyle,live in the same house and continue in the same school.
D)maintenance of relationships with family members who were important to them before the divorce including fathers,grandparents,stepsiblings,etc.

Question 52

According to researchers cited by Aulette,when custody is contested in divorces

A)fathers obtain either joint or sole custody the majority of the time.
B)mothers win primary custody at least 70% of the time.
C)children 13 and over make the decision while children 12 and under make a recommendation to the judge.
D)women judges favor women while male judges favor men.

Question 53

Statistics comparing first marriages and all remarriages indicate that remarriages have ___________ rate of divorce.

A)a lower
B)a higher
C)the same

Question 54

What were the primary reasons noncustodial fathers gave researchers about not paying child support?

A)Inadequate income
B)Retaliation for visitation problems
C)The relationship with their children was no longer close
D)They were angry about losing custody conflicts

Question 55

What is meant by "rebuttable presumption" by courts in regards to child custody?

A)The court will give custody to the mother unless the father can document that she is "unfit."
B)The court will mandate joint custody unless the parents can prove that joint custody is not advisable or appropriate.
C)The court will give custody to the parent chosen by the child if the child presents acceptable reasoning.
D)The court will give primary custody to the parents who was the primary caretaker and secondary custody to the other parent with guaranteed frequent visits and consultation on decisions impacting the child.

Question 56

"The principle of tender years" in the early 20th century refers to

A)the bond between mothers and young children that prompted courts to assume that mothers were the preferred custodial parent.
B)the first five years of a marriage in which courts were reluctant to grant a divorce.
C)the idea that children should not start school until six years of age,later lowered to five years for kindergarten.
D)courts virtual refusal to grant divorces to parents of young children except for extenuating circumstances.

Question 57

In comparing research findings from 1978,1988 and 1999 regarding continued contact between children with noncustodial fathers,child-father contact has

A)declined.
B)stayed essentially the same.
C)improved.

Question 58

Which of the following is true about child support payments?

A)Men are more likely to be behind in making payments than women.
B)Women are more likely to be behind in making payments than men.
C)Men and women are equally likely to be behind in making payments.