Chapter 11 – Coping with Conflict
Test Questions
Multiple Choice
1. Which of the following best represents the definition of conflict provided in the
text?
a. verbal aggressiveness
2. Studies have shown that there is a positive correlation between relational
closeness and conflict. According to the text, this makes sense because:
a. people in close relationships feel freer to express disagreement.
3. In terms of the effects of conflict on relationships, which of the following is true
about conflict?
a. The frequency with which conflict occurs determines whether a relationship
will end.
4. Nikolai and Teresa are trying to decide which restaurant they should take their
friend Thomas to for his birthday. Nikolai wants to take Thomas to a Vietnamese
restaurant (which serves generous portions of inexpensive but delicious food), and
Teresa wants to take Thomas to a French restaurant (which serves expensive and
beautifully presented food). To resolve the issue, they decide to flip a coin. If
Nikolai wins the coin toss they will take Thomas to the Vietnamese restaurant and
the next time a friend of theirs has a birthday they will take her or him to the
French restaurant Teresa likes. If Teresa wins the coin toss, they will go to the
French restaurant first and the Vietnamese restaurant later. The conflict style they
used is best described as:
a. avoidant.
5. Take another look at Question #4. If Nikolai and Teresa searched the Internet for
new restaurants and then decided to take Thomas to a very modern restaurant that
serves Vietnamese food in a French style, their conflict style would best be
described as:
a. avoiding.
6. Behaviors such as sighing, rolling one’s eyes, and giving the silent treatment fall
under the conflict style called:
a. avoiding.
7. Which indirect conflict style can be either cooperative or uncooperative
depending on the situation?
d. compromising
8. Which two conflict styles are considered to be the most cooperative?
a. compromising and collaborating
Close Encounters: Communication In Relationships, Fourth Edition
Laura K. Guerrero, Peter A. Anderson, and Walid A. Afifi
Instructor Resource
attributions, they believe that another person’s behavior is caused by situational
factors.
a. specific, global
13. Alex and Erika have been in a relationship for 15 years. Both of them describe
their relationship as being happy and satisfying. One day while trying to make
plans for the weekend, Erika snaps at Alex, saying that Alex’s ideas sound
uninteresting and uncreative and that they might as well just stay home. Based on
the quality of their relationship, how is Alex most likely to explain Erika’s
insulting behavior?
a. Erika is a scrooge who is always critical of my ideas.
14. In one of your classes, you are assigned to work in a small group with a person
who consistently refutes certain positions. Without directly teasing or insulting
others, he attacks other people’s ideas by explaining flaws in their reasoning.
Which of the following types of social ability is this person displaying?
a. verbal aggressiveness
15. If people engage in gunnysacking, it means that they:
a. try to accommodate the other person’s needs over their own to resolve the
issue.
16. The cascade of the four horsemen of the apocalypse begins when:
a. one or both partners stonewall.
17. When parties in conflict begin to stonewall, it means that they
a. begin to fight back instead of accommodating the other person’s needs.
18. According to research by Gottman , satisfied couples provide about positive
statement(s) for every negative statement.
a. 1
19. Conflict generally:
a. includes yelling and screaming
20. Most romantic couples have ______disagreements per week, with _____
disagreements per month being particularly unpleasant
d. few, 1 or 2
22. Couples who handle conflict in a calm, collaborative fashion
a. tend to reinforce conflict behavior in their children.
23. Competitive Fighting is the same as which of the following conflict styles?
a. direct fighting
24. The collaborating style of conflict management is the same as which of the
following
a. problem focused
25. Which of the following constitutes competitive responses to flaming?
a. joking
True False
26. Conflict is most likely when incompatible goals are important to both people and
hard to obtain.
Close Encounters: Communication In Relationships, Fourth Edition
Laura K. Guerrero, Peter A. Anderson, and Walid A. Afifi
Instructor Resource
27. Conflict is most likely to occur in the context of close relationships.
28. Same-sex siblings of about the same age are particularly likely to engage in
frequent, competitive fighting.
29. The frequency of conflict is the most potent predictor of divorce.
30. A socialization effect often occurs, with children adopting conflict styles similar
to their parents’ conflict styles.
31. A procrastination effect often occurs with children of conflict-oriented parents
reluctant to jump into a conflict they witness.
32. Competitive fighting is characterized by an uncooperative orientation and an
indirect style of communication.
33. People can make a choice to respond to flaming in a constructive way.
34. In both face-to-face interaction or communicating online, hostile behaviors tend
to be reciprocated during conflict.
35. Bringing third parties into the conflict conversation usually reduces
defensiveness.
36. Couples characterized by husband-to-wife violence are more likely than
nonviolent couples to exhibit rigid patterns of husband demand and wife
withdrawal.
37. “Attack positions, not people (no name-calling, button pushing, or violence)” is
one of the ten “rules” for constructive conflict management mentioned in your
text.
Essay
Close Encounters: Communication In Relationships, Fourth Edition
Laura K. Guerrero, Peter A. Anderson, and Walid A. Afifi
Instructor Resource
38. Is conflict inevitable in close relationships? How can it be prevented? How can it
be managed?
Ans: Varies
39. What effect does conflict between a husband and a wife have on children?
Ans: Varies
40. List and discuss 5 conflict styles. Which seems to be most harmful to a
relationship?
Ans: Varies
41. Discuss 3postitive and 3 negative responses to “flaming” on line. What do you
believe are the best approaches?
Ans: Varies
42. What is the demand/withdrawal sequence? Who is likely to do it? What are the
consequences?
Ans: Varies