Deck 10: Relationships and Attraction

Question 1

According to ________ theory, the way that people feel about a relationship depends on their assessments of its costs and rewards as well as the costs and rewards of other relationships available to them.

A) social exchange
B) equity
C) similarity
D) tit-for-tat

Answer 1

social exchange

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT evidence for the need to belong?

A) Prisoners tend to be happier when they focus on their preexisting family ties rather than forming kinship-like ties with other prisoners.
B) Suicide rates are higher for single and divorced individuals.
C) Partnered gay men and women are happier than single gay men and women.
D) Mortality rates are higher for divorced, unmarried, and widowed individuals.

Answer 2

Prisoners tend to be happier when they focus on their preexisting family ties rather than forming kinship-like ties with other prisoners.

Question 3

The adult attachment style characterized by excessive attempts to get closer to others and frequent worry about relationships is

A) secure.
B) anxious-ambivalent.
C) avoidant.
D) communal.

Answer 3

anxious-ambivalent.

Question 4

According to social exchange theory, people

A) seek out rewards in their interactions with others, but they are not willing to incur certain costs in order to obtain them.
B) seek out rewards in their interactions with others, and they are willing to incur certain costs in order to obtain them.
C) tend to pursue those interactions that require the least effort.
D) tend to pursue those interactions that require the most effort.

Question 5

As a child, Veronica was neglected by her parents. Veronica's internal working model of relationships is likely to include the belief that

A) other people can be relied on in times of need.
B) she can reliably provide security to others.
C) other people will be rejecting.
D) she is worthy of love.

Question 6

A natural experiment involves

A) using self-selection to increase the validity of study results.
B) observing what happens under naturally occurring conditions.
C) randomly assigning participants to different conditions.
D) studying participants only when they are outdoors.

Question 7

Artie and Robyn just broke up. Robyn calls her best friend to talk about it. She says, "Artie is the kind of guy who never seemed to feel comfortable with intimacy or being in love. He just did not seem to trust, need, or depend on me. In fact, he would even tell me that I loved him more than I should, and this made him nervous." According to this description, Artie's attachment style is best characterized as

A) anxious-ambivalent.
B) secure.
C) avoidant.
D) a blend of anxious and secure.

Question 8

In a series of experiments, Harry Harlow (1958) raised baby rhesus monkeys without contact with other rhesus monkeys but with access to two "mother surrogates," one made of cloth and the other made of wire and able to provide milk. Which of the following statements best describes the results of these experiments?

A) The monkeys who spent more time with the cloth mothers developed normally, whereas the monkeys who spent more time with the wire mothers developed abnormally.
B) The monkeys who spent more time with the wire mothers developed normally, whereas the monkeys who spent more time with the cloth mothers developed abnormally.
C) Both groups of monkeys displayed inappropriate and aggressive behaviors in adolescence.
D) Both groups of monkeys displayed appropriate and prosocial behaviors in adolescence.

Question 9

Because they are currently in a(n) ________ relationship, Bobby and Cindy feel a special responsibility for one another and expect that they will be together for a long time.

A) individualistic
B) communal
C) exchange
D) casual

Question 10

The term ________ distance refers to the idea that a building's layout can encourage contact between some people but discourage contact between other people.

A) functional
B) objective
C) social
D) serviceable

Question 11

Gina is about to have her first baby. To learn more about how to raise a securely attached child, she has just read an article about John Bowlby's research, which emphasizes that attachment style

A) fluctuates in accordance with momentary changes in our moods and desires.
B) is shaped by how the child is treated during infancy and early childhood.
C) is genetically inherited (as opposed to environmentally determined).
D) is likely to change from one style to another over the life span.

Question 12

Cassandra and Martin have been dating for three months. According to equity theory, Cassandra is likely motivated to

A) make sure that she gets as much as she can out of the relationship, regardless of how much she puts into it.
B) make sure that she puts as much effort as she can into the relationship, regardless of how much she gets out of it.
C) make sure that she and Martin each receive roughly what they put into the relationship.
D) create an arrangement where one partner puts in the effort and the other reaps the benefits.

Question 13

The mere exposure effect can be explained in part by

A) reciprocity.
B) operant learning.
C) equity.
D) classical conditioning.

Question 14

Infants characterized as securely attached in Mary Ainsworth's strange situation paradigm tended to

A) comfortably explore a novel environment.
B) prefer to stay in close contact with their caregivers.
C) show no distress when their caregivers left the room.
D) reject attention from their caregivers.

Question 15

Catherine and Greg currently have an exchange relationship with one another. This means that their relationship is likely ________ and is governed by ________.

A) short-term; the principle of need
B) long-term; the principle of need
C) short-term; concerns about equity and reciprocity
D) long-term; concerns about equity and reciprocity

Question 16

Recall that Mary Ainsworth classified the attachment patterns of infants according to how they responded to separations and reunions with their caregivers. Which of the following is NOT one of the styles she specified?

A) anxious-ambivalent
B) secure
C) communal
D) avoidant

Question 17

Janet often encounters John at school. Because of this, they end up becoming friends. This scenario illustrates how ________ influences interpersonal attraction.

A) equity
B) physical attractiveness
C) reciprocity
D) proximity

Question 18

If the need to belong is universal, then this need should occur in

A) relationships with parents but not with friends.
B) humans but not animals.
C) individualistic cultures but not collectivist cultures.
D) cultures around the world.

Question 19

People living in East Asian and Latin American societies are inclined to take a(n) ________ stance in various social situations, whereas people living in European and Commonwealth countries are inclined to take a(n) ________ stance in these situations.

A) secure; avoidant
B) exchange; communal
C) avoidant; secure
D) communal; exchange

Question 20

The strongest support for the claim that we have a need to belong comes from the finding that

A) when we lose a friendship, we do not seek out new friendships.
B) only humans form long-lasting relationships.
C) relationships are vital to our physical and mental well-being.
D) relationship styles vary among cultures.

Question 21

Which of the following pieces of evidence supports Alice Eagly and Wendy Wood's perspective that gender differences in mate preferences are driven by culture rather than evolution?

A) The greater the gender equality in a given society, the less importance women place on earning capacity in a potential mate.
B) The greater the gender equality in a given society, the more importance women place on earning capacity in a potential mate.
C) The greater the gender equality in a given society, the less importance women place on physical attractiveness in a potential mate.
D) Across cultures, men tend to value physical attractiveness more than women.

Question 22

Recall that Snyder, Tanke, and Berscheid (1977) conducted a study in which men spoke with a woman over the telephone. Using different photographs, the researchers manipulated the men's beliefs about the woman's physical attractiveness. The woman did not know whether any given man believed her to be attractive or unattractive. The results of this study showed that the woman

A) showed greater social skills when talking to men who thought she was attractive.
B) showed greater social skills when talking to men who thought she was unattractive.
C) tried harder to impress the men who thought she was attractive.
D) tried harder to impress the men who thought she was unattractive.

Question 23

Jim was just convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol. Jim may be given a lighter jail sentence if he

A) is physically attractive.
B) is happy and confident.
C) sits far away from the jury.
D) wears light-colored clothing.

Question 24

Joseph is energetic and fun loving and craves attention from other people. He also wants to find a girlfriend. According to social psychological research, Joseph is most likely to be attracted to a woman who is

A) conscientious.
B) intellectual.
C) shy.
D) extraverted.

Question 25

Barbara wants Jason-her new coworker-to like her. All of the following could increase the likelihood that Jason will like Barbara EXCEPT

A) being physically attractive in Jason's eyes.
B) disagreeing with Jason so that he will see she can think for herself.
C) working in an office that is closer to Jason's.
D) voicing similar opinions during casual conversations with Jason.

Question 26

Which of the following is most likely to be due to the mere exposure effect?

A) Museum visitors have especially favorable attitudes toward paintings that they view at the end of their visit.
B) The public immediately prefers a company's new logo to the existing logo.
C) Radio listeners like a song the station plays multiple times more than they like a song the station plays only once or twice.
D) Students memorize humorous poems faster than dramatic poems.

Question 27

Leon finds himself attracted to women whose physical appearances suggest that they are very healthy. Evolutionary theorists would argue that, whether he realizes it or not, Leon is attending to the ________ of the women he encounters.

A) biological readiness
B) complementarity
C) reproductive fitness
D) kinship selectivity

Question 28

Recall that Leon Festinger and his colleagues conducted research at a university housing project called Westgate West. Among other things, they examined friendship formation among apartment residents. Results showed that the residents living near stairwells formed twice as many friendships with upstairs neighbors as those living in the middle apartments, which were further from the stairs. These results illustrate the impact of ________ on friendship formation.

A) physical distance
B) similarity
C) functional distance
D) sociometric distance

Question 29

________ is the rule and ________ is the exception where the formation of relationships is concerned.

A) Similarity; complementarity
B) Similarity; proximity
C) Complementarity; similarity
D) Complementarity; proximity

Question 30

Social psychologists have used the bogus stranger paradigm to study the effects of ________ on liking.

A) physical attractiveness
B) Proximity
C) similarity
D) intelligence

Question 31

Consider the following quote from William Whyte Jr.: "Despite the fact that a person can pick and choose from a vast number of people to make friends with, such things as the placement of a stoop or the direction of a street often have more to do with determining who is friends with whom." This quote captures the essence of how ________ can influence relationships.

A) similarity
B) proximity
C) attractiveness
D) physicality

Question 32

Recall that Burgess and Wallin (1953) studied the personality characteristics of hundreds of engaged couples. Specifically, they compared couples who planned to marry with "random" couples they created by pairing individual members of one couple with individual members of another couple. Results showed that members of engaged couples, compared to random couples, were significantly

A) less similar to each other on demographic, physical, and personality characteristics.
B) more similar to each other on demographic, physical, and personality characteristics.
C) less similar to each other on demographic characteristics, but more similar on personality characteristics.
D) not similar to each other on demographic, physical, or personality characteristics.

Question 33

Recall that through either photographic or computer technology, researchers can make a composite (or "averaged") face out of any number of individual faces. When people are asked to rate the attractiveness of composite faces relative to individual faces,

A) men tend to prefer composite faces, but women tend to prefer individual faces.
B) men tend to prefer individual faces, but women tend to prefer composite faces.
C) regardless of sex, people tend to prefer individual faces.
D) regardless of sex, people tend to prefer composite faces.

Question 34

Vivica finds Dion physically attractive. Judging from his appearance, she assumes that he is also outgoing and honest. Vivica is displaying the

A) complementarity hypothesis.
B) mere exposure effect.
C) halo effect.
D) counterbalancing principle.

Question 35

Which of the following statements about physical attractiveness is FALSE?

A) Unattractive adults tend to feel less happy (relative to attractive adults).
B) Signs of a halo effect are found in both individualist and collectivist cultures.
C) There is no tendency for people to treat unattractive children less fairly (relative to attractive children).
D) Physical attractiveness has a stronger impact on the lives of women (relative to men).

Question 36

According to the textbook, two physical features that signal health and reproductive fitness are

A) averageness and bilateral symmetry.
B) anomalous faces and wide hips.
C) gender and ethnicity.
D) distinctiveness and facial symmetry.

Question 37

Jerome heard that Liza has a great sense of humor. On meeting her for the first time, Jerome encourages Liza to share jokes she has heard and to tell him about comedy films she has seen. Although Liza does not see herself as especially funny, she obliges Jerome, and he concludes that what he had heard about Liza is true. Which of the following phenomena is most closely reflected in the exchange between Jerome and Liza?

A) the mere exposure effect
B) sociometry
C) proximity
D) self-fulfilling prophecy

Question 38

Kevin is writing an ad for the singles section of his local newspaper. According to the evolutionary theory of attraction, which piece of information below should he mention to increase the odds that women will respond to his ad?

A) his high income
B) his political affiliation
C) his hobbies and interests
D) his favorite animals

Question 39

Evolutionary psychology predicts that women (relative to men) ought to be ________ selective in their choice of mates because their levels of parental investment (relative to men's) are ________.

A) less; high
B) more; high
C) less; low
D) more; low

Question 40

Physically attractive people generally feel ________ than people who are comparatively less attractive.

A) Happier
B) less stressed
C) more in control of their lives
D) All of the above are correct.

Question 41

Peggy is a generally neurotic person. According to research discussed in the textbook, Peggy is particularly

A) likely to experience relationship problems.
B) likely to get married.
C) unlikely to have strong reactions to conflict.
D) likely to come from a lower socioeconomic status background.

Question 42

Susie is participating in research that assesses the strength of her bond with her partner. As part of this research, she is asked, "All things considered, how attractive are the people other than your partner with whom you could become involved?" Which element of the commitment model of relationships is this question measuring?

A) rewards
B) alternative partners
C) investments
D) satisfaction

Question 43

Happier couples tend to attribute their partners' positive behaviors to

A) unstable causes that are specific, unintended, and selfish.
B) stable causes that are general, unintended, and selfless.
C) unstable causes that are general, unintended, and selfless.
D) stable causes that are general, intended, and selfless.

Question 44

Tamara has been married to Josh for seven years. They have three children, own a house together, and have many mutual friends. According to the investment model of commitment, Tamara may be hesitant to end her marriage, even if she is dissatisfied, because of

A) her idealization of her partner.
B) the availability of potential alternative partners.
C) the magnitude of her investment.
D) her belief that divorce is immoral.

Question 45

Caryl Rusbult's investment model of commitment holds that three factors determine how committed people will be to their relationship. These factors are

A) passion, rewards, and investment.
B) satisfaction, alternatives, and investment.
C) companionship, passion, and intimacy.
D) rewards, alternatives, and passion.

Question 46

Larry suspects that his girlfriend wants to break up with him. Being a rather mean-spirited fellow, Larry tells his girlfriend that if she breaks up with him, she will be alone and will never find another boyfriend. To manipulate his girlfriend, Larry is drawing his girlfriend's attention to the ________ component of Caryl Rusbult's investment model of commitment.

A) investment
B) alternative partners
C) rewards
D) passion

Question 47

How do babies' sleeping arrangements differ across cultures? What implications might these different arrangements have on a given culture's definition of secure attachment?

Question 48

Neuroimaging studies have found that when a person who is in the throes of intense love looks at a photograph of his or her partner, he or she shows increased activation in the ________ and deactivation in the ________.

A) amygdala (threat); ventral striatum (reward)
B) ventral striatum (reward); amygdala (threat)
C) amygdala (threat); hippocampus (memory)
D) ventral striatum (reward); hippocampus (memory)

Question 49

In their research, John Gottman and Robert Levenson identified the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. These so-called Horsemen are types of

A) global values and attitudes that predict divorce rates.
B) personality traits that predict infidelity.
C) interpersonal behaviors that predict relationship problems.
D) demographic characteristics that predict infidelity.

Question 50

According to research by John Gottman and Robert Levenson, ________, which involves looking down on another person, is particularly likely to undermine relationships.

A) contempt
B) denial
C) criticism
D) stonewalling

Question 51

Some historians believe that the idea that romantic love should precede marriage

A) results in transactional marriages.
B) is not a recipe for long-term marital satisfaction.
C) has a long history in Western culture.
D) is relatively recent, emerging only in the past five hundred years or so.

Question 52

Distinguish between the three attachment patterns that Mary Ainsworth identified in her observations of infants and caregivers using the strange situation paradigm. Describe the characteristic behavior of both infants and caregivers for each style.

Question 53

Describe three pieces of evidence that support the proposition that the need to belong is a fundamental need in humans.

Question 54

Research conducted by John Gottman and Robert Levenson using the interaction dynamics approach yielded four behaviors that are particularly toxic to relationships. Which of the following is NOT one of these four behaviors?

A) stonewalling
B) contempt
C) defensiveness
D) rationalizing

Question 55

Describe how comparison level and comparison level for alternatives influence people's evaluations of the costs and rewards in their relationships, according to social exchange theory.

Question 56

In a study conducted by Art Aron and his colleagues, married couples engaged in one of two tasks: either they were tied together with Velcro and required to move a soft ball positioned between their heads across a long mat, or they each had to push a ball on their own across the mat with a stick. Couples in the first condition reported higher marital satisfaction after completing the task compared to couples in the second condition. How did the researchers interpret these results?

A) The first task encouraged participants to capitalize on the good in their relationship.
B) The first task made couples physically closer, which led them to feel psychologically closer.
C) The first task was more arousing, leading to a misattribution of arousal to feelings about one's partner.
D) The first task was more challenging, leading couples to feel more pride after completing it.

Question 57

Karen tends to idealize her husband, which means that she

A) underestimates his virtues.
B) accurately perceives his virtues and his faults.
C) overestimates his virtues and underestimates his faults.
D) overestimates his virtues and accurately perceives his faults.

Question 58

Shira comes home from work and tells her husband that she just got promoted. Her husband responds with enthusiasm and asks her questions about her new position. Shira's husband's behavior is an example of

A) attribution.
B) anxious attachment.
C) capitalization.
D) idealization.

Question 59

Evaluate the claim that people tend to have the same attachment style across all of their relationships. Describe research from the textbook to support or refute this claim.

Question 60

According to the evolutionary perspective, why are women more selective than men in their choice of mates?

A) Women invest more in offspring than males.
B) Women tend to be more emotionally mature than males.
C) Women compete more with other women for male attention (intrasex competition).
D) Women tend to have more sexual partners than men.

Question 61

Describe three positive behaviors that can strengthen romantic relationships and give an example of each.

Question 62

Evaluate the statements "birds of a feather flock together" and "opposites attract" based on research examining the influence of similarity versus complementarity on relationship formation.

Question 63

Provide an example of how an advertising agency could employ the mere exposure effect when creating ads for their clients' products.

Question 64

Identify and define the so-called Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and explain why they are toxic to relationships.

Question 65

Describe how the evolutionary theory of physical attraction helps explain the fact that very few romantic films depict a younger man in a relationship with a much older woman.

Question 66

Describe how a teacher might take advantage of proximity to encourage interracial friendships in her classroom.

Question 67

Explain Caryl Rusbult's investment model of commitment and describe how each of the three determinants influences commitment.

Question 68

Using Caryl Rusbult's investment model of commitment, describe a hypothetical situation in which someone might stay committed to a romantic partner even though he or she is not very satisfied with the relationship. In your answer, address the role of alternative partners and investments.

Question 69

According to the textbook, what kinds of studies provide the strongest evidence for the evolutionary approach to human attraction? Describe one of these studies in detail and explain how it supports the evolutionary perspective.

Question 70

Eddie and Leann have been married for ten years. Their friends notice that not only do they look alike but they seem to look more and more alike as time goes on. What factors might explain their increasingly similar appearance?