Deck 17: Coming Together: Remarriage and Stepparenting

Question 1

Approximately what percentage of American families today are remarried or re-coupled?

A)26%
B)32%
C)50%
D)64%

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which of the following is true of the relationship quality of first marriages compared with remarriages?

A)First marriages are usually happier than remarriages.
B)Remarriages are just as happy,with few differences in quality.
C)Marital quality tends to increase in the first marriage with the passage of time but not in remarriages.
D)Marital quality tends to increase in remarriages with the passage of time but not in first marriages.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Relinquishing the autonomy and personal freedom of being a single person is an example of which facet of remarriage?

A)community remarriage
B)emotional remarriage
C)psychic remarriage
D)legal remarriage
E)financial remarriage

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Remarried people are _____ likely to divorce than first marrieds.

A)more
B)less
C)about as

Question 5

What percentage of remarriages end in divorce after three years?

A)10%
B)15%
C)20%
D)25%

Question 6

Second marriage disruption is more likely for:

A)men under age 25 at remarriage
B)men over age 25 at remarriage
C)women under age 25 at remarriage
D)women over age 25 at remarriage

Question 7

Ways to prepare for remarriage include:

A)to develop a relationship with each other's children
B)to discuss significant issues and potential problems such as finances
C)to get pre-marriage counseling
D)all of these
E)A and B

Question 8

Major challenges in remarriages include:

A)complex relationships
B)ambiguous family boundaries
C)finances
D)all of these
E)A and B

Question 9

Spouses in long-established stepfamilies view their second marriage - in comparison to their first - as:

A)more open
B)more willing to confront conflict
C)more romantic
D)all of these
E)A and B

Question 10

Those who are remarrying - in contrast to those entering a first marriage:

A)are older
B)are in a different life-cycle stage
C)are likely to be more emotionally mature
D)all of these
E)B and C

Question 11

Statistics show that ____ are more likely to remarry more quickly after a divorce.

A)men
B)women
C)men and women remarry in about the same length of time

Question 12

A set of rules concerning who is included in the family and how each participates in the family refers to:

A)family system
B)family boundaries
C)symbolic interaction
D)family cultural norms

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT true regarding courtship and mate selection in remarriage?

A)The courtship usually progresses at a slower pace because people want to make sure they are making the right choice.
B)The majority have children.
C)Family and friends are less enthusiastic in their support; there is less celebration.
D)Former spouses sometimes become involved in the courtship.

Question 14

Research by David Olson found that happy remarried couples in contrast to unhappy married couples were more likely to:

A)have resolved issues and hurts from past relationships
B)agree on how to spend money
C)agree that a partner's moodiness is not a problem
D)have higher frequency of sexual intercourse
E)A,B,C

Question 15

For couples with children from previous marriages,which is the most difficult part of remarriage?

A)emotional remarriage
B)legal remarriage
C)economic remarriage
D)parental remarriage
E)community remarriage

Question 16

Who has the lowest remarriage rate?

A)Black women
B)White women
C)Hispanic women
D)Whites,in general

Question 17

Women who ______ are more likely to divorce after remarriage.

A)have children
B)are over age 25
C)earn more
D)are more highly educated

Question 18

Which of the following is characteristic of successful remarriages?

A)Partners give themselves time to get to know each other well.
B)They remarry primarily because of loneliness.
C)They remarry to prove how desirable they still are (especially to a former spouse)
D)They have learned from past mistakes.
E)A and D

Question 19

Janet is deciding how to relate to her ex-husband,Bill,in such a way that their children can maintain a good relationship with him and her.At the same time,she recognizes that she needs to maintain an appropriate emotional distance from Bill so as to avoid causing problems with her new husband,Charles.She is dealing with:

A)complex relationships
B)carrying expectations from one marriage to another
C)maintaining boundaries
D)psychic remarriage issues
E)community remarriage issues

Question 20

What percentage of women remarries within three years?

A)15%
B)39%.
C)55%
D)75%

Question 21

Which appears to be most true regarding a stepparent's financial commitment to her or his stepchildren?

A)It usually occurs right away.
B)It comes slowly,at about the same time as financial commitment to the new spouse.
C)It comes slowly,if at all.
D)It never occurs.

Question 22

Maintaining extended family relationships for children after divorce:

A)requires professional help to manage successfully
B)is very important for children's sense of family connection
C)can only be done when ex-partners agree
D)is one of the sacrifices children make when a new family is formed

Question 23

The role of stepparent:

A)is socially well defined
B)is legally well defined
C)is well defined for the stepfather,but not the stepmother
D)is not well defined

Question 24

Stepmothers' roles may be more difficult than stepfathers because:

A)of their need to dominate and maintain control of the family
B)stepfathers have more acceptable options NOT to participate in child care
C)of the media's portrayal of the stereotype of the cruel stepmother
D)stepmothers have more responsibility for the direct care of the children
E)B,C,D

Question 25

Which of the following has been found to hinder a stepfamily in developing a sense of feeling like a family?

A)family crises
B)holiday celebrations
C)changes in family composition
D)conflicts or disagreements

Question 26

Problems may arise in remarriages due to:

A)fear/expectations that the trouble/hurt experienced in a prior marriage will happen again in the remarriage
B)confusion over role expectations
C)unrealistic expectations for the remarriage or new spouse
D)attention to fulfilling each other's needs
E)A,B,C

Question 27

A conclusion that could be drawn from the information provided in the text is that the ______ system of financial management in a stepfamily is more likely to unify the family.

A)one-pot
B)two-pot
C)father-controlled
D)mother-controlled

Question 28

After an initial period of disequilibrium associated with divorce and remarriage,there follows restabilization of the new family system which typically takes:

A)1-2 years
B)2-3 years
C)5-7 years
D)several months

Question 29

Stepfamilies - in contrast to first-time,intact families:

A)have lower family cohesion
B)have less clear role expectations
C)are more flexible in response to change
D)all of these
E)A and B

Question 30

Some research indicates that the relationship between stepparent and stepchildren is likely to be:

A)difficult to maintain
B)less close than that with biological children
C)closer than that with biological children
D)very rewarding if the children like the stepparent

Question 31

Experts recommend that if a stepparent wants to be accepted as an integral part of the family,he or she should:

A)assert authority right away
B)build affectionate relationships before disciplining
C)accept that a stepfamily can't be as close as a biological family
D)make special efforts to give the children what they want

Question 32

Research indicates that stepfamily couples,compared to first-time couples:

A)use less positive communication
B)withdraw from interaction more frequently
C)are less negative
D)all of these
E)A and B

Question 33

One difference that researchers found between children of divorce was that,after divorce,those from families with a lot of conflict tended to:

A)have fewer behavior problems
B)have more behavior problems
C)feel more resentful towards parent who initiated the divorce
D)feel less resentful towards parent who initiated the divorce

Question 34

Visitation rights have been granted to grandparents over parents' objections by judges in recent court cases:

A)in more than half the cases filed
B)in very few cases
C)in 24% of cases
D)only when parental misconduct was established

Question 35

Research has shown that the nature of a remarried person's relationship with his/her ex-spouse is related to:

A)the degree of acrimony at the time of the divorce
B)his/her satisfaction with the remarriage
C)whether a true friendship can be established
D)how dependably the ex-spouse fulfills support obligations

Question 36

Which of the following was NOT mentioned as a characteristic of stepparents?

A)They have low expectations of themselves.
B)They have a great deal of guilt and regret.
C)Their roles are ill defined.
D)They expect gratitude and thanks for what they do.

Question 37

According to Fishman,the "common-pot" system serves to

A)encourage biological loyalties
B)encourage personal autonomy
C)unify the stepfamily
D)all of the above

Question 38

Humor helps to cope with stress by:

A)relieving tension
B)encouraging a more optimistic outlook
C)minimizing negative emotions
D)All of these
E)A and C

Question 39

Stereotypes or myths about which group appear to be very hard to overcome in developing positive relationships in stepfamilies?

A)stepchildren
B)stepsiblings
C)stepmothers
D)stepfathers

Question 40

Stepparents function much like biological parents in _____ responsibilities.

A)disciplining
B)financial
C)caretaking
D)supervisory

Question 41

Which pattern of behavior among stepparents in forming a relationship with their stepchildren is characterized by pursuing a relationship with the children prior to living with them,for purposes such as getting the child to respond to their discipline?

A)nonseekers of affinity
B)early affinity seekers
C)continuous affinity seekers
D)intermittent affinity seekers

Question 42

Remarried couples with children from prior marriages are more likely to divorce than are remarried couples without stepchildren.

Question 43

As compared to biologically related siblings,relationships among stepsiblings are:

A)less contentious
B)equally as contentious but only during adolescence
C)more contentious but only during adolescence
D)more contentious

Question 44

The initial reactions of stepsiblings to one another is usually indicative of the degree of problems in the future.

Question 45

According to the definitions in the text,__________ is when two divorced parents cooperate rather than compete in the task of rearing their children.

A)a stepfamily
B)a parenting coalition
C)co-parenting
D)an extended family

Question 46

Stepparenting a/an _______ appears to be the most challenging for families.

A)young boy
B)young girl
C)adolescent boy
D)adolescent girl

Question 47

The most effective means of bonding for stepparents with stepchildren appears to be:

A)family activities
B)sports activities
C)one-on-one activities
D)buying the stepchild what he or she wants

Question 48

What appears to be the main reason for stepsibling rivalry?

A)envy or fear that a stepsibling will receive more attention from parents
B)fear of greater punishment
C)anger over toys being broken,clothes borrowed,etc.
D)differences in standards for behavior

Question 49

One study looking at patterns in relationship-forming with stepchildren,shows that stepparents who _____ are most likely to be successful in forming a close attachment with stepchildren.

A)tend to be more laid back
B)are more eager to establish control of the relationship
C)are less eager to fill a role as a disciplinarian
D)all of these
E)A and C

Question 50

Most people seek counseling before remarriage.

Question 51

The spouses who initiate the divorce tend to remarry less quickly than those who do not initiate the divorce.

Question 52

Blacks remarry more quickly than Whites or Hispanics.

Question 53

Stepparent attachment is:

A)more problematic for younger children
B)more problematic for early adolescents
C)equally problematic at all ages
D)not a problem,no matter what age

Question 54

Remarriage rates are highest for Hispanics.

Question 55

Research suggests that remarriages are happier than first marriages.

Question 56

The majority of people who divorce remarry and rather quickly.

Question 57

Divorced persons need time to work through difficult issues and the pain of the previous marriage.

Question 58

What seems to be the effect on stepsibling relationships of a remarried couple having another baby of their own?

A)almost always positive
B)almost always negative
C)unchanged
D)can have positive effects,but also can increase stress and negatively affect stepparents-stepchildren relationships

Question 59

The probability of divorce is slightly less in remarriages than in first marriages.

Question 60

Parental remarriage is:

A)more problematic for girls than for boys
B)more problematic for boys than for girls
C)equally problematic for boys and girls
D)not usually problematic for boys or for girls

Question 61

Girls usually have more difficult relationships with stepparents than boys do.

Question 62

Contrast "common-pot" families with "two-pot" families.

Question 63

Both men and women in remarriage tend to base some of their role expectations of their new spouses on the role performance of their former spouses - even when the prior marriage was quite unhappy.

Question 64

Children have more distant relationships with stepparents than with biological parents,even in long-established stepfamilies.

Question 65

Briefly discuss five challenges of remarriage.

Question 66

Discuss four reasons stepparents may be disappointed when they find that stepfamily relationships are different from those of their primary families.

Question 67

Family relationships become much more complex in remarriage when one or both persons bring children from a previous marriage.

Question 68

Identify three common patterns of behavior among stepparents in forming relationships with their stepchildren.

Question 69

It is not terribly important to spend time developing relationships with the potential partner's family of origin before a remarriage.After all,the couple has enough issues to deal with and they are marrying each other - not the whole family.

Question 70

Couples who have successful remarriages seem to have five factors in common.Discuss three.

Question 71

Name four ways that courtship and mate selection in remarriage are different from those in first marriage.

Question 72

Discuss the advantages of co-parenting.

Question 73

Research by Buunk and Mutsaers indicated that,in general,positive feelings toward the ex-spouse were quite common.

Question 74

Financial commitment to a new spouse can occur without a financial commitment to stepchildren.

Question 75

One problem in remarriages involves confusion over role expectations.

Question 76

A close relationship with a supportive stepfather is more likely to facilitate the well-being and achievement of stepdaughters than that of stepsons.