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Guerrero, Close Encounters, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
Chapter 11: Coping With Conflict: When Relational Partners Disagree
Test Bank
Multiple Choice
1. Which of the following best represents the definition of conflict provided in the
text?
A. verbal aggressiveness
B. the four horsemen of the apocalypse
C. a disagreement over incompatible goals
D. relationship termination
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
B. people who spend a lot of time together have more opportunity to have conflict
C. people who have been together for a long time have more problems to fight
about
D. spouses who reported least closeness had the most conflict
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.
B. The way conflict is managed can determine how satisfying a relationship is.
C. All conflicts involve aggression, which are inherently detrimental to a
relationship.
D. A couple’s “first big fight” has a more powerful influence on relational
satisfaction than any subsequent arguments do.
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 that 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
B. compromising
C. collaborating
D. yielding
Guerrero, Close Encounters, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
5. 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). If Nikolai and Teresa search the
Internet for restaurants and then decide 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
B. compromising
C. collaborating
D. yielding
6. Behaviors such as sighing, rolling one’s eyes, and giving the silent treatment
fall under the conflict style called ______.
A. avoiding
B. indirect fighting
C. competitive fighting
Guerrero, Close Encounters, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
D. yielding
7. Which indirect conflict style can be either cooperative or uncooperative
depending on the situation?
A. avoiding
B. indirect fighting
C. yielding
D. compromising
8. Which two conflict styles are considered to be the most cooperative?
A. compromising and collaborating
B. collaborating and yielding
C. avoiding and yielding
D. compromising and indirect fighting
9. The negative spiral sequence characterized by one partner wanting to talk
about an issue, while the other continually avoids the issue is ______.
A. reciprocal negative behavior
B. double withdraw
C. demand-withdraw
D. accommodation
10. According to the spillover effect, children who witness their parents engaging
in frequent, aggressive conflict are more likely to have trouble interacting with
their peers and performing at their full potential in school because ______.
A. they model their parents’ aggressive behavior
B. parents who engage in dysfunctional conflict are also likely to have
dysfunctional parenting styles
C. they are preoccupied with problems at home
D. their parents tend to communicate differently with each other than with the
children, leading to role confusion
11. In contrast to the spillover effect, the socialization effect suggests that
children ______.
A. model their parents’ conflict behavior
B. are most likely to have an aggressive conflict style when their parents use
dysfunctional parenting styles with them and aggressive conflict styles with each
other
C. of aggressive parents become so preoccupied with family problems that they
find it difficult to make new friends
D. are likely to develop aggressive conflict styles when their parents
communicate differently with each other than with them, leading to role confusion
12. If people make ______ attributions, they believe that the cause of another
person’s behavior is based on their personality. When they make ______
attributions, they believe that another person’s behavior is caused by situational
factors.
A. specific; global
B. stable; unstable
C. internal; external
D. relationship enhancing; distress maintaining
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.
B. Erika is a good person and is always honest. That’s why we get along so
great.
C. Here we go again. Erika must be saying that to make me feel guilty.
D. Erika isn’t usually so critical. She is probably having a bad day because of all
the stress at work.
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
B. argumentativeness
C. interpersonal violence
D. collaborative conflict tactics
Guerrero, Close Encounters, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
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
B. insult the other person in ways that they know will be especially hurtful
C. store up many small issues over time, ultimately bringing them all up during
one conflict
D. try to resolve a conflict by giving up part of their needs so that both parties win
something
16. The cascade of the four horsemen of the apocalypse begins when ______.
A. one or both partners stonewall
B. contempt or disgust arises in an interaction
C. one person complains or criticizes the other
D. one or both partners become defensive and deny responsibility for problems,
make accusations, whine, or mind read the other person’s intentions
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
B. withdraw from the interaction
C. accommodate the problematic behavior
D. collaborate and try to reach an agreement, even if it means giving up part of
their needs
18. Bruce is hurt and uncertain about his relationship with Stephanie. He lashed
out at her and refused to look at her when she tried to talk with him. Bruce is
engaged in ______.
A. empty threats
B. button pushing
C. emotional blackmail
D. name-calling
19. Conflict generally ______.
A. results in negative consequences
B. is synonymous with disagreement
C. leads to incompatibility
D. is viewed as harmful
20. Most romantic couples have ______ disagreements per week, with ______
disagreements per month being particularly unpleasant.
A. 1 to 3; 1 or 2
B. 2; 6
C. 2 to 4; 3 or 4
D. few; 1 or 2
21. Couples who handle conflict in a calm, collaborative fashion ______.
Guerrero, Close Encounters, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
A. tend to reinforce conflict behavior in their children
B. tend to be satisfied with their relationships
C. are at great risk for divorce
D. typically do not have children
22. Whenever Lily and Luke get involved in an argument, one of them always
has to win and one has to lose. They are engaged with what kind of conflict
style?
A. compromising dialog
B. direct fighting
C. active distancing
D. competitive fighting
23. The collaborating style of conflict management is the same as which of the
following?
A. problem focused
B. integrative
Guerrero, Close Encounters, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
C. disjunctive
D. yielding
24. Which of the following constitutes competitive responses to flaming?
A. joking
B. reciprocal flaming
C. apologies
D. mediating
True/False
1. Conflict is most likely when incompatible goals are important to both people
and hard to obtain.
2. Conflict is most likely to occur in the context of close relationships.
3. Same-sex siblings of about the same age are particularly likely to engage in
frequent, competitive fighting.
4. The spillover effect happens when parents with a dysfunctional conflict style
also have a dysfunctional parenting style.
5. When children adopt a conflict style that is unlike their parents’ style, a
socialization effect has occurred.
6. The chilling effect usually means people like to voice their opinions and
complaints during a conflict.
7. Competitive fighting is characterized by an uncooperative orientation and an
indirect style of communication.
8. People can make a choice to respond to flaming in a constructive way.
9. In both face-to-face interaction and online communication, hostile behaviors
tend to be reciprocated during conflict.
10. Bringing third parties into the conflict conversation usually reduces
defensiveness.
11. Taking a break from a conflict because you are feeling too much emotion is
called physiological self-soothing.
12. “Attack positions, not people (no name-calling, button pushing, or violence)”
is one of the ten rules for constructive conflict management mentioned in your
textbook.
Essay
1. People find it hard to stay positive in a conflict and usually resort to negativity.
Select two types of negativity and define them. Discuss the effect they have on
conflict interactions.
2. What effect does conflict between a husband and a wife have on their
children? Discuss and explain four different effects.
Guerrero, Close Encounters, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
3. There are six conflict styles. Select five of them and compare and contrast
their effect on conflict interactions.
4. Some people do not have the communication skills necessary to participate in
a constructive conflict. They often feel helpless in conflict situations, and they are
not able to respond effectively. Explain how understanding the difference
between argumentativeness and aggressiveness could help someone
communicate more effectively.
5. Effective listening is the key to managing conflict. Active listening requires
effort and concentration. Discuss three tactics someone can use to be a more
effective, active listener during a conflict.
