Deck 15: Stress, Coping, and Health

Question 1

Research has shown that individuals who are more pessimistic are more likely to suffer from more illnesses over their lifetimes and may even die at younger ages.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The length of time that an individual can continue in the resistance stage of the general adaptation syndrome depends in part on the individual's general health.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

A person who says that he is experiencing a lot of stress in his life right now because his computer just crashed, he recently broke up with his girlfriend, and he still has to study for five finals next week is using the definition of stress as a response.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Cross-cultural research has suggested that Hispanics and Asians tend to use emotion-focused coping and social support more than North Americans and Europeans do.

Question 5

A person who attempts to change her cognitive appraisals in order to minimize the negative psychological impact of a recent divorce is utilizing an emotion-focused coping strategy.

Question 6

The three core beliefs that underlie the personality construct of hardiness are optimism, self-efficacy, and control.

Question 7

Post-traumatic stress disorder appears almost immediately after experiencing the traumatic event.

Question 8

Individuals can experience an increase in coping self-efficacy simply by watching others coping successfully.

Question 9

Research has found that those who were low in daily social support had a larger cortisol response to doing mental arithmetic aloud compared to those with high daily social support.

Question 10

Despite dramatic changes in lifestyle and advances in health-care related technology, statistics show that cancer has remained the leading cause of death for more than 100 years.

Question 11

There is evidence to show that some women who have undergone rape experience rape trauma syndrome that can last years after the rape actually occurred.

Question 12

Providing a person in the precontemplation stage with specific instructions in behaviour change techniques would represent an example of a stage-matched intervention.

Question 13

Stressful life events can function as both a cause and an effect of psychological distress.

Question 14

There is clear evidence to show that having strong social support is associated with enhanced immune system functioning.

Question 15

Resilience is another term for hardiness.

Question 16

A person says, "If I don't study for this exam, I will probably fail it." Of the four types of cognitive appraisals, her statement is best considered as an example of a cognitive appraisal of her resources.

Question 17

Depending on their nature and the type of stressor to which they are applied, religious beliefs can either increase or decrease stress.

Question 18

Failing to have regular medical checkups and eating a diet that is high in fat are both considered examples of health-compromising behaviours.

Question 19

The personality trait of optimism was considered to be an example of a protective factor that helps people to cope more effectively with stress.

Question 20

Research shows that there is little difference between the types of stressors in terms of their long-term effects on physical and psychological well-being.

Question 21

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 22

A multimodal treatment approach to substance abuse may include such interventions as marital and family counselling.

Question 23

In Prochaska and DiClemente's model of the stages of change, an occasional slip back into the former behaviour pattern is known as a relapse.

Question 24

AIDS is as much a psychological problem as a medical one since the only current means of controlling the AIDS epidemic is by changing the high-risk behaviours through which the virus is transmitted.

Question 25

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 26

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

Question 27

Surprisingly, general attitudes towards exercise are not predictive of dropout from exercise programs.

Question 28

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 29

The abstinence violation effect is thought to increase the likelihood of relapsing by causing the person to view a lapse as a single instance where their current coping skills have been exceeded.

Question 30

The harm reduction approach to prevention has the primary goal of reducing the additional negative consequences associated with particular addictive behaviours.

Question 31

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 32

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 33

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)minor stressors
D)microstressors

Question 34

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 of the consequences
C)potential consequences of a situation
D)resources available to cope with a situation

Question 35

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 36

The World Health Organization reported in 2002 that worldwide, 1 in every 1,000 adults aged 15-49 is affected with the AIDS virus.

Question 37

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 38

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, secondary stressors, consequences, and personal meaning
D)demands, resources, primary stressors, and secondary stressors

Question 39

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

Question 40

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

Question 41

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

Question 42

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)difficulty measuring psychological distress
D)only one possible causal interpretation of this result

Question 43

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 44

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 45

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

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

Question 46

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)consequence
D)vulnerability factor

Question 47

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 48

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 49

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 50

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

Question 51

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 52

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 53

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

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

Question 54

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 55

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

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

Question 56

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 57

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 58

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 59

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)amygdala
D)immune system

Question 60

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 61

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 62

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 63

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 64

Hardiness is to resilience as

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

Question 65

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 66

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 67

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)a strong optimistic personality style
D)learned both problem- and emotion-focused coping skills at a young age

Question 68

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, social support, and control
D)self-efficacy, challenge, and control

Question 69

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)resilience

Question 70

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)amygdala functioning
C)nervous system functioning
D)endocrine system functioning

Question 71

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

A)Competitive, workaholic, and demanding
B)Sociable, nice, and emotionally inhibited
C)Aggressive, friendly, and pressed for time
D)Relaxed, agreeable, and experiences minimal time pressure

Question 72

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 73

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

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

Question 74

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

Question 75

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 76

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)good physical health
D)social support

Question 77

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 78

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 79

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 80

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