Deck 4: Stress

Question 1

Scarcity and enhancement are two competing hypotheses regarding women and:

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

Answer 1

role overload.

Question 2

Residents living near New York City after the 9/11 attacks:

A) were more likely to report health problems following the attack.
B) fared better if they used emotion-focused coping.
C) showed only short-term increases in stress levels.
D) fared worse if they were avoided the constant media reports and coverage.

Answer 2

were more likely to report health problems following the attack.

Question 3

Utilizing 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.

Answer 3

not answered

Question 4

In terms of predicting a person's overall psychological well-being, research studies have shown that:

A) everyday hassles are a better predictor of health problems than major life events.
B) daily uplifts are a better predictor of health than major life events.
C) major life events are a better predictor of health problems than everyday hassles.
D) major life events are a better predictor of health problems than daily uplifts.

Question 5

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 6

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 7

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 8

Research studies of role overload in women have generally concluded that what matters most is:

A) the number of roles a woman occupies.
B) the quality of a working woman's experience in each of her various roles.
C) the extent of each woman's social support network.
D) the level of educational attainment the woman has achieved.

Question 9

The effects of stress are most deleterious when the stressor is:

A) negative.
B) intense.
C) anticipated.
D) unpredictable.

Question 10

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

Question 11

Ron is so afraid that his job performance will be evaluated negatively, 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 12

Explain how perceived personal control may, in certain circumstances, influence individual and group responses, including responses to the stress of crowding, noise, and job-related stress.

Question 13

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

A) impossible to measure.
B) unsurprising and predictable.
C) actually symptoms of stress.
D) rarely experienced.

Question 14

An employment setting in which workers have regular opportunities to do what they do best and they perceive that they are part of something significant is one that promotes:

A) employee engagement.
B) social-evaluative threat.
C) person-environment congruence.
D) primary appraisal.

Question 15

Burnout results from stress that normally accompanies:

A) the loss of a close friend.
B) divorce or separation.
C) daily work stress, particularly in jobs that involve responsibility for other people.
D) daily work stress, particularly in mind-numbing manufacturing jobs.

Question 16

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.

Question 17

The correlation between scores on the Social Readjustment Rating Scale and measures of illness has generally been found to be:

A) very strong and positive.
B) very strong and negative.
C) relatively weak.
D) stronger for women than for men.

Question 18

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 19

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

A) both women and men who balance vocational, marital, and parental roles generally are healthier and happier than adults who function in only one or two of these roles.
B) women (but not men) who attempt to balance vocational, marital, and parental roles have more health complaints than their counterparts who function in only one or two of these roles.
C) both women and men who attempt to balance vocational, marital, and parental roles have more health complaints than their counterparts who function in only one or two of these roles.
D) it is impossible to predict who will have more complaints.

Question 20

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 21

Josh is a participant in a study in which prompts from his smart phone 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 22

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 23

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 24

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 25

Which structure is not involved in the HPA system?

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

Question 26

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 27

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

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

Question 28

In Ader and Cohen's taste-aversion experiment with rats, 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 29

Dr. Kbenga wants to effectively and efficiently measure the levels of stress hormones related to a stressful research lab task, as well as make 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 30

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 31

Regarding the body's response to a potential stressor, SAM is to HPA as ______ is to ______.

A) delayed response; immediate response
B) immediate response; delayed response
C) homeostasis; fight-or-flight
D) anabolism; catabolism

Question 32

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 33

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 34

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 35

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 36

The condition of ______, as well as 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 37

Kenya is a participant in a study of fluctuations in physiological stress responses among air traffic controllers. As 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 38

The fight-or-flight reaction involves an outpouring of ______ into the bloodstream.

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

Question 39

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 40

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 41

Divorce, bereavement, unemployment, and exam periods are often accompanied by:

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 42

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

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

Question 43

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 44

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 45

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 46

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 47

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.

Question 48

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 49

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 50

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 51

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 52

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 53

According to the glucocorticoid-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 terminate the inflammatory response.
C) triggers hypercortisolism.
D) triggers hypocortisolism.

Question 54

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 stress-illness relationship.
C) places too much emphasis on individual differences in response to stress.
D) fails to consider the role of situational and psychological factors in stress.

Question 55

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 56

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 57

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 58

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 59

According to 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 60

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 61

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

A) the stressors 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 62

An example of the interaction of daily hassles with chronic stress is the increase in ______ for individuals that occurred in the New York City area just after the 9/11 attacks.

A) marriage rates
B) life expectancy
C) reactivity
D) civility

Question 63

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 64

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 65

Regarding post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which statement is NOT true?

A) Individuals who develop PTSD are also more vulnerable to other psychological disorders.
B) People who feel a lack of social support are more likely to develop symptoms of PTSD.
C) Female soldiers who experience harassment or sexual assault report higher-than-average symptoms of PTSD.
D) Most veterans who experienced heavy combat eventually develop symptoms of PTSD.

Question 66

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 67

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.