Deck 12: Coping With Turbulence, Gains, and Losses

Question 1

Boundary ambiguity helps families effectively manage stressful situations.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Research has found that denial is helpful in coping with family stress situations.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

According to research, Koo's roller-coaster pattern of family stress and crisis response is an accurate description of recovery for all families.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Differentiation increases a family's effectiveness at managing and coping following a stressor event.

Question 5

An individual's level of fusion is inversely related to a family's ability to respond effectively in a crisis situation.

Question 6

When a family begins asking one another "Why aren't our old strategies working?" they are operating at a meta-level.

Question 7

A family may be able to recover more quickly from a crisis such as a stillbirth if:

A) They are careful not to burden one another with their grief
B) They attempt to put the death behind them and move on
C) They talk about the death with each other
D) They discipline themselves to grieve only in private

Question 8

A model of circular causality regarding alcohol abuse in families would suppose that the experience of stress:

A) Is a motivation for getting treatment
B) Is both cause and effect
C) Is a treatment outcome
D) Mainly creates alcohol abuse

Question 9

Jean's elderly mother recently experienced a stroke and needs additional care. An example of a cognitive coping strategy for her family would be:

A) Jean calling her aunt to set up a visitation schedule
B) Jean calling a social worker to talk about her stressful feelings
C) Jean telling her kids, "Gramma looked after us in the past, now it is our turn to look after her."
D) Jean waiting to see if the hospital staff will provide post-hospital treatment

Question 10

Which of the following is the healthiest management strategy for a family that has lost a major wage earner?

A) Do not talk about it, as that will increase tension
B) Increase participation in the "informal economy" by trading skills, barter and exchanging resources within the community
C) Continue current spending habits (using credit cards, if necessary) so that no family member becomes depressed
D) Relieve the tension with better meals

Question 11

According to the Holmes and Rahe Social Readjustment Scale, which event is the most serious stressor event for most families?

A) Getting fired at work
B) Death of a spouse
C) Divorce
D) Getting married

Question 12

Koo's "roller coaster course of adjustment" includes all of the following except:

A) A period of disorganization
B) A sharp drop in coping ability
C) An angle of recovery
D) A new level of organization

Question 13

The term stress pile-up refers to:

A) The trajectory of despair in a family's life after the death of a family member
B) The accumulation of several changes occurring simultaneously
C) Several stressor events happening over a short duration
D) B & C

Question 14

Over time families develop a repertoire of skills, rules and resources to enable them to manage a variety of developmental or stress related changes. The term for this is:

A) Resource pile-up
B) Requisite variety
C) Homeostasis
D) Equifinality

Question 15

The Mitchel's are having a difficult time getting their house repaired after the fire. First, the insurance company contested their coverage and refused to pay for the repairs. Then, they couldn't find a contractor that the insurance company would accept. When they finally did find a contractor the work took 3 months longer than bid. The last straw was when the pipes in the upstairs bath burst the week before they were to move back in and flooded out the entire home. The Michelle's may be experiencing:

A) Requisite variety of stress
B) Chronic family anxiety
C) Stress pile-up
D) Morphostasis

Question 16

Latisha's dad died last week. It was a shock for the family because he was only 49 and had no health problems and ran a marathon last year. Right now everyone in the family is just reeling from the shock. They are:

A) In the acute stage of their stress reaction
B) Experiencing a normative developmental stressor
C) In the middle of chronic family anxiety
D) Reorganizing and creating new rules and ways of relating

Question 17

Which of the following statements is the best characterization of the research findings about
Koo's roller-coaster pattern of family stress response:

A) It is an accurate description of the experience of all families
B) It is reflective of the experience of all but a few families
C) It is describes one of the paths to crisis resolution for families
D) It is an accurate reflection of the crisis experience of only a small group of families

Question 18

When they are confronted with a family change brought on by a stressor event families most often attempt to manage the stressor with:

A) Level I coping
B) Level II coping
C) Level III coping
D) Level IV coping

Question 19

Caroline was driving her parent's new car to school on a winter day and she hit a patch of ice. The car spun out of control and went into the ditch. Her father arrived as the tow truck was pulling the car back onto the road. He took a long look at the crumpled bumper and door and said calmly, "Don't worry about the car. That is what insurance is for. We can replace the car but we couldn't replace you!" Her father was using:

A) A cognitive coping strategy to redefine the situation
B) An emotional strategy to resolve the crisis and keep from yelling at her
C) Fusion to gradually cope with the accident
D) Adaptability

Question 20

Dorothy's daughter died at age 6 from a rare type of childhood leukemia. She says "It is the will of God." Dorothy is utilizing what type of coping strategy in dealing with her loss?

A) Differentiation
B) Fusion
C) Defining the situation
D) Defensive socialization

Question 21

Caroline was driving her parent's new car to school on a winter day and she hit a patch of ice. The car spun out of control and went into the ditch. Her father arrived as the tow truck was pulling the car back onto the road. He took a long look at the crumpled bumper and door and began to shout at her about driving too fast and being careless on slick roads. Her father's response to the stressor is best described as:

A) Fusion
B) Differentiation
C) Cognition
D) Perception

Question 22

Family changes due to stressor events can create strong emotional reactions. The key to effective management of emotions for families is:

A) Being aware of emotions
B) Releasing emotions in healthy ways
C) Ignoring the emotions in the family
D) A & B

Question 23

When a family joins a grief group following the unexpected death of a family member the experience should benefit the family by:

A) Giving them a sense of belonging
B) Giving them the feeling they are cared for and loved
C) A feeling of value
D) All of the above

Question 24

When a family begins asking one another "Why aren't our old strategies working?" they are operating at:

A) Level I
B) Level II
C) Level III
D) Level IV

Question 25

Whether a stressor comes from within the family or from outside the family makes a difference in the ability of the family to define it ways that facilitate coping. Indicate whether a given stressor originates outside or inside the family.
-Family member being in a National Guard Unit that was mobilized and sent to the Gulf War

A) Stressor originates outside the family
B) Stressor originates inside the family

Question 26

Whether a stressor comes from within the family or from outside the family makes a difference in the ability of the family to define it ways that facilitate coping. Indicate whether a given stressor originates outside or inside the family.
-Hurricane Alice

A) Stressor originates outside the family
B) Stressor originates inside the family

Question 27

Whether a stressor comes from within the family or from outside the family makes a difference in the ability of the family to define it ways that facilitate coping. Indicate whether a given stressor originates outside or inside the family.
-Methamphetamine addiction

A) Stressor originates outside the family
B) Stressor originates inside the family

Question 28

Whether a stressor comes from within the family or from outside the family makes a difference in the ability of the family to define it ways that facilitate coping. Indicate whether a given stressor originates outside or inside the family.
-Sexual abuse of a family member by an Uncle

A) Stressor originates outside the family
B) Stressor originates inside the family

Question 29

Whether a stressor comes from within the family or from outside the family makes a difference in the ability of the family to define it ways that facilitate coping. Indicate whether a given stressor originates outside or inside the family.
-Losing all your savings in the Dot.com crash

A) Stressor originates outside the family
B) Stressor originates inside the family

Question 30

Whether a stressor comes from within the family or from outside the family makes a difference in the ability of the family to define it ways that facilitate coping. Indicate whether a given stressor originates outside or inside the family.
-A job promotion

A) Stressor originates outside the family
B) Stressor originates inside the family

Question 31

Whether a stressor comes from within the family or from outside the family makes a difference in the ability of the family to define it ways that facilitate coping. Indicate whether a given stressor originates outside or inside the family.
-Your wife having an affair

A) Stressor originates outside the family
B) Stressor originates inside the family

Question 32

Whether a stressor comes from within the family or from outside the family makes a difference in the ability of the family to define it ways that facilitate coping. Indicate whether a given stressor originates outside or inside the family.
-Your youngest son gets arrested for shoplifting

A) Stressor originates outside the family
B) Stressor originates inside the family

Question 33

Whether a stressor comes from within the family or from outside the family makes a difference in the ability of the family to define it ways that facilitate coping. Indicate whether a given stressor originates outside or inside the family.
-Being flooded out by the Mississippi river

A) Stressor originates outside the family
B) Stressor originates inside the family

Question 34

Whether a stressor comes from within the family or from outside the family makes a difference in the ability of the family to define it ways that facilitate coping. Indicate whether a given stressor originates outside or inside the family.
-Sexual harassment at work

A) Stressor originates outside the family
B) Stressor originates inside the family

Question 35

Whether a stressor comes from within the family or from outside the family makes a difference in the ability of the family to define it ways that facilitate coping. Indicate whether a given stressor originates outside or inside the family.
-Having a family member killed on Alaska flight 251

A) Stressor originates outside the family
B) Stressor originates inside the family

Question 36

Which is likely to be more difficult for a family to recover from, a stressor that originates inside the family or one that originates from outside? Why?

Question 37

Discuss 3 cognitive coping strategies that might help a family deal with a family crisis.

Question 38

The Smith family just found out that they won a $40 million lottery. What are three level I coping strategies that might enable the Smiths to manage this change in their family?