Deck 13: Stress and Context

Question 1

Xavier and Juanita both work full-time at low-wage jobs to pay the rent on their apartment.While they are at work,Juanita's mother cares for their 18-month-old son.In this scenario,the low wages represent a ________,and Juanita's mother's care represents a ________.

A) resource;resource
B) resource;stressor
C) stressor;stressor
D) stressor;resource

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Distal is to ________ as proximal is to ________.

A) support from family;cultural context
B) the wife's mood;divorce laws
C) the quality of the school system;household income
D) the husband's work hours;economic conditions

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Cohan and Cole (2002)studied the effects of Hurricane Hugo on births,divorces,and marriages by examining the rates in the 14 years prior to the hurricane and the 8 years following.What did they find?

A) They found increases in birth and marriage rates and declines in divorce rates;people were more likely to increase levels of commitment following the hurricane.
B) They found increases in birth,marriage,and divorce rates;people evaluated their commitments,leading some to increase their levels of involvement and others to end their relationships.
C) They found increases in birth,marriage,and divorce rates,which appeared to be permanent compared to counties that were not affected by the hurricane.
D) They found increases in birth and marriage rates and declines in divorce rates,but the rates became comparable within a few years to rates in counties unaffected by the hurricane.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

What is NOT one of the responses of the body to stress?

A) dilation of pupils
B) increased heart rate
C) dilation of blood vessels
D) inhibition of stomach and intestinal activity

Question 5

Sarita is extremely close to her older sister,Magdalena,and spends hours talking to her sister on the phone about every aspect of her life,including her marriage.Sarita's husband is not as thrilled about Sarita's close relationship with her sister because Magdalena does not think that he is good enough for Sarita and takes every opportunity to let him know it.In this situation,Sarita's relationship with her sister would be considered:

A) a resource for Sarita and her husband.
B) a resource for Sarita but not for her husband.
C) a stressor for Sarita and her husband.
D) a stressor for Sarita but not for her husband.

Question 6

________ can be defined as everything that affects a relationship outside of the couple and their interactions.

A) Culture
B) Historical era
C) Stressors
D) Context

Question 7

What is a negative consequence of the fight-or-flight response?

A) It reduces memory for important details.
B) It causes the heart rate to slow.
C) It only occurs when the stress is unexpected and uncontrollable.
D) It weakens one's ability to do complex and deliberative tasks.

Question 8

Upon walking into class,you realize you forgot that you had an exam.Your heart starts racing and you immediately start to have a pain in your stomach.Which bodily system or axis has been active in response to your stress?

A) hypothalamic pituitary adrenocortical axis
B) hippocampal pituitary adrenocortical axis
C) sympathetic adrenal medullary system
D) parasympathetic adrenal medullary system

Question 9

Miko has been married to his wife for 1 year.What is Miko likely to identify as the main stressor in his relationship?

A) making financial decisions
B) balancing his job and marriage
C) frequency of sexual relations
D) in-laws

Question 10

According to Bronfenbrenner's social ecological theory,which of the following elements is most distal in context for a couple living in Chicago?

A) the couple's overall working conditions
B) a spouse's relationship with family and friends
C) the availability of affordable daycare
D) the couple's cultural background and gender norms

Question 11

Stress external to a relationship can affect stress internal to the relationship.Specifically,external stressors:

A) affect couples' daily experiences and the chronic conditions of their lives.
B) lower a couple's capacity to deal with problems effectively.
C) lead to negative and positive emotions.
D) affect when couples interact with each other and the reason for their interaction.

Question 12

Which of the following statements about Bronfenbrenner's social ecological model is FALSE?

A) The effects of proximal factors on a relationship are affected by distal factors.
B) Distal factors are not likely affected by proximal factors in relationships.
C) Distal and proximal factors interconnect to affect relationships.
D) The direct effects of proximal and distal factors on relationships are equally large.

Question 13

Cutrona and colleagues (2003)studied the effect of neighborhoods on African American couples' marriages.What best describes their findings?

A) The affluence of neighborhoods had less effect on marital satisfaction than acute stressors.
B) Couples in affluent and economically disadvantaged neighborhoods had similar levels of marital satisfaction.
C) Couples in affluent neighborhoods had lower marital satisfaction than couples in the economically disadvantaged neighborhoods because social networks in the disadvantaged neighborhoods had a higher density.
D) The chronic stress of living in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods had chronic negative effects on marital satisfaction.

Question 14

Mia and Georges have been married for 2 years.Georges works long hours in a high paying job so that they can afford their home,while Mia spends her time taking care of their newborn son and completing the household chores.Because of their schedules,they do not spend a lot of time together.What attribute of their relationship is a powerful predictor of divorce?

A) lack of shared leisure time
B) their newborn son
C) the frequency of sexual relations
D) the neighborhood in which they live

Question 15

In a study to learn more about how arousal affects cognition and behavior,you ask couples experiencing stress to complete a series of cognitive tasks.How are the couples likely to perform on the tasks?

A) They are likely to do well on simple reflexive tasks,but poorly on complex deliberative tasks.
B) They are likely to do well on both simple reflexive tasks and complex deliberative tasks.
C) They are likely to do poorly on both simple reflexive tasks and complex deliberative tasks.
D) They are likely to do poorly on simple reflexive tasks,but well on complex deliberative tasks.

Question 16

Stressor is to ________ as resource is to ________.

A) support from family;having a job
B) losing a job;having a child
C) close extended family;satisfactory income
D) losing a job;satisfactory income

Question 17

Annie has been married to her husband for 1 year.What is Annie likely to identify as the main stressor in her relationship?

A) debt brought into marriage
B) communication with her spouse
C) frequency of sexual relations
D) in-laws

Question 18

Belinda and Roy rent an apartment in a somewhat run-down area of town.They have a few friends,but their immediate families live in another state.They barely manage to pay their bills each month;Roy has a steady job but no health benefits,and Belinda stays home to care for their two young boys.While playing in the park,one of the boys falls from the swings and breaks his arm.Belinda knows that paying for the emergency care and follow-up doctor visits is going to put their family into a difficult financial position.According to Hill's (1949)ABC-X model of family stress,what do you predict will happen?

A) The family is used to chronic hardship,and this new stressor will have little effect on the marriage.
B) The new financial burden will simply add to their stress load and will have the same effect as it would on any family.
C) There will be an interaction between the acute and chronic stressors,making it even harder for the couple to cope with the new financial burden and their son's broken arm.
D) The son's broken arm and new financial burden are unpredictable (uncontrollable)stressors and thus will have less of an effect on the couple's relationship.

Question 19

Research on chronic and acute stressors shows that:

A) both are associated with negative relationship outcomes,and there appears to be little to differentiate the kinds of outcomes that result from each type of stressor.
B) only chronic stressors are associated with negative relationship outcomes,so it is important to differentiate the kinds of outcomes that result from each type of stressor.
C) only acute stressors are associated with negative relationship outcomes,so it is important to differentiate the kinds of outcomes that result from each type of stressor.
D) both are associated with negative relationship outcomes,but the kinds of outcomes that result from each type of stressor differ.

Question 20

What is TRUE with regard to Bronfenbrenner's social ecological model applied to the context of relationships?

A) The effects of proximal factors on a relationship are affected by distal factors.
B) Distal elements rarely affect proximal influences in relationships.
C) Distal,proximal,and meso-empirical contexts all interconnect to affect relationships.
D) Children are largely sheltered from contextual influences,because parents serve as a buffer between the environment and the child.

Question 21

Some stressors affect both partners at the same time,such as being physically separated.Which of the following findings about long-distance relationships is accurate?

A) Although there are exceptions,research has shown that absence does make the heart grow fonder.
B) Couples living apart can preserve their positive beliefs about the relationship without having to deal with the irritations that can arise through daily contact.
C) Although it can be challenging to maintain a long-distance relationship,once couples are reunited they report higher levels of satisfaction.
D) There is no research support for the idea that absence makes the heart grow fonder;physical distance between partners is a significant source of stress for relationships.

Question 22

Stress spillover is to ________ as stress crossover is to ________.

A) intraindividual;interpersonal
B) interpersonal;intraindividual
C) satisfaction;problem solving
D) external stress;relationship problems

Question 23

_____ were an ideal group for studying stress spillover because the link between work stress and home stress could be considered unidirectional (from work to home).

A) Legal associates
B) Mechanical engineers
C) Air traffic controllers
D) Elementary school teachers

Question 24

What appears to be true about stress,stressor salience,and the health of the relationship?

A) Salient stressors are detrimental to relationship satisfaction.
B) High levels of stress are more noticeable,and partners are able to recognize that relationship problems are due to the stress.
C) When stress is severe,it is more salient,and partners tend to assume that relationship problems are due to the stress.
D) As relationships develop,stress becomes more salient,as in the case of parenthood.

Question 25

As described in the text,"tunnel vision" occurs when:

A) individuals examine information that is subconscious or "below-the-surface."
B) people experience the fight-or-flight response and have a better memory for the salient details of the threat but a poor memory for peripheral details.
C) people are highly focused on a task because they are physiologically aroused.
D) the pupils of the eye dilate during the fight-or-flight response.

Question 26

The negative effects of stress on relationships can be offset by:

A) effective problem-solving skills and mutual support.
B) ending the relationship and starting over again.
C) increasing intimacy and commitment to the relationship.
D) ample financial resources,even when the couple has poor problem-solving skills.

Question 27

Maina is conducting a daily diary study of how students' school stress affects their relationships with parents.________ is the association between stress and the student's behavior at home,and ________ is the association between stress and the parents' behavior at home.

A) Stress spillover;stress crossover
B) Stress crossover;stress spillover
C) Stressor salience;negative reciprocity
D) Negative reciprocity;stress spillover

Question 28

Demont was fired at work,and,before he had the chance to tell his wife,Laticia,she began talking about her difficult day managing her coworkers.Feeling frustrated,Demont snapped at Laticia,"Why does everything always have to be about you? Don't you even care what is going on with me?" What phenomenon does Demont's outburst reflect?

A) fight or flight
B) stress projection
C) tunnel vision
D) stress pileup

Question 29

Wives are likely to experience _____ stress crossover when their marriages are_____.

A) less;most satisfying
B) more;most satisfying
C) more;least satisfying
D) less;least satisfying

Question 30

Which of the following couples is most likely to separate?

A) Miriam and Nav,who spend time with the same group of friends but do not enjoy each other's families
B) Lila and Mark,who spend time with the same group of friends and enjoy each other's families
C) Uma and Sora,who spend time with different friend groups but enjoy each other's families
D) Lauren and Alejandro,who spend time with different friend groups and do not enjoy each other's families

Question 31

Joe's job is very stressful.When he comes home,he often feels grouchy,and he yells at his dog.Joe's wife,Karen,gets upset wondering what Joe will be like when he comes home at the end of the workday.She worries that she is starting to get a bit depressed by this.His dog is also starting to ignore him.Karen's worries about Joe would be considered an example of:

A) stress crossover.
B) stress spillover.
C) stressor salience.
D) stress pileup.

Question 32

Can stress ever be good for relationships?

A) Yes,if it is acute stress.
B) No,because the physiological effects of stress have immediate,powerful,and usually invisible effects.
C) No,because stress tends to "pile up" and depletes couples' resources for dealing with it.
D) Yes,especially when couples have the resources and skills to meet the challenge successfully.

Question 33

In a study of couples where one partner was studying for the New York State bar exam,how did the stress crossover effect change in the 4 weeks immediately preceding the exam date?

A) It did not change;the stress crossover effects were consistent throughout the 4-week study period.
B) The stress crossover effect became stronger;the closer the exam date,the more the stress the examinee experienced,and the worse the partner's moods became.
C) There was a U-shaped change in the stress crossover effect;at the beginning and at the end of the 4-week study,there was a strong crossover effect of the examinee's distress and the partner's mood but a weaker effect in the middle 2 weeks.
D) The stress crossover effect became weaker-the closer to the exam date,the less the examinee's stress affected the partner's mood.

Question 34

According to research described in the text,what happens to the effects of external stress on intimate relationships when the source of the stress becomes more noticeable?

A) The more obvious the external sources of stress in relationships,the more important it is that partners have sufficient resources to deal with the stress effectively.
B) The more salient the external sources of moderate stress in relationships,the less they affect feelings about the relationship.
C) The more salient the external sources of stress in relationships,the more negatively those sources of stress affect the relationship.
D) The more salient the external sources of stress in relationships,the more likely partners are to notice the internal sources of stress in the relationship (e.g. ,incompatible communication styles,conflicts).

Question 35

Joe's job is very stressful.When he comes home,he often feels grouchy,and he yells at his dog.Joe's wife,Karen,gets upset wondering what Joe will be like when he comes home at the end of the workday.She worries that she is starting to get a bit depressed by this.His dog is also starting to ignore him.Joe's grouchiness at home and the effects on his relationship with his wife and dog would be considered an example of:

A) stress crossover.
B) stress spillover.
C) stressor salience.
D) stress pileup.

Question 36

Jacko criticizes Irma's cooking.Given the research on how stress affects explanations for partner behavior,what is most true?

A) If they are experiencing a lot of external stress,Irma will be more likely to blame external events for Jacko's comment.
B) If Irma is experiencing a lot of stress,she will be more likely to blame herself for Jacko's comment.
C) If they are experiencing a lot of external stress,Irma will be more likely to excuse Jacko's comment because of his bad day at work.
D) If they are experiencing a lot of external stress,Irma will be more likely to blame Jacko for his comment.

Question 37

Joe's job is very stressful.When he comes home,he often feels grouchy,and he yells at his dog.Joe's wife,Karen,gets upset wondering what Joe will be like when he comes home at the end of the workday.She worries that she is starting to get a bit depressed by this.His dog is also starting to ignore him.This situation is an example of:

A) stress crossover.
B) stress spillover.
C) stress crossover and stress spillover.
D) stressor salience and stress crossover.

Question 38

Lucian and Andrea have been married for 15 years.Which group of individuals is Lucian most likely to regard as closest to him?

A) Andrea's family members
B) Andrea's friends
C) friends from college
D) coworkers

Question 39

How does an experience of acute stress and physical arousal affect memory about the details of the event?

A) Memory is enhanced for all details of the experience.
B) Memory of central details of the experience is enhanced but not memory for peripheral details.
C) Memory of all details is impaired by the hormones that flood the body.
D) Memory of the central details is impaired because of trauma,and memory for peripheral details remains intact.

Question 40

Chris has had a bad day at work-lots of complaints from customers and her boss gave her a deadline that she knows she will be unable to meet.When she gets home that night,she is in a bad mood and feels distant from her partner,Pat.Pat senses Chris' coolness and begins to wonder if there is trouble in their relationship.Chris' behavior that evening is an example of ________,and Pat's reaction is an example of ________.

A) stress spillover;stress crossover
B) stressor salience;perceptual confirmation
C) stress crossover;stress spillover
D) chronic stress;acute stress

Question 41

As a relationship researcher at a major university,you have received a request from a television news show to take part in a panel discussing the effects of a devastating earthquake that has affected several communities where the residents vary in their socioeconomic status.Given what you know about the effects of acute and chronic stressors on relationships,what points will you make in the discussion?

Question 42

What role does neighborhood context play in the association between relationship duration and the likelihood of marital dissolution?

A) Marital dissolution is not associated with the type of neighborhood in which a married couple lives.
B) Marital dissolution tends to happen earlier in marriage for people who live in low-income neighborhoods than those who live in more affluent neighborhoods.
C) People who live in affluent neighborhoods rarely divorce,even after 15 years of marriage.
D) Because people in middle-income neighborhoods are likely to be dual-career couples,they are more likely to divorce than people who live in low-income neighborhoods.

Question 43

Neff and Karney (2004)conducted a study where they contacted newlyweds every 6 months for the first 3 years of marriage.At every contact,spouses were asked to imagine what they would think if their partners acted in an insensitive way (e.g. ,failing to listen,acting cool or distant).Spouses were also asked to describe the sorts of stresses they had experienced outside the relationship since the last assessment.What was the main implication of this study?

Question 44

After census data revealed that Alabama,Arkansas,Oklahoma,and Tennessee were among the states with the highest divorce rates,various political figures were pressed to explain the finding.What is the best explanation for the divorce rates being higher in these conservative states?

A) People who marry in these states have more unrealistic expectations about marriage,leading to inevitable disappointment and distress.
B) Prior to this census,relationship education was not widely available to couples in these states,leading to greater rates of dissolution.
C) The overall quality of life in these states is poorer compared to other states,making marriage challenging.
D) Young people in these states were rebelling against conservative beliefs and did not value the institution of marriage as much as young people in other states.

Question 45

According to Hill's ABC-X model of stress,how do acute stressors affect families who are already experiencing chronic stress?

Question 46

When are efforts to improve the lives of low-income couples most likely to succeed?

A) when they focus on relationship education,such as communication skill building
B) when they focus on instilling values of relationships
C) when they provide free childcare to the couple
D) when they acknowledge the challenges couples face

Question 47

Penelope has been dating Umberto throughout college.How did Penelope most likely meet Umberto?

A) at their church group
B) at a house party or bar
C) in a class they took together
D) by being introduced to him by a friend

Question 48

What is the fight-or-flight response?

Question 49

Dr.Okiro is studying social networks.One participant,Mandy,has described several individuals in her network: Sue,a casual acquaintance at work;Manuel,her best friend;and Gustavo,her cousin who lives in Venezuela but with whom she chats regularly on her computer.Which statement is correct?

A) Sue and Manuel are part of Mandy's psychological network and interactive network.
B) Manuel is part of Mandy's psychological network but not her interactive network.
C) Gustavo and Manuel are part of Mandy's interactive network and her psychological network.
D) Sue and Gustavo are part of Mandy's interactive network and her psychological network.

Question 50

What has helped improve relationship quality among low-income couples?

A) antipoverty programs that offer job training or cash assistance
B) antipoverty programs that provide job training rather than cash assistance
C) programs that directly address relationship problems,rather than those that attempt to make life easier
D) providing free childcare to parents to ease the burden of parenting

Question 51

What is social capital?

A) the benefits that people get from their relationships with others
B) the number of individuals in people's social networks
C) the primary members of an individual's psychological network
D) the costs that are incurred by social networks

Question 52

Over the past four decades,attitudes toward marriage have _______,while attitudes toward alternative family forms have become_______ acceptable.

A) not changed;more
B) declined;more
C) increased;more
D) not changed;less

Question 53

Which of the following statements is TRUE about how social networks can challenge relationships?

A) Social networks can negatively affect relationships via factors such as substitutability but do not directly negatively affect relationships.
B) Social networks are positively associated with relationship stability when partners spend a lot of time with friends or relatives.
C) When partners have independent networks,close ties with others can do more harm than good to the relationship.
D) When partners have independent networks,they are able to build space between themselves,which serves as a healthy outlet,thereby strengthening the relationship.

Question 54

According to the chapter,which of the following is NOT a reason low-income couples experience more difficulties in maintaining enduring relationships?

A) They may experience personal challenges due to having less education.
B) They live in contexts which tend to be marked by greater social disorder.
C) They tend to have jobs that force them to work outside "normal" working hours.
D) They do not value marriage as an institution.

Question 55

Social networks can benefit and harm intimate relationships.What is one way in which social networks do NOT affect intimate relationships?

A) Social networks enable people to meet potential partners.
B) Social networks provide a context of people who can help in times of need.
C) Social networks can be damaging to relationships,particularly when partners' networks do not overlap much.
D) Shared networks provide barriers that can prevent people from leaving good but not bad relationships.

Question 56

Whose relationship is LEAST likely to end?

A) Sally and Melinda's,because they have low social network overlap
B) Greg and Sander's,because they have high network density
C) DeAnda and Kevin's,because they have high substitutability in their social network
D) Greer and Tameca's,because they have low substitutability in their social network

Question 57

Socioeconomic status has many effects on relationships.What is NOT one of them?

A) Women who have less than a high school education are less likely to marry than women who have more education.
B) Low-income spouses experience more marital stress than do moderate- or high-income spouses.
C) Low-income couples are four times more likely to have their first child prior to marriage.
D) Marriages in less affluent neighborhoods end earlier than marriages in more affluent neighborhoods.

Question 58

Whose relationship is most likely to end?

A) Sally and Melinda's,because they have high social network overlap
B) Greg and Sander's,because they have high network density
C) DeAnda and Kevin's,because they have high substitutability in their social network
D) Greer and Tameca's,because they have low substitutability in their social network

Question 59

________ is likely a member of Antonio's psychological network,and ________ is likely a member of Antonio's interactive network.

A) His hairdresser;his mother
B) His mother;his hairdresser
C) His hairdresser;his doctor
D) His doctor;his best friend

Question 60

Compare the distal and proximal context,and provide an example of a stressor from each context.

Question 61

Tyler and Andrea recently bought a new home and are expecting their first child.Money is tight,and Tyler has been working 60 hours a week to cover the cost of the mortgage and to save for the baby's arrival.Often exhausted and stressed at the end of the day,Tyler has been more moody and argumentative than usual.Consequently,Andrea is becoming less satisfied in her relationship.Which of the concepts discussed in the chapter about the impact of stress on relationships best describes Andrea's situation? Explain your choice.

Question 62

Brenda is having serious problems at work: she is having difficulty keeping up with the workload (she has to bring some of her work home),her co-workers are difficult to work with,and her boss is considering firing her because of poor sales.As a result,Brenda also has difficulty paying the bills at home,she feels even more irritable than normal when she sees her husband leave the toilet seat up,and she doesn't have much time to spend with him outside of work.Which of the concepts discussed in the chapter about the impact of stress on relationships best describes Brenda's situation? Explain your choice.

Question 63

You have recently been appointed to a committee charged with allocating federal funds to strengthen romantic relationships.One of the committee members is arguing that relationship education to strengthen values for low socioeconomic couples is the best use of the funds.Based on what you read in the chapter,how would you respond to your colleague about the lack of values as the heart of relationship dissolution?

Question 64

You are writing an article for your school's online zine about long-distance relationships.The title is "Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder,or Does It?" Based on the research on stress and close relationships,what points will you make in your article?

Question 65

Compare the effects of stress spillover and stress crossover on relationships,providing an example of each.

Question 66

Discuss the benefits and disadvantages of social networks for intimate relationships.

Question 67

Why is it important to understand the role of stressor awareness in stress spillover and crossover when counseling couples who are experiencing relationship difficulties?

Question 68

Define network composition and overlap,and discuss how each attribute is associated with relationship outcomes.

Question 69

Imagine you are a couple's therapist working with a couple who is experiencing significant distress outside of their relationship.For example,one partner describes a long commute,long working hours,and a difficult working relationship with his boss,whereas the other partner is juggling work and caring for a family member's chronic health condition.Based on the information presented in the chapter,what is a goal that you might have for this couple?

Question 70

You have recently been appointed to a task force charged with allocating federal funds to strengthen marriages among low-income families.Each member of the task force has been asked to provide suggestions for how to best use these funds.What suggestions will you make?