FAMILY AND MARITAL CONFLICT EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS RATED 100%
What is the definition of conflict? - Answers A struggle between two or more interdependent parties
who perceive incompatible goals, scarce resources, and interference from the other
What are the family conflict frequencies? - Answers *Average dinner was 15 minutes, 3.3 verbal conflict
episodes per dinner (non serious issues)
Family conflict: What are the topics of conflict? - Answers 1. Conflicts about household chores
---Cleanliness of bedroom (42%)
---Food (39%)
---Taking care of daily tasks (34%)
---Grades (29%)
2. Conflicts about acceptable behavior
---Fighting with siblings (46%)
---Money (24%)
---Being bothered when he/she wants to be alone (21%)
3. Conflicts about family rules/obligations
---Curfew (34%)
---Going place alone (31%)
---Dating (27%)
*Most conflicts are not about values or roles, it's about mundane topics
Who initiates family conflict? - Answers *It's about a 50/50 split
Percent of conflict that is not resolved in one episode? - Answers *61%
Parental strategies used to prevent conflict: reasoned cocooning - Answers *Parents try to protect
children from external influences that conflict with parental values, they also provide reasoning for
parental values
,Ie. stressing honesty, and why it's important to be honest at all times
What are the parental strategies used to prevent conflict? - Answers Prearming: Parents anticipate that
the child is going to encounter outside influences that are going to conflict with the values that are held
inside the home, so they brainstorm with the child certain strategies that they can use to resist any type
of conflict with values in these situations
ex: parents teach children to be honest and if they encounter anything that encourages them not to be
honest, to come and tell the parents about what it is that is encouraging them to go against this value
Corrosive marital conflict behaviors: Demand-Withdrawal Sequence - Answers *One spouse is nagging
and complaining, and the other spouse withdraws as a result (woman is usually the one nagging, man
the one withdrawing)
*Comes about when couples haven't talked about certain domains in their lives that they should be
responsible for (chores, duties, etc.)
*When you withdraw, you mentally check out which usually leads to divorce
*This is okay every now and then, but becomes problematic when it becomes a pattern
Corrosive marital conflict behaviors: cross-complaining - Answers *A person is responding to a person's
complaint with a complaint of their own
- Opens a catalog of issues and complaints
- Issues never get resolved this way
- Couples should address each issue instead of changing the subject
Corrosive marital conflict behaviors: summarizing self - Answers *You're failing to acknowledge the
other person's point of view
, *Main idea: if I keep telling you my argument over and over again, you'll eventually agree with me
*Never allowing your partner to get a point in edgewise
Corrosive marital conflict behaviors: mind-reading - Answers *When partners attribute intent and
motivation to each other
*Partner is making a negative assumption about the other person's intentions
*When you feel like you know your partner better than they know themselves
Corrosive marital conflict behaviors: contempt - Answers *Sends the message that the other person is
stupid or incompetent
- Mockery, sarcasm often used
- Used to make the other person feel small
- ****Greatest predictor of divorce
Functional marital behaviors: active listening model - Answers *Use "I" statements instead of "you"
*Paraphrase and summarize the speaker's feelings
*Validate the speaker's feelings
Functional marital behaviors: Gottman's approach - Answers 1. Soften the start up
---Bringing up the topic lightly without criticisms or harshness
What is the definition of conflict? - Answers A struggle between two or more interdependent parties
who perceive incompatible goals, scarce resources, and interference from the other
What are the family conflict frequencies? - Answers *Average dinner was 15 minutes, 3.3 verbal conflict
episodes per dinner (non serious issues)
Family conflict: What are the topics of conflict? - Answers 1. Conflicts about household chores
---Cleanliness of bedroom (42%)
---Food (39%)
---Taking care of daily tasks (34%)
---Grades (29%)
2. Conflicts about acceptable behavior
---Fighting with siblings (46%)
---Money (24%)
---Being bothered when he/she wants to be alone (21%)
3. Conflicts about family rules/obligations
---Curfew (34%)
---Going place alone (31%)
---Dating (27%)
*Most conflicts are not about values or roles, it's about mundane topics
Who initiates family conflict? - Answers *It's about a 50/50 split
Percent of conflict that is not resolved in one episode? - Answers *61%
Parental strategies used to prevent conflict: reasoned cocooning - Answers *Parents try to protect
children from external influences that conflict with parental values, they also provide reasoning for
parental values
,Ie. stressing honesty, and why it's important to be honest at all times
What are the parental strategies used to prevent conflict? - Answers Prearming: Parents anticipate that
the child is going to encounter outside influences that are going to conflict with the values that are held
inside the home, so they brainstorm with the child certain strategies that they can use to resist any type
of conflict with values in these situations
ex: parents teach children to be honest and if they encounter anything that encourages them not to be
honest, to come and tell the parents about what it is that is encouraging them to go against this value
Corrosive marital conflict behaviors: Demand-Withdrawal Sequence - Answers *One spouse is nagging
and complaining, and the other spouse withdraws as a result (woman is usually the one nagging, man
the one withdrawing)
*Comes about when couples haven't talked about certain domains in their lives that they should be
responsible for (chores, duties, etc.)
*When you withdraw, you mentally check out which usually leads to divorce
*This is okay every now and then, but becomes problematic when it becomes a pattern
Corrosive marital conflict behaviors: cross-complaining - Answers *A person is responding to a person's
complaint with a complaint of their own
- Opens a catalog of issues and complaints
- Issues never get resolved this way
- Couples should address each issue instead of changing the subject
Corrosive marital conflict behaviors: summarizing self - Answers *You're failing to acknowledge the
other person's point of view
, *Main idea: if I keep telling you my argument over and over again, you'll eventually agree with me
*Never allowing your partner to get a point in edgewise
Corrosive marital conflict behaviors: mind-reading - Answers *When partners attribute intent and
motivation to each other
*Partner is making a negative assumption about the other person's intentions
*When you feel like you know your partner better than they know themselves
Corrosive marital conflict behaviors: contempt - Answers *Sends the message that the other person is
stupid or incompetent
- Mockery, sarcasm often used
- Used to make the other person feel small
- ****Greatest predictor of divorce
Functional marital behaviors: active listening model - Answers *Use "I" statements instead of "you"
*Paraphrase and summarize the speaker's feelings
*Validate the speaker's feelings
Functional marital behaviors: Gottman's approach - Answers 1. Soften the start up
---Bringing up the topic lightly without criticisms or harshness
