Question 1

What are the benefits of being beautiful? What are the drawbacks?

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Question 2

Samantha and David had no close friends outside of their marriage but instead relied on each other for everything.When the marriage failed,they were both extremely distressed.Which of the following was the most likely cause of this distress?

Accepted Answer

Samantha and David's distress after their marriage failed is most likely caused by their interdependence. They relied solely on each other and did not have close friendships outside of their marriage, meaning that their sense of self and support system were deeply entwined with the relationship. The end of the marriage would have disrupted this sense of interdependence and left them feeling lost without their primary source of emotional and practical support.

Question 3

Explain the basic premise of social exchange theory and describe one prediction about intimate relationships derived from this theory.

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Question 4

What is the phenomenon known as mere exposure,and how can it affect attraction? What is the role of awareness in this effect?

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Question 5

How are mating preferences explained from an evolutionary perspective?

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Question 6

In which of the following cases is a breakup most likely to be especially difficult?

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Question 7

Compare and contrast passionate and companionate love.

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Question 8

When they have a problem,Rachel tries to get her husband Jared to talk about the problem,and he typically tries to avoid the discussion.Which of the following best reflects the findings about this communication pattern?

Accepted Answer

The demand/withdraw interaction pattern is when one partner demands a discussion or change, while the other partner withdraws or avoids the discussion. This is exactly what is happening in this scenario, with Rachel demanding a discussion about the problem and Jared avoiding it. This communication pattern has been shown to be associated with negative outcomes in relationships, including decreased satisfaction and increased likelihood of divorce.

Question 9

Your significant other has just been short-tempered and impatient with you.Your reaction is to think,"well, (s)he's had a very stressful week,so I'll just forget that it happened." Which of the following would your reaction best exemplify?

Accepted Answer

A relationship-enhancing attribution is an explanation for one's partner's negative behavior that minimizes blame and focuses on the situational factors that led to the behavior, rather than on personal flaws. In this scenario, the person is attributing their partner's behavior to a stressful week, rather than to a character flaw, which is characteristic of a relationship-enhancing attribution.

Question 10

Carly hurls an insult right back at James when James expresses his negative feelings toward her.Which of the following does this back-and-forth pattern illustrate?

Accepted Answer

The back-and-forth pattern of insults between James and Carly is an example of negative affect reciprocity, where one person's negative affect influences and escalates the negative affect of the other person. This can create a cycle of escalating negativity and conflict.

Quiz 9: Attraction and Close Relationships