Deck 7: Marriage, Intimacy, Expectations, and the Fully Functioning Person

Question 1

All of the following tasks are associated with the transition to married life EXCEPT:

A) living within a prescribed budget.
B) developing new relationships with parents.
C) shifting from self-centeredness to other-centeredness.
D) learning to do leisure activities on the spur of the moment.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Sexual intercourse during marriage is:

A) a forgivable sin.
B) state-mandated.
C) an important material need.
D) part of the self-actualization process.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The best way to characterize the transition from singlehood to marriage is:

A) from chaotic change to stagnant reality.
B) from the simplicity of singlehood to the complexity of marriage.
C) from the self-centeredness of childhood to the other-centeredness of adulthood.
D) from a system of individual expectations to one of individual actions.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Marital success is often confused with:

A) passion.
B) intimacy.
C) happiness.
D) love.

Question 5

Marriages in Japan are characterized by different goals than those in the United States. Which of the following is an example of a Japanese marriage goal not shared by the United States?

A) The husband and wife work toward an intimate emotionally fulfilling marriage.
B) The husband puts his family first once married.
C) Both men and women select a mate themselves to meet their psychological needs.
D) The wife agrees to provide a home and raise the children mostly on her own.

Question 6

Boys raised in single-parent homes:

A) have similar outcomes to boys raised in two-parent homes.
B) are twice as likely to commit a crime leading to incarceration by the time they reach their early 30s.
C) have greater risks of problems than boys raised in stepfamilies.
D) are better off than girls in single-parent homes.

Question 7

Marriage increases the likelihood that fathers will:

A) have good relationships with their children.
B) have children with greater chance of divorce.
C) have a greater impact than mothers.
D) have shortened life expectancies.

Question 8

According to Wallerstein, one of the essential tasks of happily married couples is to:

A) reach an agreement about marital expectations.
B) establish pleasurable sexual relationships.
C) adjust to the constant demands of in-laws.
D) become a team that pulls together.

Question 9

Within a marriage, which type of needs to most adults NOT try to fulfill?

A) physical
B) psychological
C) material
D) sexual

Question 10

In their study of successful marriages, Lauer and Lauer (1985) found that fewer than 10% of the respondents felt that their marriage was held together by:

A) material needs.
B) intimacy.
C) a good sexual relationship.
D) religious beliefs.

Question 11

A good marriage acts as a ____ against mental health problems such as alienation, loneliness, unhappiness, and depression.

A) barrier
B) buffer
C) cure
D) function

Question 12

Excessive workplace and family obligations can make it difficult for married couples to:

A) develop a definition of marital success.
B) establish pleasurable sexual relationships.
C) react to their perceptions of the world.
D) understand their unconscious marital expectations.

Question 13

When psychological needs are not met in a marriage, trouble is most likely to appear in:

A) the sexual relationship.
B) cross-interactions.
C) parenting activities.
D) family decision making.

Question 14

All of the following contribute to our psychological need for intimacy EXCEPT:

A) large bureaucratic institutions.
B) increased economic strains.
C) increased anonymity.
D) increased mobility.

Question 15

Marital success is:

A) measured in economic terms.
B) difficult to define.
C) an American myth.
D) rarely studied.

Question 16

Marital disruption is considerably higher among families that are:

A) in economic trouble.
B) involved in cross-interactions.
C) based on prenuptial contracts.
D) fairly traditional.

Question 17

Children who grow up with two biological and successfully married parents are more likely to:

A) be more popular.
B) be overweight.
C) have better physical health.
D) get divorced themselves.

Question 18

According to Cox and Demmitt, family interaction is:

A) passionate and irrational.
B) intimate and complex.
C) mundane and boring.
D) tense and volatile.

Question 19

The role interactions that occur in marriage become more complicated when:

A) couples are passionately in love.
B) children enter the picture.
C) people marry at a young age.
D) husbands and wives are similar.

Question 20

Married men have longer life expectancies than:

A) single men.
B) single women.
C) married women.
D) cohabitating men and women.

Question 21

Almost all strong families indicate that they:

A) spend an inordinate amount of time planning their play activities.
B) don't feel pressured by time constraints.
C) place the needs of the individual over the needs of the family.
D) eat together at least once a day.

Question 22

In general, the younger the age at marriage, the greater the risk of:

A) cross-interactions.
B) marital failure.
C) fraud.
D) mental incapacity.

Question 23

The best predictors of marital success are:

A) age at marriage and the presence of children.
B) premarital sexuality and financial problems.
C) sexual attraction and passion.
D) friendship and egalitarian gender roles.

Question 24

Families are working at playing when they:

A) pursue hobbies that are extremely expensive.
B) engage in activities that are an extension of a spouse's career.
C) spend too much time organizing their recreational activities.
D) attempt to confine quality time to weekends and holidays.

Question 25

Americans have freedom to build the kind of relationship they desire. This freedom creates:

A) a large responsibility on the individual for the success or failure of the relationship.
B) increased intimacy and passion for each other.
C) social factors that have no impact on relationships.
D) marital stability.

Question 26

When the honeymoon is over, couples tend to:

A) think about their long-term career goals and objectives.
B) reexamine their unrealistic expectations about marriage.
C) turn their attention to their in-laws.
D) exhibit a high degree of spontaneity.

Question 27

How are marital interaction and partner happiness related?

A) They are virtually unrelated.
B) If a partner is not happy, no amount of positive marital interaction can change that.
C) Marriage and happiness are opposite emotional states.
D) They have reciprocal effects.

Question 28

Happiness tends to occur in marriages that are characterized by:

A) high levels of passion.
B) positive interaction.
C) individualism.
D) middle-class values.

Question 29

Phenomenology is the study of:

A) how people experience their world.
B) marriage and family myths.
C) childhood sexual development.
D) the physiological symptoms of love.

Question 30

Most Americans build their intimate relationships on a foundation of:

A) sexual gratification.
B) love.
C) material needs.
D) egalitarianism.

Question 31

One of the most pervasive enemies facing dual-earner families is:

A) constant change.
B) unemployment.
C) lack of time.
D) television.

Question 32

In the past, there was a fear of losing individuality from too much _________; today, the opposite problem is more common.

A) recreation
B) togetherness
C) responsibility
D) money

Question 33

Cox and Demmitt's definition of marital success encompasses all of the following elements EXCEPT:

A) passion.
B) marital adjustment.
C) happiness.
D) permanence.

Question 34

Successful marriages exhibit all of the following characteristics EXCEPT:

A) relative agreement on important issues.
B) teamwork.
C) positive partner interaction.
D) constant passion.

Question 35

Through their research, Stinnett and DeFrain found that the happiest childhood memories recalled by their subjects almost always involved:

A) time spent in family activities.
B) serious events like funerals.
C) childhood friends.
D) early school experiences.

Question 36

One of the major characteristics of the strong, resilient family is the desire to:

A) maintain traditional family roles.
B) obtain material wealth.
C) nurture the individual pursuit of self-fulfillment.
D) spend time together.

Question 37

What percentage of families report eating at least five meals together per week?

A) 20%
B) 40%
C) 60%
D) 80%

Question 38

The notion that "it is not the quantity but the quality of time together that counts" seems to ignore the fact that:

A) it is impossible to measure quality of time.
B) quality and quantity of time are interrelated.
C) most parents give their families both quality and quantity of time.
D) intimate interactions can't be quantified.

Question 39

The family in which both partners are employed outside the home is called a:

A) two-career family.
B) nuclear family.
C) dual-earner family.
D) commuter marriage.

Question 40

Cox and Demmitt believe that families can develop a sense of history by:

A) adopting traditional roles.
B) spending time together.
C) meeting material needs.
D) making good decisions.

Question 41

Which of the following statements about men and extramarital affairs is NOT true?

A) They take their extramarital affairs more seriously than women.
B) The main focus is on the sexual aspects of the affair.
C) Affairs are associated with increased marital happiness.
D) Their affairs are shorter than the ones experienced by women.

Question 42

The increase in the number of younger wives having affairs has been attributed to:

A) sexual explicit media images.
B) higher educational levels among women.
C) women entering the labor force.
D) the emergence of American individualism.

Question 43

Supporting the family when trouble arises illustrates the principle of:

A) dependence.
B) acceptance.
C) commitment.
D) openness.

Question 44

Individuation means that individual family members are encouraged to:

A) pursue their own goals at the expense of the family.
B) have independent thoughts, feelings, and judgments.
C) adopt the marital roles used by their parents.
D) treat family members better than strangers.

Question 45

All of the following factors correlate with greater acceptance of extramarital affairs EXCEPT:

A) being young and male.
B) being in a cohabiting relationship.
C) being politically liberal.
D) having a high school education or less.

Question 46

Women tend to associate their affairs with:

A) sexual needs.
B) gender equality.
C) decreasing marital satisfaction.
D) sin and lust.

Question 47

If we refuse to examine our ideals and expectations in marriage:

A) our partner will rise to our ideals.
B) we can expect conflict and disappointment.
C) we trade happiness for perfection.
D) we can create the perfect mate.

Question 48

The prevailing cultural view of marriage as expressed in the mass media is one of everlasting:

A) boredom.
B) conflict.
C) romance.
D) commitment.

Question 49

Realizing the humanness of our partners allows us to:

A) see the world through rose-colored glasses.
B) influence him/her in the direction of our expectations.
C) relax and be human as well.
D) develop a high degree of spontaneity.

Question 50

Career women who prefer to remain unmarried but look to fulfill needs for companionship and a sexual relationship seek:

A) single career-focused men.
B) single working-class men.
C) married men.
D) homosexual relationships.

Question 51

The strongest factor influencing the success of a relationship is:

A) commitment to the relationship.
B) sexual attraction.
C) an open attitude about having children.
D) romantic love.

Question 52

The most threatening aspect of an affair:

A) is the physical relationship.
B) is the loss of economic support.
C) is the detrimental social image.
D) stems from falling in love with a new partner.

Question 53

Conflicting role expectations tend to occur when roles are:

A) unclear.
B) important.
C) longitudinal.
D) extramarital.

Question 54

What percentage of the general public state that it is always or almost always wrong to have sex outside of marriage?

A) 50%
B) 90%
C) 70%
D) 65%

Question 55

The long-term extramarital affair is characterized by:

A) egalitarian gender roles.
B) a strong emotional attachment.
C) boredom and tension.
D) complete commitment.

Question 56

The following entity that has the greatest impact on our marital role expectations is:

A) the marriage contract.
B) parents' marriage.
C) sexual needs.
D) the peer group.

Question 57

When someone has too high expectations, they may "throw away" the real person in favor of:

A) an extramarital affair.
B) a close friend.
C) their family.
D) their own idealizations.

Question 58

Frequently, ____________ gets confused with ___________, which can lead to disappointment in marriage.

A) compatibility; sexual attraction
B) individualism; identity loss
C) sexual attraction; love
D) psychological needs; material needs

Question 59

Unfaithfulness occurs more often with:

A) married men.
B) married women.
C) couples who are separated but not divorced.
D) cohabitating men and women.

Question 60

Long-lasting commitment creates:

A) passion and romance.
B) boredom and dissatisfaction.
C) family stability.
D) frustration and jealousy.

Question 61

Practical and emotional problems that accompany the maintenance of an extramarital affair include all EXCEPT:

A) legal problems.
B) a private place to meet.
C) coping with guilt and anxiety.
D) the risk of jeopardizing the primary relationship.

Question 62

According to Cox and Demmitt, the retention and projection of time enables us to:

A) be highly spontaneous.
B) cope with the present.
C) avoid individuation.
D) neutralize the self-fulfilling prophecy.

Question 63

In Western societies, marital laws focus on all of the following tasks EXCEPT:

A) endorsing monogamous marriages.
B) protecting property and inheritance rights.
C) preventing unacceptable marriages.
D) providing emotional gratification.

Question 64

State marriage contracts contain all of the following elements EXCEPT:

A) an age requirement.
B) mutual consent.
C) religious sacrament.
D) a waiting period.

Question 65

Extramarital affairs occur for all of the following reasons EXCEPT:

A) rebellion.
B) simple curiosity.
C) individuation.
D) sexual variety.

Question 66

Holding slightly high expectations about another person is productive if the expectations are:

A) based on the fulfillment of your needs.
B) effectively communicated to the other person.
C) consistent with the basic principles of phenomenology.
D) close enough to reality to allow the person to fulfill them.

Question 67

John and Ellen are having an extramarital affair. When their spouses found out, Ellen's husband was very distress about her sexual infidelity. John's wife was distressed about:

A) sexually transmitted diseases.
B) her financial future.
C) his emotional infidelity.
D) the children.

Question 68

All of the following goals are associated with intimacy EXCEPT:

A) continued freshness of appreciation.
B) crisis management.
C) growing in a fulfilling manner.
D) emotional gratification.

Question 69

Self-actualized people exhibit all of the following traits EXCEPT:

A) a need for privacy.
B) spontaneity.
C) a problem-centered focus.
D) self-centeredness.

Question 70

The self-fulfilling prophecy occurs when the expectations you hold about another person tend to:

A) romanticize and idealize that person.
B) destroy your ability to communicate with that person.
C) influence that person in the direction of the expectations.
D) prevent the person from becoming self-actualized.

Question 71

Extramarital affairs are difficult for a spouse to combat because:

A) affairs provide excitement that is difficult to bring back into a long marriage.
B) the spouse has declined physically and does not seek to be appealing.
C) the search for identity in the affair is too great.
D) most often they are unaware of the affair.

Question 72

A cornerstone of a strong and enduring relationship that is damaged in extramarital affairs is:

A) understanding.
B) trust.
C) love.
D) expectation.

Question 73

There may be nothing more important for the well-being and optimal functioning of human beings than:

A) a high degree of sexual compatibility with a partner.
B) true intimacy with others.
C) the presence of children in your life.
D) marital reciprocity and compatibility.

Question 74

An example of someone who projects consequences into the future that keeps them from acting in the present would say:

A) "I won't travel to Europe this summer because there might be a war somewhere over there."
B) "I love my family so much that I want to make sure they are eating healthy foods."
C) "My husband doesn't spend much time with our children."
D) "Our 401K retirement plans are increasing every year."

Question 75

In the United States, marriage laws are established by:

A) the church.
B) individual states.
C) the Supreme Court.
D) city governments.

Question 76

In Western societies, the primary responsibility for assuring the legitimacy of children is assigned to the:

A) state.
B) family.
C) church.
D) individual.

Question 77

Mature, mentally healthy people:

A) are able to take advantage of others.
B) are "people who need people."
C) pass responsibility to others.
D) set idealized unrealistic goals.

Question 78

Societies set minimum standards for marriage in the interest of:

A) romantic love.
B) order and stability.
C) growth and self-actualization.
D) religious values.

Question 79

Self-actualization refers to:

A) the state of being highly critical of others.
B) a constant striving for perfection.
C) the process of reaching one's full potential as a person.
D) a person's ability to disclose personal information.

Question 80

The definition of mental health embraces all of the following elements EXCEPT:

A) feeling comfortable about oneself.
B) feeling competent to meet the demands of life.
C) feeling a need for privacy and autonomy.
D) feeling comfortable about other people.