Question 1

Research on chronic and acute stressors shows that:
A) both are associated with negative relationship outcomes, and there appears to be little to differentiate the kinds of outcomes that result from each type of stressor.
B) only chronic stressors are associated with negative relationship outcomes, so it is important to differentiate the kinds of outcomes that result from each type of stressor.
C) only acute stressors are associated with negative relationship outcomes, so it is important to differentiate the kinds of outcomes that result from each type of stressor.
D) both are associated with negative relationship outcomes, but the kinds of outcomes that result from each type of stressor differ.

Accepted Answer

Both chronic and acute stressors are associated with negative relationship outcomes, but the kinds of outcomes that result from each type of stressor differ. Chronic stressors, such as ongoing financial or work-related stress, can lead to relationship dissatisfaction and conflict. Acute stressors, such as a single stressful event, can lead to more emotional reactions, such as feelings of anger or sadness. Therefore, it is important to differentiate between the two types of stressors when studying their effects on relationships.

Question 2

Sarita is extremely close to her older sister, Magdalena, and spends hours talking on the phone to her about every aspect of her life, including her marriage. Sarita's husband is not quite as thrilled about Sarita's close relationship with her sister, because Magdalena does not think that he is good enough for Sarita and takes every opportunity to let him know it. In this situation, Sarita's relationship with her sister would be considered:
A) a resource for Sarita and her husband.
B) a resource for Sarita but not for her husband.
C) a stressor for Sarita and her husband.
D) a stressor for Sarita but not for her husband.

Accepted Answer

Sarita's relationship with her sister is a resource for her because she values the close connection and support, but it is not a resource for her husband as Magdalena's negative opinion of him creates tension.

Question 3

What is an example of stress pileup?
A) You do poorly on an exam and end up on academic probation because of your poor grade in the class.
B) You get a bad exam grade and so study harder for the next exam.
C) You are in a car accident and the rush of hormones increases your blood pressure, heart rate, and sweat gland activity.
D) Your roommate has been under a lot of stress at work, so he has been harder to get along with at home.

Accepted Answer

Stress pileup occurs when different stressors accumulate and create a larger, more significant stress response. In this example, the poor exam grade contributes to academic probation, which in turn can create more stress and pressure for the individual. This is a classic example of stress pileup.

Answer: D 
 While it is true that stress can affect interpersonal relationships, this example does not demonstrate stress pileup.

Question 4

As described in the text, Òtunnel visionÓ occurs when:
A) people experience the fight-or-flight response and their field of vision narrows to include only the salient details of the threat.
B) people experience the fight-or-flight response and have a better memory for the salient details of the threat but a poor memory for peripheral details.
C) people are highly focused on a task because they are physiologically aroused.
D) the pupils of the eye dilate during the fight-or-flight response.

Accepted Answer

The answer of As described in the text, Òtunnel visionÓ...

Question 5

How does an experience of acute stress and physical arousal affect memory for the details of the event?
A) Memory is enhanced for all details of the experience.
B) Memory of central details of the experience is enhanced but not memory for peripheral details.
C) Memory of all details is impaired by the hormones that flood the body.
D) Memory of the central details is impaired because of trauma, and memory for peripheral details remains intact.

Accepted Answer

The experience of acute stress and physical arousal can enhance memory for central details of an event, such as the main focus of the stressor, but impair memory for peripheral details or items that are not directly related to the stressor. This is due to the release of stress hormones, such as cortisol, that can interfere with encoding and consolidation of memories for non-central information. Therefore, option B, which suggests that memory of central details is enhanced but not peripheral details, is the best choice.

Question 6

Annie has been working overtime to prepare for a big presentation. Although she and her partner have a good relationship, the extra time at work is cutting into the time they used to have together. What kind of effect is this?
A) concrete
B) behavioral
C) distal
D) chronic

Accepted Answer

The answer of Annie has been working overtime to prepare...

Question 7

Stress external to a relationship can affect processes in the relationship by two routes. Specifically, stress:
A) affects the daily experiences of couples and also the chronic conditions of their lives.
B) gives spouses more problems to deal with and at the same time lowers the capacity to deal with problems effectively.
C) creates negative emotions in relationships (e.g., anger and frustration) but at the same time creates positive emotions (e.g., appreciation and gratitude).
D) affects when couples interact with each other and also what they interact about.

Accepted Answer

Stress external to a relationship can give spouses more problems to deal with, while simultaneously lowering their capacity to deal with these problems effectively, impacting the relationship negatively.

Question 8

Which of the following statements about Bronfenbrenner's social ecological model is FALSE?
A) The effects of proximal factors on a relationship are affected by distal factors.
B) Distal elements are not likely affected by proximal influences in relationships.
C) Distal and proximal contexts all interconnect to affect relationships.
D) The direct effects of proximal and distal influences on relationships are equally large.

Accepted Answer

The direct effects of proximal influences are generally larger than those of distal influences, as proximal factors are closer to the individual and have a more immediate impact.

Question 9

According to Bronfenbrenner's social ecological theory, which of the following elements is most distal in context for a couple living in Chicago?
A) the couple's overall working conditions
B) a spouse's relationship with family and friends
C) the availability of affordable daycare
D) the couple's cultural background and gender norms

Accepted Answer

The couple's cultural background and gender norms are the most distal element in context according to Bronfenbrenner's social ecological theory as they are the broadest, most overarching factors that influence all other proximal elements such as working conditions, relationships with family and friends, and availability of daycare.

Question 10

Carolyn Cutrona and colleagues (2003) studied the effect of neighborhoods on African American couples' marriages. What best describes their findings?
A) The affluence of neighborhoods had less effect on marital satisfaction than acute stressors.
B) Couples in affluent and economically disadvantaged neighborhoods had similar levels of marital satisfaction.
C) Couples in affluent neighborhoods had lower marital satisfaction than couples in the economically disadvantaged neighborhoods, because social networks in the disadvantaged neighborhoods had a higher density.
D) The chronic nature of living in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods had chronic negative effects on marital satisfaction.

Accepted Answer

Cutrona and colleagues found that the chronic nature of living in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods had chronic negative effects on marital satisfaction. In other words, the longer couples lived in disadvantaged neighborhoods, the more their marriage suffered. The affluence of neighborhoods did not have as significant an effect on marital satisfaction as the chronic stressors of living in a disadvantaged neighborhood.

Question 11

Stressor is to ________ as resource is to ________.
A) support from family; having a job
B) losing a job; having a child
C) close extended family; satisfactory income
D) losing a job; satisfactory income

Accepted Answer

A stressor is something that causes stress or anxiety, such as losing a job. A resource is something that can be used to cope with stress or improve one's situation, such as having a satisfactory income. Losing a job is a stressor, while having a satisfactory income is a resource. Therefore, the correct choice is D, losing a job; satisfactory income.

Question 12

________ can be defined as everything that affects a relationship outside of the couple and their interactions.
A) Culture
B) Historical era
C) Stressors
D) Context

Accepted Answer

Context refers to all the external factors that affect a relationship, including physical environment, social norms, family dynamics, and work demands. Cultural expectations and historical era can be part of the contextual factors that impact relationships, but broader stressors such as financial strain, illness, or conflict with friends or family would also fall under the umbrella of context.

Question 13

Xavier and Juanita both work full-time at low-wage jobs in order to pay the rent on their apartment. While they are at work, Juanita's mother cares for their 18-month-old son. In this scenario, the low wages represent a ________, and Juanita's mother's care represents a ________.
A) resource; resource
B) resource; stressor
C) stressor; stressor
D) stressor; resource

Accepted Answer

The low wages represent a stressor as they create financial strain on Xavier and Juanita, while Juanita's mother's care represents a resource as it provides support for childcare while they work.

Question 14

What is NOT one of the responses of the body to stress?
A) dilation of pupils
B) increased heart rate
C) dilation of blood vessels
D) inhibition of stomach and intestinal activity

Accepted Answer

Stress causes the sympathetic nervous system to activate, resulting in the release of adrenaline and noradrenaline. This causes constriction, not dilation, of blood vessels, leading to increased blood pressure. Therefore, option C is not a response of the body to stress.

Question 15

Distal is to ________ as proximal is to ________.
A) support from family; cultural context
B) the wife's mood; divorce laws
C) the quality of the school system; household income
D) the husband's work hours; economic conditions

Accepted Answer

Distal refers to factors that are more external and further away from an individual or situation, such as the quality of the school system which is a community-level factor. Proximal refers to factors that are more internal and closer to an individual, such as household income which directly affects the individual or family. The other choices do not have a clear relationship with the concept of distal vs. proximal factors.

Question 16

What is a negative consequence of the fight-or-flight response?
A) It reduces memory for important details.
B) It causes the heart rate to slow.
C) It only occurs when the stress is unexpected and uncontrollable.
D) It reduces memory for peripheral details.

Accepted Answer

The fight-or-flight response can lead to a narrowing of attention, which may result in reduced memory for peripheral details as the body focuses on immediate threats.

Question 17

In a longitudinal study of family transitions, Elizabeth Menaghan (1983) compared the changes in marital satisfaction in couples who experienced transitions (e.g., first child entering school) to changes in marital satisfaction in couples who were not experiencing those transitions. What did she find, and what was her explanation for the finding?
A) The couples who experienced more transitions had a greater decline in marital satisfaction because the transitions were quite stressful.
B) The couples who did not experience transitions had a greater decline in marital satisfaction because they did not experience the joys of having children.
C) The couples who experienced more transitions had a greater decline in marital satisfaction only if they subjectively rated the transitions as stressful experiences.
D) The couples in both groups had equal declines in satisfaction because the couples experiencing the transitions viewed them as controllable and had time to prepare for them.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In a longitudinal study of family transitions,...

Question 18

Belinda and Roy rent an apartment in a somewhat run-down area of town. They have a few friends, but their immediate families live in another state. They barely manage to pay their bills each month; Roy has a steady job but no health benefits, and Belinda stays home to care for their two young boys. While playing in the park, one of the boys falls from the swings and breaks his arm. Belinda knows that paying for the emergency care and follow-up doctor visits is going to put their family into a difficult financial position. According to Hill's (1949) ABC-X model of family stress, what do you predict will happen?
A) The family is used to chronic hardship, and this new stressor will have little effect on the marriage.
B) The new financial burden will simply add to their stress load and will have the same effect as it would on any family.
C) There will be an interaction between the acute and chronic stressor, making it even harder for the couple to cope with the new financial burden and their son's broken arm.
D) The son's broken arm and new financial burden are unpredictable (uncontrollable) stressors and thus will have less of an effect on the couple's relationship.

Accepted Answer

Hill's ABC-X model suggests that stress in families is the result of an interaction between stressors (A), the family's ability to cope with those stressors (B), and the family's perceived level of stress (C). In this case, the family is experiencing an acute stressor (their son's broken arm) on top of chronic stressors (financial struggles and lack of social support). This interaction of stressors is likely to make it even harder for the couple to cope with the new financial burden and their son's broken arm. Therefore, C is the best choice. A is not correct because the family is not necessarily immune to stress just because they have experienced chronic hardship before. B is not correct because this stressor is not just adding to their stress load, but rather interacting with other stressors in their lives. D is not correct because the stressors are still very real and impactful, even if they are unpredictable or uncontrollable.

Question 19

What is true with regard to Bronfenbrenner's social ecological model?
A) The effects of proximal factors on a relationship are affected by distal factors.
B) Distal elements rarely affect proximal influences in relationships.
C) Distal, proximal, and meso-empirical contexts all interconnect to affect relationships.
D) Children are largely sheltered from contextual influences, because parents serve as a buffer between the environment and the child.

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is true with regard to Bronfenbrenner's...

Question 20

In a study to learn more about how arousal affects support behavior, you measure heart rate and blood pressure continuously while recording couples' marital discussions about an external stressor that one spouse is experiencing. Given the Yerkes-Dodson law, what is your hypothesis?
A) Perspective taking will decline to the extent that participants experience increases in heart rate and blood pressure.
B) Perspective taking will be enhanced to the extent that participants experience increases in heart rate and blood pressure.
C) Negative reciprocity will decline to the extent that participants experience increases in heart rate and blood pressure.
D) Effective solutions to the stress will be more likely, to the extent that participants experience increases in heart rate and blood pressure.

Accepted Answer

According to the Yerkes-Dodson law, there is an optimal level of arousal for performance, and too much arousal can impair cognitive functions like perspective taking.

Quiz 11: Relationships in Context

Research on chronic and acute stressors shows that:

What is an example of stress pileup?

As described in the text, Òtunnel visionÓ occurs when:

How does an experience of acute stress and physical arousal affect memory for the details of the event?

Annie has been working overtime to prepare for a big presentation. Although she and her partner have a good relationship, the extra time at work is cutting into the time they used to have together. What kind of effect is this?

Stress external to a relationship can affect processes in the relationship by two routes. Specifically, stress:

Which of the following statements about Bronfenbrenner's social ecological model is FALSE?

According to Bronfenbrenner's social ecological theory, which of the following elements is most distal in context for a couple living in Chicago?

Carolyn Cutrona and colleagues (2003) studied the effect of neighborhoods on African American couples' marriages. What best describes their findings?

Stressor is to as resource is to .

________ can be defined as everything that affects a relationship outside of the couple and their interactions.

Xavier and Juanita both work full-time at low-wage jobs in order to pay the rent on their apartment. While they are at work, Juanita's mother cares for their 18-month-old son. In this scenario, the low wages represent a , and Juanita's mother's care represents a .

What is NOT one of the responses of the body to stress?

Distal is to as proximal is to .

What is a negative consequence of the fight-or-flight response?

What is true with regard to Bronfenbrenner's social ecological model?

In a study to learn more about how arousal affects support behavior, you measure heart rate and blood pressure continuously while recording couples' marital discussions about an external stressor that one spouse is experiencing. Given the Yerkes-Dodson law, what is your hypothesis?