Exam 15: Improving Relationships

Trina is a couples therapist who primarily draws upon the systems model.What does she most likely emphasize in her practice?

Karamo is unhappy in his relationship with Erik.When Karamo comes home from work Erik has already prepared dinner.As soon as he enters the kitchen,Karamo exclaims,"It smells awful in here! Did you burn something? You never remember to turn the fan on.Next time,just order dinner if you're going to keep burning our dinner." Karamo's response reveals which of the following underlying interpretive processes?

Compare the explanation for relationship distress with the behavioral model and the emotion-focused model.

In considering the source of relationship functioning,a systems perspective is to ________ as a behavioral perspective is to ________.

Dr.Roberts helps couples to make explicit (known)the rules that guide their relationship behavior and to establish new rules that are more flexible and adaptive.What model of couples therapy does she practice?

Katie gets mad at Adam because he has forgotten to pay an important bill.When she brings up the problem,he doesn't say much and begins to sulk.Katie backs down and says she'll take care of the problem.Then she changes the subject and begins to tell him funny stories about her bad day at work,which he finds amusing and eventually the two of them are laughing while they make fun of her inept coworker.According to a systems perspective,what is the "rule" underlying their relationship dynamic?

You are a research scientist working for a government agency that funds social sciences research.You are setting priorities and developing guidelines for funding.Discuss reasons to support the funding of preventive interventions for couples rather than couples therapy.

Maite is explaining why she is unhappy in her relationship.She says to her therapist,"Partners should never go to bed angry.If there's an issue,it should be hashed out immediately rather than wait for it to fester." Maite's complaint reveals which of the following underlying interpretive processes?

Describe the systems models of couples therapy and the emotionally focused models of couples therapy.In what ways are they different?

List the three models of couples therapy discussed in the chapter,and describe the sources of relationship distress according to each perspective.

Define assumptions,attributions,expectations,selective attention,and standards according to a cognitive-behavioral perspective,and provide an example of each.

Empathic joining is to ________ as unified detachment is to ________.

What conclusion can be drawn from studies on the effectiveness of educational programs for couples?

Which of the following issues is not only the most difficult to treat among relationship problems,but is also one of the most damaging and most common issues in a relationship?

Distinguish between relabeling and reframing in systems models of couples therapy,and provide an example of each technique.

Benedicta is unhappy in her relationship with Yingyue.She says to her therapist,"A relationship between two women is simply doomed.We just cannot seem to be able to make any decisions because neither of us is assertive." Benedicta's response reveals which of the following underlying interpretive processes?

What is the primary goal of an emotion-focused therapist?

According to the cognitive-behavioral perspective,what is the leading cause of relationship distress?

Heather has designed a new treatment for couples in distress.She has conducted several studies in which couples were randomly assigned to receive either her new treatment or another empirically supported treatment.She now wants to look at how her treatment performs when clinical practitioners administer it to couples in the community.In other words,she wants to conduct a(n):

Baljit and Tim have had difficulty adjusting to being parents.They argue constantly about what activities they are going to do with their children and hate their weekends because they are spent with each of them taking turns playing with the kids to give the other parent a break.Their therapist points out that one reason they might be so frustrated and argue so much is that the way they have been structuring their weekends leaves them little time to nurture their relationship or to be together as a family.The arguments and frustration are signals that they value and love each other and want to connect more as a couple and as a family.What technique has the therapist used?