Deck 3: Stress and Health Psychology

Question 1

Which of the following is NOT a stressor?

A) Winning the lottery
B) A death in the family
C) Taking a test
D) All of these options ARE stressors

Answer 1

All of these options ARE stressors

Question 2

This person is LEAST likely to experience burnout.

A) A doctor
B) A teacher
C) A police officer
D) A photographer

Answer 2

A photographer

Question 3

A stressor is defined as:

A) an environmental trigger that induces stress
B) the physiological reaction of the body to environmental factors
C) a negative emotion resulting from environmental unpleasantness
D) the nonspecific response of the body to any demand made on it

Answer 3

an environmental trigger that induces stress

Question 4

The Social Readjustment Rating Scale, constructed by Holmes and Rahe, measures the stress in a person's life on the basis of _____.

A) life changes
B) stress tolerance
C) daily hassles
D) the balance between eustress and distress

Question 5

This is a TRUE statement about SRRS scores.

A) High scores cause an increase in illness.
B) They are correlated with illness.
C) Illness causes high scores.
D) Scores of 150-199 are associated with an 80% chance of illness.

Question 6

When one is forced to choose between two or more different and incompatible personal or professional functions, one is experiencing ______.

A) role conflict
B) eustress
C) burnout
D) vestress

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT one of the major causes of stress identified in your text?

A) Life changes
B) Daily routines
C) Burnout
D) Hassles

Question 8

In your text, physical and mental arousal to situations that we perceive as threatening or challenging is called _____.

A) A health crisis
B) Stressors
C) Stress
D) All of these options

Question 9

Which of the following persons is MOST likely to experience chronic stress?

A) Zachary's father died of a heart attack three weeks ago.
B) Junko has been in labor for 10 hours so far.
C) Wen-Ho is stuck on a Los Angeles freeway at rush hour while visiting his aunt for the week.
D) Paulette is shy and attending a new high school.

Question 10

Poor working conditions and/ or a bad marriage are classified in your text as:

A) stressful life events
B) hassles
C) chronic stressors
D) eustress

Question 11

Pleasant, positive, desirable stress is called _____.

A) Eustress
B) Pseudo-stress
C) Excitement
D) Happiness

Question 12

John was planning to ask Susan to marry him. When he saw Susan kissing another man at a party, he was quite upset. In this situation, John's seeing Susan kissing another man is _____, and it illustrates _____.

A) a stressor; distress
B) eustress; a stressor
C) distress; a stressor
D) a stressor; eustress

Question 13

The stressor that includes role conflict and burnout is .

A) eustress
B) situational stress
C) job stress
D) life changes

Question 14

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A) Eustress is pleasant stress, while distress is threatening/unpleasant stress
B) All stress is bad
C) A total absence of stress would eventually lead to death
D) a and c are true

Question 15

Which of the following situations is the BEST example of eustress?

A) Akiko is struggling to complete the last mile of her first triathlon.
B) Mose is performing his regular, moderate workout at the gym.
C) Alban just sprained his ankle playing a grueling tennis match.
D) Both Akiko and Mose best exemplify eustress.

Question 16

You have a minor car accident after which you experience sweaty palms, rapid breathing, and a racing heart. In this situation, _____ is the stressor, and _____ is the stress reaction.

A) your racing heart; the accident
B) the accident; your physical reaction
C) your sweaty palms; your rapid breathing
D) the accident; the accident

Question 17

Distress is _____.

A) Neutral
B) The result of internal stressors
C) The result of external stressors
D) Unpleasant

Question 18

The end result of a total absence of stress is _____.

A) euphoria
B) eustress
C) death
D) nirvana

Question 19

_____ is one of the largest sources of chronic stress for adults.

A) Birth
B) Work
C) Christmas
D) Moving

Question 20

Desmond sees an attractive woman whom he would like to meet. As he approaches her, his heart starts racing and his pupils dilate. In this situation, _____ is the stressor, and _____ is the stress reaction.

A) Desmond; Desmond's attraction to the woman
B) approaching the attractive woman; Desmond's racing heart
C) Desmond's racing heart and dilated pupils; the attractive woman
D) none of these options; this is an enjoyable experience

Question 21

In an approach-approach conflict, a person must choose between two or more goals that will both lead to _____.

A) less conflict
B) frustration
C) a desirable result
D) effective coping

Question 22

Tanner wants to make his mother's favorite dish, but he has no cardamom, an essential ingredient. He tries, unsuccessfully, to borrow some from three of his neighbors. He drives to several stores, but none of them have it. The negative emotion Tanner begins to experience is called _____.

A) an avoidance-avoidance conflict
B) the failure syndrome
C) frustration
D) stress-induced anger

Question 23

Three-year-old Cory wants to stay up, rather than going to bed. However, he has to decide whether he will go to bed now or in five minutes. This is an example of _____ conflict.

A) an approach-approach
B) an avoidance-avoidance
C) an approach-avoidance
D) all of the above

Question 24

In an avoidance-avoidance conflict, a person must choose between two or more goals that will both lead to _____.

A) more conflict
B) hostility
C) an undesirable result
D) ineffective coping

Question 25

Which of the following is an approach-avoidance conflict?

A) Choice A - positive result; Choice B - positive result
B) Choice A - positive result; Choice B - negative result
C) Choice A - negative result; Choice B - negative result
D) Choice A and B both have a positive and negative result

Question 26

An elevator got stuck between floors and kept its occupants trapped for hours. Which of the occupants was likely to experience the MOST frustration?

A) The child who was late for school
B) The husband who was late for breakfast with his mother-in-law
C) The woman who was late for her job interview
D) The man who was late for root-canal work at his dentist's office

Question 27

Moving to a new city is considered a _____, whereas filling out change-of-address cards for all your subscriptions and creditors is considered a _____.

A) distressor; eustressor
B) stressor; frustrator
C) stressor; hassle
D) hassle; minor problem

Question 28

Small problems of daily living that accumulate and sometimes become a major source of stress are called _____.

A) hassles
B) stressors
C) chronic stressors
D) frustrators

Question 29

______________ is a negative emotional state generally associated with a blocked goal.

A) Frustration
B) A hassle
C) Stress
D) Conflict

Question 30

Moya really wants to stay home and talk to her best friend on the telephone tonight, but she also wants to go out with her new boyfriend. This is an example of _____ conflict.

A) an approach-approach
B) an avoidance-avoidance
C) an approach-avoidance
D) all of the above

Question 31

Holmes is running for congress and has to decide whether or not to tell the truth about his use of drugs in high school. This is an example of _____.

A) approach-approach conflict
B) avoidance-avoidance conflict
C) the problem with a democracy
D) an approach-avoidance conflict

Question 32

People who think of their professions as a "calling," such as nurses, _________.

A) rarely experience burnout due to their idealism.
B) may experience burnout, but do so significantly less often than police officers.
C) are not vulnerable to burnout.
D) may burn out due to loss of idealism.

Question 33

According to your text, the degree of frustration you feel is related to _____.

A) the number of stressors in your life
B) your level of motivation to achieve a blocked goal
C) the ratio of intrinsic to extrinsic motivators in the situation
D) your innate frustration threshold

Question 34

Samsara is an idealistic person who is exposed to chronic stress in her emotionally draining job as an air traffic controller. The BEST term to describe what Samsara is likely to experience as a result of this situation is _____.

A) burnout
B) eustress
C) technostress
D) minor hassles

Question 35

The most difficult conflict to resolve is usually the _____ conflict.

A) avoidance-avoidance
B) approach-approach
C) approach-avoidance
D) none of these options

Question 36

In an _____ conflict, a person must choose between two or more alternatives that each have both desirable and undesirable results.

A) approach-approach
B) avoidance-avoidance
C) approach-avoidance
D) none of these options

Question 37

A cataclysmic event

A) is a high-level, chronic stressor
B) is a personal, intense stressor involving loss
C) causes interpersonal distress
D) is devastating to all parts of a victim's life

Question 38

_____ is an unpleasant state of tension, anxiety, and heightened sympathetic activity that results from a blocked goal.

A) Frustration
B) Hostility
C) Conflict
D) Anger

Question 39

A state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion attributable to long-term involvement in emotionally demanding situations is called _____.

A) primary conflict
B) technostress
C) burnout
D) secondary conflict

Question 40

A negative emotional state caused by having to choose between two or more incompatible goals or impulses is called _____.

A) frustration
B) conflict
C) stress
D) hostility

Question 41

Than was recently laid off. His bills are now piling up, he hasn't found a new job yet, and his wife is pregnant. Which phase of the general adaptation syndrome is he MOST likely experiencing?

A) Resistance
B) Alarm
C) Exhaustion
D) Burnout

Question 42

The body's immediate fight-or-flight response is facilitated by the _______ system(s).

A) SAM and HPA
B) HPA
C) EPA
D) SAM and PDQ

Question 43

During the _____ phase of Selye's theory of stress, considerable energy is expended to adapt to the stressor.

A) alarm reaction
B) accelerated responsiveness
C) resistance
D) exhaustion

Question 44

A physiological alarm reaction, followed by resistance and ending with exhaustion, is known as _____.

A) the fight-or-flight response
B) the general adaptation syndrome
C) HPA axis
D) SAM system

Question 45

_____ is the field that studies the effects of psychological factors on the immune system.

A) Psychosomatology
B) Neurobiology
C) Psychoneuroimmunology
D) Biopsychology

Question 46

Survivors of cataclysmic events may develop a prolonged and severe stress reaction, known as _________.

A) DEF
B) PTSD
C) OCD
D) COPD

Question 47

According to your text, the chemical that saves feedback information to the brain about the body's response to stress is _______.

A) serotonin
B) cortisol
C) dopamine
D) adrenaline

Question 48

An excessive amount of cortisol can lead to all EXCEPT which of the following:

A) hypertension
B) depression
C) PTSD
D) it can lead to all of these choices

Question 49

After exposure to a severe and prolonged stressor, illness and death may occur in the _____ phase of the general adaptation syndrome.

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

Question 50

The following disease(s) of adaptation may occur after the resistance phase of the GAS:

A) asthma
B) high blood pressure
C) ulcers
D) all of these options

Question 51

As Michael watches his instructor pass out papers, he suddenly realizes that this is the first major exam and that he is totally unprepared. Which phase of the GAS is he most likely experiencing?

A) Resistance
B) Alarm
C) Exhaustion
D) Phase out

Question 52

The fight-or-flight response is triggered by the _____ nervous system.

A) sympathetic
B) synthetic
C) GAS
D) parasympathetic

Question 53

The following is/are example(s) of cataclysmic events:

A) Hurricane Katrina in 2005
B) the Gulf oil spill in 2010
C) the nuclear accident in Japan in 2011
D) all of the above

Question 54

In Selye's general adaptation syndrome theory of stress, the initial response of the autonomic nervous system to a stressor occurs in the _____ phase.

A) resistance
B) primary response
C) global responsiveness
D) alarm reaction

Question 55

Which part of the nervous systems involves the "fight-or-flight" response?

A) Central
B) Autonomic
C) Sympathetic
D) Parasympathetic

Question 56

The body's state of equilibrium is called ______.

A) corporal equilibrium
B) corporal stability
C) pathostability
D) homeostasis

Question 57

Which of the following statements is true?

A) Chronic stress produced a state of ongoing physical arousal, in which our parasympathetic nervous system cannot activate the relaxation response.
B) Hassles are little, everyday problems that "pile up" to cause major stress
C) A stressor is a trigger for stressful reaction
D) All of the above statements are true

Question 58

The release of cortisol during the fight-or-flight response occurs at the end of the _____ pathway.

A) pituitary, hypothalamus, adrenal cortex
B) pituitary, adrenal cortex, hypothalamus
C) hypothalamus, pituitary, adrenal cortex
D) adrenal cortex, hypothalamus, pituitary

Question 59

Which of the following has been implicated in the origin and/or progression of cancer-related diseases?

A) Heredity
B) The environment
C) Changes in the body's immune system
D) All of these options

Question 60

_____ plays a critical role in the long-term effects of stress, and it is the most common measure of stress.

A) Epinephrine
B) Norepinephrine
C) Insulin
D) Cortisol

Question 61

People who interpret the events that happen to them as falling within their mastery exhibit a(n) _____.

A) external locus of control
B) internal locus of control
C) neutral locus of control
D) peripheral locus of control

Question 62

Stress increases the risk of heart disease because unused fat cells released during the stress response may _____.

A) erode the muscles of the heart
B) force the heart to beat too rapidly
C) be deposited on and block coronary arteries
D) increase HDL cholesterol levels

Question 63

Dr. Friedman is treating a Type-A client by modifying only the cynical hostility that is associated with heart disease. Dr. Friedman is practicing _____.

A) unethically
B) the shotgun approach
C) the target behavior approach
D) long-term therapy

Question 64

Which of the following is a tendency to expect the best and see the best in things?

A) optimism
B) positive affect
C) mindfulness
D) none of the above

Question 65

Research suggests that people with which personality trait tend to experience higher levels of stress due to feeling powerless to effect change?

A) external locus of control
B) internal locus of control
C) optimistic
D) type B

Question 66

_____ is the general term for all disorders that affect the heart muscle and can ultimately result in heart failure.

A) Heart attack
B) Atherosclerosis
C) Angina
D) Heart disease

Question 67

The two chemicals released during the fight-or-flight stress response that are associated with the development of heart disease are _____.

A) high-density and low-density cholesterol
B) adrenaline and epinephrine
C) cortisol and epinephrine
D) insulin and leptin

Question 68

What is the personality trait that describes people who believe that events are caused by chance or forces beyond their control?

A) external locus of control
B) internal locus of control
C) neutral locus of control
D) peripheral locus of control

Question 69

People with cynical hostility are more prone to heart disease because _____.

A) they are nearly always in a stressful state
B) their hostility and suspiciousness create interpersonal conflicts
C) they tend to have higher blood pressure and heart rates
D) all of these options

Question 70

Research suggests that this Type-A characteristic is MOST associated with heart disease.

A) Intense ambition
B) Impatience
C) Cynical hostility
D) Time urgency

Question 71

Which of the following is NOT among the characteristics associated with Type-A personality?

A) Time urgency
B) Patience
C) Competition
D) Hostility

Question 72

Dr. Sidney is treating a client with Type-A personality by teaching him behavioral strategies for changing at least one characteristic per week until all the Type - traits disappear. Dr. Sidney is practicing _____.

A) unethically
B) the target-behavior approach
C) the shotgun approach
D) short-term therapy

Question 73

A man was viciously beaten three months ago and is now suffering from PTSD. Which of the following symptoms is he LEAST likely to develop?

A) Nightmares and sleep disturbances
B) Withdrawal from personal relationships
C) Manic and depressive episodes
D) Anxiety and loss of control

Question 74

The lifetime prevalence of trauma is between _________ percent.

A) 40-80
B) 50-90
C) 60-80
D) 70-90

Question 75

Intense ambition, competition, exaggerated time urgency, and a cynical, hostile outlook on life are associated with _____.

A) Type-B personalities
B) Type-A personalities
C) all heart-disease patients
D) all of these options

Question 76

Which of the following persons is NOT adversely affecting his immune system function?

A) A fifteen-year-old cigarette smoker
B) A high school student who stays up all night to "party"
C) A college student who stays up all night to study
D) All of these people are adversely affecting their immune systems

Question 77

Simon is experiencing chest pain due to an insufficient blood supply to the heart. Saul's coronary arteries are nearly blocked, which is slowing blood flow to his heart. Sean has just experienced the death of some of his heart muscle tissue. What do these men have in common?

A) Angina
B) Atherosclerosis
C) Heart attack
D) Heart disease

Question 78

A calm, patient, relaxed attitude toward life is associated with _____.

A) an underachiever
B) a Type-B personality
C) a Type-A personality
D) all of these options

Question 79

People who experience flashbacks, nightmares, and impaired functioning following a life-threatening or other horrifying event might be _____.

A) suffering from a psychosomatic illness
B) experiencing posttraumatic stress disorder
C) having a nervous breakdown
D) weaker than people who take such events in stride

Question 80

Which of the following is demonstrating a sense of pleasure in the environment, including feelings of happiness, joy, enthusiasm, and content?

A) optimism
B) positive affect
C) mindfulness
D) none of the above