Name:
Class:
Date:
Page 1
Indicate the answer choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
1. Jessica’s boyfriend spends the day shopping for clothes when he’s supposed to be looking for a job. When he
comes home, she responds, “So you’re buying a new wardrobe to stand in the unemployment line?” Her remark
is an example of what kind of conflict?
a.
mocking
b.
sniping
c.
silent treatment
d.
None of the options is correct.
2. Accommodation is an approach to managing conflict that occurs when one refuses to give in to the needs or
desires of one’s relational partner.
a.
True
b.
False
3. Happy couples are more likely to avoid personal attacks during conflicts.
a.
True
b.
False
4. Which of these statements regarding the relationship between culture and conflict is true?
a.
Collectivists view direct messages as personal attacks.
b.
Individualists prefer to use avoidance.
c.
Collectivists prefer to use collaboration.
d.
Individualists prefer to use a third-party mediator.
5. Power, in and of itself, is neither good nor bad.
a.
True
b.
False
6. The textbook recommends moving face-to-face conflicts online for more effective resolution.
a.
True
b.
False
7. Power is granted by those who relinquish control and allow others to exert influence over them.
a.
True
b.
False
8. Andy makes demands of his friend, who in turn makes his own demands. Both parties eventually agree to
make concessions, although neither friend gets exactly what he wanted. What type of resolution is being used?
a.
domination
b.
compromise
c.
competition
d.
accommodation
Name:
Class:
Date:
Page 2
9. The most appropriate way to handle online conflict is to get a third-party mediator.
a.
True
b.
False
10. According to researchers, people typically do not consider long-term outcomes during conflict. Instead, their
thoughts are locked into simple, unqualified, and negative views. This challenge is called:
a.
skirting.
b.
self-enhancing thoughts.
c.
accommodation.
d.
avoidance.
11. Collaborative conflict management means:
a.
attacking the problem, not the person.
b.
focusing on common interests.
c.
evaluating your solutions.
d.
All of the options are correct.
12. When filing for divorce, your spouse says, “Let’s figure out a way we can both be happy and have joint
custody of the kids.” What conflict-management style is he or she using?
a.
collaboration
b.
competition
c.
accommodation
d.
withdrawal
13. The new person you are dating keeps asking you about the status of your relationship, and you respond by
joking that committed relationships always end. What conflict approach are you using?
a.
collaboration
b.
skirting
c.
avoidance
d.
withdrawal
14. The fact that an individual is linked with a network of friends gives that person intimacy currency.
a.
True
b.
False
15. Which of these is considered a form of avoidance as a strategy for managing conflict?
a.
reactivity
b.
escalation
c.
domination
d.
sniping
Name:
Class:
Date:
Page 3
16. Separation:
a.
is a way for one party to get his or her way.
b.
involves both parties changing their conflict goals.
c.
is an effective method for dealing with conflict.
d.
is a short-term conflict resolution.
17. Most conflicts occur when people perceive that:
a.
an unpleasant exception to the normal relationship routine has occurred.
b.
they have incompatible goals or that someone is interfering with their ability to achieve their
objectives.
c.
they have encountered a cumulative annoyance.
d.
the situation is unprecedented.
18. Which of these statements is NOT true of conflict?
a.
It occurs most often outside the home.
b.
It occurs between those who have established relationships.
c.
It occurs most often between family members and romantic partners.
d.
It occurs between those whose personalities clash.
19. If Darcy has a long-term, committed relationship with her partner, what type of power currency is she likely
to have?
a.
resource currency
b.
expertise currency
c.
personal currency
d.
intimacy currency
20. Integrative agreements occur when:
a.
two people develop a creative solution to their problem.
b.
one person gets his or her way.
c.
one party withdraws from the conflict encounter.
d.
one person uses accommodation and the other gets his or her way.
21. Escalation is:
a.
a decrease in the intensity of a conflict.
b.
a risk of engaging in competition.
c.
a result of terminating a relationship.
d.
people disclosing hurtful feelings about their partners.
22. You take your new boyfriend to see a movie and are annoyed by kids behind you who talk incessantly and
kick the back of your seat. You respond by turning around occasionally and fidgeting in your seat. What type of
conflict-management approach are you exhibiting?
a.
collaboration
Name:
Class:
Date:
Page 4
b.
competition
c.
accommodation
d.
avoidance
23. According to the textbook, during a conflict physical violence can occur:
a.
against men.
b.
in heterosexual relationships.
c.
in homosexual relationships.
d.
All of the options are correct.
24. Eva’s roommate leaves dishes in the sink when she could have put them in the dishwasher. This is an
example of:
a.
an unpleasant exception to the normal routine of relationships.
b.
personality clashes.
c.
a cumulative annoyance.
d.
irritating partner behaviors.
25. If your parents provide you with food, clothing, shelter, and other basic needs, what kind of power currency
do they have over you?
a.
resource currency
b.
social network currency
c.
personal currency
d.
intimacy currency
26. Which power currency is linked to charisma, communication, and humor?
a.
personal currency
b.
social network currency
c.
intimacy currency
d.
expertise currency
27. Collaboration is the most constructive approach to managing conflict.
a.
True
b.
False
28. If Mary and Marie believe their goals are incompatible, when in fact their goals are compatible, they are
engaged in:
a.
conflict.
b.
escalation.
c.
demand-withdraw pattern.
d.
pseudo-conflict.
29. People from collectivistic cultures view direct messages about conflict as personal attacks.
Name:
Class:
Date:
Page 5
a.
True
b.
False
30. Which of these suggestions would you NOT recommend to an individualist trying to manage a conflict with
a collectivist?
a.
help the collectivist save face
b.
use indirect communication
c.
be careful using and observing nonverbal communication
d.
use an assertive style
31. Research on culture and conflict has found all of these statements to be true EXCEPT:
a.
Collaboration is the preferred conflict-management style for all cultures.
b.
Collectivists seem primarily to use avoidance.
c.
Collectivists view direct conflict styles as a personal attack.
d.
Individualists prefer an assertive communication style, using “I” statements.
32. In Asian and Latino cultures, social network currency is more highly valued than resource currency.
a.
True
b.
False
33. Structural improvements occur:
a.
when two people develop a creative solution to solve their problem.
b.
when one person gets his or her way.
c.
when one party withdraws from the conflict encounter.
d.
when people change the basic understanding of their relationship to avoid conflict.
34. Research suggests that conflict over power:
a.
need not be destructive.
b.
can provide healthy change.
c.
can help resolve problems.
d.
All of the options are correct.
35. Kitchen-sinking is:
a.
holding a grudge against your relational partner.
b.
dredging up unrelated problems in response to conflict.
c.
an effective conflict-management strategy.
d.
an authoritative use of power.
36. You’re engaged in a Facebook conflict with a friend who writes a nasty comment about you and signs off
before you can reply. What conflict approach is your friend using?
a.
sniping
b.
skirting
Name:
Class:
Date:
Page 6
c.
cumulative annoyance
d.
withdrawal
37. Separation is an unproductive long-term strategy for dealing with conflict.
a.
True
b.
False
38. What conflict approach often results when a collaborative approach to handling conflict fails?
a.
collaboration
b.
compromise
c.
avoidance
d.
competition
39. If your partner reports, “I have never really loved you,” this is an example of a dirty secret that can result
from conflict escalation.
a.
True
b.
False
40. Pseudo-conflict is a risk that results from engaging in avoidance as a conflict strategy.
a.
True
b.
False
41. If your faculty adviser, who is helping you prepare your résumé, has many contacts in the business world,
what type of power currency does he or she wield?
a.
resource currency
b.
expertise currency
c.
social network currency
d.
personal currency
42. Which of these is NOT considered to be a source of conflict?
a.
irritating partner behaviors
b.
differences in income and education
c.
disagreements regarding relationship rules
d.
personality clashes
43. Conflicts usually only have short-term consequences and often end more quickly than relational partners
would have imagined.
a.
True
b.
False
44. Pseudo-conflict is:
a.
a conflict that is resolved without incident.
Name:
Class:
Date:
Page 7
b.
the absence of conflict.
c.
the perception that a conflict exists when it doesn’t.
d.
the perception that a conflict does not exist when it does.
45. Money, property, and food are examples of resource currency.
a.
True
b.
False
46. People with moderate power are less likely to use controlling communication.
a.
True
b.
False
47. During “quiet” periods in serial arguments, relational partners don’t think about their conflict.
a.
True
b.
False
48. Avoidance is the most frequently used approach to managing conflict.
a.
True
b.
False
49. Men tend to rely more on violence as a strategy to manage conflict than do women.
a.
True
b.
False
50. One positive outcome of conflict managed by compromise is that both parties leave feeling fully satisfied.
a.
True
b.
False
51. Aliya’s management style requires her subordinates to share responsibility for decisions in the department.
She has created:
a.
symmetrical relationships.
b.
power currency.
c.
complementary relationships.
d.
an emotionally draining experience.
52. Cheryl finds that she always has to remind her ex-husband to pay child support, to pick up their son, and to
be a good father. He ignores her repeated attempts to resolve their child-care conflicts and says he is too busy to
talk to or deal with his son. What is this couple experiencing?
a.
integrative agreement
b.
structural improvement
c.
separation
d.
demand-withdraw pattern
Name:
Class:
Date:
Page 8
53. Cumulative annoyance:
a.
is a form of avoidance.
b.
occurs when one communicates negatively.
c.
occurs when repressed grievances accumulate.
d.
occurs when one jokes about or changes the topic during a conflict episode.
54. Which of these statements about conflict and violence is true?
a.
More than half of men and women have used violence to deal with conflict.
b.
Men are more likely to be injured or killed than women.
c.
Women perpetrate about as much violence as do men.
d.
Gay men experience more violence than heterosexual men.
55. Cumulative annoyance can result when relationship partners engage in avoidance as a conflict strategy.
a.
True
b.
False
56. The teacher will take anyone who earns an “A” in Communications to the National Communication
Association’s conference. The teacher has:
a.
personal currency.
b.
social network currency.
c.
complementary relationships.
d.
resource currency.
57. On average, people report having seven conflicts a week with relatives, friends, and lovers.
a.
True
b.
False
58. Naja influences her partner’s decisions and seems always to get what she wants. However, her partner’s
goals are abandoned. What is Naja demonstrating?
a.
separation
b.
domination
c.
reactivity
d.
accommodation
59. A person with a charismatic, extroverted personality would likely possess which type of power currency?
a.
resource currency
b.
expertise currency
c.
social network currency
d.
personal currency
60. Which of these strategies should a collectivist use to resolve a conflict with an individualist?
a.
use direct and assertive language
Name:
Class:
Date:
Page 9
b.
focus on the conflict, not personalities
c.
manage conflicts rather than avoiding them
d.
All of the options are correct.
61. A wise choice for managing conflict in situations in which emotions run high is:
a.
skirting.
b.
pseudo-conflict.
c.
conflict.
d.
avoidance.
62. Which of these statements is NOT true about how gender influences conflict management?
a.
Men are encouraged to avoid conflict.
b.
Women are encouraged to avoid conflict.
c.
Women are likely to accommodate.
d.
Men are socialized to use violence during conflict.
63. Orlando has delayed becoming a firefighter because his father insists he help run the family store. This
relationship is an example of:
a.
skirting.
b.
domination.
c.
accommodation.
d.
avoidance.
64. If an auto repair shop charges high labor rates, yet you are willing to pay the rates because of the shop’s
excellent reputation and skilled mechanics, what type of power currency is being represented?
a.
expertise currency
b.
social network currency
c.
personal currency
d.
intimacy currency
65. A key risk of using competition to manage conflict is escalation.
a.
True
b.
False
66. If your supervisor asks you to work late and you agree even though you have other plans, what conflict-
management style are you using?
a.
sniping
b.
competition
c.
accommodation
d.
avoidance
67. Reactivity is an effective conflict-management style through which relational partners can constructively
Name:
Class:
Date:
Page 10
vent their feelings before discussing resolutions.
a.
True
b.
False
68. Conflict can be described as having all these characteristics EXCEPT that it:
a.
is perceptual.
b.
is a process.
c.
is dynamic.
d.
stems from a series of unrelated events.
69. When Jane sat down with her partner Pat to discuss a disagreement over finances, Pat responded by bringing
up old issues and problems that had long since been addressed. Pat is engaging in:
a.
Dyadic Power Theory.
b.
sniping.
c.
dirty secrets.
d.
kitchen-sinking.
70. If individuals enter into a serial argument by trying to gain power and use competitive strategies, the conflict
is less likely to be resolved.
a.
True
b.
False
71. Which of these statements is true of people who use collaborative approaches to manage conflict?
a.
They are likely to see the same conflict resurface.
b.
They experience shorter and fewer disputes.
c.
They experience more mutual resentment.
d.
They are more likely to use separation in a positive way.
72. While fighting with your new spouse, you yell, “I don’t know why we even got married—we’re so
different!” This is an example of:
a.
skirting.
b.
sniping.
c.
a sudden-death statement.
d.
pseudo-conflict.
73. If Don is the primary decision maker in his marriage and his wife Kathy acquiesces to his decisions, what is
being exemplified by their relationship?
a.
social network currency
b.
a symmetrical relationship
c.
a complementary relationship
d.
resource currency
Name:
Class:
Date:
Page 11
74. What is the primary risk of using a competitive conflict style?
a.
reactivity
b.
escalation
c.
cumulative annoyance
d.
skirting
75. Which of these statements is true of serial arguments?
a.
Each argument relates to the same issue.
b.
Arguments cycle between “heating up” and “quiet” periods.
c.
These often include demand-withdraw patterns.
d.
All of the options are correct.
Enter the appropriate word(s) to complete the statement.
76. Messages that are honest but have been kept hidden to protect a partner’s feelings are known as _______ and
are designed to hurt.
77. The perception that a conflict exists, when in fact it doesn’t, is called a _______.
78. If both parties change the basic rules governing their relationship to prevent future conflict, _______ may be
achieved.
79. The power of _______ comes from belonging to a network of people who have substantial influence.
80. _______ occurs when one person suddenly withdrawals from a conflict.
81. _______ is the power that comes from material things such as money or property.
82. An approach to conflict in which one person abandons his or her own goals and acquiesces to the desires of
another person is called _______.
83. A short-term conflict resolution called _______ occurs when both parties change their goals to make them
compatible.
84. A type of avoidance, _______, is when one communicates in a negative manner and then abandons the
encounter either by leaving or refusing to interact.
85. Relationships are considered to be _______ when the power is balanced between both parties.
86. _______ is treating conflict as a mutual problem-solving challenge.
87. You must possess or control some form of _______ to acquire power.
88. An approach to conflict characterized by accusations of mistrust, yelling, crying, and becoming verbally or
physically abusive is referred to as _______.
Name:
Class:
Date:
Page 12
89. _______ is the power that comes from possessing personal characteristics that are considered desirable.
90. _______ involves ignoring a situation or communicating indirectly about it.
91. A series of unresolved disputes, all having to do with the same issue, lead to _______.
92. _______ is the power that comes from having specialized skills or knowledge.
93. _______ is a process that occurs between people who perceive incompatible goals or interference in
achieving their objectives.
94. The power in _______ is imbalanced.
95. The _______ states that the course of arguments is determined by individuals’ goals, approaches, and
perceptions of the conflict.
96. _______ is a type of conflict resolution in which one person gets his or her way by influencing the other
person to abandon goals.
97. The _______ occurs when one person pursues his or her goals by making demands and the other person
withdraws from the encounter.
98. The power of _______ comes from having a close, personal bond with someone that no one else shares.
99. _______ occurs when accusations are directed at one’s conversation partner that have little to do with a
disagreement.
100. The competitive approach of _______ is a dramatic rise in emotional intensity and increasingly aggressive
communication.
101. By using _______, both parties involved in a conflict maintain individual goals while developing creative
solutions to mutual problems.
102. _______ is the repressed irritation that grows as the mental list of grievances against another person builds.
103. The principle of _______ states that people with moderate power tend to use controlling communication.
104. _______ is when one pursues one’s own goals to the exclusion of others’ goals.
105. The _______ emerges when people stop discussing relationship issues out of fear.
106. Sometimes one may use _______, in which the conflict is avoided by joking or changing the topic.
107. The ability to influence or control other people or events is _______.
108. _______ mark the end of a relationship.
Name:
Class:
Date:
Page 13
109. Why is collaboration considered to be the most constructive strategy for managing conflict?
110. How does kitchen-sinking our relationship partners violate trust?
111. Identify strategies one can use to improve conflict-management skills.
112. What is the likely impact of serial arguments on our personal relationships?
113. Identify and explain the most constructive approach to managing conflict.
114. What are four characteristics of most conflicts?
115. How does the demand-withdraw pattern emerge?
116. What effect does gender have on violence in relationships?
117. Define conflict.
118. How do gender and culture impact conflict?
119. What are some ways to reduce the likelihood of violence in your relationship?
120. Explain why reactivity is poisonous to relationship health.
121. Briefly explain the serial argument process model.
122. How can structural improvements be used to manage conflict in our personal relationships?
123. Explain Dyadic Power Theory.
124. Identify the five primary conflict styles or approaches.
125. What are some strategies for effectively managing conflict online?
126. What are two factors that may increase the use of accommodation?
127. What is a primary concern when relying upon compromise to manage conflict?
128. How are dirty secrets destructive to relationships?
129. What is the difference between a symmetrical relationship and a complementary relationship?
130. Define pseudo-conflict.
131. Define and give an example of the five power currencies used in our personal relationships.
132. How can the serial argument process model be applied to help yield positive conflict outcomes?
Name:
Class:
Date:
Name:
Class:
Date:
Name:
Class:
Date:
Name:
Class:
Date:
Page 17
Name:
Class:
Date:
Page 18
Name:
Class:
Date:
Name:
Class:
Date:
Page 20