Deck 9: Interpersonal Conflict Management

Question 1

Constructive and destructive conflict are distinguished from each other in which of the following ways?

A) Constructive conflict is We-oriented; destructive conflict is Me-oriented.
B) Constructive conflict is characterized by de-escalation of the conflict; destructive conflict is characterized by escalation of the conflict.
C) Constructive conflict is characterized by cross-complaining; destructive conflict is characterized by flexibility.
D) both a and b

Answer 1

D

Question 2

You and your partner have had a heated disagreement. Emotions are raw, and feelings have been hurt. You approach your partner after a brief silence: "I'm sorry I attacked you like that. I got angry and said things I didn't mean." This is an example of the collaborating tactic called

A) integration
B) confrontation
C) expanding the pie
D) smoothing

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Constructive and destructive anger can be distinguished from each other by the

A) intensity of the anger
B) flexibility of the anger
C) duration of the anger
D) both a and c

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which of the following is not a characteristic of conflict?

A) expressed struggle
B) independent parties
C) perceived incompatible goals
D) perceived interference for outside parties

Question 5

Your relationship partner is under a lot of stress lately, and his/her outbursts of anger are beginning to trouble you greatly. Which of the following are ways to manage the anger of your partner?

A) validate your partner
B) be asymmetrical
C) probe
D) all of the above

Question 6

You have continued conflict with your significant other, but you hide it from your friends. This speaks to which dichotomy?

A) openness/closedness
B) inclusion/exclusion
C) revelation/concealment
D) connection/autonomy

Question 7

The process of forgiveness includes which stages?

A) hating what was done to us
B) hurting from the wrong done to us
C) forgetting what was done to us
D) both a and b

Question 8

Which of the following can be validly concluded from research on intercultural conflict management?

A) Collectivist and individualist cultures typically favor different conflict management styles.
B) The key to effective intercultural conflict management is flexible use of conflict management styles.
C) Disagreement should be discouraged when communicating with individuals from diverse cultures.
D) both a and b

Question 9

Conflict is

A) an unavoidable fact of life
B) sometimes constructive
C) a destructive force in relationships if continually avoided
D) all of the above

Question 10

Which of the following is a tactic of avoiding conflict?

A) competing
B) stonewalling
C) autonomy
D) compromising

Question 11

You are driving on a highway when another driver cuts in front of you and forces you to swerve to miss him. You are very upset. You tense up, your heart beats very fast, and you are losing control of your ability to think clearly and rationally. This is

A) stonewalling
B) flooding
C) venting
D) cross-complaining

Question 12

Constructive conflict between yourself and your partner means that

A) you have to feel warm and loving toward your partner
B) you can't feel frustrated with your partner
C) you work to de-escalate the conflict
D) you can't continue to disagree with your partner

Question 13

Integration is

A) soothing the hurt feelings of parties in a conflict
B) a competitive strategy to resolve conflict
C) a collaborative strategy that meets the goals of all parties in a conflict
D) yielding to other parties in a conflict

Question 14

Confrontation is

A) a competitive conflict management strategy
B) a direct effort to address conflicts constructively
C) a smoothing strategy of conflict management
D) a power-forcing strategy of conflict management

Question 15

Confrontation should be used

A) whenever a conflict arises, no matter how big or small
B) whenever a conflict first arises
C) immediately to resolve a conflict
D) when parties in a conflict are able to work on their disagreements

Question 16

The accommodating style of conflict management is

A) yielding to the needs and desires of others in a conflict
B) a form of collaboration
C) never a constructive style
D) a form of stonewalling

Question 17

The power-forcing style of conflict management

A) should never be used to resolve conflicts
B) is a competitive style
C) is an assertive style
D) both b and c

Question 18

Which of the following conflict management styles has great potential for constructive outcomes?

A) power-forcing
B) avoiding
C) collaborating
D) compromising

Question 19

Which of the following are likely to be effective in stopping partner abuse?

A) confrontation
B) compromise
C) power-forcing
D) accommodation

Question 20

Individualist and collectivist cultures differ in their approach to conflict management in which of the following ways?

A) Collectivist cultures favor compromising; individualist cultures favor confrontation.
B) Collectivist cultures favor avoiding; individualist cultures favor the power-forcing style.
C) Collectivist cultures favor accommodating; individualist cultures favor collaborating.
D) Collectivist cultures favor power-forcing; individualist cultures favor avoiding.

Question 21

Conflict is the expressed struggle of _________________ parties who perceive incompatible goals and interference from one or more parties.

A) distracted
B) interconnected
C) argumentative
D) angry

Question 22

When emotional triggers from conflict clog the brain and make understanding impossible, this is called

A) retaliation
B) competition
C) flooding
D) domination

Question 23

You and your partner want to get married while skydiving, recording the ceremony on video. Your parents want you to have a traditional formal wedding in a church with bridesmaids in ugly dresses, with ushers, and with tons of flowers. This is an example of which of the following dialectics?

A) inclusion-seclusion
B) revelation-concealment
C) autonomy-connection
D) conventionality-uniqueness

Question 24

A collaborative strategy that meets the goals of all parties is called

A) smoothing
B) integration
C) avoiding
D) competing

Question 25

All of the following are true of relationship dialectics except

A) contradictory impulses that force us to choose either one or the other impulse
B) contradictory impulses that push and pull us at the same time
C) a fundamental source of conflict in relationships
D) All of the above are parts of relationship dialectics.

Question 26

Cooperation is the absence of conflict.

Question 27

Debating controversial issues should not be encouraged because it is competitive.

Question 28

The competing (power-forcing) conflict management style should always be avoided.

Question 29

Accommodating is often the conflict management style of the less powerful.

Question 30

Avoiding is always an ineffective conflict management style because it ignores the conflict instead of confronting it directly.

Question 31

The competing (power-forcing) conflict management style has the greatest potential for destructive conflict to occur.

Question 32

If physical or psychological abuse continues after you confront it, you should seriously consider ending the relationship.

Question 33

Venting your anger is a constructive way to deal with it, especially if you feel rage.

Question 34

Forgiveness means forgetting the hurt that was done to you and excusing the bad behavior of others.

Question 35

A collectivist culture such as China typically favors using the avoiding and accommodating conflict management styles within relationships and groups.

Question 36

Compromising should be the primary goal of those who begin with strong disagreements.

Question 37

Men are more likely than women to confront their relationship partners about issues that create conflict.

Question 38

Men far more than women engage in stonewalling when conflicts arise.

Question 39

Conflict is destructive.

Question 40

Research shows that the accommodating strategy is the most constructive and effective means of managing conflict.

Question 41

Arguing about the meaning of one specific word is an avoidance strategy.

Question 42

Intensity and duration determine the degree to which anger can be constructive or destructive.

Question 43

The key to intercultural conflict management is having a defined plan of action and sticking to it

Question 44

Constructive conflict should seek to avoid contention and frustration.

Question 45

Confrontation is the most effective means for dealing with a potentially abusive relationship.

Question 46

Forgiveness requires tolerance of the other person's behavior.

Question 47

Approaching relationship dialectics as a competition is self-defeating because the relationship is diminished by the win-lose approach.

Question 48

Selecting (choosing one impulse in a dialectic as opposed to the other) is usually an effective strategy for managing dialectics.

Question 49

Dialogue is central to dialectical management in relationships.