Sociology of Marriage—2141
Quiz 2 Study Guide, Fall 2011: Altenhofel
Section I: Answer all of the following choosing the best answer. 22 of the following will be on
your quiz.
1. Nonverbal communication
a. is relatively unaffected by one's cultural background.
b. primarily involves facial expressions and eye contact.
c. tells others something about the individual sending the message.
d. all of these
2. Direct eye contact
a. is one of the few forms of nonverbal communication that is interpreted the same way across
cultures.
b. is accepted universally as a way of communicating honesty.
c. is one of the few forms of nonverbal communication from which meaning can be directly
interpreted.
d. none of these
3. Effective listening skills involve which of the following?
a. evaluating the accuracy of the speaker's messages
b. disciplining ourselves to withhold our reactions to a speaker's messages
c. focusing on content of the messages, rather than on the speaker's emotional state
d. suspending judgment about what we are hearing
4. When both people in a relationship exhibit a passive communication style, the level of
intimacy usually becomes
a. higher.
b. lower.
c. nonexistent.
d. ambiguous.
5. Overall, which of these three goals of listening is likely to be the most efficient?
a. persuasive listening
b. directive listening
c. attentive listening
6. There are two major kinds of information in people's communication:
a. relationship and command.
b. content and report.
c. content and relationship.
d. none of these
7. A synonym for the relationship component of communication is
a. command.
b. report.
c. verbal.
d. nonverbal.
8. A synonym for the content component of communication is
a. command.
b. report.
c. verbal.
d. nonverbal.
9. The majority of our communication with other people is
a. verbal.
b. nonverbal.
c. Because verbal and nonverbal communication occur simultaneously, we communicate the
same amount verbally and nonverbally.
10. When there is a discrepancy between verbal and nonverbal messages, we tend to rely on
a. the nonverbal communication.
b. the verbal communication.
c. We rely on both the nonverbal and verbal communication about the same amount.
11. In intimate human relationships, conflict is
a. inevitable
b. abnormal
c. predictable
d. none of these
12. In the diagram of a hierarchy of conflict reported in our textbook
a. expression of feelings follows decision making.
b. need for decision precedes discussion of ideas.
c. problem solving follows decision making.
d. crisis precedes need for decision.
13. Concerning negative emotions such as anger, bitterness, and resentment, most couples
a. fear them and hope they will disappear.
b. do not suppress them.
c. learn how to deal with them effectively.
d. none of these
14. Pursuers and distancers have difficulty finding a balance between
a. separateness and togetherness.
b. flexibility and structure.
c. irresponsibility and reliability.
d. none of these
15. According to research reported in our textbook, the basic tasks of living together
a. create the most conflict.
b. are the least problematic.
c. become less conflicted over time.
d. are so easily harmonized that more attention can be given to the really difficult areas of the
relationship.
16. Crosby believes that couples should commit to negotiating from the
a. Parent position.
b. Child position.
c. Adult position.
d. Partner position.
17. The goal of fair fighting is to
a. be competitive.
b. have one mostly win and the other lose just a little.
c. have a clear winner and a clear loser.
d. preserve and enhance relationships.
18. Which type of statement is most helpful for resolving conflict?
a. a "you" statement
b. a "we" statement
c. an "I" statement
d. a "they" statement
19. Active listeners
a. change the subject if they think a conflict might be arising.
b. restate the message in their own words.
c. send a new message that obviously builds on the previous message.
d. use “down time” in the conversation for other mental tasks.
20. Constructive approaches to resolving conflict include
a. bringing up old issues.
b. expressing predominantly negative feelings.
c. focusing on issues instead of people.
d. emphasizing differences.
21. Compared to other cultures, the frequency of sexual intercourse in the U.S.
a. ranks in the lowest third.
b. ranks in the highest third.
c. is about average.
d. is above average.
22. Miller et al. (1986) determined that sexual permissiveness was highest among teenagers
who saw their parents as being
a. rigid.
b. enmeshed.
c. chaotic.
d. flexible.
23. According to an AARP study of people ages 45 years and older, what percentage said they
were extremely or somewhat satisfied with their sex life?
a. 10%
b. 25%
c. 42%
d. 50%
24. Approximately one-third of the participants in the AARP study of people ages 45 years and
older had sexual intercourse:
a. once a week.
b. once a month.
c. once every three months.
d. once a year.
25. Since the 1960s, the percentages of respondents in the U.S. who say that premarital or
nonmarital sex is wrong has
a. increased.
b. decreased.
c. not been studied.
d. stayed the same.
26. The nationwide survey (discussed at length by Olson and DeFrain) that focused on the
strengths of happily married couples revealed that more happy couples than unhappy couples
divided household tasks on the basis of
a. traditional tasks of males and of females.
b. personal preference of the spouses.
c. the amount of time spent in the home.
d. personal convenience.
27. Who was the sociologist who introduced the modern family’s “instrumental” and
“expressive” roles?
a. Margaret Mead
b. Talcott Parsons
c. Lawrence Kohlberg
d. none of these
28. Critics of Talcott Parsons’s traditional view of gender roles suggest that his view
a. ignored the potential problems of its view.
b. stereotyped men and women.
c. mistakenly assumed the traditional family was universal.
d. all these
29. Margaret Mead was an anthropologist who studied gender roles in different
a. cultures.
b. decades.
c. paradigms.
d. none of these
30. Results of Margaret Mead’s research on gender roles and culture suggests that
a. gender roles are biologically determined.
b. gender roles vary widely from culture to culture.
c. aggressiveness and independence are universal male characteristics.
d. expressive task management is a universal female characteristic.
31. Strain-based demands include:
a. workload pressures.
b. shift work.
c. extensive travel.
d. extra hours.
32. Which theory about gender role development is concerned with observing how people
reinforce each other’s gender-related behavior?
a. social learning theory
b. cognitive development theory
c. family systems theory
d. feminist theory
33. Which theory links gender role development to the maturation of the child’s thinking
processes?
a. social learning theory
b. cognitive development theory
c. family systems theory
d. feminist theory
34. Which theory suggests that one’s individual gender roles are difficult to change unless
other family members also change?
a. social learning theory
b. cognitive development theory
c. family systems theory
d. feminist theory
35. Cognitive development theory suggests that
a. children’s gender role stereotypes become progressively more rigid over time.
b. children create gender identity, gender role stereotypes, and values in their minds in their
efforts to understand the world around them.
c. gender identity is established in adolescence.
d. children’s gender role stereotypes become progressively more rigid over time and children
create gender identity, gender role stereotypes, and values in their minds in their efforts to
understand the world around them.
36. Financial issues are the most common stressor for families
a. who live in poverty.
b. in the middle classes.
c. who are rich.
d. all of these
37. For most Americans, money is a source of anxiety
a. primarily for those 15–25 years old.
b. primarily for those 26–44 years old.
c. primarily for those 45–65 years old.
d. across the life span.
38. According to a study by Olson et al., which stage in the family life cycle is perceived to be
the most problematic regarding finances?
a. childbearing stage
b. adolescent stage
c. launching stage
d. retirement stage
39. Family coping resources for dealing with financial stresses include which of the following?
a. traditional roles
b. cohesion
c. rigidity
d. inflexibility
40. What happens when we don’t teach children how to manage money?
a. They develop self-esteem.
b. They manipulate to get what they want.
c. They develop their own capabilities.
d. They become independent.
Section II: Define, explain the importance of the term for studying marriage and provide
examples of the following in essay format. Each is worth 8 points. (6 of the following will be on
your quiz.)
Attentive Listening
Nonverbal Communication
Dance of Anger
Closure
Passive-Aggressive Behavior
Sexuality
Androgyny
Social Learning Theory
Resource Theory of Family Power
Budgeting