Deck 4: Stress

Question 1

The many studies conducted using the Social Readjustment Rating Scale have revealed:

A) a clear pathway of causality between stress and illness.
B) a very strong and negative correlation between stress and illness.
C) no consistent,direct connection between stress and illness.
D) a stronger correlation between stress and illness for women than for men.

Answer 1

no consistent,direct connection between stress and illness.

Question 2

Which of these is an example of a daily hassle?

A) getting stuck in traffic
B) getting a passing grade
C) receiving an appointment reminder
D) getting in a car accident

Answer 2

getting stuck in traffic

Question 3

For minority populations,daily hassles compounded by perceived discrimination have been linked with a marked increase in _____ in that population.

A) diabetes
B) hypertension
C) depression
D) deaths

Answer 3

hypertension

Question 4

The positive counterpart to daily hassles is daily:

A) uplifts.
B) teachable moments.
C) successes.
D) appraisals.

Question 5

Which of these arguments is an example of the enhancement hypothesis?

A) Taking a job outside the home can cause mothers unnecessary stress.
B) Taking a job outside the home can provide mothers with confidence and independence that are important to their well-being.
C) Working mothers may experience increased health benefits at the cost of missing out on their child's early years,which can lead to adverse health consequences later in life.
D) It doesn't matter whether a mother chooses to work or stay home,so long as she is happy with her choice.

Question 6

According to research,Jaron was significantly more likely to experience increased stress related to the 9/11 attacks and to consequently report increased health problems if he:

A) watched four or more hours of 9/11-related television per day following the 9/11 attacks.
B) said a prayer for the 9/11 victims every day following the 9/11 attacks.
C) donated food and clothing to 9/11 victims.
D) tried to avoid any reminders of the tragedy after the 9/11 attacks.

Question 7

Caregiving has been associated with:

A) overproduction of proinflammatory cytokines.
B) a higher percentages of T cells.
C) underproduction of proinflammatory cytokines.
D) a stronger immune response.

Question 8

Scarcity and enhancement are two competing hypotheses regarding women and:

A) burnout.
B) role overload.
C) acculturation stress.
D) cognitive appraisal.

Question 9

Desynchronized biological rhythms,headaches,and sleep disturbances are often associated with:

A) role ambiguity.
B) job loss.
C) inadequate career advancement.
D) shiftwork.

Question 10

Exposure to stress as early as _____ can increase an individual's risk for a range of health problems.

A) pre-birth
B) post-birth
C) early childhood
D) late childhood

Question 11

The medical researcher who first used the term stress,believing it to be a common cause of medical problems,was:

A) Hans Selye.
B) Richard Lazarus.
C) Walter Cannon.
D) Martin Seligman.

Question 12

Critics of research surveys on the impact of daily hassles argue that some of the items listed as hassles are:

A) actually stressors.
B) unsurprising and predictable.
C) actually symptoms of stress.
D) rarely experienced.

Question 13

According to the text,stress is BEST defined as:

A) any event or situation that triggers coping adjustments.
B) the physical and emotional wear-and-tear reaction of a person coping with a stressor.
C) the process by which we perceive and respond to events that are perceived as harmful,threatening,or challenging.
D) a person's determination of a challenging event's meaning.

Question 14

Regarding the question of whether having a job as well as a home and a family enhances or threatens a woman's health,researchers have generally found that the most important factor is the:

A) quality of the experiences in those roles.
B) number of roles in which women participate.
C) number of children.
D) type of job.

Question 15

Ron is so afraid that his job performance will be evaluated negatively that he feels considerable stress driving to work each day.Ron's fear is an example of:

A) learned helplessness.
B) social-evaluative threat.
C) employee disengagement.
D) stereotype threat.

Question 16

The Social Readjustment Rating Scale has been criticized for all these reasons EXCEPT:

A) It consists of vague items open to subjective interpretation.
B) It fails to take into consideration individual differences in the way events are appraised.
C) It does not differentiate between resolved and unresolved stressful events.
D) It separates positive and negative life events more than similar measures.

Question 17

Neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky has found elevated levels of _____ among highly social and intelligent primates that are associated with a _____ level of threat from predators and other life-threatening problems.

A) epinephrine and cortisol; high
B) epinephrine and cortisol; low
C) thyroxin; high
D) oxytocin; low

Question 18

Stressors are:

A) demanding events or situations that trigger coping adjustments in a person.
B) unpleasant environmental stimuli.
C) environmental stimuli that a person has never before experienced.
D) events that cause heart rate and blood pressure to increase.

Question 19

Who is MOST likely to experience burnout?

A) Jenna,who works as an engineer
B) Thomas,who works as an artist
C) Marissa,who works as a caregiver
D) Cory,who works as a salesperson

Question 20

Which stage of life has been recently introduced due to the shift in timetable regarding the completion of transitory milestones such as completing school,leaving home,becoming financially independent,marrying,and having a child?

A) pre-adolescence
B) post-adolescence
C) young adulthood
D) emerging adulthood

Question 21

The fight-or-flight response involves an outpouring of _____ into the bloodstream.

A) estrogen and progesterone
B) acetylcholine and endorphins
C) lymphocytes and glucocorticoids
D) epinephrine and cortisol

Question 22

Josh is a participant in a study in which prompts from his smartphone require him to report on his mood,social interactions,and other variables throughout the day.Evidently,the study he is participating in is making use of the procedure called:

A) 360-degree feedback.
B) ecological momentary assessment.
C) noncontingent signal recording.
D) objective-structured examination.

Question 23

Under instructions from the _____,the _____ gland(s)release hormones that cause the fight-or-flight response.

A) thalamus; parathyroid
B) hypothalamus; pituitary
C) sympathetic nervous system; adrenal
D) parasympathetic nervous system; thyroid

Question 24

The fight-or-flight response:

A) is never adaptive.
B) involves arousal of the parasympathetic nervous system and the endocrine system.
C) involves arousal of the sympathetic nervous system and the endocrine system.
D) is subject to large individual differences.

Question 25

Running like a rope through the middle of the brainstem,the _____ plays a central role in alerting the brain to an impending threat or challenge.

A) hypothalamus
B) thalamus
C) limbic system
D) reticular formation

Question 26

Corticosteroids are:

A) neurotransmitters produced by the hypothalamus.
B) releasing factors produced by the adrenal medulla.
C) hormones produced by the adrenal cortex that fight inflammation and trigger the release of stored energy.
D) white blood cells that attack immunogens and pathogens.

Question 27

In response to a potential stressor perceived by the sense organs,the _____ alerts the brain to an impending threat or challenge.

A) hypothalamus
B) reticular formation
C) pituitary gland
D) occipital lobe

Question 28

Protein molecules produced by immune cells that can bind to receptor sites on brain cells and trigger nerve impulses are called:

A) neurotransmitters.
B) erythrocytes.
C) leukocytes.
D) cytokines.

Question 29

Illnesses and conditions that are more prevalent in men are associated with _____,whereas illnesses and conditions that are more prevalent in women are associated with _____.

A) greater spikes in cortisol and HPA reactivity; hypocortisolism and difficulty returning to homeostasis
B) dips in cortisol and HPA hyperactivity; increased spikes in cortisol and HPA underactivity
C) hypocortisolism and internalized stress; hypercortisolism and reactivity
D) moderate spikes in cortisol and HPA underactivity; greater spikes in cortisol and HPA hyperactivity

Question 30

The condition of _____,as well as being a more prolonged activation of the _____ system,has been linked to the rate of cognitive decline in people with Alzheimer's disease.

A) hypercortisolism; HPA
B) hypocortisolism; HPA
C) hypercortisolism; SAM
D) hypocortisolism; SAM

Question 31

Unrelenting stress can damage the _____,causing levels of the hormone _____ to spiral upward.

A) amygdala; dopamine
B) pituitary gland; ACTH
C) adrenal cortex; epinephrine
D) hippocampus; cortisol

Question 32

The sympatho-adreno-medullary (SAM)axis _____,whereas the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA)axis _____.

A) appraises a stressor; responds to the appraisal of the stressor
B) triggers the stress response; restores the body to homeostasis
C) works to prevent the stress response; prolongs the stress response
D) triggers the fight-or-flight response; delays homeostasis

Question 33

Ader and Cohen's research was instrumental in developing the new field of biomedical research known as:

A) allopathic medicine.
B) behavioral medicine.
C) pharmacokinetics.
D) psychoneuroimmunology.

Question 34

Dr.Kbenga wants to effectively and efficiently measure the levels of stress hormones related to a stressful research lab task,as well as making sure that the results are reliable and quantifiable.Which procedure would be the BEST one to use to garner the desired results?

A) collecting cortisol from a urine sample
B) collecting epinephrine from a saliva sample
C) collecting norepinephrine from a blood sample
D) collecting insulin from a urine sample

Question 35

Psychoneuroimmunology is a field that focuses on:

A) how neurobiologists and psychologists work together to explain health and illness.
B) why the levels of certain hormones change in response to different environmental events.
C) how psychological factors affect immunity through the neuroendocrine system.
D) behavioral factors in health and illness.

Question 36

The tendency to maintain a balanced or constant internal state of physiological functioning is called:

A) self-regulation.
B) homeostasis.
C) eustress.
D) physiological zero.

Question 37

In one study,researchers found that patients who reported higher levels of preoperative stress before undergoing hernia surgery had:

A) lower serum corticosteroid levels.
B) slower rates of wound healing.
C) less painful recovery periods.
D) less inflammation.

Question 38

Which structure is NOT involved in the HPA axis?

A) adrenal cortex
B) hypothalamus
C) pituitary gland
D) adrenal medulla

Question 39

Someone experiencing a stressor such as divorce,bereavement,unemployment,or exam periods typically also experiences:

A) immunosuppression.
B) an increase in T cells.
C) an increase in natural killer cells.
D) an increase in the total number of lymphocytes.

Question 40

In Ader and Cohen's taste-aversion experiment with rats,after repeated pairings,the sweet-tasting water functioned as a(n)_____,and the drug it was paired with functioned as a(n)_____.

A) conditioned stimulus; unconditioned stimulus
B) unconditioned stimulus; conditioned stimulus
C) precipitating factor; predisposing factor
D) predisposing factor; precipitating factor

Question 41

The allostatic load is highest for stressors that are:

A) predictable and controllable.
B) too brief in duration to be prepared for.
C) experienced when coping resources are plentiful.
D) unpredictable or uncontrollable and of longer duration.

Question 42

The process of secondary appraisal involves the evaluation of one's:

A) current emotional state.
B) perception of the event.
C) coping ability and resources.
D) allostatic load.

Question 43

According to Hans Selye,the _____ phase of the general adaptation syndrome is responsible for the physiological damage related to stress.

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

Question 44

Richard Lazarus and his colleagues view stress as primarily a consequence of:

A) environmental events.
B) the number of life change units in a person's daily life.
C) a disruption of homeostasis.
D) how a person appraises environmental events and the person's coping resources.

Question 45

According to the direct effect hypothesis:

A) immunosuppression is part of the body's natural response to stress.
B) stress encourages maladaptive behaviors that weaken the immune system.
C) people sleep less when experiencing stress,causing immunosuppression.
D) consistent interpersonal conflict strengthens immune functioning.

Question 46

In order,these are the three phases of the general adaptation syndrome:

A) resistance,alarm,exhaustion.
B) alarm,exhaustion,resistance.
C) exhaustion,alarm,resistance.
D) alarm,resistance,exhaustion.

Question 47

According to the glucocorticoid-receptor resistance model,chronic stress:

A) interferes with the immune system's sensitivity to hormones that promote inflammation.
B) interferes with the immune system's sensitivity to hormones that regulate the inflammatory response.
C) triggers hypercortisolism.
D) triggers hypocortisolism.

Question 48

One implication of the transactional model is that:

A) some situations or events are inherently stressful.
B) cognitive appraisals are not influenced by changes in mood,health,or motivation.
C) the body's stress response is nearly the same whether a situation is actually experienced or merely imagined.
D) most stressors are controllable.

Question 49

Which of these is the BEST example of a person's use of primary appraisal in reacting to a new job?

A) deciding whether one's skills are sufficient to perform the job
B) changing one's impressions of a job in light of new information
C) deciding whether the job enhances one's self-efficacy
D) determining whether one has the ability to cope with the stress of the job

Question 50

Allostatic load refers to:

A) any event or situation that triggers coping adjustments.
B) the process by which we perceive and respond to threatening events.
C) the cumulative long-term effects of the body's physiological response.
D) the body's initial,rapid-acting response to stress.

Question 51

According to the text,PTSD has been associated with poor health behaviors that play a role in the relationship between PTSD and chronic illness.This statement is an example of the:

A) minority stress theory.
B) transactional model.
C) indirect effect hypothesis.
D) direct effect hypothesis.

Question 52

The process of primary appraisal involves the evaluation of one's:

A) current emotional state.
B) perception of the event.
C) coping ability.
D) resources.

Question 53

Some individuals are more vulnerable to illness because their biological systems respond more strongly to environmental triggers.These individuals show greater:

A) primary appraisal.
B) reactivity.
C) secondary appraisal.
D) reappraisal.

Question 54

Who first suggested that stress is a nonspecific response that the body makes?

A) Richard Lazarus
B) Hans Selye
C) Martin Seligman
D) Walter Cannon

Question 55

According to the indirect effect hypothesis:

A) immunosuppression is part of the body's natural response to stress.
B) stress encourages maladaptive behaviors that weaken the immune system.
C) stress hormones attach to the receptors of T cells and B cells.
D) stress hormones attach to the receptors of lymphocytes,suppressing the immune response.

Question 56

A cognitive reappraisal of potential stressors involves assessing whether:

A) an event threatens a person's well-being.
B) there are sufficient personal resources for coping with a demand.
C) a coping strategy is working.
D) the stressor is positive or negative.

Question 57

Kendra is a participant in a study of fluctuations in physiological stress responses among air traffic controllers.In part of the study,she is required to wear a device underneath her clothes; a control box attached to her belt randomly records data throughout the day.What is the device measuring?

A) lung capacity and oxygen saturation
B) cardiac stroke volume
C) abdominal muscle tension
D) ambulatory blood pressure

Question 58

According to its critics,Selye's model:

A) fails to offer a general theory of reactions to a wide variety of stressors over time.
B) fails to offer a physiological mechanism for the relationship between stress and illness.
C) places too much emphasis on individual differences in response to stress.
D) fails to consider the roles of situational and psychological factors in stress.

Question 59

According to the diathesis-stress model,disease outcomes result from:

A) the stressors that a person experiences.
B) physiological vulnerabilities.
C) changes in health behavior.
D) the interaction between a person's psychological and physiological vulnerabilities and the stressors he or she experiences.

Question 60

Secondary appraisal refers to:

A) a person's determination of an event's meaning.
B) a person's determination of whether his or her resources are sufficient to meet the demands of a threatening event.
C) the process by which challenging events are constantly reevaluated.
D) the evaluation of a person's unique vulnerability to illness.

Question 61

Using the transactional model,describe what a student,named Steve,may experience when given a pop quiz.Include descriptions of the various outcomes that may occur depending on Steve's appraisals of the situation.

Question 62

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)has been associated with:

A) temporary changes in the brain,involving the amygdala.
B) decreased cortisol,norepinephrine,and epinephrine.
C) biochemical and hormonal alterations that last over a long period.
D) temporary hormonal changes.

Question 63

Describe in detail the specific physiological hallmarks and signs of the stress response attributed to the sympatho-adreno-medullary (SAM)and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA)systems.

Question 64

Using a specific example,clearly give details that could illustrate unquestionable evidence for a relationship between stress and physical illness.

Question 65

You are conducting a research study on the relationships between daily hassles and stress.How would you go about measuring the stress caused by the daily hassles experienced by the participants in your study? Compare and contrast different methods of measuring stress,and choose the method you think is most appropriate.

Question 66

Darius is an African American college student who lives with his single mother and makes an hour-long commute through traffic to get to school every day.He is not in regular contact with his father,whom he blames for his parents' divorce,and when his father does call,they typically argue.In order to help his mother,who has type 2 diabetes,pay the medical bills,Darius works at a job with which he is dissatisfied.He was recently diagnosed with asthma.Point out the daily hassles and background stressors described in this example,and explain the potential impact of these stressors on Darius's health.Are any of the hassles that Darius experiences potential symptoms of stress rather than simply stressors? Explain how Darius's daily hassles might be compounded by his demographics.

Question 67

Compare and contrast the transactional model of stress and the diathesis-stress model,paying particular attention to social,biological,and psychological factors that may influence the experience or manifestation of the stress response.

Question 68

A psychological disorder triggered by exposure to an extreme stressor,such as combat,is referred to as:

A) conversion disorder.
B) bipolar disorder.
C) post-traumatic stress disorder.
D) a panic attack.

Question 69

Explain how social support can act as a buffer against the detriments of stress.

Question 70

The text describes two pathways,or hypotheses,regarding how stress influences the immune system.List and describe the two pathways,giving examples of each.

Question 71

Roughly what percent of veterans who experience heavy combat develop post-traumatic disorder (PTSD)?

A) about 10%
B) 15-25%
C) 30-40%
D) over 50%

Question 72

Using the issue of role overload in working women as an exemplar,identify and discuss at least three sources of job stress and how they have the potential to adversely impact the lives of individuals.

Question 73

How did Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe address the question of how much impact major life events have on quality of health? What did they find regarding the relationship between stress and illness? What are some of the strengths and weaknesses of their methods?

Question 74

A year after her combat duty in the war in Iraq,Sheila began having nightmares and unwanted flashbacks to her traumatic experience.Sheila would probably be diagnosed as suffering from:

A) hypochondriasis.
B) post-traumatic stress disorder.
C) bipolar disorder.
D) burnout.

Question 75

To what does the minority stress theory attribute health disparities among minority populations?

A) reduced coping skills among minority populations
B) lack of education among minority populations
C) poor health among minority populations
D) prejudice,hostility,and stigma toward minority populations