Deck 10: Understanding Each Other

Question 1

In terms of a relationship knowledge hierarchy, ÒMy partner is attractiveÓ is an example of a ________.

A) concrete observation
B) midlevel judgment
C) global evaluation
D) lower-order judgment

Answer 1

B

Question 2

In terms of a relationship knowledge hierarchy, ÒI have a great relationshipÓ is an example of a ________.

A) concrete observation
B) mid-level judgment
C) global evaluation
D) lower-order judgment

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Hierarchical knowledge structures that include beliefs about relationships CANNOT explain how:

A) individuals connect observable behaviors with more general or abstract beliefs about their partners and the relationship.
B) the same person can reach different conclusions about the same behavior at different times.
C) qualities that are initially attractive in partners become undesirable over time.
D) individuals have a positive bias about partnersÕ attributes.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Thao is trying to decide whether to ask Sue out. What information processing bias will be most likely operating when he makes his decision?

A) enhancement bias
B) confirmation bias
C) justification bias
D) accuracy bias

Question 5

What term describes the tendency for partnersÕ global feelings about their relationships to color their perceptions of experiences?

A) confirmation bias
B) empathy accuracy
C) selective attention
D) sentiment override

Question 6

Denise has always believed that she isnÕt a great singer. After a night singing karaoke with friends, her boyfriend, Sean, casually comments that she is a pretty good singer. Which of the following is accurate?

A) According to the confirmation bias, Denise should feel more satisfied with her relationship.
B) According to the enhancement bias, Denise should feel more satisfied with her relationship.
C) According to the confirmation bias, Denise should feel less satisfied with her relationship.
D) According to the confirmation bias, this wonÕt affect DeniseÕs feelings about the relationship because the comment isnÕt about her personality.

Question 7

In a study by MacDonald and Ross (1999), friends, parents, and students were asked to predict how long the studentÕs romantic relationship would last. Who was the LEAST accurate about the likelihood of the studentÕs relationship lasting, and why?

A) Parents were the least accurate about the likelihood of the studentÕs relationship lasting because they knew the least about the relationship.
B) Friends were the least accurate because they tend to see their own relationships as superior to the studentÕs relationship.
C) Students were least accurate because they were in a deliberative mind-set.
D) Students were the least accurate because they may have an enhancement bias.

Question 8

In terms of a relationship knowledge hierarchy, ÒI met my partner for lunchÓ is an example of a ________.

A) concrete observation
B) midlevel judgment
C) global evaluation
D) lower-order judgment

Question 9

Your friend Hugo recently met Jimena in his social psychology class and would like to ask her out on a date. Hugo spends a lot of time describing to you in great detail the latest interactions he has had with Jimena, trying to analyze whether she would be receptive to an overture. Which of the following best describes HugoÕs behavior?

A) enhancement bias
B) accuracy bias
C) diagnosticity bias
D) self-serving bias

Question 10

Kia is very unhappy in her relationship with Denny. She describes Denny as being unreliable and mean, and she belittles his intelligence. What is most likely operating in her views of Denny?

A) accommodation bias
B) sentiment override
C) confirmation bias
D) self-serving bias

Question 11

In terms of cognitive processing in relationships, what is a Òfatal attractionÓ?

A) Glenn CloseÕs character in the movie of the same name
B) a tendency to always pick the wrong relationship partners
C) an attraction to partners who are abusive and physically violent
D) an attraction to qualities that later become a source of irritation

Question 12

How are predictions about the future of a relationship and later relationship outcomes related?

A) Partners in a relationship are more accurate about whether it will continue compared to their parentsÕ predictions.
B) Overly optimistic views about the outcome of a dating relationship predict subsequent relationship problems.
C) Partners have access to information about their relationships that might help them make better predictions about outcomes, but they do not seem to use it.
D) Relationship partners are overly optimistic about all dating relationships, not just their own.

Question 13

Regarding research on biases that individuals who are happy in their relationships have, what is true?

A) Individuals tend to pay extra attention to the negative elements of their relationships.
B) Individuals often view partnersÕ qualities more negatively than partners view themselves.
C) Individuals believe that their relationships have more positive attributes and fewer negative attributes than the relationships of others.
D) Individuals tend to underestimate the length of their relationships.

Question 14

The ________ motive suggests a preference for information that supports positive views of the partner and the relationship. The ________ motive suggests a preference for information that reflects important qualities in a partner or a relationship. The ________ motive suggests a preference for information that supports a positive view of the self, even if it does not support the relationship.

A) prosocial; accuracy; adaptive
B) perceptual confirmation; diagnosticity; egocentric
C) enhancement; accuracy; justification
D) accommodative; evidential; justification

Question 15

A ________ is a tendency to process information to protect a particular point of view; a ________ is a drive to reach a specific goal.

A) motive; bias
B) motive; justification
C) justification; motive
D) bias; motive

Question 16

Greg and Stacey have recently started dating. Who is LEAST likely to be accurate in predicting how long their relationship will last?

A) Stacey
B) Joey, who is GregÕs best friend
C) Emily, who is StaceyÕs best friend
D) GregÕs mom

Question 17

Which description below reflects an enhancement bias in a relationship?

A) Bob sees himself as being more confident than his partner, Beth, sees him.
B) Bob sees Beth in the best possible light.
C) Beth sees herself as being more confident than her partner, Bob.
D) Beth sees her relationship with Bob as improving over time.

Question 18

Which of the following statements about enhancement and confirmation motives is accurate?

A) Confirmation and enhancement motives cannot be pursued simultaneously.
B) Confirmation and enhancement motives can be pursued simultaneously.
C) Confirmation motives are usually pursued before enhancement motives.
D) Enhancement motives are usually pursued before confirmation motives.

Question 19

The text describes several mechanisms of motivated reasoning in relationships. Something that all of these techniques have in common is that they:

A) require direct communication between partners to be effective.
B) allow partnersÕ initially positive views of their relationships to accommodate new information and experiences.
C) require partners to fool themselves into believing things that are not true.
D) help prevent specific negative experiences from activating more general negative beliefs about the relationship.

Question 20

Bjorn perceives his partnerÕs intentions in a conflict discussion very differently than they are perceived by outside observers. These differing perceptions can best be explained by:

A) motivated reasoning.
B) motivated inaccuracy.
C) diagnosticity bias.
D) self-serving bias.

Question 21

Unhappy spouses tend to make attributions that are ________ and ________, which may maintain their distress.

A) internal; stable
B) external; temporary
C) nonblaming; temporary
D) blaming; external

Question 22

A study that followed men for 40 years and asked them to rate their marital satisfaction at regular intervals found the usual gradual decline in satisfaction over time. However, in a retrospective account after 40 years, the men reported that their marriages had been very satisfying in the beginning, grew gradually less satisfying in the middle years, and then became more satisfying again in recent years (a U-shaped curve). Their memories of how their satisfaction changed were ________ with the actual satisfaction data collected over the course of their lives due to a ________.

A) consistent; confirmation bias
B) consistent; memory bias
C) inconsistent; memory bias
D) inconsistent; confirmation bias

Question 23

Selective attention and memory bias serve to ________, whereas adaptive attributions and flexible standards serve to ________.

A) create distress; promote satisfaction
B) keep negative information out of awareness; minimize the impact of negative information
C) promote accuracy; interfere with enhancement
D) make information processing implicit; make information processing explicit

Question 24

When you were in high school, your friend Janise said that a romantic partner with a sense of humor was critical to a lasting relationship. At your 5-year reunion, you meet her husband and he seems to be a nice person but quite deficient in the humor department. Having just taken a course on close relationships, you recognize that this is an example of ________.

A) compartmentalization
B) sentiment override
C) flexible standards
D) memory bias

Question 25

According to the empathy accuracy model, when should partners in intimate relationships be especially motivated to understand each other accurately?

A) when they want to feel closer to their partners
B) during and immediately after a conflict
C) when individuals suspect that what their partners are thinking will not be threatening to them
D) when partners need support from each other

Question 26

You are constantly amazed that your friend Parminder seems unaware of the negative behaviors of her boyfriend, Sam. You notice that Sam has a tendency to tease Parminder in a mean-spirited way in front of her friends. What might explain this phenomenon?

A) self-serving bias
B) selective attention
C) empathy accuracy model
D) diagnosticity bias

Question 27

Jack and Kate are unhappy in their relationship. Robbie and Sawyer are happy in their relationship. One night, Jack and Robbie find themselves sitting at a restaurant waiting for their very late partners to arrive for dinner. According to research on attributions in relationships, Jack is likely to think ________, and Robbie is likely to think ________.

A) Òshe is unorganized and lost track of timeÓ; Òshe is rather inconsiderateÓ
B) Òshe likely got tied up at the officeÓ; Òshe must have gotten lost on the way hereÓ
C) Òshe doesnÕt care about our familyÓ; Òshe is probably having trouble finding parkingÓ
D) Òshe must have hit heavy trafficÓ; Òshe always was a little forgetfulÓ

Question 28

What is one explanation for the self-serving bias?

A) It allows people to see each other accurately.
B) It gives people an excuse for their bad behavior in relationships.
C) It helps people see the best in each other.
D) It helps people make relationship decisions based on accurate information.

Question 29

Samantha and Carmine, like many couples, have experienced declining satisfaction over the years. However, Samantha is quite adamant that their relationship is Òthe best itÕs ever been!Ó How is this possible?

A) Samantha has an enhancement bias.
B) Samantha has positive expectancy biases.
C) Samantha has a memory bias.
D) Samantha makes positive attributions.

Question 30

________ occurs when existing knowledge structures change to integrate new information. ________ occurs when new information is integrated with existing knowledge without changing the existing knowledge structures.

A) Assimilation; Accommodation
B) Cognitive editing; Motivated reasoning
C) Motivated reasoning; Cognitive editing
D) Accommodation; Assimilation

Question 31

Jose and Savannah have just had a huge argument about finances, but now they feel closer to each other than before. How would you explain this using the empathy accuracy model?

A) Jose and Savannah were able to accurately detect each otherÕs nonthreatening and threatening thoughts.
B) Jose and Savannah were able to accurately detect each otherÕs nonthreatening thoughts but inaccurately detect each otherÕs threatening thoughts.
C) Jose and Savannah were able to accurately detect each otherÕs threatening thoughts but inaccurately detect each otherÕs nonthreatening thoughts.
D) Jose and Savannah were able to inaccurately detect each otherÕs nonthreatening and threatening thoughts.

Question 32

JasmineÕs partner comes home from work with a bouquet of flowers for her. Jasmine thinks, ÒSarah hardly ever brings me flowers. SheÕs so cheap; they must have been on sale.Ó Because Jasmine is ________, we can conclude that she and Sarah are in a ________ relationship.

A) giving Sarah credit for positive behaviors and likely excusing her negative ones; satisfied
B) giving Sarah credit for positive behaviors and likely excusing her negative ones; distressed
C) finding external reasons for SarahÕs positive behaviors and likely excusing her negative ones; satisfied
D) finding external reasons for SarahÕs positive behaviors and likely blaming her for negative ones; distressed

Question 33

Cesar says his wife is a flighty person, which is her greatest fault, and then he later says he loves her spontaneity. This is an example of:

A) compartmentalization.
B) integration.
C) refutation.
D) cognitive restructuring.

Question 34

Adam believes that his marriage ended simply because he and his wife were poorly matched and experienced a lot of stress when he lost his job. He also believes that his new relationship is working so well because he has learned a lot and is working hard to build intimacy with his new partner. What information processing bias does this reflect?

A) self-serving bias
B) confirmation bias
C) empathy bias
D) selective attention

Question 35

The explanations an individual makes about a partnerÕs behavior are:

A) flexible standards.
B) attributions.
C) refutations.
D) accommodations.

Question 36

Even after Bill Clinton had an affair with Monica Lewinsky, Hillary Clinton did not seek to divorce him. What kind of information processing may have led to her decision to stay?

A) attributions that discounted the undesirable aspects of his actions and emphasized his positive qualities
B) selective attention, which overlooked his negative behavior
C) attributions that put Monica Lewinsky in a favorable light and thus allowed Hillary Clinton to preserve a positive view of her husband
D) attributions that assumed that BillÕs behavior was motivated by malicious intent, thus allowing Hillary to forgive him

Question 37

Tom and Amrita have been fighting a lot and are thinking of breaking up. After a particularly bad fight, Tom decides to pick up some flowers for Amrita on his way home. Amrita thinks that Tom is bringing her flowers because he is feeling guilty about the fight and not because he is sorry. What kind of attribution is she making?

A) an external, nonintentional attribution
B) an external, stable attribution
C) an internal, stable attribution
D) an internal, temporary attribution

Question 38

________ refers to whether the cause of behavior is something about the person or something about circumstances; ________ refers to whether the cause of the behavior is something that is likely to persist over time or is temporary.

A) Locus; stability
B) Intentionality; stability
C) Stability; locus
D) Locus; intentionality

Question 39

According to the text, Simpson and colleagues conducted a study about empathy in relationships. They discovered that:

A) liking and empathy go hand in hand; as one increases, so does the other.
B) when a partner experiences thoughts that might be threatening to the relationship, it is best if the other partner accurately understands them.
C) an individual feels closer to her or his partner following a discussion if the individual accurately detects nonthreatening thoughts about the relationship but inaccurately detects when the partner has threatening thoughts.
D) Òignorance is blissÓ; an individual is generally better off being inaccurate about his or her partnerÕs thoughts and feelings and simply assuming that the partner views them favorably.

Question 40

In couplesÕ relationships, memory biases:

A) are likely to increase over time.
B) are a relationship-enhancing strategy.
C) are based on an accuracy motivation.
D) only occur in married couples.

Question 41

When is a spouse least likely to make adaptive attributions about her or his partnerÕs negative behavior?

A) when the couple is experiencing more stress than usual
B) when there are no external explanations for the behavior
C) in the absence of strong negative emotions
D) when commitment is high and there is no threat to the relationship

Question 42

2.Selim believes that his partner, Amira, is warm, generous, and funnyÑAmira does not see herself in such a positive light as Selim does. Considering the confirmation and self-enhancement motives, what prediction would you make about their relationship, and why?

Question 43

You are out to dinner with your good friend Desiree. You know she is perfectly happy and committed to her intimate partner, Sophia, but you point out some of the attractive women sitting at the bar. She looks over and says you need to get your eyes checked, because she does not find them at all attractive. How can you explain her response?

A) the commitment calibration hypothesis; Desiree feels threatened by the womenÕs attractiveness.
B) the justification motive; Desiree is justifying looking at the attractive women.
C) cognitive complexity; Desiree is separating her attraction to her intimate partner and the women at the bar.
D) derogation of alternatives; Desiree is protecting the positive view of her intimate relationship.

Question 44

8.What is the empathy accuracy model?

Question 45

We would expect relationship partners who make ________ comparisons to be happier than those who make ________ comparisons.

A) upward; downward
B) downward; upward
C) social; relational
D) downward; social

Question 46

6.Long-term married partners tend to retrospectively report a U-shaped change in their marital satisfaction (that is, looking back they believe their relationships started out great, worsened somewhat over time, and then improved more recently). On the other hand, research demonstrates that marital satisfaction generally shows a linear decline over time. How can we explain this apparent discrepancy?

Question 47

9.You and your partner are at a party and your partner says something that embarrasses you. Define and provide examples of two kinds of attributions that you might make about your partnerÕs behavior: 1) stable/internal; 2) temporary/internal.

Question 48

10.You have just returned from a long business trip and your partner is late coming to meet you at the airport. Define and provide examples of two kinds of attributions that you might make about your partnerÕs behavior: 1) stable/external; 2) temporary/external.

Question 49

4.Kia is very unhappy in her relationship with Denny. She describes Denny as being unreliable and mean, and she belittles his intelligence. What is most likely operating in her views of Denny? Why might Kia be processing information about Denny in ways that contribute to her unhappiness in the relationship?

Question 50

5.Explain assimilation and accommodation, and provide a relationship example of each.

Question 51

Maria confides to you that her husband is a very stubborn man but that she respects his ability to stand firm against injustice in the community. This is a(n) ________.

A) adaptive attribution
B) refutation
C) reinterpretation
D) social comparison

Question 52

You are conducting a study on how people organize their knowledge about intimate relationship partners. You predict that people who show ________ as opposed to ________ will be happier in their intimate relationships.

A) high cognitive complexity; low cognitive complexity
B) enhancement bias; diagnosticity bias
C) low cognitive complexity; high cognitive complexity
D) diagnosticity bias; enhancement bias

Question 53

7.Is integration of positive and negative perceptions of the partner good or bad for relationships?

Question 54

AliÕs view of his partner, Ana, is multidimensional and complex. He has an integrated understanding of her strengths and shortcomings. Given that information, what is most likely to be true about his relationship? It is likely to be:

A) satisfying, because AliÕs views should be more resilient to negative information.
B) unsatisfying, because Ali is aware of AnaÕs faults.
C) high in conflict, because Ali sees AnaÕs faults.
D) low in conflict, because Ali can refute AnaÕs negative qualities.

Question 55

3.Compare the confirmation and enhancement biases.

Question 56

________ involve finding redeeming features within a partnerÕs fault; ________ involve minimizing the broader implications of a partnerÕs fault for the relationship.

A) Adaptive attributions; refutations
B) Refutations; reinterpretations
C) Reinterpretations; refutations
D) Downward social comparisons; upward social comparisons

Question 57

1.Early in her relationship with Sean, Barbara loved his spontaneity: on a momentÕs notice, he would make plans for them to go on a week-long canoe trip or to Mexico on holidays. Now that they have been married 15 years and have two sons, Barbara finds SeanÕs unpredictability frustrating and feels he is being irresponsible when he makes spur-of-the-moment plans. Based on the chapter about cognitive processing in relationships, what would you say has happened in Barbara and SeanÕs relationship?

Question 58

John has been married 10 years but is very unhappy with his relationship. There is an attractive female co-worker, Leila, at his office. According to the commitment calibration hypothesis, in which of the following situations is John most likely to DOWNPLAY his perception of LeilaÕs attractiveness?

A) JohnÕs wife decides she can no longer be married to him and files for a divorce.
B) John decides he can no longer be married to his wife and files for a divorce.
C) John frequently needs to consult with Leila on various business projects.
D) John learns that Leila finds him attractive, and that she wants to have an affair with him.

Question 59

According to the commitment calibration hypothesis, who should rate photos of the attractiveness of attractive members of the other sex the highest (assuming the raters are heterosexual)? People in:

A) unhappy dating relationships and people in unhappy married relationships.
B) happy dating relationships and people in unhappy married relationships.
C) happy married relationships who think the person in the photo is interested in them.
D) unhappy married relationships who think the person in the photo is interested in them.

Question 60

Maria confides to you that her husband is a very stubborn man but that it is not something that causes trouble in their relationship. This is a(n) ________.

A) adaptive attribution
B) refutation
C) reinterpretation
D) social comparison

Question 61

11.What are downward social comparisons, and under what conditions are people particularly likely to engage in downward social comparisons, and why?

Question 62

13.Your friend Tianda argues that it is always important to understand and to have empathy for a partnerÕs thoughts and feelings about the relationship. In what way is she right, and in what way is she wrong?

Question 63

12.A group of men is having a stag party at a bar. The men have been admiring a couple of attractive women sitting across the room. The exception is Keith, who is in a committed relationship. Keith says that he doesnÕt find the women attractive at all. One of his friends replies, ÒAre you crazy? Those women are hot!Ó How can you explain KeithÕs response?

Question 64

14.Define and explain the commitment calibration hypothesis.

Question 65

15.In the chapter on motivated reasoning, your textbook authors review a number of ways in which partners who feel positive about their relationships can protect those positive feelings from negative information. Given the strategies at their disposal, why do people not continue to feel positively about their relationships regardless of specific experiences and observations? That is, whyÑfrom this perspectiveÑdoes satisfaction decline?