Question 1

1.Researchers have distinguished among three dimensions of relationship knowledge: 1) beliefs versus values; 2) knowledge targeting ourselves, our partners, and our relationships; and 3) general versus specific knowledge. Explain how beliefs and values differ, and provide examples of a general belief about relationships and a general value about relationships.

Accepted Answer

Beliefs are ideas or theories about what the world is actually like, whereas values are ideas about what a person wants or what the world should be like. An example of a general belief about relationships is, ÒRelationships must be conflict-free to be successful.Ó An example of a general value about relationships is, ÒI want a relationship where my partner and I don't argue.Ó

Question 2

11.Describe the five subscales of the Relationship Belief Inventory (RBI), and provide an example to illustrate each. How do scores on the RBI relate to marital satisfaction?

Accepted Answer

Subscale 1: Disagreement is destructiveÑfor example, ÒI cannot stand it when my partner argues with me.Ó Subscale 2: Mind reading is expectedÑfor example, ÒA partner should know what you are thinking or feeling without you having to tell.Ó Subscale 3: Partners cannot changeÑfor example, ÒA partner who hurts you badly once probably will hurt you again.Ó Subscale 4: Sexual perfectionismÑfor example, ÒA good sexual partner can get aroused for sex whenever necessary.Ó Subscale 5: The sexes are differentÑfor example, ÒMen and women probably will never understand the opposite sex very well.Ó Individuals who score high on the RBI have reported lower marital satisfaction.

Question 3

People who score high in sex-role traditionalism ________, whereas people who score low in sex-role traditionalism ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   value a clear separation of the roles and responsibilities for men and women; reject the idea that men and women have different spheres of influence
B)   reject the idea that men and women have different spheres of influence; value a clear separation of the roles and responsibilities for men and women
C)   believe men should be responsible for the financial security of the family; believe women should be responsible for the home and children
D)   have lower relationships ideals; have higher relationship ideals A

Question 4

Lucas is high in self-esteem. He expects others will like him, so he behaves in ways that in fact elicit positive responses from others. This best illustrates:

Accepted Answer

A)   behavioral confirmation.
B)   unrealistic expectations.
C)   perceptual confirmation.
D)   stereotype accuracy.

Question 5

An attitude is a ________ that involves a ________ of someone or something.

Accepted Answer

A)   general value; positive evaluation
B)   specific belief; positive or negative evaluation
C)   general value; positive or negative evaluation
D)   specific value; negative evaluation

Question 6

Attachment models in adulthood are:

Accepted Answer

A)   general theories that we apply to all of our relationships.
B)   specific theories that capture the expectations we have for a particular relationship.
C)   fairly stable; people describe more or less the same level of security in different relationships.
D)   not particularly useful in understanding people's beliefs about relationships.

Question 7

Who is likely to be more satisfied in his or her relationship?

Accepted Answer

A)   Danica, who believes romance is critical to relationship success and whose partner sends her flowers and writes poems for her
B)   Jose, who believes that couples who fight a lot are unhappy and who occasionally argues with his partner
C)   Harpreet, who believes honesty is crucial in a relationship and who recently learned that her partner had a brief affair several years ago
D)   Danica, Jose, and Harpreet are likely to be equally satisfied.

Question 8

Rusbult and colleagues described four different patterns of beliefs created by combining ideas about the importance of passionate love with ideas about the capacity for relationships to grow and change over time. These four patterns are:

Accepted Answer

A)   long-term bliss, friends/companions, storybook fantasy, and utilitarian involvement.
B)   empty love, passionate love, companionate love, and fatuous love.
C)   long-term bliss, empty love, storybook fantasy, and platonic love.
D)   consummate love, friends/companions, infatuated love, and utilitarian involvement.

Question 9

To describe general lay theories of relationship satisfaction, Hassebrauck (1997) asked 120 students to list as many features of a good intimate relationship as they could and then asked a second group to rate how important each of the most frequently mentioned features is to a good relationship. Which of the following features was NOT on the top-20 list?

Accepted Answer

A)   love
B)   excitement
C)   understanding
D)   openness

Question 10

The way in which relationships are portrayed in the media affects:

Accepted Answer

A)   general relationship beliefs.
B)   how people evaluate their own relationships.
C)   how people behave in relationships.
D)   all of the above.

Question 11

2.Sprecher and Metts (1989) asked college students to rate how much they agreed with specific statements about the role of romance in relationships. Their analyses suggested that ideas about romantic love are composed of four separate beliefs. Describe these four beliefs, and explain how endorsing or not endorsing such beliefs is related to people's intimate relationships.

Accepted Answer

The answer of 2.Sprecher and Metts (1989) asked college students...

Question 12

Which of the following statements about having high expectations of intimate relationships is true?

Accepted Answer

A)   The self-fulfilling prophecy suggests that people with high expectations will have more satisfying relationships.
B)   Insecure and secure individuals have similar standards for their relationships, though secure individuals are able to resolve conflicts more effectively.
C)   Although partners with an internal and external locus of control report similar numbers of problems in their relationships, those with an internal locus of control are more satisfied.
D)   Positive beliefs and high standards are beneficial for relationships even though they do not always motivate beneficial behaviors and responses.

Question 13

The fact that any two people are likely to share a number of values is called:

Accepted Answer

A)   the stereotype accuracy effect.
B)   a relationship belief.
C)   perceptual confirmation.
D)   cultural specificity.

Question 14

Your friend Mat announces, ÒIf two people truly love each other, they can overcome any obstacles that come their way.Ó Mat's statement is an example of:

Accepted Answer

A)   an expectation.
B)   a value.
C)   a belief.
D)   the self-fulfilling prophecy.

Question 15

Research on from where our beliefs and values about intimate relationships come shows that:

Accepted Answer

A)   media influences are more important than cultural influences.
B)   personal experience plays a much greater role in shaping our beliefs and values than do cultures or the media.
C)   cultures and the media shape our beliefs and values, which in turn influence our personal experiences.
D)   cultures, the media, and personal experience all play an important role in shaping our beliefs and values.

Question 16

To describe general lay theories of relationship satisfaction, Hassebrauck (1997) asked 120 students to list as many features of a good intimate relationship as they could and then asked a second group to rate how important each of the most frequently mentioned features is to a good relationship. Which of the following features was NOT on the top-20 list?

Accepted Answer

A)   love
B)   understanding
C)   passion
D)   openness

Question 17

Jennie is 14 years old. Because her parents work long hours, she often watches shows on television with sexual and violent content that she knows her parents would not approve of. Based on how media exposure affects beliefs about relationships, what would you predict about Jennie's behavior?

Accepted Answer

A)   Jennie will become sexually active later than her same-age peers who watch less sexual and violent content on television.
B)   There will be no difference between when Jennie becomes sexually active compared to her peers who watch less sexual and violent content on television.
C)   Jennie will likely report engaging in similar levels of sexual behavior as 16- or 17-year-old girls.
D)   Jennie will likely report engaging in similar levels of sexual behavior as the adults she watches on television.

Question 18

Which of the following statements about the effect of media messages on our standards and beliefs about intimate relationships is true?

Accepted Answer

A)   The effects of watching sexually violent films tend to fade within a few hours.
B)   Educating people about the effects of media messages has no affect on their resistance to such messages.
C)   Adolescents exposed to sexual behaviors on television subsequently delay sexual behavior themselves.
D)   Men exposed to pictures of nude centerfolds subsequently report less love for their wives.

Question 19

Social exchange perspectives on relationships propose that satisfaction depends on:

Accepted Answer

A)   one's ideals in a relationship.
B)   one's standards in a relationship.
C)   the quality of outcomes that one receives in a relationship.
D)   all of the above.

Question 20

Your friend Daniel believes that satisfaction early in a relationship is the most important predictor of how long the relationship will last. Another friend, Shannon, argues that satisfaction early in a relationship has very little bearing on how long the relationship will last. Who is right?

Accepted Answer

A)   Daniel is correct. Couples who are highly satisfied stay together much longer than couples who are low in satisfaction early on.
B)   Shannon is correct. The relationship between how satisfied couples are early in the relationship and relationship longevity is very weak.
C)   Both are partly correct. Satisfaction strongly predicts longevity in couples who believe that destiny plays a big role in relationship success but barely does so in couples who do not believe in the role of destiny.
D)   Neither is correct. Satisfaction early in the relationship does not predict relationship longevity at all.

Exam 9: Beliefs and Values