Deck 11: Conflict and Power

Question 1

Jon recently stopped a conflict with his girlfriend, Ana, and said to her, "You don't know how to have a disagreement without losing your temper and swearing!" Ana replied, "Well at least I want to confront the issues instead of avoiding them!" Jon and Ana's exchange is an example of

A)the content dimension of conflict.
B)the relational dimension of conflict.
C)metaconflict.
D)pseudoconflict.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which of the following statements about power is FALSE?

A)Power is known as a "single-dimension" concept.
B)Power is always present.
C)Power can be positive or negative.
D)Power is context-specific.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Felix had been angry with his roommate Hector for some time. Hector was always playing his music so loudly that Felix couldn't concentrate, much less have a conversation on the telephone. Despite his anger, he hadn't expressed his feelings to Hector. Which of the following is true of this situation?

A)Hector and Felix are engaged in conflict, because Felix's anger is sufficient to produce conflict.
B)Hector and Felix are not engaged in conflict, because the source of their conflict is not interpersonal.
C)Hector and Felix are engaged in conflict, because conflict can exist "under the surface" for some time.
D)Hector and Felix are not engaged in conflict, because conflict must be expressed.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The content dimension of a conflict relates to what?

A)the implications of the conflict for the relationship
B)the strategies people use to manage the conflict
C)the acceptability of the outcome of the conflict
D)the specific point of contention giving rise to the conflict

Question 5

Frank and Samantha just received a large inheritance when Samantha's grandmother passed away. Samantha said she wanted to use the money to build an addition onto their house. Frank said he wanted to buy a more fuel-efficient car. Which of the following is true about this situation?

A)This is an example of conflict, because it involves an expressed struggle.
B)This is an example of conflict, because it involves scarce resources.
C)This is an example of conflict, because it involves incompatible goals.
D)All of these are true.

Question 6

Which of the following tips is NOT useful for managing an online conflict?

A)Avoid responding right away.
B)Always respond using the same communication medium.
C)Clarify comments or statements that aren't clear.
D)Use emoticons to express your emotional state.

Question 7

Which of the following is an example of passive aggression, as it is defined in the text?

A)Tara is hurt when her brother forgets her birthday, so she deliberately "forgets" his.
B)Parker is angry with his mother so he ignores her calls and e-mail messages.
C)Bonnie doesn't want to go to her neighbor's party, so she takes so long to get ready for it that the party is over by the time she's done.
D)All the answers are correct.

Question 8

Which of the following statements about collectivistic cultures is true?

A)In conflict, group priorities are more important than individual priorities.
B)Individuals are more likely to avoid conflict altogether.
C)Parties involved in a conflict are likely to enlist a mediator to help reach an agreement.
D)All the answers are correct.

Question 9

Which of the following is true with respect to interpersonal conflict?

A)It involves independent parties.
B)It involves perceived scarce resources.
C)It occurs within oneself.
D)It is synonymous with disagreement.

Question 10

Which of the following statements about sex and conflict is FALSE?

A)Women are always taught to be submissive to the demands of men.
B)Men are generally taught to engage in conflict directly and competitively.
C)Men are generally taught not to hurt women.
D)Women might feel the need to fight to obtain necessary resources.

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT one of the health detriments associated with conflict described in your text?

A)hardening of the arteries
B)calcium deposits in the kidneys
C)reduction in the body's natural killer cells
D)delayed wound healing

Question 12

Research shows that three issues top the list as sources of conflict in romantic relationships. Which of the following is NOT among them?

A)household chores
B)relationships with in-laws
C)personal criticisms
D)finances

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT one of the common conflict metaphors identified in your textbook?

A)Conflict is a war.
B)Conflict is a dance.
C)Conflict is a hammer.
D)Conflict is a game.

Question 14

Which form of power derives from the ability to punish?

A)legitimate power
B)expert power
C)referent power
D)coercive power

Question 15

________ is the ability to manipulate, influence, or control other people or events.

A)Conflict
B)Fear
C)Power
D)Coercion

Question 16

A relationship between a person of higher power and a person of lesser power is known as a ________ relationship.

A)symmetrical
B)deficit
C)contemporary
D)complementary

Question 17

When people engage in ________, they use their words to attack or demean those around them.

A)verbal aggression
B)linguistic assault
C)high-dominance conflict
D)powerful language

Question 18

Which of the following statements accurately reflects the idea of "reframing" a conflict?

A)thinking of conflict as a game when you traditionally think of it as a battle
B)engaging in a cooling-off period before you have a conflict discussion
C)trying to see a conflict from someone else's point of view
D)minimizing your responsibility for a conflict

Question 19

When spouses engage in the demand-withdraw pattern, who is most likely to demand and who is more likely to withdraw?

A)Men are most likely to demand; women are most likely to withdraw.
B)Women are most likely to demand; men are most likely to withdraw.
C)Women are most likely to demand and most likely to withdraw.
D)Men are most likely to demand and most likely to withdraw.

Question 20

Feminist scholars highlight the fact that, worldwide, women earn only about ________ as much as men for the same job as a blatant example of gender inequality.

A)15%
B)40%
C)70%
D)90%

Question 21

Define and give examples of French and Raven's five forms of power.

Question 22

People in which type of culture think of the unequal distribution of power as normal or even desirable?

A)high-content
B)low-context
C)high-power-distance
D)low-power-distance

Question 23

As an approach to structuring families and communities, patriarchy is virtually universal.

Question 24

Referent power derives from one's admiration for, and attraction to, another.

Question 25

Explain and provide a hypothetical example of the principle of least interest.

Question 26

Which conflict-management strategy involves a high concern for the other party but a low concern for the self?

A)collaborating
B)accommodating
C)avoiding
D)compromising

Question 27

The strength of the immune system is predicted by the way people handle conflict, particularly in romantic relationships.

Question 28

Identify and discuss two cultural dimensions that influence how people manage conflict.

Question 29

Which of the following statements correctly defines the concept of flooding?

A)Flooding refers to a sudden rush of emotion and is commonly experienced by women during conflict.
B)Flooding happens when someone engaged in conflict is emotionally or psychologically unable to engage the discussion further.
C)Flooding is what happens to men in conflict when they experience a rapid increase in hormones that are responsible for stress and anger.
D)Flooding happens when someone engaged in conflict experiences an increase in stress hormones after the other person stonewalls.

Question 30

The topics that gay and lesbian couples experience conflict over tend to differ from the conflict topics of heterosexual couples.

Question 31

To qualify as conflict, a struggle or disagreement has to be expressed.

Question 32

Define and provide examples of the three types of power-based messages identified by Ericson and Rogers.

Question 33

Traditional gender socialization encourages men to use accommodating conflict management strategies.

Question 34

When engaged in interpersonal conflict, ________ is the practice of saving up past grievances and bringing them all up at the same time.

A)blindsiding
B)counter-attacking
C)gunnysacking
D)rubber-band-balling

Question 35

The goal of collaboration is to identify a "win-win" solution to a conflict.

Question 36

Using concrete examples, identify the three most common topics of conflict in romantic relationships, according to Erbert's research.

Question 37

Stonewalling involves seeing yourself as a victim and denying responsibility for your own behaviors.

Question 38

The disinhibition effect suggests that online conflicts are more likely to involve inequitable distributions of power than face-to-face conflicts.

Question 39

The most distressed relationships are those with the most frequent conflict.

Question 40

According to Gottman, people engage in which behavior when they insult each other and attack each other's self-worth?

A)contempt
B)defensiveness
C)criticism
D)stonewalling

Question 41

In recent years, employers have been reprimanding and even firing employees for comments made online in blogs, Twitter, or Facebook. Using what you learned about the concepts of power in this chapter, construct an argument either for or against that practice.

Question 42

Imagine you were a counselor assigned to help Marc and his teenage daughter Amber (described in the Interpersonal Conflict chapter) work through their conflict regarding Amber having stolen Marc's credit cards from his wallet. Using the concepts you've learned in the chapter, explain the nature of their conflict to them (specifically identifying its content and relational dimensions), and then explain what options they have for managing their conflict in a productive way. Include relevant issues of power in your answer. Address your answer directly to Marc and Amber.

Question 43

Discuss the prevalence of, and the problems associated with, violence in intimate relationships. What (if anything) should be done to limit the occurrence of intimate violence? Based on what you learned in this chapter, generate at least four ideas that might help people minimize the occurrence of violence in their relationships. Support your ideas as fully as possible.

Question 44

How do expectations of sex and gender contribute to conflict? Identify and discuss at least three ways that men and women tend to differ in their approach to conflict. What role does relationship type or satisfaction play in these differences? Finally, do you agree that popular culture exaggerates these tendencies? Why or why not? Make sure to justify your reasoning as fully as possible.

Question 45

As the chapter pointed out, conflict can be harmful to people, but it can also be beneficial. In a short essay, explain the potential harms and the potential benefits of conflict, and identify the ways in which how conflict is managed influences whether the outcomes are positive or negative.

Question 46

Identify and briefly define each of Gottman's Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Question 47

Identify, define, and provide an example of each of the five conflict strategies identified by Blake and Mouton. If it helps, you can draw the diagram that represents the five styles. Next, identify which conflict style fits you. Which features of your personality led you to select that style and not the others?