Deck 10: Sexuality Across the Lifespan: Adult-hood

Question 1

Which statement about sex partners for men and women aged 20-24 is accurate?

A) Young men have about twice as many sex partners as young women.
B) In any given 12-month period, more young men and women are abstinent than are sexually active.
C) Young women have about twice as many sex partners as young men.
D) About one-quarter of all young men and women have never had a sex partner.
E) In any given 12-month period, most young men and women have only a few sex partners.

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Some experts believe that dating relationships among young adults tend to be short-lived because

A) young people often have an idealistic or overly romanticized view of sexual relationships.
B) most young people are prioritizing education and career over romance.
C) the prevalence of "hookup culture" makes it very difficult to maintain a monogamous relationship.
D) young dating people typically are not really "in love."
E) most young people do not hope or expect to enter into a lasting sexual relationship.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Refer to the figure.
This bar graph shows the percentage of women (bars to the left) and men (bars to the right) aged 20-24 who reported the stated number of opposite-sex partners within the previous year. What can you conclude based on this information?

A) More women than men are sexually active, likely because it is easier for women to find sexual partners.
B) Men are more likely than women to have three or more sexual partners over the course of a year.
C) Hookup culture has increased the social acceptability of having multiple sex partners in a year.
D) Greater acceptability of extra-marital sex has increased the number of sex partners people have each year.
E) The majority of men in their early twenties have two or more sex partners each year.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

A couple who live together in a sexual relationship but are not legally married are

A) cohabitating.
B) practicing polygamy.
C) practicing polygyny.
D) hooking up.
E) in a covenant marriage.

Question 5

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a twenty-year-old college student moves in with the nineteen-year-old man she's been dating for four months. She makes this choice because she wanted to keep seeing him despite the pandemic and because she couldn't afford her rent after her roommate moved back home. What is the most likely long-term outcome of their relationship?

A) Moving in together will cement their relationship, making them far more likely to get married.
B) Social stigma from living together will put pressure on their relationship, making them more likely to break up.
C) Given their age, they are likely to break up despite cohabiting.
D) If they do get married, the decision to live together first will decrease their long-term marital satisfaction.
E) Living together will decrease jealousy, making domestic violence much less likely than if they'd lived apart.

Question 6

Which is not a reason people choose to cohabit rather than get married?

A) Greater financial independence
B) Perception that marriage is a great responsibility
C) To avoid any responsibility for paying child support
D) Lack of financial assets by one or both parties
E) Greater ease of ending a relationship

Question 7

Based on all available evidence, which conclusion about cohabitation is the most reasonable?

A) Cohabitation is the main reason why the divorce rate has risen sharply in recent decades.
B) Cohabitation is the primary cause of the rapid transmission of STDs.
C) The average age at first marriage has been increasing in part because cohabitation has become more commonplace.
D) Cohabitation only leads to lasting relationships if the couple has children.
E) Cohabitation has sharply reduced the number of domestic violence cases in America.

Question 8

A married man has been issued a temporary marriage certificate so he can have a temporary sexual relationship while he travels. This is an example of

A) plural marriage, which is associated with Mormonism.
B) polyandry, which is associated with Christianity.
C) mut'a, which is associated with Islam.
D) concubinism, which is associated with Buddhism.
E) bigamy, which is associated with Hinduism.

Question 9

Which is no longer a function or purpose of marriage in modern America?

A) To establish a legal contract transferring the care of a woman from her father to her husband
B) To create an environment that facilitates raising children
C) To ensure the rights of partners with respect to each other
D) To regulate sexual access and limit sexual competition within a society
E) To define the relationships of children within a community

Question 10

In the United States, a person who marries someone while still married to someone else is committing the crime of

A) bigamy.
B) polygamy.
C) polyandry.
D) adultery.
E) polyamory.

Question 11

Traditionally, the practice of polygyny has been primarily about

A) equality and justice.
B) money and status.
C) companionship.
D) the rearing of children.
E) love and sex.

Question 12

Traditionally, harems were protected by castrated men called

A) castrato.
B) eunuchs.
C) concubines.
D) viziers.
E) sharifs.

Question 13

Which statement about polyandry is true?

A) It is a marriage arrangement in which a man has more than one wife.
B) It is a family arrangement in which a woman is raising children from her husband's first marriage.
C) It is a family arrangement in which a man is raising the children of a deceased sibling.
D) It is a marriage arrangement intended to create a social alliance.
E) It is a marriage arrangement in which a woman has more than one husband.

Question 14

Which scenario best illustrates "swinging"?

A) Jonah lives happily with Miriam, Hannah, and Elizabeth, his three wives.
B) Teresa and Thomas have lived together for several years, though they are not legally married.
C) Ray and Betty are a married couple who sometimes agree to have casual sex with other people.
D) Dakota and Chris "hook up" once or twice per week for sex but otherwise do not spend much time together.
E) Tim, Katerina, and Alecia live together in a committed, marriage-like relationship.

Question 15

Companionate marriage originated in

A) ancient Greece.
B) ancient Rome.
C) Eastern Europe.
D) the United States.
E) the Ottoman empire.

Question 16

Which factor had the greatest influence on the emergence of companionate marriage?

A) The education of women
B) The banning of polygamy by the church
C) Increased equality of the sexes
D) The widespread adoption of Christianity
E) Environments that contain few natural resources

Question 17

Before getting married, Kate and Chester developed a legal document detailing how they would split assets if they ever divorced. This is an example of

A) a prenuptial agreement.
B) companionate marriage.
C) covenant marriage.
D) a post-nuptial agreement.
E) an annulment agreement.

Question 18

Which factor had the greatest influence on the emergence of covenant marriage?

A) The perception that traditional family values are breaking down
B) The economic recession of the late 2000s
C) The legalization of gay marriage and civil unions
D) The repeal of no-fault divorce laws in many states
E) Decreasing economic independence for women

Question 19

One reason why covenant marriages are not especially popular is that

A) they are more costly than traditional marriages.
B) it is more difficult to divorce.
C) they are available only to Bible-believing Christians.
D) most men cannot afford to support more than one wife.
E) they are not formally recognized by any state or religious authorities.

Question 20

The evolution of marriage from 18th century traditional marriage to 21st century companionate marriage has benefited women because companionate marriage

A) is based primarily on shared interests rather than on physical attractiveness.
B) results in fewer divorces than traditional marriages.
C) requires husbands to commit themselves to their spouses.
D) does not demand that the wife be a social partner to her husband.
E) implies a greater degree of equality between husband and wife.

Question 21

Which assessment of companionate marriage is correct?

A) In a companionate marriage, there is sometimes additional pressure as spouses are expected to take on numerous roles for each other.
B) Romantic love is valued in a companionate marriage far less than in a traditional marriage.
C) The popularity of companionate marriage is expected to decline as people are increasingly drawn to those of similar economic and educational backgrounds.
D) The primary functions of companionate marriage are duty and the maintenance of social order.
E) The factors that make companionate marriage more potentially satisfying have also made it more stable than traditional marriage.

Question 22

Refer to the figure.
According to the graph,

A) men usually marry women who are older than they are.
B) in the late 19th century, the average age at first marriage was fairly young.
C) since the 1960s, age at first marriage has leveled off for both men and women.
D) age at first marriage reached its lowest point in the 1950s.
E) men are marrying considerably later now than they did in the 1890s.

Question 23

Based on statistics about demographic factors and marriage, which person is most likely to be married to her romantic partner?

A) A 20-year old black woman
B) A 20-year old Hispanic woman
C) An Asian woman making $70,000 per year.
D) A white woman making $15,000 per year
E) A black woman raising a child

Question 24

One difference between domestic partnerships and marriages is that

A) domestic partnerships offer no legal protections to the parties involved.
B) people in domestic partnerships have no real commitment to each other.
C) the push for domestic partnerships originally came from the gay community.
D) domestic partnerships are available only to people who cannot legally marry.
E) people in domestic partnerships have no legal obligations to each other.

Question 25

Research on sexual satisfaction suggests

A) married women have sex more often than dating women.
B) married men are more sexually satisfied than unmarried men.
C) marriage tends to increase sexual adventurousness in both men and women.
D) married women report greater emotional satisfaction from sex than unmarried women do.
E) men experience orgasm more easily outside of marriage.

Question 26

Jackie and Aiden have been married for ten years and typically have sex about once each week. However, whenever one of them returns from a long business trip, they often have sex several days in a row. What might explain this?

A) Being apart increases habituation
B) Being apart reduces habituation
C) Living separately reduces each person's stress levels
D) Being apart triggers the release of extra testosterone
E) Being apart suppresses the release of testosterone

Question 27

Based on research, which couple is likely to report the highest level of sexual satisfaction?

A) A middle-aged couple carefully to split housework evenly
B) A recently married couple with a newborn child
C) A recently married couple with no plans to have children
D) Parents of a teenager who have been married for 20 years
E) Parents of a six-year-old who have been married for 8 years

Question 28

It is common for marital satisfaction to decline

A) slowly but consistently throughout the marriage.
B) during the early months of a woman's first pregnancy.
C) after the birth of a couple's first child.
D) when all children have moved out of the home.
E) after the retirement of both spouses.

Question 29

Over the past 25 years, the divorce rate for Americans has fallen. What is the most likely reason for this change?

A) Greater employment opportunities for women have resulted in more economically stable families.
B) People have become more likely to marry people from different ethnic or religious backgrounds, making it more likely that they will find a good fit.
C) Younger couples do not want to follow in the footsteps of the previous generation, for whom divorce was commonplace.
D) The marriage rate among economically disadvantaged young people has fallen during the same period.
E) The increasing popularity of covenant marriage makes divorce more difficult.

Question 30

Statistically speaking, which couple's marriage is likely to last longest?

A) An Asian man and woman getting married in their thirties
B) A white man and woman getting married in their thirties
C) A high-school educated man in his fifties marrying a high-school educated woman in her thirties
D) An atheist man in his fifties marrying a Jewish woman in her thirties
E) High school sweethearts getting married right after graduation

Question 31

Refer to the figure.
This graph shows the probability that couples of each race/ethnicity will remain married over time. From top to bottom, the lines reflect Asian, Hispanic, white, and Black couples. What conclusion can you draw from this data?

A) Asians are more likely to get married than people of other races/ethnicities.
B) Asians are less likely to get divorced than people of other races/ethnicities.
C) Asians are more happily married than people of other races/ethnicities.
D) For people of all ethnicities, divorce rates drop off after 10 years of marriage.
E) For people of all ethnicities, divorce rates rise sharply after 10 years of marriage.

Question 32

After divorce, men are more likely than women to

A) have lower mortality rates.
B) have higher incomes.
C) have greater happiness.
D) have more child care responsibilities.
E) have more active social lives.

Question 33

Which statement about divorce and children is most accurate?

A) Almost all children develop severe behavioral problems when their parents divorce.
B) Younger children are better able to cope with their parents' divorce than are older children.
C) It is best for children if parents remain in a marriage-even an unhappy one.
D) Children from divorced families are at greater risk of experiencing depression than children from intact families.
E) Children have fewer difficulties coping with divorce if the custodial parent remarries soon after the divorce.

Question 34

Which outcome is most clearly associated with second marriages?

A) An increase in sexual activity
B) Lower divorce rates than for first marriages
C) A 70% chance of divorce
D) An increase in happiness and well-being for step children
E) A sharp decline in socioeconomic status for women

Question 35

What is the most likely financial outcome for women in a second marriage?

A) Their annual household income will decline by about $5,000 when they remarry.
B) Their annual household income will decline by about $10,000 when they remarry.
C) Their income will be higher than the incomes of people who remained in their first marriage.
D) Their income will be about equivalent to the incomes of people who remained in their first marriage.
E) Their income will increase if they marry a woman but decrease if they marry a man.

Question 36

What social change would be most likely to increase rates of first marriages in the United States?

A) Returning to traditional, religious-based views about marriage
B) Tightening divorce laws so women feel more economically secure when they get married
C) Making employment and educational opportunities available to more Americans
D) Reversing the culture of narcissism and self-gratification that is prevalent among millennials
E) Making it easier to get a marriage license

Question 37

Consider a society in which older women often have limited financial security, work long hours, and live far from their children. Using your understanding of the grandmother hypothesis of menopause, what would be the likely impact on grandchildren in this society?

A) They would benefit more from having grandmothers than grandchildren do in premodern societies.
B) They would benefit less from having grandmothers than grandchildren do in premodern societies.
C) They would benefit from having grandmothers, but only before their grandmothers enter menopause.
D) They would will benefit from having grandmothers, but only after their grandmothers enter menopause.
E) They would likely have a richer appreciation for their grandmothers than in premodern societies.

Question 38

The grandmother hypothesis is a possible explanation for why women

A) have such a long reproductive period.
B) tend to be attracted to older mates.
C) continue to live for many years after menopause.
D) often lose interest in sex after midlife.
E) experience menopause at different ages in different cultures.

Question 39

Which woman would be considered menopausal?

A) Terri, age 48, who has not had a period for 6 months
B) Juanita, age 50, who has not had a period for 9 months
C) Iris, age 49, who has had irregular periods for 12 months
D) Yoko, age 51, who has had irregular periods for 9 months
E) Martina, age 47, who has not had a period for 18 months

Question 40

A menopausal woman complains of low sex drive. What would her doctor be most likely to evaluate to determine the reason for this symptom?

A) Vasomotor control
B) Vaginal lubrication
C) FSH levels
D) Progesterone levels
E) Androgen levels

Question 41

A menopausal woman complains of hot flashes and requests that her hormone levels be evaluated. What would her doctor measure to determine whether there is a hormonal basis for her symptoms?

A) Gonadotropin levels
B) Estrogen levels
C) Androgen levels
D) Progesterone levels
E) Isoflavone levels

Question 42

A woman who _______ is likely to experience the latest menopause.

A) has never been pregnant
B) has always had very short menstrual cycles
C) has used oral contraceptives for 20 years
D) has been pregnant and given birth once
E) becomes sexually active at age 15

Question 43

Which event will result in the immediate onset of menopause?

A) A woman experiencing perimenopause receives an injection of testosterone.
B) A women experiencing perimenopause begins taking birth control pills.
C) A woman has her ovaries removed.
D) A woman undergoes a tubal ligation.
E) A woman has a double mastectomy.

Question 44

Menopausal hormone therapy would provide the greatest benefit and involve the least risk for a menopausal woman who

A) is at risk for osteoporosis and has a family history of dementia.
B) is at risk for osteoporosis and has had a hysterectomy.
C) has a family history of endometrial cancer but who is not at risk for osteoporosis.
D) has a family history of dementia and a medical condition that places her at risk for blood clots.
E) has a family history of dementia and a medical condition that places her at risk for strokes.

Question 45

Menopausal hormone therapy would offer the least benefit and present the greatest risk for a menopausal woman who

A) is at risk for osteoporosis and has no family history of dementia.
B) is at risk for osteoporosis and has had a hysterectomy.
C) has a family history of endometrial cancer but who is not at risk for osteoporosis.
D) has a family history of dementia and a medical condition that places her at risk for blood clots.
E) has a history of dementia and a medical condition that places her at risk for epilepsy.

Question 46

Malik, a 55-year-old man, visited his doctor with symptoms of decreased libido, low energy, and declining athletic abilities. What diagnosis is he most likely to get?

A) He has entered perimenopause and will benefit from isoflavone supplements.
B) He is overproducing estrogen, but a testosterone patch will restore his libido and energy.
C) He has low-T but should avoid testosterone supplements because they will damage his prostate.
D) Testosterone supplements may restore his libido if tests reveal low testosterone levels.
E) None, because this is normal; most men are not interested in sex after the age of 50.

Question 47

A man in his late 40s who still hopes to father children has had declining sperm counts for the last several years. This suggests he is entering

A) menopause.
B) perimenopause.
C) amenorrhea.
D) the climacteric.
E) andropause.

Question 48

As they enter old age, men

A) lose the ability to father children.
B) stop producing testosterone.
C) generally feel decreased sexual desire.
D) can no longer achieve erection.
E) are more likely to experience hypogonadism.

Question 49

In an AARP study of people over age 70, roughly half of women surveyed reported that they never had sexual thoughts, fantasies, or dreams. Roughly half of men surveyed reported that they had such thoughts at least twice a week. How can information like this most benefit older adults?

A) Older couples can learn about their peers regarding topics that are difficult to discuss.
B) Men and women can remain single to avoid the consequences of such disparities.
C) Counselors can teach older men to fantasize less and older women to fantasize more.
D) Aging partners can understand and accept each other's sexuality differences as normal.
E) Older men can seek other women or men who have the same sexual desires they do.

Question 50

Which physiological change in sexual response is common among older men?

A) Complete inability to achieve erection
B) Decreased ejaculatory volume
C) More rapid onset of erection
D) Shorter refractory periods
E) Longer-lasting erections

Question 51

Which physiological change in sexual response is common in older women?

A) Thinning of the vaginal wall
B) Lengthening of the vagina
C) Shorter but more intense orgasms
D) Increased lubrication
E) Complete inability to achieve orgasm

Question 52

Refer to the figure.
Based on the graph, which statement is correct?

A) A single older man may be in high demand as a sex partner.
B) Men's sex drives increase with age.
C) Postmenopausal women typically have almost no interest in sexual activity.
D) Heterosexual men face an increasing shortage of potential sex partners as they age.
E) Older women have a stronger sex drive than older men.

Question 53

Which statement about sex and older people is accurate?

A) Older people do not need to practice "safe sex," since they are not at risk for STDs.
B) Most elderly couples prefer oral sex to coitus as it is less physically demanding.
C) As baby boomers age, their beliefs about sex are becoming much more conservative.
D) Many older couples find greater satisfaction in their sex lives than they did when they were younger.
E) Though it takes longer to achieve arousal, most older women become multi-orgasmic.

Question 54

Explain why couples may choose to cohabit instead of marrying and describe the relationship between cohabitation and relationship duration.

Question 55

Define polygyny, polyandry, monogamy, and polyamory and explain which relationship structures are likely to give more freedom and autonomy to women.

Question 56

Explain how the concept of marriage has changed from the time of the early Greeks and Romans and how modern views of marriage require divorce to be an essential option.

Question 57

A couple in their late forties seeks marital counseling because they're having sex less often, are bickering about rules for their teenagers, and are feeling less connected than in the past. The husband thinks this may mean they were never right for one another. What information could their therapist share about how marital relationships typically change over time to challenge the husband's concern?

Question 58

Describe the relationship between demographic factors and the likelihood of divorce.

Question 59

Design a handout for divorcing parents describing how divorce may affect them and their children.

Question 60

Define perimenopause and menopause, and describe common symptoms of both.

Question 61

A 55-year-old woman is exhausted from sleep problems and night sweats and frustrated by uncomfortable intercourse due to thin skin and vaginal dryness. She is considering isoflavone supplements. Describe the pros and cons of that option and suggest additional options.

Question 62

Prepare a presentation about andropause and misconceptions about low T for middle-aged men.

Question 63

Discuss potential reasons for a decline in sexual activity among older adults.