Deck 9: Emotion in Relationships and Society

Question 1

Which of the following is NOT considered a defining feature of secure infant attachment to a regular caregiver?

A) Proximity seeking - a desire to be near the caregiver when possible
B) Stranger anxiety - a fear of people other than regular caregivers
C) Safe haven - a tendency to turn to the caregiver for help and protection
D) Secure base - confident exploration of the environment when the caregiver is nearby

Answer 1

B

Question 2

In a classic study, Harry Harlow (1958) separated baby monkeys from their mothers, and placed them in cages with one "mother" figure made of wire, and one covered with warm, fuzzy cloth. For half of the monkeys, the wire mother held a bottle of food; for the other half, the cloth-covered monkey held the food. Which of the following best summarizes the study results?

A) The baby monkeys panicked when separated from their mothers, and refused to eat.
B) The baby monkeys spent most of their time on whichever "mother" held the food.
C) The baby monkeys spent most of their time on the cloth-covered "mother," regardless of which mother held the food.
D) The baby monkeys spent most of their time playing on the wire "mother," regardless of which mother held the food.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

In a classic study, Harry Harlow (1958) raised baby monkeys in cages with one "mother" figure made of wire, and another covered with warm, fuzzy cloth. For half of the monkeys, the wire mother held a bottle of food; for the other half, the cloth-covered monkey held the food. Researchers observed where the monkeys spent most of their time. Which of the following best summarizes the implications of the study results?

A) Babies' bonds with their parents are primarily based on the need for food.
B) Babies need comforting physical contact to thrive, as well as food and clean, safe surroundings.
C) Babies tend to engage in physical play with their fathers, and receive comfort from their mothers.
D) Babies can thrive when bottle-fed, just as well as when nursed at the mother's breast.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Attachment behavior first begins to emerge in infants around 6 months of age. Which of the following is the most commonly accepted reason for attachment developing at this age?

A) Infants' vision may become acute enough at this time to distinguish parents from other people.
B) Infants do not develop object permanence - the ability to remember that objects still exist when they are out of sight - until 6 to 9 months of age.
C) Infants begin to crawl around 6 to 9 months of age, and are at greater risk of getting hurt or lost.
D) All of the above explanations are commonly accepted.

Question 5

According to theorist John Bowlby, what is the central function of the attachment system?

A) To allow babies to balance their need to explore with their need to remain safe
B) To help babies avoid coming into contact with unfriendly strangers
C) To ensure that babies receive adequate food and attention from their parents
D) To help parents keep track of where their babies are.

Question 6

Which of the following is thought to be an important mechanism by which infants form attachments to their primary caregivers?

A) Oxytocin
B) Endorphins and other opioid neurotransmitters
C) Synchronized behavior between the caregiver and the infant
D) All of the above are likely important mechanisms of attachment.

Question 7

Mammalian infants' experience of separation distress has been linked to suddenly reduced activation of receptors for which kind of neurotransmitter?

A) dopamine
B) endorphin opioids
C) serotonin
D) oxytocin

Question 8

In several studies, researchers have given some participants a high dose of acetaminophen, and others a placebo. Participants then complete a laboratory task in which they are apparently rejected by other people. Which of the following best summarizes the implications of these studies' results?

A) Social pain and physical pain share similar neural mechanisms.
B) People experience rejection as emotionally hurtful.
C) Acetaminophen is an effective painkiller.
D) Acetaminophen alters people's behavior in social situations.

Question 9

Maria is 15 months old. Her mother has to go out one evening, so she takes Maria to the home of a good friend who can look after her for a couple of hours. Because Maria has never met this friend, the mom stays with her for a while before leaving. Still, Maria clings to her mother while they are in this unfamiliar places, and when her mother cries she screams uncontrollably. When Maria's mother returns, Maria has a difficult time calming down, and seems angry at her mother for leaving as well as glad that she has returned. A researcher would describe Maria's attachment style as .

A) secure
B) anxious-ambivalent
C) avoidant
D) disorganized

Question 10

Derrick is 12 months old, and after a year of maternity leave his mom is going back to work. She takes him to his new day care, and stays with him for a while before leaving. While she is there Derrick plays quietly on his own, paying little attention to her, and when she leaves he does not seem to mind. However, he does not explore the daycare much while she is gone, mostly sleeping or playing quietly with one toy. When his mother returns, Derrick does not run to her like many of the other children do to their moms. A researcher would describe Maria's attachment style as .

A) secure
B) anxious-ambivalent
C) avoidant
D) disorganized

Question 11

Which of the following has NOT been associated with greater perceived physical attractiveness?

A) Statistically average facial features
B) Healthy skin and hair
C) Attractive personality
D) All of the above have been associated with greater perceived attractiveness.

Question 12

Claire is out having lunch one day, and sees her friend Makenzie having lunch with a man Claire has not met. Claire does not interrupt them, but after watching them for a few minutes thinks "hey, they seem really attracted to each other!" Which of the following might Claire have noticed as a sign of mutual attraction, consistent with research discussed in your textbook?

A) Makenzie and the man were talking in a very animated way.
B) Makenzie and the man touched each other occasionally while talking.
C) Makenzie and the man made a lot of eye contact while talking.
D) Makenzie and the man were mirroring each others' posture and movements.

Question 13

Which of the following statements about similarity between romantic partners is FALSE?

A) All else being equal, romantic relationships between partners who are more similar to each other tend to be more stable.
B) Over time, romantic partners tend to grow apart, becoming less alike.
C) Over time, romantic partners are increasingly likely to overestimate their similarity in attitudes and preferences.
D) All of the above are true; none are false.

Question 14

In a study by Mario Mikulincer and colleagues (2000), participants viewed "prime" words, some of which were threatening (e.g., "failure'), and some neutral (e.g., "chair"). After each prime word, a "target" string of letters was displayed; the participant's task was to decide as quickly as possible whether the string was a word or not. Results showed that participants detected "target" words with close relationship themes (e.g., "love") faster after seeing a threatening prime than after a neutral prime. Which of the following best describes the main implication of these results?

A) When adults are threatened, their minds turn automatically to thoughts of social support.
B) People are emotionally disturbed by the idea of failure.
C) People recognize relationship-themed words more quickly than words without relationship themes.
D) The average person is very concerned that their close relationships might fail.

Question 15

In a study by Mario Mikulincer and colleagues (2000), participants viewed "prime" words, some of which were threatening (e.g., "failure'), and some neutral (e.g., "chair"). After each prime word, a "target" string of letters was displayed; the participant's task was to decide as quickly as possible whether the string was a word or not. Some target strings were words with close relationship themes (e.g., "love"), some were neutral words, and others were not words at all. The study was designed to test a hypothesis derived from attachment theory. What results did the researchers predict?

A) Participants would respond to the target words with close relationship themes faster than those with neutral themes.
B) Participants would spend a longer time looking at the target words with close relationship themes, so would respond more slowly than to words with neutral themes.
C) Participants would detect target words with close relationship themes faster after seeing a threatening prime than after a neutral prime.
D) Participants would make more errors in distinguishing words from non-words after the threatening prime than after the neutral prime.

Question 16

According to an early study by Hazan and Shaver (1987), adults with which attachment style are most likely to agree that ups and downs are normal in a long-term romantic relationship?

A) Secure
B) Anxious
C) Avoidant
D) People of all three attachment styles are equally likely to agree with this statement.

Question 17

According to an early study by Hazan and Shaver (1987), adults with which attachment style are most likely to say that they fall in love easily?

A) Secure
B) Anxious
C) Avoidant
D) People of all three attachment styles are equally likely to agree with this statement.

Question 18

According to an early study by Hazan and Shaver (1987), adults with which attachment style are most likely to agree that romantic love does not last forever?

A) Secure
B) Anxious
C) Avoidant
D) People of all three attachment styles are equally likely to agree with this statement.

Question 19

Which of the following is NOT characteristic of people who chose the "anxious" paragraph as the best fit in Hazan and Shaver's (1987) study of adult attachment styles?

A) They describe themselves as obsessively preoccupied with their partners.
B) They rarely report feeling underappreciated or misunderstood by their partners.
C) They experience intense highs and lows in romantic relationships.
D) They describe their romantic experiences as "love at first sight."

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT characteristic of people who chose the "secure" paragraph as the best fit in Hazan and Shaver's (1987) study of adult attachment styles?

A) They were less likely than those choosing other paragraphs to have been divorced.
B) Their relationships were longer-lasting that relationships of people who chose other paragraphs.
C) They reported high levels of trust in their romantic relationships.
D) They say that they fall in love easily and often.

Question 21

Which of the following is NOT characteristic of people who chose the "avoidant" paragraph as the best fit in Hazan and Shaver's (1987) study of adult attachment styles?

A) They agree that it is normal for people's romantic feelings to grow and wane repeatedly over the course of a relationship.
B) They report being relatively uncomfortable with intimacy.
C) They describe themselves as independent and able to get along by themselves.
D) They have difficult accepting their partner's imperfections.

Question 22

In a study by Fraley and Shaver (1998), researchers recorded the behavior of couples waiting at airport gates, and if only one person got on the plane, they asked the remaining person to complete a questionnaire about his or her attachment style and current thoughts and feelings. Results showed that women who were felt more upset about the separation, and women who were had spent more time demonstrating affection physically before her partner departed.

A) more anxious; more anxious
B) more anxious; less avoidant
C) less avoidant; more anxious
D) less anxious; less avoidant

Question 23

Research with prairie voles as well as human suggests that the neurotransmitter plays an important role in facilitating long-term pair bonds between mating partners.

A) dopamine
B) endorphin
C) oxytocin
D) serotonin

Question 24

According to a meta-analysis of longitudinal data conducted by Fraley (2002), how strong is the correlation between infant and adult attachment style?

A) Fairly weak, around .20
B) Medium-sized, around .40
C) Strong, around .60
D) Very strong, around .80

Question 25

Which of the following is NOT associated with higher likelihood that a marriage will last, rather than ending in divorce?

A) The spouses are approximately the same age.
B) The couple lived together prior to marrying.
C) The couple dated for a long time before marrying.
D) The couple has a good income.

Question 26

Jack and Diane have been married for more than 20 years, and frankly, the spark has dimmed. They still care deeply for each other, but would like to rekindle the excitement in their relationship. According to research by Art Aron and colleagues (2000), which of the following activities has a good chance of helping the couple with this goal?

A) Talking extensively about their first date
B) Revisiting places and activities from early in their relationship
C) Doing nice things for each other at home
D) Doing new, exciting activities together

Question 27

Which of the following is NOT described in your textbook as a factor that predicts higher relationship and marital satisfaction?

A) The partners feel that there is equity in the give-and-take each partner is bringing to the relationship.
B) Each partner perceives the other's flaws as linked to important virtues.
C) Each partner is good at detecting when the other is attracted to a third person.
D) The partners openly share personal and intimate information with each other.

Question 28

Which of the following is NOT one of John Gottman's "four horsemen of the apocalypse," the set of marital conflict behavior associated with greater probability of divorce?

A) Anger
B) Contempt
C) Defensiveness
D) Stonewalling

Question 29

Mark learns that a colleague of his, Joshua, has just been diagnosed with cancer. He thinks about all of the implications this will have for his friend's life, and for their relationship. According to research by Nancy Eisenberg and colleagues (1989), Mark is LEAST likely to offer practical support to Joshua when he is feeling which of the following emotions?

A) Sympathy
B) Compassion
C) Personal distress
D) Mark is equally likely to offer practical support to Joshua when feeling any of these.

Question 30

Shakira is buying coffee one day at a local coffee shop. She notices that the man helping her is moving slowly and seems a bit glum. Shakira thinks "he really seems sad today, I wonder what's going on?" As it happens, Shakira is correct-the man had just broken up with a long-term romantic partner. In this example, Shakira has most clearly demonstrated .

A) sympathy
B) compassion
C) empathic accuracy
D) emotional empathy

Question 31

In the early to mid 20^th century, most scientists believed that children only need food, protection from illness, and physical safety to develop normally.

Question 32

John Bowlby, who originally developed attachment theory, believed that attachment needs are largely learned from cultural experience.

Question 33

Attachment behaviors are most pronounced when infants are between the ages of six months and two years.

Question 34

Behavioral and neuroscience studies have found that large doses of acetaminophen can help reduce the pain of social exclusion.

Question 35

Studies of marriage in different cultures have consistently found that love-based marriages are happier than arranged marriages.

Question 36

Around the world, thinner women are considered more physically attractive than heavier women.

Question 37

Researchers have found that injecting oxytocin into a female prairie vole's brain can cause her to form a strong preference for a nearby male, even if they have not mated.

Question 38

Spouses in healthy, satisfying marriages tend to develop more secure attachment styles over time, even if they were somewhat insecure to begin with.

Question 39

It is normal for marital satisfaction to increase after the couple's first child is born.

Question 40

Research has found that couples who express gratitude to each other in a laboratory conversation report better relationship quality 6 months later than couples in a control condition.

Question 41

List the three core aspects of secure attachment, as defined in class.

Question 42

Summarize the series of the events in the strange situation, and describe the behavior of a typical (i.e., securely attached) infant in this situation.

Question 43

Summarize the prototypical behavior of the caregivers of securely attached, anxiously attached, and avoidantly attached infants.

Question 44

List the "four horsemen of the apocalypse" identified by John Gottman's research on the predictors of divorce.

Question 45

Explain the difference between empathic accuracy and emotional empathy, as described in your textbook.

Question 46

How would you describe your own adult attachment style - as primarily secure, anxious, or avoidant? Give three examples of characteristics you have that reflect this style. If you prefer, you may describe the attachment style of a person you are close to (a family member, romantic partner, or close friend) rather than yourself.