Deck 10: Stress, Coping, and Resilience

Question 1

Using the figure below, which of the following individuals is at the greatest risk for developing breast cancer? Source: Adapted from Lillberg, Verksalo, Kaprio, et al. (2003).

A) Veronica: Young, in good health, living with your parents and attending school, but needs to arrange for a ride to school
B) Gina: Middle-aged, in good health, divorced, but happily married, best friend diagnosed with pancreatic cancer-stage 2
C) Claire: older, high cholesterol and 10 lbs overweight, divorced once, widowed for 3 years, falling out with her sibling, employer cut her hours from 35 to 20 hours a week, and therefore, she lost her benefits
D) Wanda: young, Type 2 diabetes (controlled), getting married in six months

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Chronic tightness in the neck and shoulders, as a response to stress, would be an example of which phase of the general adaptation syndrome?

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

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The "general adaptation syndrome" has three phases. In what order do they occur?

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

Answer 3

A

Question 4

10-11. Holmes & Rahe (1967) argue that ____ change requires adaptation.

A) positive
B) negative
C) sporadic
D) any

Question 5

"Stress can be defined as the body's reaction to some mental or physical demand." What theoretical approach to stress is reflected in this statement?

A) a stimulus-oriented approach
B) a response-oriented approach
C) an interactionist approach
D) a demand approach

Question 6

"Stress can be defined as the body's reaction to some mental or physical demand." What theoretical approach to stress is reflected in this statement?

A) a stimulus-oriented approach
B) a response-oriented approach
C) an interactionist approach
D) a demand approach

Question 7

10-12. According to Yehuda, which gender is most likely to experience a higher incidence of PTSD?

A) both genders equally
B) men
C) women
D) It has not been determined.

Question 8

According to Yehuda, which gender is most likely to experience a higher incidence of PTSD?

A) both genders equally
B) men
C) women
D) It has not been determined.

Question 9

According to Selye's theory of the general adaptation syndrome, what is the final stage of response to stress?

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

Question 10

Which one researcher and theorist has most significantly shaped our current thinking about human stress?

A) George Vaillant
B) Jane Loevinger
C) Janet Giele
D) Hans Selye

Question 11

10-10. Using the figure below, which of the following statements BEST describes the data? Source: Adapted from Almeida & Horn (2004).

A) Men and women report having more days with stressors as they go from middle (40-59) to older adulthood
B) Men and women report having about the same days with stressors as they go from middle(40-59) to older adulthood
C) Men and women report having fewer days with stressors as they go from middle (40-59_ to older adulthood
D) Men report more days with stressors than women at all ages

Question 12

Which of the following would be an example of a "problem-focused" way of coping with stress?

A) Deny any fear or distress.
B) Accept the problem with resignation.
C) Seek information or advice.
D) Think about possible solutions.

Question 13

Which of the following features of a social network appears to be most critical in providing a buffering effect in the face of stress?

A) size
B) frequency of contact
C) intimacy
D) connectedness

Question 14

The observed beneficial effect of social support on disease rates is referred to as the _______.

A) resistance effect
B) general adaptation syndrome
C) Brown and Harris effect
D) buffering effect

Question 15

Which one researcher and theorist has most significantly shaped our current thinking about human stress?

A) George Vaillant
B) Jane Loevinger
C) Janet Giele
D) Hans Selye

Question 16

The first phase of the "general adaptation syndrome" is _______.

A) resistance
B) alarm reaction
C) mobilization of the immune system
D) exhaustion

Question 17

Which of the following is the best statement of the relationship between life changes and disease?

A) High levels of life change are strongly predictive of illness, with correlations in the range of .60 to .70.
B) High levels of life change are modestly predictive of illness, with typical correlations in the range of .30 to .40.
C) High levels of life change are found to be predictive of only certain illnesses, such as cancer or influenza.
D) There is no consistent relationship obtained between level of life change and physical illness.

Question 18

In general, stress _____ with age.

A) fluctuates
B) stays about the same
C) increases
D) decreases

Question 19

10-10. . Choose the BEST answer. Longitudinal studies have linked stress with the occurrence of ______________.

A) breast cancer,
B) death from heart disease c, faster progression of HIV to AIDS
D) All of the above

Question 20

The collection of relationships a person has at any one time with family members and friends is called _______.

A) social support
B) social network
C) attachment network
D) appraisal system

Question 21

10-20. The beneficial effect of social support on disease rates in the face of stress has been found _______.

A) primarily in studies of women; it rarely occurs among men
B) primarily in studies of men; it rarely occurs among women
C) primarily in studies of older adults; it occurs less often among young adults
D) at all ages and in both genders

Question 22

10-24. Which of the following most accurately describes our current understanding of the link between social support and response to stress?

A) Support from intimate friends or partners has a more powerful buffering effect than does support from other sources.
B) Support from family is consistently better in reducing the impact of stress than is support from friends.
C) Support from friends is consistently better in reducing the impact of stress than is support from family.
D) All sources of support are equally good in buffering a person from the negative effects of stress.

Question 23

10-27. According to Carver, which of the following would be an example of "denial" coping?

A) "I've been concentrating my efforts on doing something about the situation I'm in."
B) "I've been giving up trying to deal with it."
C) "I've been learning to live with it."
D) "I've been saying to myself, 'This isn't real.'"

Question 24

10-26. Faced with a major stress, an adult says, "I just told myself that this problem was not that important." This is an example of what form of coping, according to Folkman and Moskowitz?

A) problem-focused
B) emotion-focused
C) meaning-focused
D) social-focused

Question 25

10-30. According to Carver, which of the following would be an example of "active coping" style of coping?

A) "I've been concentrating my efforts on doing something about the situation I'm in."
B) "I've been giving up trying to deal with it."
C) "I've been learning to live with it."
D) "I've been saying to myself, 'This isn't real.'"

Question 26

10-19. The observed beneficial effect of social support on disease rates is referred to as the _______.

A) resistance effect
B) general adaptation syndrome
C) Brown and Harris effect
D) buffering effect

Question 27

10-21. Which of the following findings would be the clearest illustration of the buffering effect of social support?

A) Older widows are less negatively affected by widowhood than are younger widows.
B) Unemployed men who enjoy close relationships with their wives are less likely to be depressed than are those men who have distant relationships with their wives.
C) Adults with more intimate friendships show higher levels of life satisfaction than do adults with fewer or less intimate friendships.
D) The lowest rates of illness and emotional disturbance among widows are found among those with living parents; those with close friends and no living parents are more prone to illness.

Question 28

10-13. Which of the following age groups is likely to experience the largest number of major life changes?

A) 20-29-year-olds
B) 30-39-year-olds
C) 40-49-year-olds
D) 50-59-year-olds

Question 29

10-16. The phrase "social support" includes which of the following actions?

A) consoling a friend over a lost job
B) loaning money to your brother
C) referring your mother to a good doctor
D) all of the above

Question 30

10-15. The collection of relationships a person has at any one time with family members and friends is called _______.

A) social support
B) a social network
C) an attachment network
D) an appraisal system

Question 31

10-18. The link between levels of social support and the likelihood of illness is _______.

A) negative linear: the higher the social support, the lower the risk of disease
B) positive linear: the lower the social support, the lower the risk of disease
C) U-shaped: medium levels of social support are least risky
D) an inverted U shape: medium levels of social support are most risky

Question 32

10-31. Religious coping to reduce stress relies upon _____.

A) finding a meaning in suffering
B) achieving a sense of control by trusting God
C) gaining social solidarity with others who share beliefs
D) all of the above

Question 33

10-28. According to Carver, which of the following would be an example of "acceptance" coping?

A) "I've been concentrating my efforts on doing something about the situation I'm in."
B) "I've been giving up trying to deal with it."
C) "I've been learning to live with it."
D) "I've been saying to myself, 'This isn't real.'"

Question 34

10-25. Which of the following would be an example of a "problem-focused" way of coping with stress?

A) Deny any fear or distress.
B) Accept the problem with resignation.
C) Seek information or advice.
D) Think about possible solutions.

Question 35

10-14. Social support and coping strategies are both examples of _______.

A) stress responses
B) resistance resources
C) resiliencies
D) convoy aids

Question 36

10-23. According to research like Krause's Galveston study, which of the following features of social support is most closely linked to a buffering effect?

A) perception of adequacy of support
B) size of support network
C) availability of financial support
D) availability of support from one's children

Question 37

10-32. According to Antonucci, everyday social interactions can be a source of negative stress in what way?

A) being too problem-focused
B) representing regular negative interactions
C) creating financial problems
D) undermining our health

Question 38

10-29. Juan, who has just lost his job, feels as if he has no control at all over his life; bad things seem to happen to him, and he can't do anything about them. What label would psychologists apply to this view?

A) external locus of control
B) pessimistic
C) helpless
D) any of the above

Question 39

10-17. Which of the following features of a social network appears to be most critical in providing a buffering effect in the face of stress?

A) size
B) frequency of contact
C) intimacy
D) connectedness

Question 40

10-22. What is the nature of the sex differences in the buffering effect of social support?

A) Social support has a much greater buffering effect among women.
B) Social support has a slightly greater buffering effect among women.
C) Social support has a slightly greater buffering effect among men.
D) There are no sex differences in the buffering effect.

Question 41

10-41. Briefly describe and contrast response-oriented theories and stimulus-oriented theories of stress.

Question 42

10-33. Resilience is defined as _______.

A) the maintenance of healthy functioning following exposure to potential trauma
B) the same as recovery
C) chronic and delayed stress reactions
D) none of the above

Question 43

10-49. Describe a study designed to explore this set of questions:
1) Are there age differences in the way adults respond to life crises?

Question 44

10-43. List and describe the three types of definitions of stress.

Question 45

10-36. Hardiness, according to Maddi, describes people who __________.

A) are committed to finding meaning in life
B) believe that they can control their own surroundings and the outcome of events
C) believe that all life experiences bring growth and knowledge
D) all of the above

Question 46

10-48. You are about to be divorced and have just read this chapter. Based on your reading, what plans or arrangements might you make to mitigate the negative effects of the divorce process?

Question 47

10-46. Give two different explanations for the higher risk of emotional disturbance or physical illness among the divorced than among the married.

Question 48

10-35. Grief work may be _______ to resilient individuals.

A) harmful
B) helpful
C) therapeutic
D) expensive

Question 49

10-41. Using the figure below for reference, which of the following statements BEST describes the data? Source: Adapted from Almeida & Horn (2004).

A) Men and women report having more days with stressors as they go from middle (40-59) to older adulthood
B) Men and women report having about the same days with stressors as they go from middle(40-59) to older adulthood
C) Men and women report having fewer days with stressors as they go from middle (40-59_ to older adulthood
D) men report more days with stressors than women at all ages

Question 50

10-37. Positive emotion in coping, although recently shown to be helpful, has long been viewed as ________.

A) a normative event
B) being mentally healthy
C) causing stress
D) a symptom of unhealthy denial

Question 51

10-39. In general, stress _____ with age.

A) fluctuates
B) stays about the same
C) increases
D) decreases

Question 52

10-44. Briefly describe Spiegel's study of the effects of specially devised support groups for women with metastatic breast cancer. Why are the results of this study seen as so important?

Question 53

10-34. Of the 4 outcomes people can have after exposure to trauma, which is the most prevalent, according to Bonanno?

A) chronic
B) delayed
C) recovery
D) resilience

Question 54

10-50. What do we mean by the buffering effect of social support? Give several examples.

Question 55

10-38. Which statement best describes gender differences related to PTSD?

A) Men are more apt to be exposed to PTSD, and men are more likely to suffer from PTSD.
B) Men are more apt to be exposed to PTSD; women are more apt to suffer from PTSD.
C) There is not enough information to make a gender difference statement.
D) There are no gender differences.

Question 56

10-45. Men typically show more severe physical reactions to widowhood (illness and death) than do women. How can you account for this?

Question 57

10-42. Cite one piece of evidence in support of the argument that stress can sometimes have beneficial effects on adult development.

Question 58

10-40. Males typically exhibit a _____ response to stress; women typically exhibit a _____ response to stress.

A) fight or flight; tend and befriend
B) fight or flight; care and share
C) provoked; dismissive
D) provoked; avoidance

Question 59

10-51. Give at least two arguments against the strategy of measuring a person's stress by compiling a list of their recent life changes.

Question 60

10-47. You are giving a lecture on social support and want to end the lecture with some clear advice to your listeners about the kinds of social networks they should have. What advice would you give? Why?

Question 61

10-52. One study in the text shows that when subjects are given nasal drops containing the cold virus, there is a linear relationship between each subject's level of stress and the likelihood of actually coming down with a cold. Why is this study thought to be such strong evidence? Describe one other study that provides strong evidence for a link between stress and illness.

Question 62

10-57. U.S. adults from 25 to 74 years report that the largest proportion of their daily stressors arise from interpersonal tensions, followed by stressful events that happen to other people in their networks and events that happen at work or school. List your top 10 sources of stress. Categorize your stressors and compare your groupings with the national sample. Discuss the similarities and differences.

Question 63

10-53. Current evidence provides very strong support for the theory that stress leads to increased illness. But there are still some weaknesses or holes in the data. Describe those weaknesses and holes. What do we still need to know?

Question 64

10-54. Evaluate the idea that stress may sometimes have beneficial effects.

Question 65

10-56. Create, then compare and contrast, two stressors-one short-term life event and one chronic stressor. How do these two stressors differ in terms of how an individual might cope and the physical and emotional effects on an individual? Be sure to include a discussion of individual differences and resilience factors in your answer.

Question 66

10-55. Critique with relevant research the phrase, "Crisis is required for growth."