Deck 38: A: Stress and Health

Question 1

After being told that his parents have just been involved in a serious automobile accident, Bill is likely to experience an outpouring of

A) serotonin.
B) dopamine.
C) epinephrine.
D) lymphocytes.

Answer 1

epinephrine.

Question 2

A stressor is a(n)

A) lower back muscle that frequently produces a feeling of physical tension.
B) environmental event that threatens or challenges us.
C) exercise program designed to increase our ability to handle normal stress.
D) hormone released by the adrenal glands during periods of stress.

Answer 2

environmental event that threatens or challenges us.

Question 3

During which phase of the general adaptation syndrome are organisms best able to physically cope with stress?

A) resistance
B) appraisal
C) adjustment
D) resolution

Answer 3

resistance

Question 4

In response to various stressors, ________ increases your heart rate and respiration.

A) oxytocin
B) emotion-focused coping
C) spontaneous remission
D) the sympathetic nervous system

Question 5

To study how stress and healthy and unhealthy behaviors influence health and illness, psychologists and physicians created the interdisciplinary field of

A) psychosomatic medicine.
B) behavioral medicine.
C) holistic medicine.
D) complementary and alternative medicine.

Question 6

A significant life change such as losing a job is best described as a

A) stressor.
B) carcinogen.
C) glucocorticoid.
D) spontaneous remission.

Question 7

Estée's legs are paralyzed, but she is able to minimize the stress that the inability to walk might have caused by viewing this handicap as a challenge rather than a threat. This illustrates the importance of

A) biofeedback.
B) stress appraisal.
C) the general adaptation syndrome.
D) the Type A personality.

Question 8

After Georgiana learns that a tornado has destroyed her house, her brain probably directed the outer part of her adrenal glands to react by

A) releasing testosterone.
B) producing androgens.
C) increasing the production of lymphocytes.
D) secreting cortisol.

Question 9

Walter Cannon perceived the stress response to be highly adaptive because it prepared the organism for

A) spontaneous remission.
B) the production of lymphocytes.
C) emotion-focused coping.
D) fight or flight.

Question 10

Physical and emotional responses to threatening and challenging events are referred to as

A) personal control.
B) stress reactions.
C) emotion-focused coping.
D) stressors.

Question 11

Prolonged daily hassles such as unemployment and overcrowding are likely to promote

A) reduced production of glucocorticoids.
B) increased production of NK cells.
C) reduced production of lymphocytes.
D) increased production of oxytocin.

Question 12

As a psychologist employed by a medical school, Dr. McNerney specializes in research on the causes of stress and on the effectiveness of various techniques for coping with stress. Dr. McNerney is most likely a(n) ________ psychologist.

A) educational
B) behavioral
C) forensic
D) health

Question 13

The process by which we perceive and respond to events that threaten or challenge us is called

A) stress.
B) psychoneuroimmunology.
C) spontaneous remission.
D) biofeedback.

Question 14

The fight-or-flight response is to ________ as the general adaptation syndrome is to ________.

A) Cannon; Friedman
B) Friedman; Selye
C) Selye; Cannon
D) Cannon; Selye

Question 15

When 15,000 Canadians were asked whether they were trying to take on too many tasks at once, responses indicated highest stress levels among

A) children.
B) young adults.
C) middle-aged adults.
D) retired senior citizens.

Question 16

On orders from the cerebral cortex (via the hypothalamus and pituitary gland) the outer part of the adrenal glands secretes stress hormones such as

A) cortisol.
B) lymphocytes.
C) serotonin.
D) telomeres.

Question 17

The first phase of the general adaptation syndrome is

A) stress appraisal.
B) resistance.
C) alarm.
D) adjustment.

Question 18

In the four months after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans' rate of ________ reportedly tripled.

A) suicides
B) breast cancer
C) multiple sclerosis
D) upper respiratory infections

Question 19

Hans Selye referred to the body's response to stress as

A) the fight-or-flight response.
B) the general adaptation syndrome.
C) the tend-and-befriend response.
D) emotion-focused coping.

Question 20

When she missed her morning bus ride to work, Shelly's blood pressure rose and she experienced a throbbing headache. Her physical responses to missing the bus were

A) stressors.
B) stress appraisals.
C) stress reactions.
D) emotion-focused coping responses.

Question 21

Women who suffered enduring stress were observed to experience a shortening of telomeres indicative of

A) breast cancer.
B) heart disease.
C) a rapid aging process.
D) an increased production of NK cells.

Question 22

One option for dealing with stress, which is more common among women than men, is

A) withdrawal.
B) the fight-or-flight reaction.
C) the tend-and-befriend response.
D) the general adaptation syndrome.

Question 23

Matt has been experiencing headaches. Because his physician strongly recommends that he enroll in an anger-management class, the physician has probably diagnosed Matt's headaches as a(n) ________ illness.

A) allergenic
B) psychophysiological
C) immune deficiency
D) carcinogenic

Question 24

Although stress does not create cancer cells, it may affect their growth by suppressing the activity of

A) telomeres.
B) B lymphocytes.
C) the adrenal glands.
D) T lymphocytes.

Question 25

By attacking the body's own tissues, an overly reactive immune system is most likely to cause

A) arthritis.
B) colon cancer.
C) pneumonia.
D) hypertension.

Question 26

Natural killer cells are part of the body's

A) immune system.
B) endocrine system.
C) digestive system.
D) sympathetic nervous system.

Question 27

Psychoneuroimmunology is most broadly concerned with how the psychological, neural, and endocrine systems together affect the

A) reproductive system.
B) cardiovascular system.
C) immune system.
D) respiratory system.

Question 28

Worn-out red blood cells and tiny harmful bacteria are ingested by an immune system agent known as the

A) B lymphocyte.
B) macrophage.
C) amygdala.
D) glucocorticoids.

Question 29

When experimenters have implanted tumor cells into rodents, those exposed to ________ were more prone to cancer.

A) telomeres
B) T lymphocytes
C) inescapable shocks
D) biofeedback

Question 30

A rapid progression from HIV infection to AIDS is ________ by the death of a life partner and ________ by participation in bereavement support groups.

A) inhibited; inhibited
B) facilitated; facilitated
C) inhibited; facilitated
D) facilitated; inhibited

Question 31

The ABC program has been used with notable success to

A) prevent HIV infections.
B) slow the transition from HIV infection to AIDS.
C) provide pain medication for AIDS patients.
D) help HIV patients recover from their immune system disorder.

Question 32

After overcoming the initial shock of having her car stolen, Marlys calls the police for help and begins to question possible witnesses. At this point, Marlys is most likely in the ________ stage of the general adaptation syndrome.

A) resistance
B) exhaustion
C) adjustment
D) stress appraisal

Question 33

Oxytocin is a stress-moderating hormone released by

A) lymphocytes.
B) a Type A personality.
C) aerobic exercise.
D) breast feeding.

Question 34

Physical illnesses, such as hypertension and some headaches, that are not caused by an organic disorder but instead seem linked to stress are referred to as ________ illnesses.

A) psychophysiological
B) psychopharmacological
C) carcinogenic
D) malignant

Question 35

Viral infections are to ________ as bacterial infections are to ________.

A) B lymphocytes; T lymphocytes
B) Type B personalities; Type A personalities
C) T lymphocytes; B lymphocytes
D) Type A personalities; Type B personalities

Question 36

AIDS is a disorder of the

A) circulatory system.
B) immune system.
C) reproductive system.
D) endocrine system.

Question 37

The secretion of stress hormones

A) decreases high blood pressure.
B) diverts bloodflow from muscle tissue to the body's internal organs.
C) prevents arteries from clogging.
D) draws energy away from immune activity.

Question 38

The white blood cells that fight bacterial infections and attack cancer cells and viruses are called

A) lymphocytes.
B) telomeres.
C) carcinogens.
D) glucocorticoids.

Question 39

The closing of the vessels that nourish the heart muscle is known as

A) the general adaptation syndrome.
B) coronary heart disease.
C) coronary aneurysm.
D) spontaneous remission.

Question 40

After breaking up with his girlfriend, Eric came down with a severe respiratory infection. His illness may have been exacerbated to a large extent by a(n) ________ in his body's production of ________.

A) decrease; glucocorticoids
B) increase; NK cells
C) decrease; lymphocytes
D) increase; telomeres

Question 41

Friedman and Rosenman referred to relaxed and easygoing individuals as ________ personalities.

A) emotion-focused
B) problem-focused
C) Type A
D) Type B

Question 42

Researchers examined the photographs of 150 Major League baseball players who had appeared in the 1952 Baseball Register and had died by 2009. Those who lived an average of 80 years rather than 73 years were distinguished by their

A) height.
B) smiles.
C) muscularity.
D) skin color.

Question 43

In their classic nine-year study, Friedman and Rosenman found that Type A men are especially susceptible to

A) stomach ulcers.
B) cancer.
C) heart attacks.
D) lupus.

Question 44

The characteristic that most clearly contributes to the disease vulnerability of Type A personalities is their feelings of

A) urgency.
B) competitiveness.
C) ambition.
D) anger.

Question 45

Who is the best example of a Type B personality?

A) Tammy, an ambitious, self-confident waitress
B) Mauriucca, a relaxed, understanding social worker
C) Tena, a time-conscious, competitive lawyer
D) Juanita, an impatient, pessimistic librarian

Question 46

Professor McGill emphasizes the interactive influences of stress appraisal, immune system functioning, and supportive interpersonal relationships on people's capacity to withstand stressful life events. The professor's emphasis best illustrates

A) emotion-focused coping.
B) the general adaptation syndrome.
C) a biopsychosocial approach.
D) complementary and alternative medicine.

Question 47

Type A is to ________ as Type B is to ________.

A) realistic; idealistic
B) introverted; extraverted
C) hard-driving; easygoing
D) optimistic; pessimistic

Question 48

The risk of death from cardiovascular disease is substantially increased among those with

A) symptoms of depression.
B) Type B personalities.
C) NK cells.
D) B lymphocytes.

Question 49

Studying initially healthy men over a 10-year period, researchers found that pessimistic adult men were more than twice as likely as optimistic men to experience

A) a proliferation of lymphocytes.
B) coronary heart disease.
C) low blood sugar levels.
D) spontaneous remission.

Question 50

Although inflammation helps fight infections, persistent inflammation heightens the risk of

A) asthma.
B) clogged arteries.
C) depression.
D) all of these problems.

Question 51

Who is the best example of a Type A personality?

A) Mara, an irritable, impatient teacher
B) Rashida, a highly intelligent, introverted librarian
C) Wilma, a friendly, altruistic social worker
D) Charisse, a fun-loving, self-indulgent university student

Question 52

Who would be MOST susceptible to heart disease?

A) Marvin, an impatient lawyer who often becomes irritated with family and friends over insignificant matters
B) Oswald, a purchasing agent who is very competitive and always wants to be a winner
C) Michael, a time-conscious banking executive who is always five minutes early for appointments because of his sense of urgency
D) Jozsef, a highly ambitious salesperson who is determined to become the manager of his company