Deck 15: Stress, Coping, and Health

Question 1

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) response.
C) transaction.
D) interaction.

Answer 1

response.

Question 2

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) consequences
C) resources
D) personal meaning

Answer 2

demands

Question 3

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

Answer 3

microstressors

Question 4

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

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

Question 5

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) secondary stressors.
B) microstressors.
C) minor stressors.
D) primary stressors.

Question 6

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

Question 7

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

Question 8

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

Question 9

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

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

Question 10

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) potential consequences
D) secondary situation

Question 11

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) personal meaning of the consequences.
B) demands of the situation.
C) potential consequences of a situation.
D) resources available to cope with a situation.

Question 12

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

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

Question 13

A type of questionnaire that asks people about such things as 1) whether a stressful event occurred, 2) whether their interpretation of the event was positive or negative, and 3) whether the event was a major event or a daily hassle is called a _.

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

Question 14

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

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

Question 15

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

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

Question 17

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) parasympathetic nervous system
B) amygdala
C) immune system
D) endocrine system

Question 18

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) consequence appraisal
C) primary appraisal
D) secondary appraisal

Question 19

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

Question 20

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

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

Question 21

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

A) vulnerability factors.
B) protective factors.
C) physiological reactivity.
D) resilience factors.

Question 22

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

Question 23

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

Question 24

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 reduces exposure to negative factors such as loneliness.
C) Social support networks often indirectly teach people effective problem-focused coping skills.
D) Social support networks can use peer pressure to prevent people from using maladaptive coping strategies.

Question 25

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

Question 26

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) anxiety
B) pessimism
C) depression
D) neuroticism

Question 27

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) alarm
B) resistance
C) arousal
D) exhaustion

Question 28

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

Question 29

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

Question 30

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

Question 31

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

Question 32

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) endocrine system functioning.
B) nervous system functioning.
C) amygdala functioning.
D) immune system functioning.

Question 33

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) consequence
B) instrumental behaviour
C) negative primary appraisal
D) vulnerability factor

Question 34

Unexpectedly good recovery, or even positive growth, following stress is known as:

A) self-efficacy.
B) optimism.
C) hardiness.
D) resilience.

Question 35

Hardiness is to resilience as:

A) vulnerability factors are to protective factors.
B) recovering from stress is to coping with stress.
C) protective factors are to vulnerability factors.
D) coping with stress is to recovering from stress.

Question 36

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) only one possible causal interpretation of this result
C) negative life events that vary by individuals
D) difficulty measuring psychological distress

Question 37

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

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

Question 38

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

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

Question 39

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

Question 40

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

Question 41

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

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

Question 42

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-efficacy.
C) self-control.
D) self-esteem.

Question 43

Which of the following is NOT a part of mindfulness?

A) concentrating on your thoughts and feelings, blocking out what is happening in the environment
B) no running on autopilot
C) experiencing each moment as it is without judgment
D) focus your attention on the current moment

Question 44

Optimistic people experience all of the following benefits EXCEPT:

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

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 that she has the skills to successfully complete it. Bandura would most likely say that Tamika has high:

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

Question 46

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

A) self-efficacy.
B) resilience.
C) optimism.
D) hardiness.

Question 47

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

Question 48

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

Question 49

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

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

Question 50

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

Question 51

Which of the following provides the best description of the Type B personality?

A) aggressive, friendly, and pressed for time
B) relaxed, agreeable, and experiences minimal time pressure
C) sociable, nice, and emotionally inhibited
D) competitive, workaholic, and demanding

Question 52

Research exploring the effectiveness of mindfulness training on the stresses of teaching found that the training was effective in:

A) improving physical health, but had little effect on psychological well-being.
B) reducing job stress and burnout, but did not influence physical symptoms, such as lowering blood pressure.
C) improving some aspects of psychological functioning, such as lower feelings of anxiety and depression, but did not influence job-related psychological functioning, such as job stress and burnout.
D) reducing job stress and burnout, and also physical symptoms, such as lowering blood pressure.

Question 53

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

Question 54

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

Question 55

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

Question 56

Research suggests that the Type A personality may be a risk factor to _.

A) coronary heart disease
B) leukemia
C) ulcers
D) stroke

Question 57

Which of the Big Five personality traits appears to have the strongest relation to physical health and longevity?

A) neuroticism
B) openness
C) agreeableness
D) conscientiousness

Question 58

Research on the influence of physical contact on fear responses in wives when they knew they might receive a shock found that having their hand held:

A) reduced their fear only when it was their husband compared to a stranger, and only if they were high in martial satisfaction.
B) did not impact their fear response, but they did report that the shocks were less unpleasant.
C) reduced their fear response in equivalent amounts regardless of whether it was their husband or a stranger holding their hands.
D) reduced their fear response in general, but more so when it was their husband holding their hand compared to the stranger.

Question 59

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

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

Question 60

Research on the influence of physical contact on fear responses in wives when they knew they might receive a shock found that physical contact reduced the fear response by acting on which area of the brain?

A) amygdala
B) hypothalamus
C) frontal cortex
D) cerebellum

Question 61

Alicia is a new 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) social-focused coping
B) problem-focused coping
C) emotion-focused coping
D) solution-focused coping

Question 62

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) Aboriginals
B) Asians
C) Africans
D) North Americans

Question 63

The maladaptive coping strategy of self-injury is most likely to occur in which age group?

A) twenties and thirties
B) elderly
C) pre-adolescence
D) adolescence

Question 64

Joshua worked in the Pentagon in Washington, US and was home, sick on September 11, 2001. Due to the severe damage of the terrorist attack, if Joshua had been in his office that day he would have been killed and in fact all of his coworkers perished that day. Joshua kept his feelings to himself and stayed strong in order to help the families of his friends and coworkers. Although offered immediate counselling for , Joshua refused to admit that he needed help.

A) obsessive-compulsive disorder
B) post-traumatic stress disorder
C) generalized anxiety disorder
D) exhaustion

Question 65

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

Question 66

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

A) men favour a problem-focused coping strategy in cultures where boys are pushed to be independent
B) women 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 67

Which area of the brain has been found to react to the stress differently depending on the amount of social support an individuals has?

A) anterior cingulate cortex
B) hippocampus
C) occipital lobe
D) cerebellum

Question 68

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

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

Question 69

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

Question 70

Research by Eisenberger and colleagues on the neuroscience of social support found that social support contributes to health because those with more social support:

A) perceive life as less threatening and are able to cope more effectively
B) are just as affected by social stressors as those with low social support but they coped better with physical stressors
C) perceive life as less threatening and therefore are less likely to activate a stress response
D) are able to cope and recover from stress more effectively

Question 71

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

Question 72

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

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) Emotion-focused coping is more effective than problem-focused coping.
D) Problem-focused coping is more effective than emotion-focused coping.

Question 74

Flashbacks in dreams and personal guilt about surviving fatal catastrophes are both common features of:

A) obsessive-compulsive disorder.
B) post-traumatic stress disorder.
C) panic disorder.
D) schizophrenia.

Question 75

Which of the following is a behavioural risk factor for four of the top five leading causes of death in North America (i.e., excludes accidental injuries).

A) environmental exposure
B) tobacco
C) obesity
D) dietary intake

Question 76

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) being optimistic.
D) emotion-focused coping.

Question 77

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) denial-focused acceptance
D) solution-focused coping

Question 78

Which of the following is NOT one of the top leading causes of death in 21st century Canada?

A) cardiovascular diseases
B) respiratory diseases
C) liver disease
D) cancer

Question 79

Studies of soldiers who had been subjected to the horrors of war contributed to the naming of the psychological disorder called _.

A) generalized anxiety disorder
B) post-traumatic stress disorder
C) schizophrenia
D) somatoform disorder

Question 80

Which of the following is NOT related to an increased probability of developing of post-traumatic stress disorder?

A) not receiving prompt post trauma intervention
B) gender
C) pre-existing psychological conditions
D) experiencing natural disasters as opposed to those created by human perpetrators