Deck 3: Theoretical Frameworks

Question 1

Which of the following is NOT a problem facing researchers taking an evolutionary perspective on intimate relationships?

A) narrowing the definition of psychological mechanism
B) determining whether a behavior is the product of an evolved psychological mechanism
C) knowing where to look for evidence of evolved psychological mechanisms
D) conducting longitudinal studies to look for evidence of evolved psychological mechanisms

Answer 1

D

Question 2

In evaluating the evolutionary perspective, the textbook authors conclude that:

A) a weakness of the perspective is that it examines adaptive functions of mating behaviors.
B) the focus on gender differences that characterize most of the species has allowed evolutionary psychologists to acknowledge the rich, complex variability among individuals and within each gender.
C) in the search for ancestral causes of human behavior, evolutionary psychologists have also discovered more immediate causes of the same behaviors.
D) by focusing on how men and women attract and select mates, evolutionary psychologists have neglected to study how people manage their relationships once they begin.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

In the Òstinky T-shirtÓ studies, evolutionary psychologists asked men and women to rate the smell of groups of T-shirts that had been worn by either a man or a woman for three nights in a row. What did this unusual research design reveal?

A) Women who were ovulating could smell the difference between more or less genetically fit men.
B) Women could smell genetic fitness in men, and men could smell genetic fitness in women, but neither gender could smell genetic fitness in other members of their own gender.
C) Genetically fit individuals smell better than genetically unfit individuals.
D) Women are more sensitive to smell than men.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Twelve-month-old Joshua enters an unfamiliar laboratory playroom with his mother. When she leaves, he gets distressed. JoshuaÕs distress is an example of a:

A) hyperactivating strategy.
B) deactivating strategy.
C) denial strategy.
D) protest strategy.

Question 5

Adults who possess positive models of self but negative models of others are classified by attachment theorists as:

A) secure.
B) dismissing.
C) fearful.
D) preoccupied.

Question 6

A type of adaptation called Òsexual selectionÓ occurs when a feature has evolved because it:

A) increases an organismÕs chances of successfully reproducing.
B) increases an organismÕs chances for survival.
C) increases an organismÕs chances of finding food.
D) decreases an organismÕs exposure to predators.

Question 7

Which of the following statements describes working models?

A) Working models can be thought of as internal psychological structures.
B) Working models represent peopleÕs conscious and unconscious beliefs, expectations, and feelings about themselves, about others, and about relationships.
C) Working models are presumed to influence how new experiences in peopleÕs relationships are selected, interpreted, and integrated into their sense of who they are.
D) All of the above statements accurately describe working models.

Question 8

Twelve-month-old Joshua enters an unfamiliar laboratory playroom with his mother. When she leaves, he gets distressed. When his mother hasnÕt returned after a few minutes, Joshua stops crying and starts playing listlessly in the far corner of the room. JoshuaÕs behavior is an example of a:

A) hyperactivating strategy.
B) deactivating strategy.
C) denial strategy.
D) protest strategy.

Question 9

Compared to informal theories, influential theories:

A) tend to be described formally.
B) articulate a set of explicit premises.
C) make predictions that withstand multiple tests.
D) all of the above

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT a fundamental premise of the evolutionary perspective on intimate relationships?

A) Humans must reproduce to pass their genes on to the next generation.
B) Survival during infancy requires an ability to maintain proximity to a primary caregiver.
C) Through natural selection, humans evolved characteristic ways of attracting and selecting mates.
D) Features that contribute to successful reproduction are passed down from generation to generation.

Question 11

The evolutionary perspectives on intimate relationships and attachment theory are similar in that they both:

A) suggest that the roots of our current intimate relationships lie in the past.
B) suggest we must look to our ancestral environment to understand intimate relationships.
C) focus on how childhood experiences affect adult intimate relationships.
D) focus on the way humansÕ primate relatives raise their young.

Question 12

According to the theory of parental investment, men and women differ in the amount of energy and resources in which they must invest to raise surviving offspring, with parental investment being higher for women than for men. Consequently, men and women have evolved different mate preferences. Which of the following is most consistent with the theory of parental investment?

A) Rachel mostly only dates men who are shorter than she is.
B) Randip has only ever had sexual relations with one woman, to whom he is married.
C) Blair is dating a woman who has a 2-year-old daughter from a previous relationship.
D) Tatiana does not date male students at her college; rather, she only dates men who have established careers.

Question 13

According to the theory of parental investment, men and women differ in the amount of energy and resources in which they must invest to raise surviving offspring, with parental investment being higher for women than for men. Consequently, men and women have evolved different mate preferences. Which of the following is NOT consistent with the theory of parental investment?

A) Li-ying always dates men who are taller than she is.
B) Yasir has only ever dated (and had sexual relations with) one woman, to whom he is married.
C) Brett goes on dates with many women but stops seeing them if he finds out they are not virgins.
D) Tatiana does not date male students at her college; rather, she only dates men who have established careers.

Question 14

Which of the following is NOT a feature of theories?

A) Theories shape how we think.
B) Theories guide research.
C) Theories are equally accurate at explaining behavior.
D) Theories can be explicit or implicit.

Question 15

An attachment figure is best defined as:

A) a childÕs favorite stuffed animal.
B) the person with whom a child most likes to spend time.
C) a person who provides care and comfort to a child.
D) a childÕs caregiver.

Question 16

Which of the following statements does NOT express a position consistent with evolutionary perspectives on intimate relationships?

A) Males have developed conscious and explicit preferences for fertility in potential sexual partners.
B) Evolved psychological mechanisms are responsive to cues in the environment.
C) Mate preferences evolved to adapt not to the current environment but, rather, to the environment that humans faced thousands of years ago.
D) Preferences that increase reproductive success should be passed down across generations, even if those preferences impede survival.

Question 17

Bowlby, in his original conception of attachment theory, predicted that attachment models would be highly stable over time. How can the research that investigates the continuity of attachment models best be summarized?

A) Attachment models change easily over the course of a personÕs life.
B) There are very few similarities between attachment models in caregiver-child relationships and adult intimate relationships.
C) Although there are some similarities between attachment models in caregiver-child relationships and adult intimate relationships, only caregiver-child relationships activate the attachment behavior system.
D) Many of the features that characterize caregiver-child relationships also characterize relationships between adults in love.

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT an example of cross-cultural research?

A) Women in the United States and in China are more likely than men to prefer taller mates.
B) Latino men care more about their partnersÕ virginity than do Latina women.
C) Men in Canada and Brazil prefer younger partners than do women.
D) All of the above are examples of cross-cultural research.

Question 19

According to evolutionary psychologists, the preferences, capacities, responses, and strategies that characterize our species are called:

A) adaptive problems.
B) sexual selection.
C) psychological mechanisms.
D) adaptations.

Question 20

Peacocks have brilliantly colored tail feathers. This is an example of:

A) an adaptive problem.
B) sexual selection.
C) cross-species research.
D) referencing.

Question 21

JennyÕs partner enjoys cooking, and he often prepares gourmet meals for her. In the language of social exchange theory, what would we call this behavior?

A) a reward
B) a cost
C) a social reward
D) an opportunity cost

Question 22

One of the major contributions social exchange theory makes to the study of intimate relationships is that it:

A) recognizes that satisfaction is only one component that influences whether a relationship lasts.
B) explains how some initially satisfied couples become distressed over time.
C) can explain how perceptions of rewards and costs may change over time.
D) accounts for relationship patterns across the lifespan.

Question 23

Daniella believes that behavior is shaped and molded within relationships, and that rewarding and punishing interactions affect future behavior and judgments of relationship satisfaction. With which relationship theory is this most consistent?

A) social learning
B) social ecological
C) social exchange
D) interdependence

Question 24

Which of the following is most true of social exchange theory (SET)?

A) The primary emphasis of SET is on the aspects of a relationship that negatively and positively reinforce each partnerÕs behaviors.
B) SET emphasizes the patterns of communication that we witness in our families of origin.
C) The principles of SET resemble the principles of economics such as outcomes and rewards.
D) SET emphasizes the role of interaction on relationship satisfaction.

Question 25

When your friend Ashley first started dating Tom, she told you he seemed like a really nice guy but didnÕt spend much time talking about him. After some time, however, Ashley started complaining that Tom wanted to constantly spend time with her and seemed to expect more of a commitment from her than she was interested in. She felt frustrated that he did not respect her need for independence and eventually broke up with him. What is the most accurate statement?

A) Ashley was showing high attachment-related anxiety and low attachment-related avoidance.
B) Ashley was showing low attachment-related anxiety and high attachment-related avoidance.
C) Ashley would be considered fearful.
D) Ashley would be considered secure.

Question 26

In evaluating attachment theory, the textbook authors conclude that:

A) a strength of the theory is its use of a developmental perspective to study the continuity of experiences across the life span.
B) research on attachment has yet to explore sources of variability in relationship outcomes for individuals who share a common attachment style.
C) attachment theory helps explain the variability in the values and expectations people bring to their relationships.
D) all of the above

Question 27

Ajia used to live in New York City, where she had a long history of successful close relationships, and attractive men often asked her out. She now lives in Laramie, Wyoming, where she is in what she considers a rather poor relationship with Tom, a man she finds insensitive, although he is better than the other options available in her smaller community. From the perspective of social exchange theory, Ajia is in a situation where her:

A) CL and CL alt both exceed her outcome.
B) outcome exceeds both her CL and CL alt.
C) CL exceeds her outcome, and her outcome exceeds her CL alt.
D) CLalt exceeds her outcome, and her outcome exceeds her CL.

Question 28

In attachment theory, adults differ along the two main dimensions of:

A) anxiety and avoidance.
B) warmth and rejection.
C) pain and responsiveness.
D) comfort and closeness.

Question 29

Adults who possess negative models of self but positive models of others are classified by attachment theorists as:

A) secure.
B) dismissing.
C) fearful.
D) preoccupied.

Question 30

When your friend Tom first started dating Ashley, he told you all about how much he liked her and described her as being the ÒperfectÓ girl for him. However, Tom was worried that Ashley didnÕt seem to want a committed relationship, and that she might not like him as much as he liked her. When Ashley broke up with Tom, he became very depressed and spent hours talking with you about what went wrong. What is the most accurate statement?

A) Tom was showing high attachment-related anxiety and low attachment-related avoidance.
B) Tom was showing low attachment-related anxiety and high attachment-related avoidance.
C) Tom would be considered fearful.
D) Tom experienced a normal reaction to a breakup.

Question 31

Lucy and Ricky, who have been married a long time, are having an argument about whether Lucy can perform with Ricky in his nightclub. Ricky does not want to let her perform, but Lucy keeps asking, more and more loudly. Finally, she starts crying, and Ricky gives in. A social learning theorist would call this a great example of:

A) insecure attachment.
B) negative reciprocity.
C) escape learning.
D) coercion theory.

Question 32

According to interdependence theory, ________ determines relationship stability, and ________ determines relationship satisfaction.

A) Outcome Ð CL; Outcome Ð CL alt
B) Outcome Ð CL alt; Outcome Ð CL
C) CL Ð CL alt; Outcome Ð CL
D) Outcome Ð CL alt; CL Ð CL alt

Question 33

Which of the following best outlines the principles of social learning theory as it is applied to intimate relationships?

A) In their adult intimate relationships, individuals imitate behaviors they learned from observing their parents and other adults.
B) Behavior is shaped and molded within relationships. Rewarding and punishing interactions affect future behavior and judgments of relationship satisfaction.
C) Relationships are best viewed as a series of behaviors that are negatively reinforced.
D) Relationship behaviors are learned early in life and once learned are difficult to change.

Question 34

Social exchange theory and social learning theory are similar in that they both draw from behaviorist principles of reinforcement and punishment. A key difference between the two is that social exchange theory takes a more ________ approach to intimate relationships, whereas social learning theory takes a more ________ approach.

A) developmental; motivational
B) motivational; developmental
C) intrapersonal; interpersonal
D) interpersonal; intrapersonal

Question 35

Which statement about the comparison between social exchange theory and social learning theory is FALSE?

A) Both theories describe explicit mechanisms to explain how relationships change over time.
B) Social exchange theory describes rewards and costs broadly, but social learning theory focuses more narrowly on interpersonal behaviors.
C) Both theories consider the balance of rewards and costs in intimate relationships.
D) Social exchange theory was adapted from economics, but social learning theory was adapted from clinical psychology.

Question 36

According to social exchange theory, what is the most likely reason many women choose to remain in physically abusive intimate relationships?

A) They believe they deserve the negative treatment.
B) Many women have an unconscious wish to be punished.
C) The rewards outweigh the costs.
D) They believe they have no other alternatives.

Question 37

In contrast to the evolutionary perspective and to attachment theory, which focus on ________ to understand adult intimate relationships, social exchange theory focuses on ________.

A) the present; the past
B) the past; the present
C) relationship outcomes; relationship experiences
D) relationship experiences; relationship outcomes

Question 38

Jorge and Tito have been married for several years. When he goes to bed, Tito leaves his socks lying on the bedroom floor, something that really bothers Jorge. Jorge asks Tito nicely to please put the socks in the laundry hamper, but it isnÕt until he has yelled at Tito about the socks that Tito actually does so. A social learning theorist would say that because Jorge has to resort to yelling before Tito responds, JorgeÕs nagging behavior has been reinforced in an example of:

A) escape conditioning.
B) negative reinforcement.
C) negative reciprocity.
D) coercion theory.

Question 39

Which of the following is correct according to social exchange theory?

A) Satisfaction = Outcome Ð CL alt
B) Satisfaction = Rewards Ð CL
C) Commitment = Satisfaction + Dependency
D) Dependency = Outcome Ð CL

Question 40

The actor George Clooney, considered by some to be one of the most desirable men on the planet, is not married. He has no trouble forming relationships, but he seems quite willing to leave them as soon as they stop working out for him. Social exchange theories of relationships would say that George has:

A) a high CL alt.
B) a low CL.
C) a high ratio of rewards to costs.
D) a high ratio of satisfaction to dependence.

Question 41

3.Describe the strengths and limitations that the evolutionary perspective brings to the study of intimate relationships.

Question 42

6.Describe the strengths and limitations that attachment theory brings to the study of intimate relationships.

Question 43

In HillÕs ABC-X model of how relationships react to stressful conditions, the X stands for:

A) communication.
B) adaptation.
C) perception.
D) crisis.

Question 44

Who is most likely to agree with this statement: ÒRelationships deteriorate because partners have not acquired the skills needed to manage their conflicts and differences of opinion. Mismanaged conflict breeds further conflict or disengagement, to the point where partners conclude that the relationship is no longer satisfying and viable.Ó

A) an attachment theorist
B) an evolutionary psychologist
C) a social learning theorist
D) a social ecological theorist

Question 45

One of the major contributions that social ecological models make to the study of intimate relationships is that they:

A) focus on how partners interact and behave within their relationship.
B) explain how unsatisfying relationships can improve if the environment becomes more supportive.
C) explain why some couples develop skills to meet their challenges when others do not.
D) specify how resources and coping styles may change over time.

Question 46

8.Farida recently moved from a very small town to a large city to pursue a college education. In high school she did not have a boyfriend, even though she would have liked to have been in a relationship. She did not get asked to go on dates because she was not considered one of the ÒpopularÓ students. In one of her college courses, Farida met Sayid, who asked her out for coffee a few times and seems interested in pursuing a relationship with her. Farida wonders, however, whether Sayid is truly interested in dating her, or whether he only wants to spend time with her because she is doing well in their college class. Because no other men have expressed interest, Farida decides to pursue a relationship with Sayid. Interpret FaridaÕs situation from a social exchange theory perspective.

Question 47

According to Bronfenbrenner, the fact that you are a student at a particular college living in a specific city would be part of the ________ context for your romantic relationship, while the fact that your friends are all single and discourage you from being in a committed relationship would be part of the ________ context.

A) microsystem; mesosystem
B) mesosystem; microsystem
C) macrosystem; mesosystem
D) mesosystem; macrosystem

Question 48

10.Imagine that you are a social learning theorist studying communication patterns in intimate relationships. A couple has just arrived at the research lab and you explain that they will be asked to discuss a problem they are trying to solve as well as share with each other a time when someone else (other than their partner) hurt their feelings. What types of data/information will you as the researcher collect based on these interactions? Assuming the couple is in a satisfied relationship, what would you observe about their interactions as compared to couples in unsatisfied relationships?

Question 49

9.Describe the strengths and limitations that social exchange theory brings to the study of intimate relationships.

Question 50

One of the classic ecological models of intimate relationships is HillÕs ABC-X model, developed after World War II. More recently, McCubbin and Patterson developed the double ABC-X model, which differs from the original model in that it:

A) acknowledges that each element in the original model may change over time.
B) acknowledges that stress may harm a relationship, or it may bring couples closer together.
C) addresses the effects on the relationship and on children.
D) includes elements of the microsystem and the mesosystem.

Question 51

7.A fundamental assumption of social exchange theory is that people evaluate the rewards and costs of their relationships. Define ÒrewardsÓ and Òcosts,Ó and describe the two types of potential rewards of an intimate relationship.

Question 52

2.The theory of parental investment states that sexual selection pressures vary based on the amount of energy and resources that each sex must invest to raise surviving offspring, with parental investment high for females. What are the implications of this differential investment for womenÕs and menÕs mate preferences?

Question 53

1.Outline the fundamental premises of the evolutionary perspective on intimate relationships.

Question 54

According to the chapter about theoretical perspectives on close relationships, which of the following is true? (Hint: Think about the table at the end of the chapter.)

A) Attachment theory can be faulted because it does not explain why two couples with the same attachment styles might vary.
B) Social exchange theory offers a compelling explanation for how perceptions of rewards and costs may change over time in a relationship.
C) Social learning theory overlooks the proximal causes of behavior in relationships.
D) Evolutionary models focus too much on fossils and other obscure types of evidence that really do not have much to do with human intimacy.

Question 55

5.How are the dimensions of attachment-related anxiety and attachment-related avoidance related to the four attachment styles (secure, fearful, preoccupied, and dismissing)? Why do researchers and theorists now assess the attachment dimensions of anxiety and avoidance rather than use categories to assess the quality of attachment?

Question 56

4.Outline the two fundamental premises of attachment theory described in your textbook.

Question 57

In HillÕs ABC-X model of how relationships react to stressful conditions, the C stands for:

A) communication.
B) adaptation.
C) perception.
D) crisis.

Question 58

According to the chapter about theoretical perspectives on intimate relationships, three broad themesÑdyadic interaction, individual differences, and external circumstancesÑcapture the types of variables described by theories of intimate relationships. Yet not all theories focus on all three themes. Which of the following statements about the focus of theories of intimate relationships is most accurate?

A) Social learning theory focuses on dyadic interaction and individual differences.
B) Evolutionary theory addresses both external circumstances and dyadic interaction.
C) Attachment theory focuses only on individual differences.
D) Social ecological theory addresses all three themes: dyadic interaction, individual differences, and external circumstances.

Question 59

One of the major contributions that social learning theory makes to the study of intimate relationships is that it:

A) adopts the couple as the basic unit of analysis.
B) explains how a coupleÕs interactions can improve and decline over time within the same relationship.
C) explains why some couples have better communication skills than other couples.
D) accounts for why vulnerable couples may experience a decline in relationship satisfaction.

Question 60

Applying BronfenbrennerÕs ecological model to couples, the microsystem consists of ________, the mesosystem consists of ________, and the macrosystem consists of ________.

A) neighborhood and culture; national and historical forces; a coupleÕs family and friends
B) national and historical forces; neighborhood and culture; a coupleÕs family and friends
C) a coupleÕs family and friends; neighborhood and culture; national and historical forces
D) a coupleÕs family and friends; national and historical forces; neighborhood and culture

Question 61

12.Outline the components of HillÕs ABC-X model, and explain why the original model has been revised by McCubbin and Patterson.

Question 62

15.The chapter about theoretical perspectives on intimate relationships outlines three broad themes that capture the types of variables described by theories of intimate relationships. Identify these three themes and indicate which theories described in the chapter tend to focus on each of the themes.

Question 63

13.Describe the strengths and limitations that social ecological models bring to the study of intimate relationships.

Question 64

14.Tina and Jill have been married for 4 years. When experiencing conflict, they tend to respond to each otherÕs negative effect and behaviors with further negativity. Although they feel somewhat less satisfied with each other and with the relationship after an argument, they generally maintain a high level of satisfaction. In the first few years of their marriage, they rarely argued; however, JillÕs mother was recently diagnosed with cancer, and Jill has been spending less time with Tina than Tina would like. This has created tension and has led to increased conflict between Tina and Jill. As a result, Tina and Jill find that their satisfaction with the relationship has been steadily decreasing. Your textbook describes five theoretical approaches to intimate relationships. Which of these approaches provide(s) the best explanation for Tina and JillÕs declining relationship satisfaction? Why?

Question 65

11.Describe the strengths and limitations that social learning theory brings to the study of intimate relationships.