Exam 9: The Marital System

The relationships of same sex couples are very similar to those of heterosexuals.

Steil concludes that a wife's dominance in decision making, while rare, is associated with a low level of satisfaction for both persons.

When commitment to a relationship is high, individuals tend to ignore alternatives and are willing to absorb costs without leaving.

Over time, the role of homemaker has been viewed as a high-status position.

John Scanzoni suggests that the absence of marital conflict is a key positive factor in assessing the quality of the marriage.

In what areas are same-sex relationships similar to heterosexual marriages? In what areas are they different?

The highest levels of marital satisfaction appear to be when

Most researchers agree that, in the United States, the frequency of marital coitus

Findings consistently indicate that couples with high rates of self-disclosure experience greater marital satisfaction.

In comparing two generations of marriage cohorts in 1980 and 1992, Rogers and Amato found the younger cohort to report higher levels of marital conflict and marital problems than the older cohort.

Blood and Wolfe concluded that power in a marriage seems to be primarily related to

Donnelly found that sexually inactive married couples were less happy and stable than sexually active married couples.

As more women enter the labor force, what has happened to the gender differences in time spent in housework?

People from the lower social classes are less sexually inhibited than those from the middle and upper classes.

The middle of the twentieth century saw a change in the nature of the honeymoon with more couples staying in resorts where their needs were provided rather than practicing domestic roles in natural locations.

Studies have consistently demonstrated that the presence of children in the family increases the marital happiness of the parents.

Studies that have attempted to show how marital quality changes over the life course suggest that quality declines rapidly in the first year or two, but among marriages that survive, tends to increase sharply after the third year.

Authority refers to power that is prescribed and legitimate within a social/cultural setting.

The frequency of sexual intercourse appears to be highest for

Discuss the relationship between equity in decision-making/family work and marital or relationship satisfaction. Is a feminist ideology of full equality compatible with marriage? Explain.