HDFS 3320 EXAM 1 MASTER PREP 100
COMPREHENSIVE MULTIPLE CHOICE
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WITH
RATIONALES
HDFS 3320: Contemporary Families — Exam 1 Practice
Questions
1.A chemical manufacturing plant accidentally releases a non-
toxic but intensely foul-smelling gas into a nearby valley, causing
an adjacent family-owned eco-resort to lose thousands of dollars
in weekend bookings. In the sociology of the family, this scenario
is an explicit example of:
A) Boundary ambiguity
B) Negative externalities
C) Utilitarian individualism
D) Assigned kinship
CORRECT ANSWER: B
RATiONAlE: Negative externalities occur when an individual
or a company produces an effect or cost that is borne by others
without compensation. Sociologists contrast this with the
positive externalities (like well-socialized children) produced by
the public family.
1. Dr. Martinez spends a year studying a low-income urban
neighborhood where unrelated neighbors routinely swap
food stamps, share childcare duties, and pool cash to pay
utility bills. These individuals refer to one another as aunts,
uncles, and siblings. Sociologist Andrew Cherlin defines
these networks as:
, A) Assigned kinships
B) Conjugal families
C) Created kinships
D) Public utilities
CORRECT ANSWER: C
RATiONAlE: Created kinship refers to ties that people
construct actively with individuals who are not biologically
or legally related, usually to build support networks.
Assigned kinship is acquired automatically at birth or
through legal marriage.
2. An ambitious young professional routinely skips major
family milestones, cuts off contact with extended relatives,
and relocates across the country solely to maximize their
career advancement and financial status. This behavior is
driven by:
A) Expressive individualism
B) Utilitarian individualism
C) Structural functionalism
D) Collectivist kinship
CORRECT ANSWER: B
RATiONAlE: Utilitarian individualism emphasizes self-
reliance, personal material success, and goal-directed
work. Expressive individualism, by contrast, prioritizes
personal emotional fulfillment, psychological satisfaction,
and self-expression.
3. Which of the following household dynamics best meets the
sociological definition of a public family?
A) A cohabiting couple who share rent, groceries, and an
, active emotional life but plan to remain childless.
B) A married man and woman who spend their disposable
income on luxury travel and personal hobbies.
C) A single mother who provides round-the-clock care,
therapy coordination, and medical management for her
autistic son.
D) Two corporate roommates who sign a joint lease to
minimize their personal living expenses.
CORRECT ANSWER: C
RATiONAlE: A public family consists of one or two
adults who are related by biology, marriage, or choice, and
who are taking care of dependents (children, the elderly, or
the chronically ill). The core defining feature is the
caretaking role that benefits society.
4. A researcher wants to understand modern parenting but
chooses to gather data by interviewing parents who happen
to be walking through an upscale suburban shopping mall on
a Tuesday morning. This study suffers heavily from:
A) High observer presence bias
B) Inability to protect participant confidentiality
C) Failure to establish an operational definition
D) Inability to generalize findings to the broader population
CORRECT ANSWER: D
RATiONAlE: Relying on a sample of convenience (a non-
probability sample) severely limits generalizability.
Because every member of the population did not have an
equal chance of being selected, the findings cannot
represent the wider public.
, 5. Marcus and Elena are married. They view their relationship
primarily as a structured partnership designed to pool
financial resources, maintain social respectability, and
manage an efficient household. They do not look to each
other for deep psychological validation. This fits the
definition of:
A) Individualistic marriage
B) Companionate marriage
C) Institutional marriage
D) Serial cohabitation
CORRECT ANSWER: C
RATiONAlE: Institutional marriage emphasizes duty,
structural functionality, male authority, and alignment
with social norms over personal emotional satisfaction.
Companionate marriage emphasizes affection, while
individualistic marriage prioritizes personal growth.
6. A blended family experiences ongoing domestic conflict
because the adolescent children refuse to obey their new
stepfather, claiming he is "not their real dad," while the
stepfather is unsure how much authority he actually has.
This dynamic illustrates:
A) Longitudinal friction
B) Boundary ambiguity
C) Refined lineage
D) Negative reinforcement
CORRECT ANSWER: B
RATiONAlE: Boundary ambiguity occurs when family
members are uncertain about who is inside or outside the
COMPREHENSIVE MULTIPLE CHOICE
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WITH
RATIONALES
HDFS 3320: Contemporary Families — Exam 1 Practice
Questions
1.A chemical manufacturing plant accidentally releases a non-
toxic but intensely foul-smelling gas into a nearby valley, causing
an adjacent family-owned eco-resort to lose thousands of dollars
in weekend bookings. In the sociology of the family, this scenario
is an explicit example of:
A) Boundary ambiguity
B) Negative externalities
C) Utilitarian individualism
D) Assigned kinship
CORRECT ANSWER: B
RATiONAlE: Negative externalities occur when an individual
or a company produces an effect or cost that is borne by others
without compensation. Sociologists contrast this with the
positive externalities (like well-socialized children) produced by
the public family.
1. Dr. Martinez spends a year studying a low-income urban
neighborhood where unrelated neighbors routinely swap
food stamps, share childcare duties, and pool cash to pay
utility bills. These individuals refer to one another as aunts,
uncles, and siblings. Sociologist Andrew Cherlin defines
these networks as:
, A) Assigned kinships
B) Conjugal families
C) Created kinships
D) Public utilities
CORRECT ANSWER: C
RATiONAlE: Created kinship refers to ties that people
construct actively with individuals who are not biologically
or legally related, usually to build support networks.
Assigned kinship is acquired automatically at birth or
through legal marriage.
2. An ambitious young professional routinely skips major
family milestones, cuts off contact with extended relatives,
and relocates across the country solely to maximize their
career advancement and financial status. This behavior is
driven by:
A) Expressive individualism
B) Utilitarian individualism
C) Structural functionalism
D) Collectivist kinship
CORRECT ANSWER: B
RATiONAlE: Utilitarian individualism emphasizes self-
reliance, personal material success, and goal-directed
work. Expressive individualism, by contrast, prioritizes
personal emotional fulfillment, psychological satisfaction,
and self-expression.
3. Which of the following household dynamics best meets the
sociological definition of a public family?
A) A cohabiting couple who share rent, groceries, and an
, active emotional life but plan to remain childless.
B) A married man and woman who spend their disposable
income on luxury travel and personal hobbies.
C) A single mother who provides round-the-clock care,
therapy coordination, and medical management for her
autistic son.
D) Two corporate roommates who sign a joint lease to
minimize their personal living expenses.
CORRECT ANSWER: C
RATiONAlE: A public family consists of one or two
adults who are related by biology, marriage, or choice, and
who are taking care of dependents (children, the elderly, or
the chronically ill). The core defining feature is the
caretaking role that benefits society.
4. A researcher wants to understand modern parenting but
chooses to gather data by interviewing parents who happen
to be walking through an upscale suburban shopping mall on
a Tuesday morning. This study suffers heavily from:
A) High observer presence bias
B) Inability to protect participant confidentiality
C) Failure to establish an operational definition
D) Inability to generalize findings to the broader population
CORRECT ANSWER: D
RATiONAlE: Relying on a sample of convenience (a non-
probability sample) severely limits generalizability.
Because every member of the population did not have an
equal chance of being selected, the findings cannot
represent the wider public.
, 5. Marcus and Elena are married. They view their relationship
primarily as a structured partnership designed to pool
financial resources, maintain social respectability, and
manage an efficient household. They do not look to each
other for deep psychological validation. This fits the
definition of:
A) Individualistic marriage
B) Companionate marriage
C) Institutional marriage
D) Serial cohabitation
CORRECT ANSWER: C
RATiONAlE: Institutional marriage emphasizes duty,
structural functionality, male authority, and alignment
with social norms over personal emotional satisfaction.
Companionate marriage emphasizes affection, while
individualistic marriage prioritizes personal growth.
6. A blended family experiences ongoing domestic conflict
because the adolescent children refuse to obey their new
stepfather, claiming he is "not their real dad," while the
stepfather is unsure how much authority he actually has.
This dynamic illustrates:
A) Longitudinal friction
B) Boundary ambiguity
C) Refined lineage
D) Negative reinforcement
CORRECT ANSWER: B
RATiONAlE: Boundary ambiguity occurs when family
members are uncertain about who is inside or outside the
