Deck 12: Interpreting Experience

Question 1

Compared to women with low rejection sensitivity,women who feared rejection tend to behave more negatively when discussing difficult issues with their partners.This best illustrates:

A) unrealistic expectations.
B) perceptual confirmation.
C) stereotype accuracy.
D) self-fulfilling prophecy.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Cultural differences in beliefs about relationships may help explain:

A) why collectivistic and individualistic cultures differ in the value placed on romantic love in marriage.
B) large differences in divorce rates across countries.
C) differences in relationship quality across countries.
D) cross-cultural differences in feelings of love and fulfillment.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Jaspreet and Imara are friends living in the same town in India.Both are getting married this summer,Jaspreet,to a neighbor's son who was selected for her by her family and Imara,to a young man she met in one of her university classes.Based on research comparing happiness in arranged marriages and partner-selected marriages,who would you predict will have higher marital satisfaction?

A) Imara,because she was able to choose her partner
B) Jaspreet,because arranged marriages are culturally accepted in India
C) Jaspreet initially,but her satisfaction will decline over time and eventually Imara will be more satisfied
D) Imara initially,but Jaspreet's satisfaction will increase over time and in the end she will be more satisfied than Imara

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Your friend Mat announces,"If two people truly love each other,they can overcome any obstacles that come their way." Mat's statement is an example of:

A) an expectation.
B) a value.
C) a belief.
D) the self-fulfilling prophecy.

Question 5

Sharon believes her new work colleague,Steve,may not like her very much.One day Sharon runs into Steve in the hall and they briefly chat until Steve says that he needs to get going because he has a busy day ahead of him.Sharon feels rejected by Steve and believes his departure is evidence of his dislike for her.Sharon's response best illustrates the phenomenon of:

A) downward social comparison.
B) perceptual confirmation.
C) capitalization.
D) behavioral confirmation.

Question 6

Which of the following statements is TRUE about the effect of media messages on our standards and beliefs about intimate relationships?

A) The effects of watching sexually violent films tend to fade within a few hours.
B) Educating people about the effects of media messages has no effect on their resistance to such messages.
C) Adolescents exposed to sexual behaviors on television subsequently delay sexual behavior themselves.
D) Men exposed to pictures of nude centerfolds subsequently report less love for their wives.

Question 7

Samuel believes that relationships are either destined to succeed or destined to fail.This belief predicts which of the following relationship characteristics?

A) conflict resolution
B) partner intimacy
C) relationship length
D) relationship satisfaction

Question 8

The way in which relationships are portrayed in the media affects:

A) relationship satisfaction.
B) cultural values.
C) relationship longevity.
D) relationship behavior.

Question 9

________ refers to the collected beliefs and values of a society.

A) Culture
B) Norms
C) Amae
D) Homogeneity

Question 10

"If I get more than I expect,I will be happy,and if I get less than I expect,then I will be less happy." This statement best illustrates which of the following theories?

A) perceptual confirmation
B) moderation model
C) ideal standards model
D) general lay theory

Question 11

Lucas is high in self-esteem.He expects others will like him,so he behaves in ways that,in fact,elicit positive responses from others.This best illustrates:

A) behavioral confirmation.
B) unrealistic expectations.
C) perceptual confirmation.
D) stereotype accuracy.

Question 12

Who is likely to be more satisfied in his or her relationship?

A) Danica,a female who believes romance is critical to relationship success and whose partner sends her flowers and writes poems for her
B) Jose,a male who believes that couples who fight occasionally are happy and who never argues with his partner
C) Harpreet,a female who believes honesty is crucial in a relationship and whose partner sends her flowers and writes poems for her
D) Maxwell,a male who believes that couples should spend quality time together and who receives flowers from his partner

Question 13

A ________ is an idea or a theory about what the world is actually like;a ________ is an idea about what the world should be like.

A) belief;value
B) value;belief
C) perception;belief
D) perception;value

Question 14

Which of the following statements is FALSE about the effect of media messages on our standards and beliefs about intimate relationships?

A) The effects of watching sexually violent films tend to fade within a few hours.
B) Educating people about the effects of media messages affects their resistance to such messages.
C) Adolescents exposed to sexual behaviors on television are more likely to begin having sex within the next year.
D) Men exposed to pictures of nude centerfolds subsequently report less love for their wives.

Question 15

Jennie is 14 years old.Because her parents work long hours,she often watches shows on television with sexual and violent content that she knows her parents would not approve of.Based on how media exposure affects beliefs about relationships,what would you predict about Jennie's behavior?

A) Jennie will become sexually active later than her same-age peers who watch less sexual and violent content on television.
B) There will be no difference between when Jennie becomes sexually active compared to her peers who watch less sexual and violent content on television.
C) Jennie will likely report engaging in levels of sexual behavior similar to those of 16- or 17-year-old girls.
D) Jennie will likely report engaging in levels of sexual behavior similar to those of the adults she watches on television.

Question 16

Your friend Daniel believes that satisfaction early in a relationship is the most important predictor of how long the relationship will last.Another friend,Shannon,argues that satisfaction early in a relationship has very little bearing on how long the relationship will last.Who is right?

A) Daniel is correct.Couples who are highly satisfied stay together much longer than couples who are low in satisfaction early on.
B) Shannon is correct.The relationship between how satisfied couples are early in the relationship and relationship longevity is very weak.
C) Both are partly correct.Satisfaction strongly predicts longevity in couples who believe that destiny plays a big role in relationship success but satisfaction barely does so in couples who do not believe in the role of destiny.
D) Neither is correct.Satisfaction early in the relationship does not predict relationship longevity at all.

Question 17

Research regarding the origins of our beliefs and values about intimate relationships shows that:

A) media influences are more important than cultural influences.
B) personality traits are more important influences than cultures and the media.
C) cultural influences are more important than media influences.
D) cultural and media influences both play an important role.

Question 18

Perceptual confirmation is a process in which:

A) our beliefs shape our behavior toward others.
B) we act to bring about the experiences we expect to happen.
C) ambiguous experiences are perceived as being consistent with existing beliefs.
D) we react negatively to conflict in relationships.

Question 19

Behavioral confirmation is a process in which:

A) our beliefs shape our behavior toward others.
B) we behave in ways that ensure we won't be rejected.
C) ambiguous experiences are perceived as being consistent with existing beliefs.
D) we react negatively to conflict in relationships.

Question 20

What can you conclude about the research that compares relationship satisfaction in arranged marriages and partner-selected marriages? Compared to partner-selected marriages,couples in arranged marriages:

A) report lower satisfaction.
B) report greater satisfaction.
C) initially report lower levels of satisfaction but report greater satisfaction over time.
D) initially report similar levels of satisfaction but report greater satisfaction over time.

Question 21

Bjorn perceives his partner's intentions in a conflict very differently than they are perceived by outside observers.These differing perceptions can best be explained by:

A) motivated reasoning.
B) motivated inaccuracy.
C) diagnosticity bias.
D) self-serving bias.

Question 22

What is one explanation for the self-serving bias?

A) It allows people to see each other accurately.
B) It gives people an excuse for their bad behavior in relationships.
C) It helps people see the best in each other.
D) It helps people make relationship decisions based on accurate information.

Question 23

A study that followed men for 40 years and asked them to rate their marital satisfaction at regular intervals found the usual gradual decline in satisfaction over time.However,in a retrospective account after 40 years,the men reported that their marriages had been very satisfying in the beginning,grew gradually less satisfying in the middle years,and then became more satisfying again in recent years (a U-shaped curve).Their memories of how their satisfaction changed were ________ with the actual satisfaction data collected over the course of their lives due to a ________.

A) consistent;confirmation bias
B) consistent;memory bias
C) inconsistent;memory bias
D) inconsistent;confirmation bias

Question 24

Thao is trying to decide whether to ask Sue out.What information processing bias will be most likely operating when he makes his decision?

A) enhancement bias
B) confirmation bias
C) justification bias
D) accuracy bias

Question 25

________ occurs when existing knowledge structures change to integrate new information.________ occurs when new information is integrated with existing knowledge without changing the existing knowledge structures.

A) Assimilation;Accommodation
B) Cognitive editing;Motivated reasoning
C) Motivated reasoning;Cognitive editing
D) Accommodation;Assimilation

Question 26

Your friend Hugo recently met Jimena in his social psychology class and would like to ask her out on a date.Hugo spends a lot of time describing to you in great detail the latest interactions he has had with Jimena,trying to analyze whether she would be receptive to an overture.Which of the following best describes Hugo's behavior?

A) enhancement bias
B) accuracy bias
C) diagnosticity bias
D) self-serving bias

Question 27

Research on biases of individuals who are happy in their relationships shows that:

A) individuals tend to pay extra attention to the negative elements of their relationships.
B) individuals often view partners' qualities more negatively than partners view themselves.
C) individuals believe that their relationships have more positive attributes and fewer negative attributes than the relationships of others.
D) individuals tend to underestimate the length of their relationships.

Question 28

How are predictions about the future of a relationship and later relationship outcomes related?

A) Partners in a relationship are more accurate about whether it will continue compared to their parents' predictions.
B) Overly optimistic views about the outcome of a dating relationship predict subsequent relationship problems.
C) Partners have access to information about their relationships that might help them make better predictions about outcomes,but they do not seem to use it.
D) Relationship partners are overly optimistic about all dating relationships,not just their own.

Question 29

Which description below reflects an enhancement bias in a relationship?

A) Bob sees himself as being more confident than his partner,Beth,sees him.
B) Bob sees Beth in the best possible light.
C) Beth sees herself as being more confident than her partner,Bob.
D) Beth sees her relationship with Bob as improving over time.

Question 30

A ________ is a tendency to process information to protect a particular point of view;a ________ is a drive to reach a specific goal.

A) motive;bias
B) motive;justification
C) justification;motive
D) bias;motive

Question 31

The explanations an individual makes about a partner's behavior are:

A) flexible standards.
B) attributions.
C) refutations.
D) accommodations.

Question 32

Greg and Stacey have recently started dating.Who is LEAST likely to accurately predict how long their relationship will last?

A) Stacey
B) Joey,who is Greg's best friend
C) Emily,who is Stacey's best friend
D) Greg's mom

Question 33

In a study by MacDonald and Ross (1999),friends,parents,and students were asked to predict how long the student's romantic relationship would last.Who was the LEAST accurate about the likelihood of the student's relationship lasting,and why?

A) Parents were the least accurate about the likelihood of the student's relationship lasting because they knew the least about the relationship.
B) Friends were the least accurate because they tend to see their own relationships as superior to the student's relationship.
C) Students were least accurate because they were in a deliberative mind-set.
D) Students were the least accurate because they may have an enhancement bias.

Question 34

You are constantly amazed that your friend Parminder seems unaware of the negative behaviors of her boyfriend,Sam.You notice that Sam has a tendency to tease Parminder in a mean-spirited way in front of her friends.What might explain this phenomenon?

A) self-serving bias
B) selective attention
C) empathy accuracy model
D) diagnosticity bias

Question 35

Denise has always believed that she isn't a great singer.After a night singing karaoke with friends,her boyfriend,Sean,casually comments that she is a pretty good singer.Which of the following is accurate?

A) According to the confirmation bias,Denise should feel more satisfied with her relationship.
B) According to the enhancement bias,Denise should feel more satisfied with her relationship.
C) According to the confirmation bias,Denise should feel less satisfied with her relationship.
D) According to the confirmation bias,this won't affect Denise's feelings about the relationship because the comment isn't about her personality.

Question 36

Samantha and Carmine,like many couples,have experienced declining satisfaction over the years.However,Samantha is quite adamant that their relationship is "the best it's ever been!" How is this possible?

A) Samantha has an enhancement bias.
B) Samantha has positive expectancy biases.
C) Samantha has a memory bias.
D) Samantha makes positive attributions.

Question 37

The ________ motive suggests a preference for information that supports positive views of the partner and the relationship.The ________ motive suggests a preference for information that reflects important qualities in a partner or a relationship.The ________ motive suggests a preference for information that supports a positive view of the self,even if it hurts the relationship.

A) prosocial;accuracy;adaptive
B) perceptual confirmation;diagnosticity;egocentric
C) enhancement;accuracy;justification
D) accommodative;evidential;justification

Question 38

In couples' relationships,memory biases:

A) are likely to increase over time.
B) are a relationship-enhancing strategy.
C) are based on an accuracy motivation.
D) only occur in married couples.

Question 39

The text describes several mechanisms of motivated reasoning in relationships.Something that all of these techniques have in common is that they:

A) require direct communication between partners to be effective.
B) allow partners' initially positive views of their relationships to accommodate new information and experiences.
C) require partners to fool themselves into believing things that are not true.
D) support interpretations that have positive consequences for the individual engaging in motivated reasoning.

Question 40

Selective attention and memory bias serve to ________,whereas adaptive attributions and flexible standards serve to ________.

A) create distress;promote satisfaction
B) keep negative information out of awareness;minimize the impact of negative information
C) promote accuracy;interfere with enhancement
D) make information processing implicit;make information processing explicit

Question 41

When considering factors that determine people's beliefs and values about relationships,why is it important to distinguish between influences that are more distant from the individual and influences that are specific to the individual?

Question 42

Contrast perceptual and behavioral confirmation,and indicate how each can affect relationship experiences.

Question 43

According to the commitment calibration hypothesis,people who are in ______ marriages rated dating service photos of attractive alternate partners as significantly _________attractive compared to ratings of ______ married individuals.

A) happy;less;unhappily
B) happy;more;happily
C) unhappy;more;unhappily
D) unhappy;less;happily

Question 44

Tom and Amrita have been fighting a lot and are thinking of breaking up.After a particularly bad fight,Tom decides to pick up some flowers for Amrita on his way home.Amrita thinks that Tom is bringing her flowers because he is feeling guilty about the fight and not because he is sorry.What kind of attribution is she making?

A) an external,nonintentional attribution
B) an external,stable attribution
C) an internal,stable attribution
D) an internal,temporary attribution

Question 45

Nayanna says,"I want a relationship that sweeps me off my feet." According to the ideal standards model,how might this impact Nayanna's satisfaction in her current relationship?

Question 46

Even after Bill Clinton had an affair with Monica Lewinsky,Hillary Clinton did not seek to divorce him.What kind of information processing may have led to her decision to stay?

A) attributions that discounted the undesirable aspects of his actions and emphasized his positive qualities
B) selective attention,which overlooked his negative behavior
C) attributions that put Monica Lewinsky in a favorable light and thus allowed Hillary Clinton to preserve a positive view of her husband
D) attributions that assumed that Bill's behavior was motivated by malicious intent,thus allowing Hillary to forgive him

Question 47

You have been asked to participate in a radio show about how the media affect our beliefs about ourselves and our relationships.One of the other participants comments that,because of the pervasiveness of media,people are bombarded by unhealthy messages they can do little about.How do you respond?

Question 48

Researchers have distinguished between two dimensions of relationship knowledge: (1)beliefs versus values;and (2)general versus specific knowledge.Define beliefs and values,and then offer examples of a general belief and a general value about relationships.

Question 49

________ refers to whether the cause of behavior is something about the person or something about circumstances;________ refers to whether the cause of the behavior is something that is likely to persist over time or is temporary.

A) Locus;stability
B) Intentionality;stability
C) Stability;locus
D) Locus;intentionality

Question 50

Jasmine's partner comes home from work with a bouquet of flowers for her.Jasmine thinks,"Sarah hardly ever brings me flowers.She's so cheap;they must have been on sale." Because Jasmine is ________,we can conclude that she and Sarah are in a ________ relationship.

A) giving Sarah credit for positive behaviors and likely excusing her negative ones;satisfied
B) giving Sarah credit for positive behaviors and likely excusing her negative ones;distressed
C) finding external reasons for Sarah's positive behaviors and likely excusing her negative ones;satisfied
D) finding external reasons for Sarah's positive behaviors and likely blaming her for negative ones;distressed

Question 51

People who _________,as opposed to _______,can feel more encouraged in their intimate relationships.

A) make downward social comparisons;upward social comparisons
B) show enhancement bias;diagnosticity bias
C) make upward social comparisons;downward social comparisons
D) show diagnosticity bias;enhancement bias

Question 52

When you were in high school,your friend Janise said that a romantic partner with a sense of humor was critical to a lasting relationship.At your 5-year reunion,you meet her husband,and he seems to be a nice person but quite deficient in the humor department.Having just taken a course on close relationships,you recognize that this is an example of ________.

A) compartmentalization
B) sentiment override
C) flexible standards
D) memory bias

Question 53

We would expect relationship partners who make ________ comparisons to be happier than those who make ________ comparisons.

A) upward;downward
B) downward;upward
C) social;relational
D) downward;social

Question 54

Jack and Kate are unhappy in their relationship.Robbie and Sawyer are happy in their relationship.One night,Jack and Robbie find themselves sitting at a restaurant waiting for their very late partners to arrive for dinner.According to research on attributions in relationships,Jack is likely to think ________,and Robbie is likely to think ________.

A) "she is unorganized and lost track of time";"she is rather inconsiderate"
B) "she likely got tied up at the office";"she must have gotten lost on the way here"
C) "she doesn't care about our family";"she is probably having trouble finding parking"
D) "she must have hit heavy traffic";"she always was a little forgetful"

Question 55

Unhappy people tend to make attributions about their partner's behavior that are ________ and ________ for negative behaviors.

A) internal;stable
B) external;temporary
C) nonblaming;temporary
D) blaming;external

Question 56

________ involve comparisons with others who are doing worse than we are;________ involve comparisons with others who are doing better than we are.

A) Adaptive attributions;protective attributions
B) Upward social comparisons;downward social comparisons
C) Protective attributions;stable attributions
D) Downward social comparisons;upward social comparisons

Question 57

John has been married 10 years but is very unhappy with his relationship.There is an attractive female coworker,Leila,at his office.According to the commitment calibration hypothesis,in which of the following situations is John most likely to DOWNPLAY his perception of Leila's attractiveness?

A) John's wife decides she can no longer be married to him and files for a divorce.
B) John decides he can no longer be married to his wife and files for a divorce.
C) John frequently needs to consult with Leila on various business projects.
D) John learns that Leila finds him attractive and that she wants to have an affair with him.

Question 58

Explain and give examples of three ways in which people's thoughts about relationships can affect what they experience in their relationships.

Question 59

When is a spouse LEAST likely to make adaptive attributions about her or his partner's negative behavior?

A) when the couple is experiencing more stress than usual
B) when there are no external explanations for the behavior
C) in the absence of strong negative emotions
D) when commitment is high and there is no threat to the relationship

Question 60

Jaspreet and Imara are friends living in the same town in India.Both are getting married this summer,Jaspreet to a neighbor's son who was selected for her by her family and Imara to a young man she met in one of her university classes.Based on research comparing happiness in arranged marriages and partner-selected marriages,what would you predict about Jaspreet's and Imara's marital satisfaction?

Question 61

Explain assimilation and accommodation,and provide a relationship example of each.

Question 62

What are downward social comparisons? Under what conditions are people particularly likely to engage in downward social comparisons,and why?

Question 63

In the chapter on motivated reasoning,your textbook authors review a number of ways in which partners who feel positive about their relationships can protect those positive feelings from negative information.Given the strategies at their disposal,why do people fail to continue to feel positively about their relationships regardless of specific experiences and observations? That is,why-from this perspective-does satisfaction decline?

Question 64

You and your partner are at a party and your partner says something that embarrasses you.Define and provide examples of two kinds of attributions that you might make about your partner's behavior: (1)stable/internal;and (2)temporary/internal.

Question 65

You have just returned from a long business trip,and your partner is late coming to meet you at the airport.Define and provide examples of two kinds of attributions that you might make about your partner's behavior: (1)stable/external;and (2)temporary/external.

Question 66

Kia is very unhappy in her relationship with Denny.She describes Denny as unreliable and mean,and she belittles his intelligence.What is most likely operating in her views of Denny? Why might Kia be processing information about Denny in ways that contribute to her unhappiness in the relationship?

Question 67

Long-term married partners tend to retrospectively report a U-shaped change in their marital satisfaction,that is,looking back,they believe their relationships started out great,worsened somewhat over time,and then improved more recently.On the other hand,research demonstrates that marital satisfaction generally shows a linear decline over time.How can we explain this apparent discrepancy?

Question 68

Selim believes that his partner,Amira,is warm,generous,and funny.Amira does not see herself in such a positive light.Considering the confirmation and self-enhancement motives,what prediction would you make about their relationship,and why?

Question 69

Define and explain the commitment calibration hypothesis.

Question 70

Compare the confirmation and enhancement biases.

Question 71

Is integration of positive and negative perceptions of the partner good or bad for a relationship?