Exam 7: Communicating Closeness

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

Which of the following about sex and relationship functioning is true?

6.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 potential interpretations of what the problem might be.

5.Your partner is dealing with an upcoming important deadline at work. What is the best way for you to support him during this stressful time, and why?

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

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?

9.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, ÒMei, I know it would be tough financially, but I'm thinking about going back to school to become an architect. What do you think?Ó Define Òempathy,Ó and provide an example of what Mei could say in response that would reflect empathy.

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

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

2.How are sexual and relationship satisfaction related?

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, ÒIt sounds like this is really difficult for you to handle.Ó What kind of response has your partner made?

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

Shelly Gable and colleagues investigated how responses to partners' disclosures of positive life events are related to relationship satisfaction. Which of the following statements best describes the findings from this line of research?

Adnan has had a tough day at work and his partner, Georges, listens to him complain, 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?

14.Brad and Jing-Mei have been married 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 apply in Brad and Jing-Mei's relationship?

Lisa discovered that her wife 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?

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?

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?

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

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, and 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?