Chapter 8. Communicating In Intimate Relationships

Which three of the following are examples of counterproductive criticism?

1) "You are so mean to me." 2) "You always have to be right." 3) "You don't care about my feelings."

Which of the following statements are true about how culture affects romantic relationships?

1) Culture influences expectations for exclusivity. 2) Many cultures practice polygamy.

Which of the following explain the significance of familial relationships in our lives?

1) Family introduces us to the concept of relationships and teaches us how to engage in them. 2) Family can provide us with unconditional love and support that cannot be found anywhere else. 3) Family can provide us with a feeling of belonging and a sense of our own history.

Which of the following are true about communicating in families?

1) Family rituals have special meaning for the family. 2) Family roles embody the functions people serve in the family. 3) Family stories are part of a family's collective memory.

Which of the following statements are true about the stages of development of romantic relationships?

1) Intensifying is the stage when the individuals spend a lot of time together. 2) Integrating is the stage when others begin to see the individuals as a couple. 3) The first stage is initiating, which is when the two individuals meet for the first time.

Which of the following statements are true about commitment?

1) It is predicated on the assumption that there is a future together. 2) It is the desire to stay in a relationship no matter what happens. 3) It is an essential element of intimacy.

Which of the following statements are true about the differentiating stage in a relationship?

1) Partners begin to view their differences as undesirable or annoying. 2) It is one of the stages relationships go through when they end.

Which of the following statements are true about the intensifying stage of a relationship?

1) Partners move from being acquaintances to being close friends. 2) Partners increase their commitment to the relationship. 3) Partners start to share more intimate information with one another.

Which of the following statements are true about the experimenting stage of a relationship?

1) People converse to learn more about each other. 2) Individuals decide if they have enough in common to progress the relationship.

Which of the following statements are true about romantic relationships?

1) Same-sex relationships communicate similarly to opposite-sex relationships. 2) Some involve same-sex partners. 3) Some involve opposite-sex partners.

Which of the following statements about the voluntariness of romantic relationships are true?

1) The expectation in the United States is that romantic relationships are voluntary. 2) Even if people enter a romantic relationship voluntarily, they do not always stay in them voluntarily. 3) Some people stay in romantic relationships involuntarily because they see no positive alternatives.

Which of the following are true about romantic relationships?

1) The expectation of love in a romantic relationship varies among cultures. 2) Individualistic societies tend to believe that romantic relationships should be based on love. 3) Some people enter romantic relationships for financial stability.

Which of the following statements are true about dialectical tensions?

1) They are a characteristic of intimate relationships. 2) They are conflicts between two important but opposing needs or desires

Which of the following statements are true about volatile couples?

1) They are competitive in conflicts. 2) They openly talk about their disagreements. 3) Their conflicts are often followed by intense affection.

Which of the following best describe conflict-avoiding couples?

1) They avoid negative emotion and focus on their similarities. 2) They talk about their disagreements covertly. 3) They believe that most problems will resolve themselves.

Which of the following are common expectations of romantic relationships in the United States?

1) based on love 2) voluntariness 3) exclusivity

Which of the following are stages that relationships go through when they end?

1) circumscribing 2) stagnating 3) avoiding 4) differentiating

Which of the following behaviors are warning signs that conflict in a relationship is not being handled constructively and the relationship may dissolve?

1) criticism that is not constructive 2) contempt 3) stonewalling 4) defensiveness

Which of the following are communication behaviors that have particular influence in romantic relationships?

1) emotional communication 2) instrumental communication 3) privacy 4) conflict

Which of the following are stages of relationship development identified by communication scholar Mark Knapp?

1) experimenting 2) intensifying 3) initiating 4) integrating

Which of the following are names for types of families used by researchers in the field?

1) family of origin 2) family of procreation 3) nuclear family 4) blended family

Which of the following are the three key characteristics of families?

1) genetic ties 2) role behaviors 3) legal obligations

Which of the following are strategies for improving communication in intimate relationships?

1) handling conflict constructively 2) emphasizing excitement and positivity 3) having realistic expectations 4) managing dialectical tensions

According to the investment model of commitment processes, commitment to a relationship involves which three factors?

1) receive resources from it. 2) feel more satisfied in it. 3) feel it is better than alternatives.

Which of the following are communication issues commonly dealt with in families?

1) secrets 2) rituals 3) roles 4) stories

Which of the following are some of the benefits related to marriage and family relationships?

1) stepchildren 2) inheritance 3) visitation 4) spousal privilege

______ messages are behaviors that imply a lack of respect or value for others.

Disconfirming

Which of the following statements is true about expectations in relationships?

Having realistic expectations will improve communication

Which of the following is not true about criticism?

It is a form of stonewalling

Which of the following statements is not true about conflict in romantic relationships?

Its presence is a warning sign of an unhealthy relationship

Which is true about dialectical tensions and intimate relationships?

Managing them can improve communication

______ is the practice of having two or more romantic partners at once.

Polygamy

Which of the following statements is not true about validating couples?

They defuse negative emotion and focus on similarities.

Which of the following statements characterize the investment of energies and other resources in an intimate relationship?

They require continuous investment.

Which of the following is a characteristic of intimate relationships?

They spark dialectical tensions.

Which of the following is NOT one of the three defining characteristics that most families have?

agreeableness

People in same-sex relationships are ______ people in different-sex relationships.

as satisfied as

During a family conflict, which describes the role filled by people who hold others responsible for whatever goes wrong but accept no responsibility for their behavior?

blamer

Behaviors that convey how much we value another person are called ______ messages.

confirming

An expressed struggle between at least two interdependent parties who perceive incompatible goals, scarce resources, and interference from the other party in achieving their goals is the definition of

conflict

Which of the following is a communication behavior that has a particular influence on the satisfaction of couples in romantic relationships?

conflict

Couples who tend to avoid open discussion of issues about which they disagree are called ______ couples.

conflict avoiding

Which is the stage in a relationship when partners begin to view their differences as undesirable or annoying?

differentiating

Match each of the four descriptions (on the right) with the strategy it describes for managing dialectical tension in an intimate relationship (on the left).

disorientation: ending the relationship in which the tension exists alternation: going back and forth between the two sides of the tension segmentation: dealing with each side of the tension in separate parts of the relationship balance: finding a middle ground between the two sides of the tension

Which of the following is NOT one of the communication issues families commonly encounter?

education

Less exhilarating activities such as playing cards or going out to dinner don't generate that much excitement because they do not

elevate physical arousal.

In which stage of a relationship do you converse to learn more about the other person and decide if you have enough in common to intensify the relationship?

experimenting

True or false: Only romantic relationships can be considered intimate.

false

Which of the following is NOT one of the types of families defined by researchers?

family of convenience

The family we grew up with is called the

family of origin

Which of the following describes the function a person's behavior serves in his or her family?

family roles

Which of the following is NOT a strategy for improving communication in intimate relationships?

focusing on the negative

In terms of conflict, what matters the most to relationships is

how the conflict is handled by the pair

In Knapp's five stages of relationship development, the ______ stage occurs when people meet and interact for the first time.

initiating

In which stage in a relationship do people change from being acquaintances to becoming close friends and start sharing more intimate information, such as fears and future goals?

intensifying

Which of the following is NOT one of the stages that relationships go through when they end?

intensifying

What happens to one person affects everyone in the relationship is the definition of

interdependence.

The significant emotional closeness that you experience in a relationship is called

intimacy

Which type of relationship requires the deepest commitment?

intimate

Which of the following describes the commitment of our energies and other resources to a relationship?

investment

Most people in individualistic societies like the United States and Canada believe that relationships should be based on

love

When someone is in only one romantic relationship at a time and does not have sexual or romantic attachments to others, that person is practicing

monogamy.

______ relationships accept romantic or sexual activity with people outside of the relationship.

open

During a family conflict, what is the term for the person who assumes the job of the peacemaker who goes to any lengths to reduce conflict?

placater

Having ______ expectations is a good way to improve communication in an intimate relationship.

realistic

Any behavior that violates an important expectation in a relationship is known as

relational transgression

When a relationship encounters problems, it is useful to engage in relational

repair

Being the jokester or peacemaker in a family is considered a family

role

Exclusivity, permanence, and based on love are all components of ______ relationships.

romantic

A person's family of origin consists of

the family the person grew up with

Couples who talk about their disagreements openly and cooperatively and communicate respect for each other's opinions even when they disagree with them are ______ couples.

validating

Couples who talk about their disagreements openly in a way that is competitive rather than cooperative are ______ couples.

volatile

In the United States, it is expected that relationships are

voluntary

Interdependence means

what happens to one person affects everyone else in the relationship

In a survey of 300 marriage license applicants, the number that believed the likelihood of their marriage would end in divorce was

zero