Deck 11: The Family

Question 1

In comparing today's families with those of 50 years ago, it seems as if

A) couples are having more children
B) fewer women are choosing to remain childless
C) divorce is less common
D) more children are living in poverty

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Children who are unwanted or rejected by their parents are

A) somewhat irritable but popular with their peers
B) lower in IQ than peers who were loved by their parents
C) at risk of experiencing serious psychological problems later in life
D) surprisingly sensitive parents when they have children of their own

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The fact that children fare best when parents coparent illustrates _____ in a family system.

A) an indirect effect
B) direct effect
C) secondary effect
D) a tertiary effect

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The "systems" approach to understanding families suggests that

A) the larger the family network, the lower the quality of parent-child interactions
B) in all cultures, extended family systems are healthier contexts for development than nuclear family systems
C) the mother is the central influence on a child's development
D) every relationship within the system has an impact on every other individual within the system

Question 5

By the 1990s, approximately _____ of America's children lived in a traditional nuclear family consisting of an employed father, a homemaker mother, and two or more children.

A) 70%
B) half
C) 40%
D) 12%

Question 6

Compared with "old" research, the "new look" at families and familial influences

A) assumes that children often influence the child-rearing practices of their parents
B) views the family as a dynamic social system rather than a collection of individuals who each enact a particular role
C) stresses that a family's ecological niche can affect family interaction patterns and hence, the development of a family's children
D) assumes that children often influence the child-rearing practices of their parents and views the family as a dynamic social system rather than a collection of individuals who each enact a particular role
E) all of these

Question 7

Which of the following observations best illustrates an indirect effect within a family social system?

A) A young boy establishes a secure attachment with his mother
B) Mothers are less inclined to play with their children when fathers are present
C) Parents today are having fewer children
D) In today's families, an ever-increasing percentage of mothers choose to work outside of the home

Question 8

A family consisting of a mother, a father, and one or more children is a(n) _____ family.

A) normal
B) extended
C) nuclear
D) blended
E) self-fulfilled

Question 9

A blended family is one in which

A) a parent, stepparent, and one or more children live together
B) parents have divorced and then remarried each other once again
C) at least three generations reside in the same household
D) children who have grown up and moved away return home after an economic setback or a failed marriage

Question 10

The process by which children acquire the beliefs, values, and behaviors deemed significant and appropriate by older members of their society is

A) self-actualization
B) identification
C) socialization
D) sublimation

Question 11

Recent changes in family life include all of the following except

A) adults today are having fewer children than was true 30 years ago
B) a majority of divorced adults do not remarry
C) most adult women now work outside the home
D) the number of adults living as singles is on the rise

Question 12

When the relationship or behaviors between two family members are influenced by a third family member, we are observing a(n)

A) direct effect
B) indirect effect
C) tertiary effect
D) macroeffect

Question 13

Compared with nuclear families, extended families

A) are healthy contexts for child rearing in collectivist cultures
B) are unhealthy contexts for child rearing in individualistic cultures
C) both of these
D) none of these

Question 14

A nuclear family consists of

A) the siblings in a family
B) grandparents, parents, and offspring
C) one's family "tree"
D) mother, father, and one or more children

Question 15

The socialization of each successive generation of children serves society by

A) regulating children's behavior and controlling undesirable impulses
B) promoting the personal growth and adaptive potential of individuals
C) perpetuating the established social order
D) all of these

Question 16

One notable change in family life that characterizes contemporary society is that

A) family size (number of offspring) is on the rise
B) couples are marrying younger than they did 30 years ago
C) more children now spend some time in single-parent families
D) all of these

Question 17

When members of a nuclear family live with other kin in the same household, we are referring to a(n) _____ family system.

A) nontraditional dynamic
B) blended
C) extended
D) reconstituted

Question 18

Children of warm, accepting parents tend to

A) be popular with peers and disobedient with adults
B) develop a strong conscience and healthy prosocial concern
C) be self-centered and unsatisfied with their self-images
D) none of these

Question 19

Erikson (and others) believed that two aspects of parenting are especially important throughout childhood and adolescence. These two aspects are:

A) acceptance and responsiveness
B) acceptance and control
C) demandingness and control
D) warmth and acceptance

Question 20

Parental acceptance/responsiveness is a dimension of parenting that describes

A) the amount of affection a parent displays toward the child
B) the amount of time a parent spends with a child
C) how restrictive a parent is
D) the goodness of fit between the parent's and the child's temperaments

Question 21

Parental demandingness/control is a dimension of parenting that

A) describes the amount of regulation or supervision a parent undertakes with a child
B) undermines children's quest for autonomy
C) both of these
D) none of these

Question 22

Warm, accepting parents who are low in control can be classified as

A) authoritative
B) authoritarian
C) uninvolved
D) permissive

Question 23

John's mother tells him to clean his room and John says "No, you do it!" Mom replies "Do you like living like the pig that you are?" John then yells "What if I do; I'm going swimming to wash up." John's mother shouts "You disgust me; do whatever you want to do!" John's mother appears to be a(n) _____ parent.

A) uninvolved
B) permissive
C) authoritarian
D) authoritative

Question 24

An aspect of authoritative parenting that promotes positive developmental outcomes is

A) parents' sense of caring concern that may motivate children to comply with directives and standards
B) setting of standards that children can realistically accomplish
C) allowing children some autonomy to decide how to comply with standards
D) parents' sense of caring concern that may motivate children to comply with directives and standards and setting of standards that children can realistically accomplish
E) all of these

Question 25

The child rearing literature implies that _____ parenting is the least effective parenting style.

A) uninvolved
B) permissive
C) authoritarian
D) authoritative

Question 26

A major shortcoming of the authoritarian pattern of parenting is that

A) children receive too little guidance and have few opportunities to learn to control their impulses
B) children are hemmed in by inflexible restrictions and have few opportunities to become self-reliant
C) both of these
D) none of these

Question 27

Baumrind's (1967; 1977) observations of children and their parents revealed that permissive parents tended to raise _____ children who remained _____ throughout childhood.

A) impulsive and aggressive; low in cognitive and social competencies
B) impulsive and aggressive; low in cognitive but high in social competencies
C) irritable and unfriendly; low in cognitive and social competencies
D) irritable and unfriendly; high in cognitive but low in social competencies
E) energetic and friendly; high in cognitive and social competencies

Question 28

Amy's mother says "Amy honey, eat your spinach, it is good for-you." Amy says "I hate spinach and I'm not eating it. I want ice cream!" Mom says "OK sweetie, let's have some ice cream." Amy's mother sounds like a(n) _____

A) uninvolved
B) permissive
C) authoritative
D) authoritarian

Question 29

Lupe asks "Why do I have to brush my teeth every day?" His father replies "If you didn't, you would get painful decay and might even have moss growing on your teeth." Lupe exclaims, "But maybe I'd like to have moss on my teeth." Dad answers "Ha, ha, Lupe; now off to the bathroom to brush." Lupe's father sounds like a(n) _____ parent.

A) uninvolved
B) permissive
C) authoritarian
D) authoritative

Question 30

The pattern of parenting that is most consistently associated with positive developmental outcomes is the _____ approach.

A) uninvolved
B) permissive
C) authoritative
D) authoritarian

Question 31

The pattern of parenting that is consistently associated with positive developmental outcomes is one characterized by

A) warmth and strict control
B) warmth and moderate control
C) warmth and little control
D) aloofness coupled with moderate control

Question 32

Baumrind's classic study of parenting styles and child outcomes revealed that _____ parents tended to raise children and adolescents who were high in cognitive competencies and social skills whereas children and adolescents of _____ parents were generally average to below average on both sets of skills.

A) authoritarian; authoritative
B) authoritative; authoritarian
C) authoritative; permissive
D) authoritarian; permissive

Question 33

Uninvolved parents often raise children who are

A) hostile and rebellious
B) prone to commit delinquent acts
C) academically deficient
D) hostile and rebellious and prone to commit delinquent acts
E) all of these

Question 34

Compared to authoritarian parents, authoritative parents

A) set fewer standards for their children to live up to
B) allow the child more autonomy in deciding how to comply with rules and standards
C) both of these
D) none of these

Question 35

An authoritative parent

A) dominates the child, permitting little autonomy, but is also warm
B) allows the child a degree of autonomy or self-control
C) sets rigid standards for the child and punishes any deviations from those standards
D) can but does not often choose to restrict the child's activities

Question 36

Authoritative parents

A) are severely restrictive
B) favor power-assertive discipline to inductive techniques
C) set inflexible guidelines for their children to live up to
D) respect their children's opinions

Question 37

An authoritarian parent is one who is _____ in control and _____ in acceptance/responsiveness.

A) low; high
B) low; low
C) high; low
D) high; high

Question 38

Parents who are aloof/unresponsive and low in control are

A) authoritarian
B) authoritative
C) uninvolved
D) permissive

Question 39

Warm, accepting parents who are reasonably high in control can be classified as

A) authoritarian
B) authoritative
C) uninvolved
D) permissive

Question 40

"Don't ask questions about why! Do it now because I said so!" This sort of statement is typical of the _____ style of parenting.

A) authoritative
B) authoritarian
C) permissive
D) uninvolved

Question 41

According to McLoyd (1990; 1998), social class differences in parenting reflect class differences in

A) parent temperament
B) TV viewing habits
C) life stress
D) intelligence

Question 42

Conger's "family distress" model implies that economic hardship creates psychological distress in parents which

A) increases parents' irritability, marital conflict, and diminishes their capacity to be warm, supportive and involved parents
B) may cause children to become emotionally insecure, thereby undermining self- esteem, scholastic performance, and peer relations
C) both of these
D) none of these

Question 43

Recent research implies that children from affluent families may be prone to problem behaviors and adjustment problems, in part because ________.

A) of intense parental pressure for academic achievement
B) of their parents' preoccupations with their own careers
C) of their parents' willingness to overlook or deny the problem rather than seeking available support or therapy for their children
D) of intense parental pressure for academic achievement and of their parents' preoccupations with their own careers
E) all of these

Question 44

Garnett's father believes that it is very important for her to be obedient and respectful. These values are more likely to be stressed by parents from _____ backgrounds.

A) low-SES or working-class
B) leisure class (wealthy)
C) middle-class
D) welfare

Question 45

With respect to the direction-of-effects issue, research implies that

A) authoritative parenting fosters adaptive developmental outcomes (parent effects model)
B) well-behaved, adaptive children tend to elicit more authoritative kinds of parenting (child effects model)
C) both of these (transactional model)
D) none of these (transductive model)

Question 46

One reason why middle-class parents may encourage _____ in their children is because these are skills they view as necessary for success in a _____ economy.

A) individual initiative, curiosity, and creativity; white collar
B) individual initiative, curiosity, and creativity; blue collar
C) obedience and respect for authority; white collar
D) obedience and respect for authority; blue collar

Question 47

Longitudinal studies showing that mothers' patterns of control with toddlers predict children's levels of compliance and problem behaviors later in the preschool period are consistent with the _____ model of family socialization.

A) parental effects
B) child effects
C) transactional
D) transductive

Question 48

Which of the following practices would a high-SES parent be more likely than a low-SES parent to employ?

A) criticism
B) reasoning
C) physical punishment
D) arbitrary commands

Question 49

After asking his mother for the third time in three weeks to please allow him to play high school football, mom replies, "Do you ignore everything I say? I've told you over and over that I'd worry myself silly about your getting hurt if I let you play football. Enough already! You ought to be ashamed for not listening and making me crazy." Mom's approach to this issue reflects _____ .

A) authoritarian parenting
B) uninvolved parenting
C) use of behavioral control
D) use of psychological control

Question 50

Parents who choose to control their children's conduct using firm but reasonable discipline and by keeping close tabs on children's activities are said to _____ .

A) be authoritarian in their approach to parenting
B) be authoritative in their approach to parenting
C) favor behavioral control
D) favor psychological control

Question 51

Parents who exert control by ignoring a child's feelings, withholding affection, and attempting to create feelings of guilt or shame is engaging in _____ control, the heavy use of which is associated with _____ developmental outcomes.

A) psychological; adaptive
B) psychological; poor
C) behavioral; adaptive
D) behavioral; poor

Question 52

Heavy use of _______ may thwart the child's autonomy and undermine his(her) self-confidence and can be construed as _________.

A) authoritarian parenting; neglectful
B) psychological control; intruding on the child's sense of self
C) behavioral control; intruding on the child's sense of self
D) authoritative parenting; warm and accepting but lacking in autonomy support

Question 53

Family instabilities such as frequent changes in residence, mothers having had many intimate partners in the home, and living in different family arrangements is associated with emotional problems and problem behaviors among

A) grade-school children
B) adolescents
C) both of these
D) none of these

Question 54

Developmental outcomes for children of affluent families are

A) more positive overall than those of children from middle-class families
B) as poor overall as those of children from urban disadvantaged families
C) remarkably free of such mental health concerns as anxiety and depression
D) more positive overall than those of children from middle-class families and remarkably free of such mental health concerns as anxiety and depression
E) none of these

Question 55

The pathways of influence outlined in Conger's "family distress" model are most consistent with the _____ model of family influence.

A) parent effects
B) transactional
C) child effects
D) none of these

Question 56

One reason that homeless children may display higher rates of anxiety, depression, and social withdrawal than other impoverished children who have never been homeless is that they

A) are shamed by being homeless and low in self-esteem
B) are embarrassed by the pity they receive from sympathetic peers
C) both of these
D) none of these

Question 57

One of the more surprising outcomes of research on social class and child development is the large number of problems experienced by children from ______ families.

A) poverty-stricken
B) middle-class
C) working-class
D) affluent

Question 58

Recent research reveals that Native-American and Hispanic parents are more likely than European-American parents to

A) parent authoritatively
B) insist that their children be polite and respectful
C) encourage their children to become self-reliant and competitive
D) parent in a permissive manner

Question 59

Research demonstrating that stubborn, impulsive children tend to drive their parents to more coercive parenting styles over time is consistent with the _____ model of family socialization.

A) parent effects
B) child effects
C) transactional
D) transductive

Question 60

Compared to low-SES parents, high-SES parents

A) place more stress on obedience and respect for authority
B) are less permissive
C) are more inclined to use power-assertion when disciplining boys
D) place more stress on obedience and respect for authority and are less permissive
E) none of these

Question 61

After a new baby arrives, mothers often devote less attention to their older children. This change in attention may result in the older sibling

A) becoming disruptive but maintaining the quality of his attachment to mom
B) forming a stronger, more secure attachment to the father
C) becoming disruptive and less securely attached to mom
D) becoming disruptive but maintaining the quality of his attachment to mom and forming a stronger, more secure attachment to the father
E) none of these

Question 62

Observational studies in the home setting suggest that

A) older siblings are less aggressive than younger siblings
B) older siblings are more helpful than younger siblings
C) younger siblings are less compliant than older siblings
D) younger siblings are more playful and prosocial than older siblings

Question 63

The most common outcome of-parent/child conflicts in adolescence is

A) a loss of status in family affairs for the quarrelsome adolescent
B) a serious undermining of parent/child attachments
C) an evening out of status in family affairs so that parents and adolescents are on a more equal footing
D) a loss of adolescent self-esteem and an increase in delinquent behaviors

Question 64

The arrival of a new baby in the family is likely to

A) be a joyous occasion for all family members
B) promote feelings of neglect and resentment in older children
C) result in parents overcompensating by paying more attention to older children than they did before the birth
D) enhance an older sibling's feelings of competence and self-worth

Question 65

Although Asian and Asian-American parents appear to be more _____ than European American parents, this childrearing style works well because _____.

A) authoritarian; children of Asian ethnicity are naturally more compliant
B) permissive; children of Asian heritage are naturally more disciplined and self-controlled
C) authoritarian; Asian children have been taught that strictness is a sign of parental concern and effective socialization
D) permissive; Asian children accept long-standing cultural values specifying that children should be free to act on their own positive inclinations

Question 66

Mothers are likely to promote positive adjustment to a new baby by an older sibling if they

A) shower the older child with attention and be sympathetic to brooding
B) encourage the older child to learn about the baby's competencies and to help care for the baby
C) give the older child quality time and sharply punish brooding
D) consciously reduce their attention to the older child while urging him or her to act more mature

Question 67

One objection to the notion that middle-class patterns of parenting are "better" or more competent than those of working-class parents is that

A) parental patterns of child rearing are ultimately overwhelmed by peer influence and the impact of schooling
B) different patterns of parenting are necessary to prepare children for different environments
C) working-class patterns of parenting are actually closer to the "natural" patterns reported by anthropologists
D) all of these

Question 68

The variations in parenting we see across ethnicities in the United States supports the conclusion that _____ .

A) authoritative parenting is the most effective parenting style
B) parenting that is too coercive and/or controlling to work well for European Americans is quite adaptive for children of other ethnicities
C) different patterns of parenting are adaptive for people living in different ecological niches
D) parenting that is too coercive and/or controlling to work well for European Americans is quite adaptive for children of other ethnicities and differentpatterns of parenting are adaptive for people living in different ecological niches
E) none of these

Question 69

Differential treatment of siblings by parents

A) fosters individual sibling identities and less rivalrous sibling interactions
B) fosters sibling rivalries, particularly if the favored sib is younger
C) fosters sibling rivalries, particularly if the favored sib is older
D) fosters sibling rivalries if the favored sib is a girl

Question 70

Parents who wish to promote a healthy sense of autonomy in their adolescent offspring should strive to

A) allow their teenagers to set their own course and learn from their mistakes
B) maintain a tight rein over their teenagers' activities
C) keep rules to a reasonable minimum and be warm and supportive
D) avoid conflict so as not to alienate their teenagers

Question 71

The somewhat coercive, "no-nonsense" parenting style that is often seen in lower-SES and working-class African-American families is often _____ because it _____ .

A) maladaptive; fosters aggression and antisocial conduct
B) maladaptive; is associated with anxiety and emotional disturbances
C) adaptive; teaches children how to protect themselves against bullies
D) adaptive; buffers children from risks of being victimized or influenced by antisocial peers

Question 72

Sibling relationships tend to be friendlier and less conflictual when parents _____ .

A) get along
B) do not closely monitor or intrude on sibling interactions
C) do not consistently favor one sibling over the others
D) get along and do not consistently favor one sibling over the others
E) all of these

Question 73

Conflicts among grade-school and adolescent siblings _____ .

A) are less frequent than conflicts among toddler and preschool sibs
B) are often intense and not resolved amicably
C) are less frequent than prosocial acts among siblings
D) are less frequent than conflicts among toddler and preschool sibs and are often intense and not resolved amicably
E) are less frequent than conflicts among toddler and preschool sibs and are less frequent than prosocial acts among siblings

Question 74

One kind of autonomy support for adolescents that is highly effective is provision of volitional functioning an approach in which parents

A) back off and allow adolescents to make independent decisions
B) permit adolescents to make decisions after providing them with reasonable options
C) allow adolescents to make their own decisions after consulting with their friends
D) cede control for decisions about adolescents' self-governance issues

Question 75

Sibling conflicts and rivalries are particularly strong in families

A) characterized by high marital conflict
B) where the older sib is insecurely attached with his/her mother
C) where parents favor one sib over the other
D) all of these

Question 76

The conflicts that arise between parents and young adolescents center mainly on

A) dating and sexual matters
B) the adolescent's appearance, choice of friends, or neglect of responsibilities
C) drug use
D) the adolescent's occupational aspirations (or lack thereof)

Question 77

One positive benefit of having an older sibling is that older sibs may

A) help younger sibs to cope with emotional distress
B) model competent patterns of behavior for younger sibs
C) both of these
D) none of these

Question 78

Adolescents are likely to achieve a healthy sense of autonomy by

A) maintaining close ties to their parents
B) volunteering little information about their activities in order to prevent heated conflicts
C) cutting the cords to become their own source of strength and emotional support
D) relying more on friends than parents for social support

Question 79

Conflict among siblings

A) is quite rare after toddlerhood
B) is the most common form of sibling interaction
C) is common, but less frequent than positive interactions
D) occurs only when parents consistently favor one sibling over the other

Question 80

Parents of well-adjusted adolescents have generally reacted to autonomy conflicts by

A) gradually relaxing control while continuing to monitor the adolescent's activities
B) remaining warm and supportive and becoming less concerned about monitoring the adolescent's activities
C) making few changes in how they responded to their adolescent over time
D) gradually tightening control early in adolescence while remaining warm and supportive