Deck 11: Relationships in Context

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.

Answer 1

D

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. SaritaÕs husband is not quite as thrilled about SaritaÕs 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, SaritaÕs 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.

Answer 2

B

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.

Answer 3

A

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.

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.

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

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.

Question 8

Which of the following statements about BronfenbrennerÕs 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.

Question 9

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

A) the coupleÕs overall working conditions
B) a spouseÕs relationship with family and friends
C) the availability of affordable daycare
D) the coupleÕs cultural background and gender norms

Question 10

Carolyn Cutrona and colleagues (2003) studied the effect of neighborhoods on African American couplesÕ 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.

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

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

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, JuanitaÕs mother cares for their 18-month-old son. In this scenario, the low wages represent a ________, and JuanitaÕs motherÕs care represents a ________.

A) resource; resource
B) resource; stressor
C) stressor; stressor
D) stressor; resource

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

Question 15

Distal is to ________ as proximal is to ________.

A) support from family; cultural context
B) the wifeÕs mood; divorce laws
C) the quality of the school system; household income
D) the husbandÕs work hours; economic conditions

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.

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.

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 HillÕs (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 sonÕs broken arm.
D) The sonÕs broken arm and new financial burden are unpredictable (uncontrollable) stressors and thus will have less of an effect on the coupleÕs relationship.

Question 19

What is true with regard to BronfenbrennerÕs 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.

Question 20

In a study to learn more about how arousal affects support behavior, you measure heart rate and blood pressure continuously while recording couplesÕ 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.

Question 21

According to research described in the text, what happens to the effects of external stress on intimate relationships when the source of the stress becomes more noticeable?

A) The more obvious the external sources of stress in relationships, the more important it is that partners have sufficient resources to deal with the stress effectively.
B) The more salient the external sources of moderate stress in relationships, the less they affect feelings about the relationship.
C) The more salient the external sources of stress in relationships, the more negatively those sources of stress affect the relationship.
D) The more salient the external sources of stress in relationships, the more likely partners are to notice the internal sources of stress in the relationship (e.g., incompatible communication styles, conflicts).

Question 22

After census data revealed that Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Tennessee were among the states with the highest divorce rates, various political figures were pressed to explain the finding. What is the best explanation for the divorce rates being higher in these conservative states?

A) People who marry in these states have more unrealistic expectations about marriage, leading to inevitable disappointment and distress.
B) Prior to this census, relationship education was not widely available to couples in these states, leading to greater rates of dissolution.
C) The overall quality of life in these states is poorer compared to other states, making marriage challenging.
D) Young people in these states were rebelling against conservative beliefs and did not value the institution of marriage as much as young people in other states.

Question 23

In a study of relationship satisfaction and stress conducted by Tesser and Beach (1998), which couples experienced the least effects of stress regarding their marital satisfaction?

A) couples experiencing mild stress (one to three negative events), because they had nothing on which to blame their marital problems
B) couples experiencing moderate stress (three to five negative events), because they did not notice the effect that external stress had on their marriages
C) couples experiencing moderate stress (more than five negative events), because they were aware of the effects of stress and had the resources to protect their relationships
D) couples experiencing severe stress (more than nine negative events), because they were more aware of the effects of stress on the relationships

Question 24

Demont was fired at work, and when he arrived home his wife, Laticia, began talking about her difficult day managing a major event at the department store where she works. Feeling frustrated, Demont snapped at Laticia, ÒWhy does everything always have to be about you? DonÕt you even care what is going on with me?Ó What phenomenon does DemontÕs outburst reflect?

A) fight or flight
B) stress projection
C) tunnel vision
D) stress pileup

Question 25

JoeÕs job is very stressful. When he comes home, he often feels grouchy, and he yells at his dog. JoeÕs wife, Karen, gets upset wondering what Joe will be like when he comes home at the end of the workday. She worries that she is starting to get a bit depressed by this. His dog is also starting to ignore him. This situation is best viewed as an example of:

A) stress crossover.
B) stress spillover.
C) stress crossover and stress spillover.
D) stressor salience and stress crossover.

Question 26

In a study of couples where one partner was studying for the New York State bar exam, how did the stress crossover effect change in the 4 weeks immediately preceding the exam date?

A) It did not change; the stress crossover effects were consistent throughout the 4-week study period.
B) The stress crossover effect became stronger; the closer the exam date, the more the stress the examinee experienced, and the worse the partnerÕs moods became.
C) There was a U-shaped change in the stress crossover effect; at the beginning and at the end of the 4-week study, there was a strong crossover effect of the examineeÕs distress and the partnerÕs mood but a weaker effect in the middle 2 weeks.
D) The stress crossover effect became weaker; the closer the exam date, the less the examineeÕs stress affected the partnerÕs mood.

Question 27

The negative effects of stress on relationships can be offset by:

A) effective problem-solving skills.
B) the provision of social support.
C) inadequate resources.
D) all of the above.

Question 28

Maina is conducting a daily diary study of how studentsÕ school stress affects their relationships with parents. ________ is the association between stress and the studentÕs behavior at home, and ________ is the association between stress and the parentsÕ behavior at home.

A) Stress spillover; stress crossover
B) Stress crossover; stress spillover
C) Stressor salience; negative reciprocity
D) Negative reciprocity; stress spillover

Question 29

Cohan and Cole (2002) studied the effects of Hurricane Hugo on births, divorces, and marriages by examining the rates in the 14 years prior to the hurricane and the 8 years following. What did they find?

A) They found increases in birth and marriage rates and declines in divorce rates; people were more likely to increase levels of commitment following the hurricane.
B) They found increases in birth, marriage, and divorce rates; people evaluated their commitments, leading some to increase their levels of involvement and others to end their relationships.
C) They found increases in birth, marriage, and divorce rates, which appeared to be permanent compared to counties that were not affected by the hurricane.
D) They found increases in birth and marriage rates and declines in divorce rates, but the rates became comparable within a few years to rates in counties unaffected by the hurricane.

Question 30

Chris has had a bad day at workÑlots of complaints from customers, and her boss gave her a deadline that she knows she will be unable to meet. When she gets home that night, she is in a bad mood and feels distant from her partner, Pat. Pat senses ChrisÕ coolness and begins to wonder if there is trouble in their relationship. ChrisÕ behavior that evening is an example of ________, and PatÕs reaction is an example of ________.

A) stress spillover; stress crossover
B) stressor salience; perceptual confirmation
C) stress crossover; stress spillover
D) chronic stress; acute stress

Question 31

Stress spillover is to ________ as stress crossover is to ________.

A) intraindividual; interpersonal
B) interpersonal; intraindividual
C) satisfaction; problem solving
D) external stress; relationship problems

Question 32

JoeÕs job is very stressful. When he comes home, he often feels grouchy, and he yells at his dog. JoeÕs wife, Karen, gets upset wondering what Joe will be like when he comes home at the end of the workday. She worries that she is starting to get a bit depressed by this. His dog is also starting to ignore him. KarenÕs worries about Joe would be considered an example of:

A) stress crossover.
B) stress spillover.
C) stressor salience.
D) stress pileup.

Question 33

How does the association between the years married and the likelihood of marital dissolution change depending on the kind of neighborhood in which people live?

A) With the passage of time, couples are equally likely to end their relationships regardless of the type of neighborhood in which they live.
B) For any given level of marital dissolution (e.g., 30 percent), the outcome tends to happen earlier in marriage for people who live in low-income neighborhoods.
C) People who live in high-income neighborhoods rarely divorce, even after 15 years of marriage.
D) Because people in middle-income neighborhoods are likely to be dual-career couples, they are more likely to divorce than people who live in low-income or high-income neighborhoods.

Question 34

Research on gender differences in stress spillover has found that:

A) stress at home is equally likely to spill over into work functioning for men and women.
B) stress at home is more likely to spill over into work functioning for men than for women.
C) stress at home is more likely to spill over into work functioning for women than for men.
D) in most cases, stress spillover operates differently for women than for men.

Question 35

Can stress ever be good for relationships?

A) Yes, if it is acute stress.
B) No, because the physiological effects of stress have immediate, powerful, and usually invisible effects.
C) No, because stress tends to Òpile up,Ó which depletes couplesÕ resources for dealing with it.
D) Yes, especially when couples have the resources and skills to meet the challenge successfully.

Question 36

Jacko criticizes IrmaÕs cooking. Given the research on how stress affects explanations for partner behavior, what is most true?

A) If they are experiencing a lot of external stress, Irma will be more likely to blame external events for JackoÕs comment.
B) If Irma is experiencing a lot of stress, she will be more likely to blame herself for JackoÕs comment.
C) If they are experiencing a lot of external stress, Irma will be more likely to excuse JackoÕs comment because of his bad day at work.
D) If they are experiencing a lot of external stress, Irma will be more likely to blame Jacko for his comment.

Question 37

Some stressors affect both partners at the same time, such as being physically separated. Which of the following findings about long-distance relationships is accurate?

A) Although there are exceptions, research has shown that absence does make the heart grow fonder.
B) Couples living apart can preserve their positive beliefs about the relationship without having to deal with the irritations that can arise through daily contact.
C) Although it can be challenging to maintain a long-distance relationship, once couples are reunited they report higher levels of satisfaction.
D) There is no research support for the idea that absence makes the heart grow fonder; physical distance between partners is a significant source of stress for relationships.

Question 38

JoeÕs job is very stressful. When he comes home, he often feels grouchy, and he yells at his dog. JoeÕs wife, Karen, gets upset wondering what Joe will be like when he comes home at the end of the workday. She worries that she is starting to get a bit depressed by this. His dog is also starting to ignore him. JoeÕs grouchiness at home and the effects on his relationship with his wife and dog would be considered an example of:

A) stress crossover.
B) stress spillover.
C) stressor salience.
D) stress pileup.

Question 39

Lucian and Andrea had a big argument on Sunday night. Given the research described in the text, who is more likely to have a bad day at work on Monday, and why?

A) Lucian, because he is usually shielded from stress at home by his wife, so he is poorly equipped to deal with it when it does occur
B) Lucian, because men are socialized to be more aggressive in response to relationship problems than women, and this aggression will manifest itself at work
C) Andrea, because women are socialized to invest more of their identities in family, and thus she will be more affected at work by problems at home than Lucian
D) Andrea, because men typically do not shield their wives from stress at home, and thus women experience greater stress spillover from home to work

Question 40

What appears to be true about stress, stressor salience, and relationship satisfaction, according to the cross-sectional study by Tesser and Beach?

A) Salient stressors are detrimental to relationship satisfaction.
B) Satisfaction declines with increases in stress, but moderate levels of stress become more noticeable, and partners recognize that relationship problems are due to the stress.
C) When stress is severe, it is more salient, and partners tend to assume that relationship problems are due to the stress.
D) As relationships develop, stress becomes more salient, as in the case of parenthood.

Question 41

Socioeconomic status has many effects on relationships. What is NOT one of them?

A) Women who have less than a high school education are less likely to marry than women who have more education.
B) Low-income spouses experience more marital stress than do moderate- or high-income spouses.
C) Low-income couples are four times more likely to have their first child prior to marriage.
D) Marriages in less affluent neighborhoods end earlier than marriages in more affluent neighborhoods.

Question 42

5.Neff and Karney (2004) conducted a study where they contacted newlyweds every 6 months for the first 3 years of marriage. At every contact, spouses were asked to imagine what they would think if their partners acted in an insensitive way (e.g., failing to listen, acting cool or distant). Spouses were also asked to describe the sorts of stresses they had experienced outside the relationship since the last assessment. What was the main implication of this study?

Question 43

6.Compare the effects of stress spillover and stress crossover on relationships, providing an example of each.

Question 44

10.In your private practice, you are counseling a couple who is experiencing significant marital distress. As you learn more about their lives, it becomes apparent to you that both spouses are experiencing a lot of stress in domains outside their marriage. For example, the husband describes a long commute, long working hours, and a difficult working relationship with his boss. The wife is juggling school and work, while dealing with her motherÕs deteriorating health due to AlzheimerÕs disease. Given the research by Tesser and Beach (1998) on stressor salience and relationship functioning, what is a goal that you might have for this couple?

Question 45

8.Tyler and Andrea recently bought a new home and are expecting their first child. Money is tight, and Tyler has been working 60 hours a week to cover the cost of the mortgage and to save for the babyÕs arrival. Often exhausted and stressed at the end of the day, Tyler has been more moody and argumentative than usual. Consequently, Andrea is becoming less satisfied in her relationship. Which of the concepts discussed in the chapter about the impact of stress on relationships best describes AndreaÕs situation? Explain your choice.

Question 46

3.What is the fight-or-flight response?

Question 47

Whose relationship is most likely to end?

A) Sally and MelindaÕs, because they have high social network overlap
B) Greg and SanderÕs, because they have high network density
C) DeAnda and KevinÕs, because they have high substitutability in their social network
D) Greer and TamecaÕs, because they have low substitutability in their social network

Question 48

Social networks can benefit and harm intimate relationships. What is one way in which social networks do NOT affect intimate relationships?

A) Social networks enable people to meet potential partners.
B) Social networks provide a context of people who can help in times of need.
C) Social networks can be damaging to relationships, particularly when partnersÕ networks do not overlap much.
D) Shared networks provide barriers that can prevent people from leaving good but not bad relationships.

Question 49

2.As a relationship researcher at a major university, you have received a request from a television news show to take part in a panel discussing the effects of a devastating earthquake that has affected several communities where the residents vary in their socioeconomic status. Given what you know about the effects of acute and chronic stressors on relationships, what points will you make in the discussion?

Question 50

7.Brenda is having serious problems at workÑshe is having difficulty keeping up with the workload (she has to bring some of her work home), her co-workers are difficult to work with, and her boss is considering firing her because of poor sales. As a result, Brenda also has difficulty paying the bills at home, she feels even more irritable than normal when she sees her husband leave the toilet seat up, and she doesnÕt have much time to spend with him outside of work. Which of the concepts discussed in the chapter about the impact of stress on relationships best describes BrendaÕs situation? Explain your choice.

Question 51

9.You are writing an article for your schoolÕs online zine about long-distance relationships. The title is ÒAbsence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder, or Does It?Ó Based on the research on stress and close relationships, what points will you make in your article?

Question 52

4.According to HillÕs ABC-X model of stress, how do acute stressors affect families who are already experiencing chronic stress?

Question 53

Whose relationship is LEAST likely to end?

A) Sally and MelindaÕs, because they have low social network overlap
B) Greg and SanderÕs, because they have high network density
C) DeAnda and KevinÕs, because they have high substitutability in their social network
D) Greer and TamecaÕs, because they have low substitutability in their social network

Question 54

________ is likely a member of AntonioÕs psychological network, and ________ is likely a member of AntonioÕs interactive network.

A) His hairdresser; his mother
B) His mother; his hairdresser
C) His hairdresser; his doctor
D) His doctor; his best friend

Question 55

1.Compare the distal and proximal context, and provide an example of a stressor from each context.

Question 56

The method of graphically displaying the strength and number of relationships within a collection of individuals is called ________.

A) sociometry
B) sociometric calibration
C) interactive network mapping
D) a social network

Question 57

What is social capital?

A) the benefits that people get from their relationships with others
B) the number of individuals in peopleÕs social networks
C) the primary members of an individualÕs psychological network
D) the costs that are incurred by social networks

Question 58

According to the text, which of the following is NOT a reason low-income couples experience more difficulties in maintaining enduring relationships?

A) They often have many personal challenges. For example, they tend to have less education than do individuals with higher incomes.
B) The contexts in which they live tend to be marked by greater social disorder.
C) They tend to have jobs that force them to work nonstandard hours.
D) They do not value marriage as an institution.

Question 59

Dr. Okiro is studying social networks. One participant, Mandy, has described several individuals in her network: Sue, a casual acquaintance at work; Manuel, her best friend; and Gustavo, her cousin who lives in Venezuela, but with whom she chats regularly on her computer. Which statement is correct?

A) Sue and Manuel are part of MandyÕs psychological network and interactive network.
B) Manuel is part of MandyÕs psychological network but not her interactive network.
C) Gustavo and Manuel are part of MandyÕs interactive network and her psychological network.
D) Sue and Gustavo are part of MandyÕs interactive network and her psychological network.

Question 60

Which of the following statements about how social networks can challenge relationships is true?

A) Social networks can indirectly negatively affect relationships via factors such as substitutability but do not directly negatively affect relationships.
B) Relationships are more stable when couples are connected to strong social networks and more satisfying when partners spend a lot of time with friends or relatives.
C) When partners have independent networks, close ties with others can do more harm to the relationship than good.
D) All of the above statements are true.

Question 61

14.What are network density and network overlap, and how do they affect relationships?

Question 62

15.Discuss the benefits and disadvantages of social networks for intimate relationships.

Question 63

11.Why is it important to understand the role of stressor awareness in stress spillover and crossover when treating couples who are experiencing relationship difficulties?

Question 64

13.You have recently been appointed to a task force charged with allocating federal funds to strengthen marriages among low-income families. Each member of the task force has been asked to bring her or his suggestions for how to best use these funds. What suggestions will you make?

Question 65

12.You have recently been appointed to a task force charged with allocating federal funds to strengthen marriages. One of the task force members is arguing that marital education to strengthen values for low socioeconomic couples is the best use of the funds. How do you respond to the suggestion that lack of values is at the heart of marital breakdown?