Deck 12: Health, Stress, and Coping

Question 1

If getting a new job is perceived as challenging or threatening in some way, then this event would be considered a ____.

A) hassle
B) catastrophe
C) hurdle
D) stressor

Answer 1

stressor

Question 2

Research on Holmes and Rahe's Social Readjustment Rating Scale suggests that ____.

A) major life events that are unscheduled are no more stressful than major life events that are scheduled
B) simply adding up the number of major life changes in a specific time period is the best way to measure stress
C) major life events that are involuntary are less stressful than major life events that are voluntary
D) positive life events can be just as stressful as negative life events

Answer 2

positive life events can be just as stressful as negative life events

Question 3

A college student taking the Holmes and Rahe Social Readjustment Rating Scale would ____.

A) see that graduation from college is rated more stressful than getting married
B) generally score higher than someone else who is not a college student
C) find many items that pertain specifically to being a college student
D) not find many items that pertain specifically to being a college student

Answer 3

not find many items that pertain specifically to being a college student

Question 4

Life events that are voluntary, scheduled, and desirable are ____.

A) more stressful than life events that are involuntary, unscheduled, and undesirable
B) just as stressful as life events that are involuntary, unscheduled, and undesirable
C) more stressful than life events that are involuntary and undesirable, but scheduled
D) less stressful than life events that are involuntary, unscheduled, and undesirable

Question 5

The varied responsibilities of being a mother, many of which are stressful, are a good example of what psychologists call ____.

A) daily hassles
B) conflagrations
C) conflicts
D) catastrophes

Question 6

According to research evaluating Holmes and Rahe's Social Readjustment Rating Scale, which individual would be more prone to illness?

A) Moises, who was suddenly laid off from his job
B) Lenny, who quit his job
C) Blain, who has decided to retire from his job
D) Felix, who has just accepted a new job position

Question 7

Stress is any ____.

A) psychological event that causes a negative psychological reaction
B) biological event that causes a negative biological reaction
C) stimulus or event that causes a negative reaction
D) stimulus or event that we respond to because we perceive it as threatening or challenging

Question 8

Those who score high on Holmes and Rahe's Social Readjustment Rating Scale ____.

A) are prone to physical illness
B) tend to be high-achievers
C) are likely to be female
D) earn a high income

Question 9

Holmes and Rahe's Social Readjustment Rating Scale ____.

A) is used to make a diagnosis of mental illness
B) provides a measure of personality characteristics
C) measures the impact of major life events
D) suggests ways of dealing with social problems

Question 10

What do having a baby, getting a new job, moving, and taking a test all have in common? They are all ____.

A) positive
B) negative
C) stressful
D) hassles

Question 11

Which event is more stressful than the others, according to Holmes and Rahe's scale?

A) Marital reconciliation
B) Change to a different line of work
C) Change in responsibilities at work
D) Marriage

Question 12

Jeremiah survived the tornado that recently hit Joplin, Missouri. He has experienced a ____.

A) daily hassle
B) major life event
C) catastrophe
D) conflict

Question 13

Holmes and Rahe's Social Readjustment Rating Scale is most related to which concept?

A) Daily hassles
B) Life change units
C) Catastrophes
D) Conflicts

Question 14

Research on stress among college students suggests that students who are highly stressed have a grade point average that is likely to be ____.

A) unaffected, compared to others not experiencing stress
B) lower than those who are not stressed
C) higher than those who are not stressed
D) unaffected for males, but lower for females

Question 15

Holmes and Rahe's Social Readjustment Rating Scale measures the amount of stress associated with a person's ____.

A) life events
B) daily hassles
C) catastrophes
D) conflicts

Question 16

Which event would most likely be considered a catastrophe?

A) Tornado
B) The expected death of a family member
C) Retirement
D) Birth of a child

Question 17

Post-traumatic stress disorder is most related to ____.

A) major life events
B) catastrophes
C) daily hassles
D) conflicts

Question 18

People who experience catastrophes tend to ____.

A) experience depression or anxiety
B) be incapable of remembering their traumatic experiences
C) develop psychotic reactions in response to the catastrophe
D) adjust better than those who experience less sudden trauma

Question 19

When catastrophic events result in a person making very positive changes in his or her life, then we say that person has engaged in ____.

A) catastrophic positivity
B) trauma syndrome
C) benefit-finding
D) the fight-or-flight reaction

Question 20

For most people, ____ will be their greatest source of stress.

A) daily hassles
B) conflicts
C) catastrophes
D) major life events

Question 21

For most people, having to choose between taking a two-hour final exam and giving a 30-minute oral presentation would be an example of an ____ conflict.

A) approach-avoidance
B) avoidance-avoidance
C) avoidance-approach
D) approach-approach

Question 22

Which of the following would be least likely to be considered a daily hassle?

A) Too many things to do
B) Serious issues with another person
C) Enduring a stressful, but routine event
D) Misplacing or losing things

Question 23

Daily hassles are a specific type of ____.

A) conflict
B) catastrophe
C) discrimination
D) stressor

Question 24

Which type of conflict is the easiest to resolve and perceived as the least stressful?

A) Avoidance-avoidance
B) Avoidance-approach
C) Approach-approach
D) Approach-avoidance

Question 25

Which conflict is least likely to result in inaction by the person facing the conflict?

A) Approach-avoidance
B) Avoidance-approach
C) Approach-approach
D) Avoidance-avoidance

Question 26

Rueben is sitting in traffic on a busy freeway. Reuben is experiencing a ____.

A) daily hassle
B) catastrophe
C) life change
D) major life event

Question 27

Wendy goes shopping and finds two outfits that she really likes, but she can only afford to purchase one. What type of conflict is Wendy experiencing?

A) Avoidance-avoidance
B) Approach-approach
C) Approach-avoidance
D) Multiple approach-avoidance

Question 28

In approach-avoidance conflicts, a person ____.

A) is faced with a choice that has both positive and negative consequences
B) must choose between two undesirable events
C) first begins to deal with a problem and then begins to ignore it
D) must choose between two desirable events

Question 29

Health psychologists define conflict as ____.

A) having to choose between two or more options
B) the irritations and frustrations that we face every day
C) emotion laden interactions between two enemies
D) unexpected traumatic events

Question 30

Women are more likely than men to report stress about ____.

A) technology
B) health concerns
C) noise exposure
D) traffic

Question 31

Which of the following would be an example of what psychologists call a daily hassle?

A) Losing a loved one
B) Getting fired from a job
C) Giving birth to a child
D) Dealing with a traffic jam

Question 32

Hispanic Americans are more likely to report ____ as daily hassles than European or African Americans.

A) economic matters
B) problems with aging parents
C) feeling lonely
D) invasion of personal privacy

Question 33

Which of the following is most clearly the opposite of an approach-approach conflict?

A) An approach-avoidance conflict
B) An avoidance-avoidance conflict
C) A reproach-approach conflict
D) A reproach-reproach conflict

Question 34

Daniel hates vegetables. His mother gives him the option of either having green beans or squash with dinner. What type of conflict is Daniel experiencing?

A) Approach-approach
B) Approach-avoidance
C) Avoidance-avoidance
D) Multiple approach-avoidance

Question 35

Research using the Holmes and Rahe scale indicates that ___ of people whose life events put them in the "major life crisis" category experienced deteriorated health.

A) 37%
B) 51%
C) 79%
D) 97%

Question 36

Which of the following does some research suggest may strengthen health neural networks and make us less vulnerable to stressors later in life?

A) Developing posttraumatic stress disorder as a child
B) Successfully recovering from significant stress especially early in life
C) Experiencing chronic uncontrollable stress in childhood
D) Being sheltered from experiencing adversity until adulthood

Question 37

Research on daily hassles indicates that they ____.

A) do not create a significant amount of stress
B) can create a significant amount of stress
C) create more stress than conflicts but less stress than catastrophes
D) create more stress than major life events but less stress than conflicts

Question 38

A typical response to an avoidance-avoidance conflict is ____.

A) quick action
B) indecision
C) perceived exhilaration
D) anger

Question 39

Your friends who are educated and wealthy are less likely than your friends who are uneducated and poor to experience daily hassles concerning ____.

A) aging parents
B) illness of a family member
C) world politics
D) technology

Question 40

The stress of adapting to a new culture is called ____.

A) a daily hassle
B) acculturative stress
C) post-traumatic stress syndrome
D) post-traumatic growth syndrome

Question 41

If your sister becomes upset when her best friend does not come to her birthday party, it would be safe to assume that her primary appraisal of this event was ____.

A) irrelevant
B) stressful
C) positive
D) counterfactual

Question 42

Miguel is a cowboy who loves to tame horses. When a wild horse is delivered to Miguel's ranch one day, it is likely that Miguel's appraisal of this event will lead to feelings of ____.

A) excitement
B) anxiety
C) fear
D) anger

Question 43

A threat that is appraised as ____ is one that we believe will do us some damage or injury.

A) conflicting
B) obstructive
C) challenging
D) harmful

Question 44

For some students, taking a test is perceived as ____, because it represents an opportunity to show mastery of the material and perhaps learn a few more things from the test itself.

A) irrelevant
B) challenging
C) harmful
D) threatening

Question 45

Dory is an avid hiker and is looking forward to her vacation in the mountains. It is most likely that Dory's vacation will be appraised as ____.

A) threatening
B) irrelevant
C) challenging
D) harmful

Question 46

Which is the correct sequence of stages in Selye's general adaptation syndrome?

A) Resistance, alarm, exhaustion
B) Exhaustion, alarm, resistance
C) Alarm, exhaustion, resistance
D) Alarm, resistance, exhaustion

Question 47

If you are excited about hosting a party but your friend is extremely anxious about it, this difference is most likely due to ____.

A) hassles
B) conflicts
C) appraisals
D) antagonism

Question 48

Being insulted by another person but not being upset by it would be an example of a(n) ____ primary appraisal.

A) positive
B) avoidance
C) irrelevant
D) negative

Question 49

Which of the following is most likely to occur in the alarm stage of the general adaptation syndrome?

A) The body's resources begin to dwindle
B) Headaches, backaches, and insomnia
C) Heart rate and blood pressure begin to increase
D) Immune function decreases dangerously

Question 50

Walter interprets an event as stressful. Walter has engaged in ____.

A) resistance
B) exhaustion
C) the primacy process
D) primary appraisal

Question 51

Binh appraises a roller coaster ride as a harmful event. If she has to ride one, it is most likely that Binh will experience ____.

A) happiness
B) anxiety
C) excitement
D) exhilaration

Question 52

Hans Selye's general adaptation syndrome describes the ____.

A) mental illnesses associated with prolonged stress
B) cognitive appraisal steps involved in perceiving events
C) body's reaction to stress
D) therapeutic model used to help those overwhelmed by stress

Question 53

Which appraisal is likely to lead to the least amount of perceived stress?

A) Threat
B) Challenge
C) Harm
D) Irrelevant

Question 54

Immediately after you appraise a situation or event as stressful, ____.

A) you use coping skills to deal with it
B) your body changes to deal with the stressor
C) your body begins to experience breakdown
D) you determine what kind of conflict it is

Question 55

Which appraisal is most associated with a feeling of "opportunity"?

A) Hassle
B) Threat
C) Challenge
D) Harmful

Question 56

If your primary appraisal of a situation is that it simply does not matter to your happiness or safety, you appraise it as ____.

A) incomplete
B) irrelevant
C) positive
D) stressful

Question 57

While driving in heavy traffic, Nathan narrowly misses hitting another car. After the event, his heart rate and blood pressure increase. According to Selye, Nathan is MOST likely in which phase of the general adaptation syndrome?

A) Resistance
B) Exhaustion
C) Alarm reaction
D) Primary appraisal

Question 58

Primary appraisal refers to ____.

A) one's biological predisposition toward stress reactions
B) one's most significant reaction to an event
C) a reaction to a stressful event that is typical of a younger person
D) a person's initial interpretation of an event

Question 59

The first step in experiencing stress is ____.

A) resistance
B) reaction
C) appraisal
D) denial

Question 60

When a person evaluates what must be done to cope with or manage the stressor, they are engaged in ____.

A) primary appraisal
B) secondary appraisal
C) problem-focused coping
D) emotion-focused coping

Question 61

If you have been subjected to a high degree of stress and your body's reactions are beginning to become less intense, you are in the ____ stage of the general adaptation syndrome.

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

Question 62

The specific biological system that is activated in the alarm reaction phase of the general adaptation syndrome is the ____.

A) melatonergic system
B) sympathetic nervous system
C) parasympathetic nervous system
D) limbic system

Question 63

Which of the following is most likely to be involved in the alarm stage of the body's reaction to stress?

A) Hippocampus
B) Thyroid
C) Adrenal glands
D) Temporal lobe

Question 64

Your psychology instructor has just announced a pop quiz. According to Selye's general adaptation syndrome, which event will occur first?

A) Your immune system will shut down.
B) Your parasympathetic nervous system will be activated.
C) Your sympathetic nervous system will be activated.
D) You will appraise the event as positive, negative, or neutral.

Question 65

Students who find that they are more susceptible to catching a cold or the flu around the time of final exams are experiencing the effects of the ____ stage.

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

Question 66

Antonio, who has recently been widowed, is experiencing a greater number of sicknesses in association with the stress of losing his spouse. This is most likely due to ____.

A) a secondary reaction
B) neurological rebound
C) immunosuppression
D) flight or fight

Question 67

When a stressor ends while your body is in the alarm stage, the ____.

A) parasympathetic nervous system will then become active
B) sympathetic nervous system will then become active
C) adrenal glands will then release corticosteroids
D) pituitary gland will then release endorphins

Question 68

By the time a person has reached the exhaustion stage in the body's reaction to stress, the ____.

A) effects of the stressor are no longer apparent
B) body has successfully adapted to the stressor
C) fight-or-flight response has begun to exert its effects
D) stressor has overwhelmed the body

Question 69

Immunosuppression may occur when ____.

A) serotonin and dopamine are released into synapses
B) corticosteroids and endorphins are released into the bloodstream
C) glutamate and GABA are released into synapses
D) oxytocin and other peptides are released into the bloodstream

Question 70

During the exhaustion stage of the body's reaction to stress, the body ____.

A) continues to cope with the stressor, but its resources are dwindling
B) is actively and successfully fighting the stressor
C) begins to show the negative effects of the stressor
D) is resistant to sensations of pain

Question 71

The female response to stress has been called ____.

A) hope and despair
B) open and shut
C) fight or flight
D) tend and befriend

Question 72

When you hear your teacher talk about the body's "fight-or-flight" response, you should know that she is referring to the ____.

A) release of testosterone
B) cognitive strategy of dissociation
C) effect of long-term exposure to stress
D) sympathetic nervous system activity

Question 73

Which of the following is a typical reaction of the body in response to a perceived stressor?

A) The pituitary gland stores endorphins.
B) The adrenal gland releases corticosteroids.
C) Heart rate and blood pressure decrease.
D) The liver stores sugars.

Question 74

Which phrase best describes the exhaustion stage of the general adaptation syndrome?

A) Wear and tear
B) Sleep and relaxation
C) Fight or flight
D) Sink or swim

Question 75

Rohini was scared by a big dog as she was walking home from the bus stop. Now, Rohini has calmed down. According to Selye's general adaptation syndrome, which event promotes her calming down?

A) Rohini's body entering the resistance stage
B) Rohini's body releasing corticosteroids
C) Rohini's parasympathetic nervous system being activated
D) Rohini's sympathetic nervous system being activated

Question 76

The purpose of the alarm reaction phase of the general adaptation syndrome appears to be ____.

A) biological preparation
B) long-term coping
C) cognitive appraisal
D) memory consolidation

Question 77

High levels of adrenaline and corticosteroids in the body for prolonged periods of time ____.

A) lead to increased ability to pay attention and react to stimuli
B) promote relaxation and sleep
C) increase the effectiveness of the immune system
D) damage the heart and lessen the effectiveness of the immune system

Question 78

Immunosuppression refers to ____.

A) amplification of the immune system during stressful times
B) dampening of the immune system function in response to stress
C) experiencing the appraisal stage of stress reactions
D) the effects of vaccination

Question 79

When a person perceives a threat in the environment, the ____ system is activated.

A) somatic nervous
B) sympathetic nervous
C) limbic
D) parasympathetic nervous

Question 80

Immunosuppression is most closely associated with which stage of the general adaptation syndrome?

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