Q&A Hero

Q: Low-SES young people in Western nations who experience a limited or nonexistent emerging adulthood A) tend to postpone marriage and parenthood. B) typically delay financial independence. C) establish a fulfilling career much earlier than their higher-SES peers. D) often encounter a "floundering period" during which they alternate between unemployment and dead-end, low-paying jobs.

Q: Which of the following 22-year-olds is the most likely to experience emerging adulthood? A) Pramada, a middle-SES female in India B) Percy, a high-SES male in the United Kingdom C) Huan, a low-SES female in China D) Albert, a high school dropout in the United States

Q: Which of the following statements accurately explains the recent appearance of the emerging adulthood transitional period? A) Entry-level positions in many fields require more education than in the past. B) Wealthy nations with longer-lived populations have a pressing need for young people's labor. C) A minority of young people seek higher education and delay financial independence. D) Many aspects of the life course are socially structured, with little room for choice.

Q: About _____ percent of U.S. 18- to 29-year-olds are unaffiliated with a particular faith. A) 10 B) 25 C) 35 D) 50

Q: Ryan is a typical emerging adult. Which of the following is he likely to say is the most essential for attaining adult status? A) finishing his education B) settling into a career C) moving out of his parents' house D) constructing a set of beliefs and values to live by

Q: Janet, an emerging adult, believes in her ability to succeed. She is determined to overcome obstacles and takes personal responsibility for both positive and negative outcomes. Janet has a well-developed A) life structure. B) sense of personal agency. C) sense of enlightenment. D) superego.

Q: Which of the following statements about emerging adulthood is true? A) Emerging adulthood often interferes with identity development. B) Emerging adulthood is limited to low-SES populations. C) Emerging adulthood is primarily characterized by confusion and excessive loneliness. D) Many emerging adults can engage in activities of the widest possible scope.

Q: The life pursuits and subjective judgments of many contemporary young people have spawned the __________ transitional period, extending from the late teens to the mid- to late-twenties. A) latent teenage B) formal operational C) emerging adulthood D) pre-adulthood

Q: While __________ development continues to be a central focus from the late teens into the mid-twenties, the decade of the twenties is accompanied by a rise in feelings of __________. A) intimacy; personal insecurity B) identity; personal control over life events C) identity; stagnation D) ego integrity; physical security

Q: Discuss the concept of role overload. What workplace supports are available to reduce role overload?

Q: Compare and contrast attitudes regarding cohabitation in the United States and Western Europe.

Q: Discuss the changes that adolescence brings to parenthood.

Q: Describe the gender differences in same-sex adult friendships.

Q: Discuss Robert Sternberg's triangular theory of love. Define its components, and discuss how each changes over the course of a relationship.

Q: Although broad consensus exists that cultural change has prolonged the transition to adult roles for many young people, disagreement exists over whether emerging adulthood is truly a new developmental period. Discuss the major criticisms for the concept of emerging adulthood.

Q: Frankie and Mike are a dual-earner couple. They would like to have a better balance between work and family. Which of the following is good advice to help them combine their work and family roles? A) Frankie should set the standard for child care and be the family child-rearing expert. B) Both should critically evaluate the time they devote to work in view of their family values and priorities. C) While Mike should take on an equal share of child-care responsibilities, Frankie can take on a greater share of household duties because she can do them more efficiently. D) Both should understand that family life needs to accommodate to work demands. It is probably not possible to adjust work roles to meet family needs.

Q: A large, nationally representative sample of U.S. working adults showed that employees with several time-flexible options A) missed fewer days of work. B) more often arrived at work late. C) more often left work early. D) felt less committed to their employer.

Q: Which of the following statements about role overload is true? A) It is greater for men than for women. B) It is greater for women in higher-status jobs. C) While stressful, it is linked to stronger marital relations. D) It is magnified for women in low-status work roles with rigid schedules and little autonomy.

Q: The majority of women with children are A) stay-at-home moms. B) work-at-home moms. C) in the work force. D) earning more than their husbands.

Q: African Americans usually __________ than Caucasian Americans with equivalent job qualifications. A) acquire more work experience B) spend less time looking for work C) experience less stable employment D) receive more callbacks in response to rsums

Q: Women who pursue nontraditional careers A) usually have more "feminine" traits and believe that their efforts will result in success. B) are more certain than their male counterparts that they can overcome barriers to career success. C) are usually low in self-reliance but are more satisfied with their jobs than their male coworkers. D) usually have "masculine" traits, such as high achievement orientation and self-reliance.

Q: U.S. government surveys following 9,000 U.S. college-educated workers for a decade revealed that ten years after college graduation, the gender pay gap had A) closed. B) narrowed slightly. C) narrowed significantly. D) widened.

Q: U.S. government surveys following 9,000 U.S. college-educated workers for a decade revealed that a year after receiving their bachelor's degree, women earned __________ as much as men. A) about 70 percent B) about 80 percent C) about 90 percent D) nearly

Q: Laurie just started a new job in her chosen field. She wants to select a helpful mentor. Which of the following people would probably be her best choice? A) a top executive in the company B) another young graduate just starting his career C) a male supervisor D) a member of her professional association

Q: On average, people in their twenties experience __________ job changes. A) one or two B) three or four C) five or six D) seven or eight

Q: Paul is graduating from a university with a bachelor's degree. Out of Paul's class of 100, how many are likely to enter a career in their chosen field? A) less than 25 B) 30 to 35 C) 40 to 45 D) over 50

Q: Lesbian mothers, Michelle and Diana, and gay fathers, Cameron and Neil, are concerned that their children will be stigmatized by their parents' sexual orientation. Most studies indicate that A) children of gay fathers are teased or bullied more than children of lesbian mothers. B) incidents of teasing or bullying are rare because parents and children carefully manage the information they reveal to others. C) children of lesbian mothers are teased or bullied more than children of gay fathers. D) incidents of teasing or bullying are common because the larger society does not support gay parenthood.

Q: Rachel is the child of gay fathers. Rachel will most likely have __________ children of heterosexual parents. A) more mental health problems than B) fewer problems with peers than C) about the same rate of issues with mental health and peer relations as D) more problems with peers than

Q: Research findings indicate that A) gay fathers are less responsive to their children's needs than heterosexual fathers. B) gay fathers are less consistent in setting limits than heterosexual fathers. C) gay and lesbian parents are as committed to and effective as heterosexual parents. D) lesbian mothers are more committed and effective than heterosexual mothers.

Q: Which of the following statements about children of never-married mothers is true? A) They generally achieve better in school than children in low-SES married families. B) They are at a reduced risk for problems if their father is involved, even if he is antisocial. C) They display less antisocial behavior than children in low-SES married families. D) They are benefited by parental marriage only if the father is a reliable source of economic and emotional support.

Q: For never-married low-SES women, child support enforcement A) decreases father involvement. B) reduces financial stress. C) has little impact on financial well-being. D) is more successful than for divorced women.

Q: Today, about _____ percent of U.S. births are to single mothers. A) 10 B) 20 C) 30 D) 40

Q: Which of the following individuals is the most likely to quickly establish positive bonds with stepchildren? A) Lillian, a stepmother with no other children B) Barry, a stepfather with children of his own C) Jack, a stepfather with no other children D) Diane, a stepmother with children of her own

Q: Jenelle, a divorced mother with two children, is marrying William, a divorced father with three children. Which of the following statements is most likely true? A) It will take three to five years for Jenelle and William's blended family to develop the connectedness and comfort of intact biological families. B) Practical matters, such as financial security and social acceptance, will figure less heavily into Jenelle and William's marriage than in their first marriages. C) Jenelle and William are less likely than never-divorced couples to view divorce as an acceptable solution when marital difficulties resurface. D) Jenelle and William will experience less stress from their children than parents in an intact biological family.

Q: Which of the following individuals is the most likely to have an especially hard time following a divorce? A) Anna, who has always had a full-time job B) Rico, who has custody of his three children C) Beatrice, who was a homemaker throughout her marriage D) Trent, who has a prestigious career

Q: Which of the following statements about divorce in the United States is true? A) Husbands usually report more serious marital problems than wives. B) Men are twice as likely as women to initiate divorce proceedings. C) Infidelity and substance abuse are among the strongest predictors of divorce. D) Economically advantaged couples are especially likely to divorce.

Q: Nearly two-thirds of divorced adults A) never remarry. B) never have children. C) remarry. D) will divorce at least twice.

Q: Most divorces occur __________ marriage. A) within the first seven years of B) between 8 and 11 years after C) between 12 and 15 years after D) after at least 15 years of

Q: Divorce rates in the United States have __________ since the mid-1980s. A) stabilized B) risen slightly C) dropped slightly D) risen dramatically

Q: Childlessness seems to interfere with adjustment and life satisfaction A) in low-SES but not high-SES couples. B) only when it is beyond a person's control. C) among the highly educated. D) in women but not men.

Q: The voluntary childless are usually A) uneducated. B) low-SES. C) college-educated. D) unemployed.

Q: Bernice and Leo never had children. They married in their thirties, and their efforts at fertility treatments did not succeed. Bernice and Leo are A) probably from low-SES backgrounds. B) involuntarily childless. C) voluntarily childless. D) probably self-indulgent.

Q: A recent study of same-sex couples found that same-sex civil unions were __________ heterosexual marriages. A) as stable as B) less likely to dissolve than C) more likely to dissolve than D) not as committed as

Q: People who cohabit after separation or divorce __________ than never-married cohabiters. A) are more likely to move toward marriage B) report stronger relationship commitment C) have poorer-quality relationships D) cohabit longer

Q: Dennis and Kristen are an American cohabiting couple who are not engaged to be married. Compared with their friends who waited to live together until after they were engaged or married, which of the following is likely to be true? A) They are less likely to divorce if they do decide to marry. B) They have more conventional values. C) They are more religious. D) They are more androgynous.

Q: Which of the following statements about the differences between American and Western European attitudes toward cohabitation is true? A) Cohabitation is thoroughly integrated into American society, whereas fewer Western Europeans accept it. B) About 50 percent of Western European cohabiting unions break up within the first two years. C) When cohabiting Western Europeans decide to marry, they more often do so to legalize their relationships. D) Only about 6 to 16 percent of American cohabiting unions break up within two years.

Q: Among American young people, cohabitation A) is less likely to serve as preparation for marriage as it is to serve as an alternative to marriage. B) is now the preferred mode of entry into a committed intimate partnership. C) in less common than it was a generation ago. D) is more common than it is in Western Europe.

Q: In Western nations, there has been an especially dramatic increase in cohabitation among A) low-SES adults. B) well-educated young people. C) never-married adults. D) deeply religious young people.

Q: Russell and Janine are involved in a sexually intimate relationship and share an apartment. Their relationship is referred to as A) noncommitted. B) traditional. C) cohabitation. D) informal.

Q: Which of the following is an accurate statement about singlehood? A) Caucasian Americans are nearly twice as likely to remain single in early adulthood as African Americans. B) Many single people go through a stressful period in their late twenties or early thirties when most of their friends have married. C) The most commonly mentioned advantages of singlehood are greater social support and mental health. D) Overall, people who have always been single report significant dissatisfaction with their lives.

Q: Raymond is a single African American in his thirties. Statistically, what is the most likely reason for Raymond's singlehood? A) religion B) education C) unemployment D) lack of opportunity

Q: Men with a high school diploma or less and highly educated women in prestigious careers are overrepresented among singles after age 30 because A) they are the most likely to have married and divorced young. B) women tend to "marry down" and men tend to "marry up." C) women tend to "marry up" and men tend to "marry down." D) they are the most likely to be closed to a long-term relationship.

Q: In view of recent trends, it is likely that most Americans will spend a substantial part of their adult lives A) childless. B) single. C) in a second marriage. D) as a stepparent.

Q: Improved family communication, improved parent"child interaction, and social support are all benefits of A) being a stay-at-home mother. B) traditional child-rearing roles. C) having children early in a marriage. D) parent education courses.

Q: Fathers frequently turn to __________ to figure out how to relate to their child. A) experts B) mothers C) their own fathers D) friends

Q: Parents of __________ often report a dip in marital and life satisfaction. A) infants B) preschoolers C) school-age children D) adolescents

Q: List and describe the six personality types, identified by John Holland, that affect vocational choice.

Q: Briefly describe the psychological impact of attending college.

Q: How does psychological stress affect health in early adulthood?

Q: Discuss the prevalence of alcoholism in the United States. What are the risk factors for alcoholism?

Q: List and describe four societal factors that have encouraged widespread rapid weight gain the in the United States.

Q: Describe the theory of biological aging that emphasizes the programmed effects of specific genes.

Q: A major obstacle to the implementation of an apprenticeship program that even Germany has not overcome is A) ensuring cooperation between schools and businesses in order to provide students with a satisfactory experience. B) overcoming the reluctance of employers to assume responsibility for vocational training. C) the tendency to assign males and females to traditional, gender-typed placements. D) preventing low-SES youths from being concentrated in the lowest-skilled apprenticeship placements.

Q: American employers regard recent high school graduates as A) adequately prepared for skilled business occupations. B) adequately prepared for industrial occupations. C) unprepared for skilled business and industrial occupations and manual trades. D) adequately prepared for manual trades.

Q: Troy is an American high school graduate who chose not to go on to college. He is likely to A) establish a career within two years after high school. B) be working in a low-paid, unskilled job. C) have received job placement services at the end of high school. D) have been involved in an apprenticeship program.

Q: Approximately __________ of U.S. young people with a high school diploma have no current plans to go to college. A) one-third B) one-fourth C) one-fifth D) one-sixth

Q: Paul is a male librarian. Which of the following individuals is the most likely to be critical of Paul's career choice? A) Paul's female supervisor B) Paul's female co-workers C) Paul's female friends in traditional careers D) Paul's male friends in traditional careers

Q: Which of the following statements about men who choose nontraditional careers is true? A) Their co-workers often assume that they are less knowledgeable than they actually are. B) They have fewer opportunities than their female co-workers to move into supervisory positions. C) They usually report feeling socially accepted while in training and on the job. D) They are more likely than females in their fields to change jobs often, eventually settling on more traditional careers.

Q: Compared to their traditional-career counterparts, men who enter traditionally female-dominated careers A) are more focused on the social status of their work. B) are less interested in working with people. C) are more interested in working with people. D) have more conservative social attitudes.

Q: Which of the following women is the most likely to thrive in a nontraditional career? A) Raelynne, whose three aunts have successfully dealt with family"career role conflict B) Renae, who has infrequent interaction with other female professionals in her field C) Rhiannon, whose husband wants her to stay at home to tend to their young children D) Rita, who works exclusively with male managers

Q: Which of the following statements about gender stereotypes in vocational choice is true? A) Women write more books than men, but men produce more works of art than women. B) More mathematically talented college women choose engineering over health professions. C) One explanation for women's attraction to male-dominated careers is a change in gender-role attitudes. D) Women's progress in entering and excelling in male-dominated careers has been swift.

Q: __________ predicts confidence in career choice and career attainment beyond SES. A) Permissive parenting in the high school years B) Changing majors in college C) Parental encouragement of the fantasy period of vocational development D) Parental guidance

Q: Young people's vocational aspirations correlate strongly with their A) parents' jobs. B) childhood dreams. C) ethnic identity. D) friends' aspirations.

Q: Alan likes well-structured tasks and values material possessions. Alecia prefers working with people. According to Holland's six personality types, Alan is __________ and Alecia is __________. A) social; realistic B) investigative; conventional C) conventional; social D) enterprising; artistic

Q: According to Holland, the __________ person prefers working with objects and tends to choose a mechanical occupation. A) enterprising B) realistic C) conventional D) artistic

Q: Max enjoys working with ideas; Madison is emotional and has a high need for individual expression. According to Holland's six personality types, Max is __________ and Madison is __________. A) investigative; artistic B) realistic; conventional C) enterprising; investigative D) conventional; social

Q: During the realistic period of vocational development, the first step is often __________ and the final phase is __________. A) fantasy; reality B) interest; ability C) exploration; crystallization D) acquisition; vocational decision

Q: When asked about her future vocational choice, 14-year-old Grace says, "I"m good at math and I like solving problems. But I like helping people. So maybe teaching math or working as an engineer would be good." Grace is in the __________ period of vocational development. A) fantasy B) tentative C) realistic D) crystallized

Q: Eight-year-old Marcie is involved in community theater. She fantasizes about starring in a Broadway musical. Marcie's desire to be an actress A) will probably bear little relation to the vocational decisions that she will eventually make. B) will probably be actualized, because she has already committed to a career at such a young age. C) is atypical of most young children, who base their preferences on what jobs their parents have. D) is unrealistic because so few actresses are able to secure roles in Broadway musicals.

Q: Which of the following college freshmen is the most likely to graduate? A) Emma, who is emotionally dependent on her parents B) Earl, who avoids involvement in campus-based social and religious organizations C) Elyssa, who feels that her college community is concerned about her as an individual D) Ely, whose parents see little value in a college degree