Deck 15: Stress, coping, and Health

Question 1

In the four-step model of cognitive appraisal,Richard Lazarus's notion of primary appraisal is most analogous to the appraisal of ___________ .

A)demands
B)resources
C)consequences
D)personal meaning

Answer 1

demands

Question 2

During a week of final exams,one of your friends comes up to you and says,"I'm so worked up this week.I've been so worried,tense,and strung out that I've really lost it!" Statements like these are most consistent with the definition of stress as a (n):

A)stimulus.
B)transaction.
C)response.
D)interaction.

Answer 2

response.

Question 3

According to Selye's general adaptation syndrome,the shift to sympathetic dominance occurs in the ___________________ stage.

A)alarm reaction
B)resistance
C)exhaustion
D)alarm reaction and resistance

Answer 3

alarm reaction

Question 4

Joyce and Katie were recognized by their professor for receiving the highest grades on the midterm exam.At first,they both interpret this situation as being a positive thing but,then Katie turns this event into a stressor because of her perceived inability to score as well on the next exam.Katie begins to think that she cannot cope with the pressure based on the process of ___________________.

A)social appraisal
B)primary appraisal
C)secondary appraisal
D)consequence appraisal

Question 5

whether the event was a major event or a daily hassle is called a ________.

A)transactional stress scale.
B)cognitive appraisal questionnaire.
C)life event scale.
D)polygraph.

Question 6

The three stages of Selye's general adaptation syndrome (GAS)are:

A)alarm reaction ,resistance,and resolution.
B)activation,plateau,and exhaustion.
C)activation,resistance,and recovery.
D)alarm reaction,resistance,and exhaustion.

Question 7

Rebecca's friends keep telling her that she should take it easy and decrease the stress in her life.Rebecca ignores them for the most part because she does not believe she has stressors,just migraines.It's not like she just lost her job or got a divorce,she has normal daily problems such as finding the money to get the car repaired and scheduling time to get her son to soccer practice as well as the dentist.In fact,these events are _____________.

A)catastrophic events
B)mindless stressors
C)macrostressors
D)microstressors

Question 8

The four aspects of the cognitive appraisal process are appraisals of:

A)primary stressors,secondary stressors,demands,and resources.
B)demands,resources,consequences,and personal meaning.
C)primary stressors,resources,consequences,and secondary stressors.
D)demands,primary stressors,secondary stressors,and personal meaning.

Question 9

John is about to take a very difficult chemistry exam,but because he has studied hard and knows the material thoroughly,he isn't very nervous as he goes in to take it.John's thoughts about his study habits and his knowledge of the material are best considered as examples of cognitive appraisals of the:

A)demands of the situation.
B)personal meaning that particular consequences might have.
C)potential consequences of a situation.
D)resources available to cope with a situation.

Question 10

The transactional definition of stress asserts that stress is the product of cognitive,physiological,and behavioural responses that are evoked when there is a perceived imbalance between:

A)situational demands and personal resources.
B)internal and external eliciting stimuli.
C)expressive and instrumental behaviours.
D)primary appraisals and situational demands.

Question 11

Jordan has had straight A's throughout her high school years.She is now a senior in her second and final semester of high school and she finds herself constantly near tears.Her friends are jealous of her success and cannot understand why Jordan is acting so stressed.Jordan is feeling that she may not be able to keep her perfect grade record and that if she loses it,people will think that she is not so smart.In this case,Jordan's appraisal of the _______________________ is a stressor.

A)primary situation and precipitating factor
B)psychological meaning of the consequences
C)secondary situation
D)potential consequences

Question 12

Steve and his romantic partner are having difficulties in their relationship.Steve starts to get anxious when he thinks,"Oh no,we might break up and if that happens,everyone will think I'm an idiot and a complete loser!" Thoughts like these are best classified as appraisals of:

A)demands and resources.
B)consequences and personal meanings.
C)demands and consequences.
D)resources and personal meanings.

Question 13

There is a distinct physiological pattern that emerges when people are exposed to strong and prolonged stress.Selye labelled this response pattern the:

A)transactional stress response (TSR).
B)two-factor theory of stress.
C)general adaptation syndrome (GAS).
D)chronic stress response (CSR).

Question 14

Zach was working as an intern for an investment company.His office was in the World Trade Center in New York City and his first day on the job was September 11,2001.Zach survived the terrorist attacks physically unharmed but is now experiencing flashbacks,digestive problems,and he can't seem to have successful personal relationships.Zach's current problems may be a result of:

A)microstressors
B)catastrophic events
C)macrostressors
D)major negative events

Question 15

Stress researchers typically refer to the daily hassles that most people encounter,such as being stuck in traffic or having their computer crash,as:

A)primary stressors.
B)secondary stressors.
C)transactional stressors.
D)microstressors.

Question 16

When studying stress,some psychologists believe that stressors or situational events that place strong demands on us conceptualize stress as a (n)___________.

A)behavioural response
B)eliciting stimulus
C)organism-environment interaction
D)cognitive appraisal

Question 17

The final stage of Selye's general adaptation syndrome (GAS)is:

A)exhaustion.
B)resolution.
C)recovery.
D)resistance.

Question 18

Victor and his wife were attending his mother's funeral when Victor suddenly clutched his chest and fell to the ground.Victor had suffered a major heart attack.These severe stressors,the death of his mother and the heart attack may be defined as:

A)microstressors
B)major negative events
C)catastrophic events
D)macrostressors

Question 19

The sympathetic nervous system mobilizes the body to a state of arousal when we are faced with a stressful situation.However,the longer acting stress hormones into our system are released by the ______________.

A)endocrine system
B)parasympathetic nervous system
C)homeostasis desire
D)immune system

Question 20

Kelly enrolled in a foreign language course this term and is about to take the final oral examination for the course.Kelly is feeling worried about the examination and believes "If I don't get an 'A' on this exam it will show that I'm always going to be a complete failure at everything." Kelly's belief best represents:

A)a secondary appraisal of the resources available to cope with the examination.
B)a cognitive appraisal of the implications of the outcome of the examination.
C)a cognitive appraisal of what the consequences of the examination could be.
D)a primary appraisal of the demands of the examination.

Question 21

If a person has a good social support network,strong coping skills,and an optimistic personality then he is less vulnerable to the effects of stress.These characteristics are best considered as examples of _____________ .

A)protective factors
B)personality traits
C)emotion-focused coping skills
D)problem-focused coping skills

Question 22

Women who are victims of rape often experience significant disruptions to their lives,such as nightmares,fear of being alone,and decreased enjoyment of sexual activity.This collective response to such an attack is known as the:

A)general adaptation syndrome (GAS).
B)somatic attack syndrome.
C)catastrophic events syndrome.
D)rape trauma syndrome.

Question 23

Factors that increase a person's susceptibility to stressful events are called:

A)protective factors.
B)personal disadvantages.
C)vulnerability factors.
D)liability factors.

Question 24

When Ben loses his wife of thirty years to heart disease,one of the most important environmental factors that will indicate how well physically and psychologically he fares is/are:

A)optimism
B)socioeconomic status
C)management skills
D)social support

Question 25

A person who is under constant stress has chronically high levels of stress hormones in his body.The fact that these elevated hormone levels may eventually damage his arteries is best considered as an example of how stress can impact health by changing:

A)the environment.
B)personality.
C)behaviour.
D)physiology.

Question 26

All of the following were offered as possible explanations for the positive correlation between self-reported negative events and psychological distress EXCEPT:

A)It could be that the negative events cause the distress.
B)It could be that psychological distress influences self-reports of negative events.
C)It could be that the relation between negative events and distress only holds for particular cultures.
D)It could be that distress and negative life events are both caused by some other unmeasured variables,such as a personality trait.

Question 27

Research by Pennebaker consistently found that having people simply talk about traumas they had experienced in the past resulted in:

A)higher levels of future social support.
B)greater brain activity in the left hemisphere.
C)more positive cognitive appraisals of stressful situations.
D)improved health and immune system functioning.

Question 28

A review by House and his colleagues of studies conducted with almost 37,000 people living in the U.S.,Finland,and Sweden found that people were twice as likely to die during the study if they had low levels of ______________.

A)personal coping skills
B)pessimism
C)social support
D)optimism

Question 29

Mary is a regular jogger and runs because she enjoys it,it helps her to remain fit,and it functions as a source of stress relief.However,when she is under stress,she tends to not run as much and as a result,she sometimes becomes ill.This example best demonstrates how stress can influence illness by changing:

A)behaviour.
B)bodily processes.
C)personality factors.
D)physiology.

Question 30

Studies examining the relation between negative life events and psychological distress have indicated that there is a positive association between these variables,but interpreting this finding is difficult because there is/are_________________ .

A)several possible causal interpretations of this result.
B)negative life events that vary by individuals.
C)several possible interpretations of psychological distress.
D)only one possible causal interpretation of this result.

Question 31

Molly and Daniel's baby girl was born with severe genetic disabilities.Molly joined a support group for parents with disabled children that met every week.Daniel chose to keep his feelings private and did not participate in the support group.According to research:

A)Daniel's personal coping skills will allow him to handle the stress better than Molly who seeks help from others
B)Molly may be more disease resistant than Daniel because of her higher level of social support
C)Daniel will experience less stress than Molly who is subject to the problems of others in the support group
D)Molly's anxiety and depression will increase as she learns she is not the only one with stress in her life

Question 32

People who have a heightened tendency to experience negative emotions and to get themselves into stressful situations are high in the personality trait of _____________.

A)depression
B)neuroticism
C)anxiety
D)pessimism

Question 33

Brianna has been pushing herself for several months now.As a single mother with a full time job during the day and college classes at night,she does not have any time for herself.Having enough money to pay the bills each month has been a source of stress for Brianna and right now there seems to be no end in sight to her financial difficulties.Lately,Brianna has been getting more viruses,aches,and pains than usual.Selye's general adaptation syndrome (GAS)suggests that Brianna is in the ________________ phase.

A)exhaustion
B)resistance
C)alarm
D)arousal

Question 34

The research of Pennebaker demonstrated that discussing traumatic events can lead to improved immune system function is considered somewhat controversial because:

A)people are forced to discuss traumatic events against their wills and this is unethical research practice.
B)all of his studies have relied exclusively on self-report measures that may be biased.
C)there may be circumstances where such emotional "purging" is not helpful or may even be harmful.
D)Pennebaker has failed to control for the effect of neuroticism on this association.

Question 35

All of the following were mentioned as possible reasons for the positive effects of social support on illness EXCEPT:

A)Social support fosters a stronger sense of identity and meaning in people's lives.
B)Social support networks often indirectly teach people effective problem-focused coping skills.
C)Social support reduces exposure to negative factors such as loneliness.
D)Social support networks can use peer pressure to prevent people from using maladaptive coping strategies.

Question 36

With regard to the relation between stress and illness,the tendency to become anxious or pessimistic under stress is as an example of a(n)_____________.

A)negative primary appraisal
B)instrumental behaviour
C)consequences
D)vulnerability factor

Question 37

In terms of susceptibility to stressful events,social support is a _________________.

A)health-enhancing behaviour
B)harm-reduction strategy
C)protective factor
D)resiliency intervention

Question 38

In a 30-year study of "resilient" or "invulnerable" children,one factor that appeared to be common to all children who survived and thrived in very difficult situations was having:

A)at least one person who believed in them and provided social support.
B)a very strong and resilient immune system.
C)an strong optimistic personality style.
D)learned both problem- and emotion-focused coping skills at a young age.

Question 39

Robert Baron and his colleagues conducted a study of people whose spouses were being treated for cancer.Those who rated themselves as having good social support responded to the injection of artificial antigens with more antibodies,demonstrating how strong social support appears to enhance:

A)immune system functioning.
B)circulatory system functioning.
C)nervous system functioning.
D)endocrine system functioning.

Question 40

Poor coping skills and the lack of a social support network can decrease a person's resistance to stress and are examples of ______________.

A)protective factors
B)vulnerability factors
C)problem-focused coping
D)emotion-focused coping

Question 41

According to Kobasa's hardiness components,the strongest active ingredient in buffering stress,at least for women,is _______________.

A)commitment
B)control
C)cooperation
D)challenge

Question 42

While personal factors like self-efficacy,good intellect,and self-esteem can make some children resistant to the impact of stressful events,a common factor for all such children is:

A)financial security.
B)consistent emotional support from at least one person.
C)a good therapist.
D)intensive therapy immediately following the stressful event.

Question 43

The physiological toughness endocrine pattern includes two key classes of hormones,catecholamines and corticosteroids.In a person who is physiologically tough,the pattern of response for these two hormones shows:

A)a strong,long-lasting increase in both catecholamines and corticosteroids.
B)little,if any,increase in both catecholamines and corticosteroids.
C)a low increase in corticosteroids along with a quick,but temporary,increase in catecholamines.
D)a low increase in catecholamines along with a quick,but temporary,increase in corticosteroids.

Question 44

Research on the impact of religious beliefs on responses to stressful events has determined that:

A)there is no relationship between these variables.
B)people with stronger religious beliefs tend to cope more effectively with stress.
C)religious beliefs can either increase or decrease the impact of stress.
D)people with stronger religious beliefs always tend to cope worse with stress.

Question 45

Tamika is about to compete in a triathlon.Though such a competition would likely inspire fear and nervousness in most people,Tamika is feeling good about the race because she believes she has the skills to successfully complete it.Bandura would most likely say that Tamika has high:

A)self-efficacy.
B)self-esteem.
C)self-confidence.
D)self-control.

Question 46

Research on the impact of religious beliefs has suggested that there are positive effects in helping people to deal with losses,but religious beliefs often function to increase the stress of people dealing with ___________.

A)workplace issues
B)marital problems
C)personal setbacks
D)illnesses

Question 47

Most of her friends feel that Jane is a very happy person.She encounters her difficulties like everyone else,but she tends to maintain a positive outlook on the future and herself,even though she doesn't think that her coping skills are exceptional or that she deals very well with challenges.Psychologists who study stress would assume that Jane would possess a protective factor with regard to the detrimental effects of stress and score high on a measure of _____________.

A)self-efficacy
B)empathy
C)hardiness
D)optimism

Question 48

The three beliefs associated with the stress protective factor called hardiness are:

A)commitment,self-efficacy,and social support.
B)commitment,challenge,and control.
C)optimism,empathy,and control.
D)self-efficacy,challenge,and control.

Question 49

Stephen had a fear of public speaking.Before and during every public presentation he had to make he broke out in a cold sweat,his heart raced,and he continuously cleared his throat.One day he found himself giving an impromptu demonstration for his employees.He realized he was speaking in a public format and none of his usual symptoms were present.His problem decreased over time as this success increased his ______________.

A)self-efficacy
B)type A personality
C)hardiness
D)potential stressor

Question 50

By definition,people who have positive views of the future and expect that things will work out well in the long run tend to possess:

A)self-efficacy
B)optimism
C)empathy
D)hardiness

Question 51

Someone who attempts to directly deal with and change the demands of stress-inducing situations is involved in the process of _____________.

A)emotion-focused coping
B)seeking social support
C)expressive emotional behaviours
D)problem-focused coping

Question 52

Beliefs regarding challenge,commitment,and control were specifically mentioned as being central to the psychological construct of:

A)hardiness.
B)optimism.
C)self-efficacy.
D)social support.

Question 53

Of the three factors that comprise the hardiness personality construct,research suggests that the one that appears to be the strongest in terms of protecting people from the negative effects of stress is the construct of ___________.

A)social support
B)challenge
C)self-efficacy
D)control

Question 54

According to psychologists,the personal conviction that we can perform the behaviours necessary to produce a desired action is called:

A)self-confidence.
B)self-control.
C)self-efficacy.
D)self-esteem.

Question 55

With even mild or moderate levels of stress,working memory is compromised because of the impact of stress on the functioning of the:

A)frontal lobe
B)occipital lobe
C)parietal lobe
D)temporal lobe

Question 56

Research has shown that the impact of even mild stress impairs working memory functioning and results in too much activation of ________ .

A)CCK (cholecystokinin)
B)endorphins
C)PKC (protein kinase C)
D)serotonin

Question 57

Optimistic people experience all of the following benefits EXCEPT:

A)Optimists feel less helpless when confronting stressful events.
B)Optimists had fewer infectious illnesses and made fewer visits to doctors.
C)Optimists have larger social support networks.
D)Optimists have a lower risk for depression when confronting stressful events.

Question 58

Research findings of a 30-year longitudinal study by Werner has shown that a key factor that makes some children extremely resistant to the effects of stress is:

A)hardiness.
B)optimism.
C)good physical health.
D)social support.

Question 59

While physiological toughness is demonstrated by a particular pattern of activity in two classes of hormones at the time of the stressor,it is also associated with:

A)a low baseline for both type of hormones.
B)low relative increases for both hormones.
C)a low baseline level of activity for corticosteroids.
D)a low baseline level of activity for catecholamines.

Question 60

McIntosh studied a group of parents who had lost their babies due to sudden infant death syndrome.In his study he found that some people found some significant meaning in these losses,which appeared to contribute to greater well-being and less distress up to 18 months later.This significant meaning was attributed to:

A)religious beliefs
B)optimism
C)self-efficacy
D)social support

Question 61

When presented with controllable situations,students typically assume that the most effective coping strategy is ______________.

A)seeking social support
B)problem-focused coping
C)emotion-focused coping
D)somatic coping

Question 62

John has the lead role in the school musical.The problem is,John cannot sing.Before the director of the play realizes John's dilemma,John hires a voice coach to improve his singing abilities.In this case John's coping strategy involves:

A)emotion-focused coping
B)problem-focused coping
C)denial-focused acceptance
D)solution-focused coping

Question 63

Research has suggested that acupuncture is effective in reducing pain because the acupuncture process normally releases:

A)catecholomines
B)amygdalas
C)naloxone
D)endorphins

Question 64

During a stressful situation in which an individual may be seriously injured,stress-induced analgesia,which refers to a reduction or absence in perceived pain,demonstrates the importance of ________ as the body's natural response to pain.

A)acetylcholine
B)dopamine
C)endorphins
D)serotonin

Question 65

Cross-cultural studies have indicated that Europeans tend to use more problem-focused coping,while favouring the use of emotion-focused coping and seeking social support is typical of _______________.

A)North Americans
B)Asians
C)Africans
D)Aborginals

Question 66

Research has shown that one of the endorphins isolated by scientists is more powerful than morphine by as much as _____ times.

A)10
B)50
C)100
D)200

Question 67

Wayne is being treated unfairly by his boss at work.Rather than confront him on this,Wayne decides to change his appraisals of his boss's behaviour in order to deal with it.Wayne thinks to himself,"My boss is probably having a really crummy day,and I bet he's very upset by the fact that his wife has left him." Wayne's coping strategies are best classified as examples of:

A)problem-focused coping.
B)improving self-efficacy.
C)emotion-focused coping.
D)seeking social support.

Question 68

Norm and Cliff have both recently been through relationship break ups.Norm decides to go to his favourite bar and talk with his friends about what's been happening.Cliff,on the other hand,decides to go home and meditate in order to deal with his negative feelings.Based on the information provided,we would say that Norm is involved in seeking social support,while Cliff is involved in ____________.

A)emotion-focused coping
B)problem-focused coping
C)seeking psychological support
D)social-focused coping

Question 69

Many stress management techniques work to reduce our general responses to stressors by working to modify ________.

A)sleep habits
B)emotional arousal
C)dietary intake
D)cognitive appraisal

Question 70

Stephanie coped with the stress of a relationship problem by going to the beach to forget about it.Tammy coped with the same type of stress by getting some help from a counsellor,while Sophia went directly to her boyfriend to try to resolve the problem.In the order: Stephanie,Tammy,and Sophia,the students' coping strategies most closely conform to:

A)seeking social support,problem-focused coping,emotion-focused coping
B)emotion-focused coping,seeking social support,problem-focused coping
C)problem-focused coping,emotion-focused coping,seeking social support
D)emotion focused coping,problem-focused coping,seeking social support

Question 71

Socialization patterns within a culture tend to dictate coping strategy preferences evidenced in that:

A)women favour a problem-focused coping strategy in cultures where boys are pushed to be independent
B)men favour a problem-focused coping strategy in cultures where boys are pushed to be independent
C)women favour an emotion-focused coping strategy in cultures where girls are pushed to be independent
D)men favour a social-support coping strategy in cultures where boys are pushed to be independent

Question 72

For centuries physicians have used drugs from the opiate family to relieve pain.In later years it was discovered that the body produces its own version of a natural opiate.This natural painkiller works by:

A)anesthetizing the sensory outlets on the skin
B)inhibiting the release of neurotransmitters involved in pain transmission
C)decreasing the number of thick fiber nerve impulses
D)increasing the number of thin fiber nerve impulses

Question 73

Which of the following has been determined regarding the effectiveness of various coping strategies when confronted with uncontrollable situations.

A)Both problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping are equally effective.
B)Neither problem-focused coping nor emotion-focused coping are effective.
C)Problem-focused coping is more effective than emotion-focused coping.
D)Emotion-focused coping is more effective than problem-focused coping.

Question 74

Bob and Sara are both confronted with the same stressor: a loud and obnoxious roommate who lives just down the hall.Research suggests that Bob and Sara will deal with this problem differently.Bob will be more likely to confront the person to deal with this problem,while Sara will probably _____________.

A)talk to her friends about it
B)use avoidance or denial
C)ask someone to confront the person
D)do nothing about it

Question 75

Beatrice experiences high levels of stress when she has to drive on the highway.She notices that when another driver cuts in quickly in front of her,her heart rate increases and her muscles tense.In order to change this,Beatrice teaches herself some relaxation exercises and tells herself that the driver of the other car must be rushing to the hospital or some other emergency.Beatrice has responded with which coping strategy?

A)emotion-focused coping
B)problem-focused coping
C)solution-focused coping
D)denial-focused acceptance

Question 76

Alicia is anew student at a particular school.On her first day,she does not talk to any of the other students and sees them making fun of her behind her back.Alicia decides she can either develop a strategy for making friends or she can take the other students at face value and accept that they are jealous of her and ignore them.In this case,Alicia has control of which coping technique she will use and she is better off choosing:

A)emotion-focused-coping
B)social-focused coping
C)solution-focused coping
D)problem-focused coping

Question 77

Two components necessary to experience pain are sensory and emotional.It is quite understandable then that two individuals from different cultures can experience identical sensations and yet perceive pain differently due to the _______________ attached to the event.

A)identical sensory information
B)varying emotion
C)endorphins
D)situational factors

Question 78

A cognitive restructuring approach that can be used to manage stress at all stages of the coping process is called:

A)cognitive appraisal training
B)coping skills training
C)self-instruction training
D)stress reduction training

Question 79

Ivan had an emergency appendectomy performed last night.When he woke up this morning he was surprised to learn that he had control over the amount of pain medication he received because all he had to do was push a button and morphine was added to his intravenous fluids.The more often he pushed the button,the more pain medication he was receiving.Ivan acted like an average patient in that when compared to other patients receiving the dosages from hospital staff,he actually ended up administering ________medication.

A)an equal amount of
B)more
C)less
D)almost three times as much

Question 80

Stranz and Auerbach's study where airline employees were abducted by FBI agents posing as terrorists demonstrated that when situations are uncontrollable,____________ coping works well..

A)denial-focused acceptance
B)problem-focused
C)emotion-focused;
D)social-focused