Chapter 01

The Building Blocks of Relationships

Multiple Choice Questions

1. (p. 1) One primary reason why solitary confinement may be so difficult is that it interferes
with the satisfaction of our: A. need to belong.B. need for acceptance.C. esteem needs.
D. physical needs.

2. (p. 2) Which of the following is NOT one of the ways in which casual relationships differ
from intimate relationships? A. InterdependenceB. KnowledgeC. MutualityD. Honesty

3. (p. 2) Sarah reveals to her boyfriend that she and her father are estranged. Which of the six
characteristics of intimate relationships is illustrated here? A. MutualityB. CareC. Knowledge
D. Commitment
4. (p. 3) Jorge believes he and his partner Suzie will be together forever. He invests a great deal
of time in their relationship. Which of the six characteristics of intimate relationships is
illustrated here? A. ResponsivenessB. TrustC. KnowledgeD. Commitment

5. (p. 3) As a participant in a research study, you are asked to describe your relationship. The
researchers ask you to choose which of various pairs of overlapping circles, one representing
you, one representing your partner, best describes the closeness you feel. What are the
researchers assessing? A. MutualityB. Attachment stylesC. ResponsivenessD. Narcissism

6. (p. 3) We generally expect intimate relationships to be characterized by all of the following

7. (p. 3) Pauline and Hugh begin to refer to themselves as "we" rather than I and he/she. This
change reflects the development of: A. dependency.B. self-esteem.C. singlism.D. mutuality.
8. (p. 4) Our drive to establish and maintain close relationships with others is central to the
need: A. to belong.B. for secure attachment.C. for success.D. to please others.

9. (p. 4) Which of the following needs must be met by a close relationship? A. Need for family
valuesB. Need for entertainmentC. Need for societal acceptanceD. Need to belong

10. (p. 4) The fact that people form relationships easily and resist dissolving existing social ties
and that the loss or absence of relationships is associated with poor physical and mental health
is evidence of the need: A. for many intimate relationships.B. to belong.C. for security.D. for
social ties of any kind, regardless of quality.

11. (p. 4) According to the text, intimate relationships are: A. all the same.B. of two basic types.
C. of three basic types.D. of no one kind.

12. (p. 5) Some researchers believe that our need to belong: A. is evolutionarily adaptive.
B. causes destructive behaviors, such as substance abuse, if it is not satisfied.C. can be
fulfilled regardless of the quality of our relationships.D. can be satisfied with certain solitary
pursuits if one cannot find companionship.
13. (p. 6-8) Which of the following was NOT characteristic of Americans in the 1960s? A. Most
children were born to parents married to each other.B. Men and women married in their early
20s.C. One third of men and women cohabitated before marriage.D. Most women did not
work outside the home.

14. (p. 7) Between 1960 and today, which aspect of marriage declined in the United States?
A. Importance of love within marriageB. Proportion of the population that gets married
C. Average age at which people get marriedD. Rate of divorce

15. (p. 7) Which of the following situations is currently normative within the United States?
A. Two-thirds of Americans are married by age 30.B. Most preschool children have stay-at-
home mothers.C. Most young adults will live with a lover before marriage.D. Consistent with
the high divorce rate, most Americans rate their marriages as "not very happy."

16. (p. 7) What percentage of babies in the United States are born to unmarried mothers? A. 23
B. 41C. 54D. 62

17. (p. 8) Divorce rates among people with college degrees are: A. rapidly increasing.B. slowly
increasing.C. slowly decreasing.D. rapidly decreasing.
18. (p. 9) After encountering a single 45-year-old woman at her new job, your friend says, "It's
not normal that she's 45 and single. And I've heard it's unhealthy, too." Your friend may be
showing evidence of: A. singlism.B. an insecure attachment style.C. a strong need to belong.
D. anxiety over abandonment.

19. (p. 10) In contrast to those who do not cohabitate, individuals who cohabitate are more likely
to: A. have a long lasting marriage.B. encounter infidelity.C. stay together.D. have a positive
attitude toward marriage.

20. (p. 11) Which of the following factors has influenced the nature of close relationships in the
United States during the period 1960 to today? A. Increasing individualismB. Socioeconomic
developmentC. Technological developmentsD. All of these.

21. (p. 13) When a society shifts from having an approximately equal ratio of marriageable men
and women to having a high sex ratio (more eligible men than women), family roles will
likely become _____ traditional and sexual standards _____ permissive. A. less; lessB. less;
moreC. more; lessD. more; more
22. (p. 13) A count of the number of men for every 100 women in a particular population is
called the: A. sex ratio.B. gender ratio.C. gender schema.D. male/female count.

23. (p. 13) Forty years from now you read a statistic that says there are currently more men than
women in your nation. What might you predict about the social climate? A. Women will be
working outside the home and rates of marriage will be down.B. Women will be discouraged
from working outside the home and divorce rates will be down.C. Unmarried motherhood will
be seen as an option (not shameful) and more people will marry.D. Women will be allowed or
encouraged to have sex outside of marriage; however, cohabitation will be rare.

24. (p. 14) As described in the textbook, Victorian England had a _____ sex ratio and the
Roaring Twenties a _____ sex ratio. A. low; highB. high; lowC. low; lowD. high; high

25. (p. 14) The idea of attachment styles was originally developed in work with: A. young
adults.B. adolescents.C. infants and young children.D. middle-aged adults.
26. (p. 14) Attachment styles are thought to be primarily the result of: A. genetic
predispositions.B. early childhood experience.C. social cognition.D. mimicry.

27. (p. 14) Two-year-old Alice seems nervous and clingy when her mother is around and is
extremely distressed when she leaves. Which of the following attachment styles does Alice
likely have? A. Anxious-ambivalentB. SecureC. DistressedD. Avoidant

28. (p. 15) What caused relationship researchers to take notice of attachment styles as important
in the close relationships of adults? A. Hazan and Shaver's Denver surveyB. Bartholomew's
ideas about four categories of attachment styleC. Bowlby's interest in young children's actions
toward their caregiversD. Brennan and colleagues' development of a short attachment style
measure

29. (p. 16) Joanne endorses the statement, "I want to be completely emotionally intimate with
others, but I often find that others are reluctant to get as close as I would like. I am
uncomfortable being without close relationships but sometimes worry that others don't value
me as much as I value them." Which attachment style does Joanne's self-description reflect?
A. AvoidantB. DismissingC. FearfulD. Preoccupied
30. (p. 16) According to Bartholomew, people with a(n) _____ attachment style feel that
intimacy with others isn't worth the trouble. A. avoidantB. dismissingC. fearfulD. preoccupied

31. (p. 17) Fearfully attached individuals are characterized as being: A. comfortable with
closeness and low in anxiety over abandonment.B. comfortable with closeness and high in
anxiety over abandonment.C. uncomfortable with closeness and low in anxiety over
abandonment.D. uncomfortable with closeness and high in anxiety over abandonment.

32. (p. 17) The two themes that underlie the four attachment styles described by Bartholomew
are: A. avoidance of intimacy and anxiety over abandonment.B. avoidance of intimacy and
concern for the well-being of others.C. need to belong and anxiety over abandonment.D. need
to belong and concern for the well-being of others.

33. (p. 18) What do recent studies suggest about the labels we use in describing attachment?
A. The labels are widely and correctly used.B. It is better to describe people with regard to
their relative standing on dimensions of anxiety and avoidance.C. Labels should be thought of
as describing distinctly different categories that have nothing in common.D. The labels are
largely useless.

34. (p. 18) If one wanted to predict with the greatest accuracy what attachment style a child will
show, it is best to assess: A. the child's temperament.B. the mother's attachment style.
C. genetic influences.D. family structure.
35. (p. 22) In his book Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, Gray writes that men and
women "almost seem to be from different planets, speaking different languages and needing
different nourishment." Social science research suggests that: A. this statement is correct—
i.e., the difference between the average man and the average woman is large, and there is
almost no overlap between the sexes at all.B. this statement is correct because the range of
behavior among members of a given sex is small compared to the average difference between
the sexes.C. sex differences are statistically real (i.e., significant), but actual differences
remain to be demonstrated.D. there are many more similarities between sexes than
differences.

36. (p. 22) Differences between individuals within a given sex are usually _____ in relation to
the difference between men and women. A. largeB. moderateC. smallD. miniscule

37. (p. 22) In terms of number of sex partners, a highly active man has more in common with
_____ than _____ on this trait. A. a low-scoring woman; an average womanB. a low-scoring
man; an average womanC. an average woman; a low-scoring manD. an average man; a high-
scoring woman

38. (p. 22-23) Sex differences refer to _____ and gender differences to _____. A. biological
differences based in our physical natures; social and psychological distinctions arising from
culture and upbringingB. social and psychological distinctions arising from culture and
upbringing; biological differences based in our physical naturesC. differences based in our
roles as men and women in our culture; biological differences based in our physical natures
D. differences in social behavior; differences in physical behavior
39. (p. 22-23) The distinction between sex differences and gender differences involves: A. sexual
(i.e., reproductive) behavior versus physical differences.B. biological versus psychological
attributes.C. childhood versus mature behaviors.D. nothing; there is no distinction.

40. (p. 24) Which of the following items is an example of a gender difference? A. Any
difference in physical appearance between men and womenB. The belief that men are
assertive while women are compassionateC. Male tendency to have more intimate partners
than women doD. Male preference for savory foods and female preference for sweet foods

41. (p. 24) Alonzo seems to show both well-developed social and emotional skills and task-
oriented talents. We would categorize Alonzo as: A. androgynous.B. masculine.C. feminine.
D. undifferentiated.

42. (p. 24) The concept of androgyny assumes that: A. masculinity and femininity are opposites.
B. masculine (e.g., instrumental) and feminine (e.g., expressive) qualities are separate traits.
C. men are inevitably masculine and women are inevitably feminine.D. biology is the source
of all gender differences.

43. (p. 25) Which of the following would we categorize as an instrumental trait? A. Warmth
B. KindnessC. TendernessD. Decisiveness
44. (p. 25) Which of the following would we categorize as an expressive trait? A. Self-reliance
B. AmbitionC. LeadershipD. Compassion

45. (p. 25) Couples in which both partners fit traditional gender roles (i.e., the man is masculine
and the woman is feminine) tend to be: A. more stereotypical at the beginning of the
relationship.B. higher in marital satisfaction.C. lower in marital satisfaction.D. less
stereotypical when both partners behave naturally.

46. (p. 25) Researchers have found that traditionally masculine men and traditionally feminine
women: A. like each other less than androgynous people do.B. like each other more than
androgynous people do.C. are more compatible than any other pairing.D. are happier in their
marriages than non-traditional couples.

47. (p. 26) Married couples are likely to be the happiest when: A. each partner conforms to
traditional gender roles.B. both partners are undifferentiated.C. both partners rate highly in
expressiveness and instrumentality.D. the husband is like his wife in being low in masculinity
and high in femininity.

48. (p. 27) Which of the Big Five personality factors is the least influential in close
relationships? A. IntroversionB. NeuroticismC. Openness to experienceD. Agreeableness
49. (p. 28) Of the Big Five personality traits, the trait most influential in relationships seems to
be: A. openness to new experience.B. agreeableness.C. neuroticism.D. conscientiousness.

50. (p. 28) People with high scores in _____ seem to have more pleasant relationships.
A. extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousnessB. extraversion, conscientiousness, and
openness to new experienceC. openness to new experience, agreeableness, and neuroticism
D. conscientiousness, agreeableness, and neuroticism

51. (p. 28) Your friend says, "I feel really good about myself." We might conclude that your
friend has high: A. extraversion.B. self-sufficiency.C. agreeableness.D. self-esteem.

52. (p. 28) Our evaluations of ourselves constitute our _____. A. conscientiousness
B. neuroticismC. agreeablenessD. self-esteem

53. (p. 29) Which of the following statements about heterosexual and same-sex relationships is
accurate? A. The differences are significant.B. Behaviors overlap so much that the distinction
is not warranted.C. Both sets of relationship function similarly.D. There is not yet enough
research on same-sex relationships to make any comparisons.
54. (p. 30) Which theory considers self-esteem to be a subjective gauge of the quality of our
relationships? A. AttachmentB. Evolutionary psychologyC. Self-awarenessD. Sociometer

55. (p. 33) The most important factor for organisms in evolution is: A. reproduction.B. survival.
C. relationships.D. physical advantages.

56. (p. 33-34) In human beings, higher parental investment is found for: A. men.B. women.
C. men and women.D. neither men nor women, necessarily; it depends on the situation.

57. (p. 34) Paternity uncertainty refers to: A. a man's uncertainty that a particular child of his
partner's is his.B. a woman's uncertainty about who the father of her child is.C. a child's
dilemma in identifying his/her father.D. the uncertainty couples face in knowing whether a
child was conceived.

58. (p. 34) Which theory considers paternity uncertainty a key factor in close relationships?
A. AttachmentB. BelongingC. Evolutionary psychologyD. Sociocultural
59. (p. 36) Observation of the interaction between partners in relationships reveals: A. that
relationships are more than the sum of their parts.B. that static snapshots of relationships
adequately capture their essence.C. the inherently positive nature of relationships.D. that there
are divorce-prone people who are likely to have marital problems regardless of whom they
select as a partner.

60. (p. 37) According to the text, which of the following is NOT a risk that we take in close
relationships? A. Loss of autonomy and controlB. Worry about abandonmentC. Revealing
secrets shared in confidenceD. Loss of standing in our communities

61. (p. 38) Troublesome and fearful aspects of relationships: A. were reported by only a small
minority of people asked about their relationships in the last 5 years.B. affect everyone on
occasion but afflict some people more than others.C. affect older people more than younger
people.D. affect low self-monitors more than high self-monitors.