chapter 14 textbook

Question 1

R­elationship­ maintenance­ mechanisms,

Answer 1

the strategic actions people take to sustain their partnerships, have been studied by researchers from two different scholarly camps. Social psychologists schooled in Caryl Rusbult’s investment model1 have identified

Question 2

cognitive ­­interdependence

Answer 2

They perceive greater overlap between their partners’ lives and their own, and they use more plural pronouns, with we, us, and ours replacing I, me, and mine

Question 3

positive illusions

Answer 3

idealizing each other and perceiving their relationship in the best possible light

Question 4

perceived­ superiority

Answer 4

type of positive illusion can be said to be a third cognitive maintenance mechanism. Committed partners tend to think that their relationships are better than most, and the happier they are, the more exceptional they consider their relationships to be

Question 5

inattention­ to­a lternatives

Answer 5

Attractive rivals can distract our partners and lure them away from us only when our partners know they exist, but contented lovers

Question 6

derogation ­of­ tempting­ alternatives

Answer 6

Commitment leads people to disparage those who could lure them away from their existing relationships

Question 7

willingness­ to­ sacrifice

Answer 7

For one thing, committed people are often willing to make various personal sacrifices, such as doing things they would prefer not to do, or not doing things that they would like to do, in order to promote the well-being of their partners or their relationships (Righetti & Impett, 2017). This willingness­ to­ sacrifice often involves trivial cost

Question 8

Prayer

Answer 8

is helpful in this regard. Careful studies have found that those who begin praying for the success and well-being of their partners become more satisfied with the sacrifices they make

Question 9

Michelangelo­ phenomenon,

Answer 9

named for the famous sculptor who created uplifting works of art from ordinary blocks of stone

Question 10

accommodation

Answer 10

willingness to control the impulse to respond in kind to a partner’s provocation and to instead respond constructively

Question 11

self control

Answer 11

(the ability to manage one’s impulses, control one’s thoughts, persevere in pursuit of desired goals, and curb unwanted behavior

Question 12

play

Answer 12

Self-control can be difficult, but there’s another behavioral maintenance mechanism that is easier to enact:

Question 13

savoring

Answer 13

You’ll gain even more benefit from the positive events you share with your partner if you look forward to them, mindfully experience them, and then happily remember them from time to time in an active process of intentionally

Question 14

rituals

Answer 14

recurring patterns of behavior that become familiar routines that “if gone, would be missed” (Bruess & Kudak, 2008, p. 6). Pleas- ing rituals are often small actions—such as a quick kiss goodnight just before a couple turns out the lights each night—or comfortable habits, such as sitting for a bit before fixing dinner to chat about the day.

Question 15

forgiveness

Answer 15

Forgiveness quickens the heal- ing of both the relationship and the partner who was wronged—it is less stressful to forgive an intimate partner than to nurse a grudge—so forgiveness promotes good health both in relationships and in those who give it

Question 16

behavioral ­couple ­therapy (or BCT),

Answer 16

encourages them to be more pleasant and rewarding partners. BCT focuses on the couple’s present interactions and seeks to replace any negative and punishing behavior with more gracious and generous actions.

Question 17

cognitive-behavioral­ couple­ therapy (or CBCT)

Answer 17

seeks to change various aspects of the ways partners think about and appraise their partnership

Question 18

descendant of BCT is integrative­ behavioral­ couple therapy (IBCT),

Answer 18

an approach that seeks both to encourage more desirable behavior and to teach the partners to tolerantly accept the incompatibilities that they cannot change

Question 19

emotionally­ focused­ couple­ therapy (or EFCT),

Answer 19

attachment styles

EFCT strives to improve relationships by increasing the partners’ attachment security. Like the behavioral approaches, EFCT seeks to reestablish desirable patterns of interaction between spouses, but its primary focus is on the emotions the partners experience as they seek to fulfill their attachment needs.

Question 20

insight-oriented­ couple­ therapy (IOCT)

Answer 20

emphasizes individual vulnerabilities to a greater extent than the other therapies I’ve mentioned (see Table 14.2); it strives to help people comprehend how the personal habits and assumptions they developed in other relationships may be creating difficulty with their present partners. Thus, it also examines past events to a fuller extent than other therapies do; IOCT assumes that the origins of marital dissatisfaction often lie in difficulties the spouses encountered in prior relationships.

Question 21

Maintaining­ and­ Enhancing­ Relationships

Answer 21

Relationship maintenance mechanisms are strategic actions people take to sustain their partnerships.

Question 22

Staying ­Committed.

Answer 22

People who want a relationship to continue think and behave differently than less committed partners do. Cognitive maintenance mechanisms include cognitive interdependence, positive illusions, perceived superiority, inattention to alternatives, and derogation of tempting alternatives.
Behavioral maintenance mechanisms include willingness to sacrifice, prayer, the Michelangelo phenomenon, accommodation, self-control, play, savoring, rituals, and forgiveness.

Question 23

Staying ­Content.

Answer 23

Communication scholars have identified several more activities that seem to help partners stay content. The most important of these are positivity, assurances, and the sharing of tasks.
Partners who routinely engage in these activities are happier than those who work less hard to maintain their relationships. However, people need to keep doing them in order for them to be beneficial.

Question 24

Repairing­ Relationships

Answer 24

Regular maintenance helps keep relationships in good condition, but they may still break down and need repair.

Question 25

Do ­It­ Yourself.

Answer 25

There’s plenty of advice available but some of it is faulty. However, some self-help information is provided by reputable scientists, and it may be very beneficial to its consumers

Question 26

Preventive­ Maintenance.

Answer 26

Premarital counseling comes in various forms. One example, the Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program, results in increased satisfaction during the first years of marriage.