Question 1

Which title is least likely be a topic of a researcher who studies health psychology?

Accepted Answer

While employee motivation and job performance may be relevant to organizational psychology or management, it is not directly related to health psychology. The other options are all potential topics of interest to a health psychology researcher.

Question 2

Stress is defined as ____.

Accepted Answer

Stress is the process of adjustment to disrupting circumstances. This can be caused by external factors such as a demanding job or relationship, or internal factors such as illness or anxiety. It involves a physiological and psychological response that allows individuals to cope with difficult situations. While stress can be uncomfortable, it is not defined solely as an uncomfortable feeling (A) or as damage to the body caused by psychological processes (C). Difficulties in daily living (D) may be a result of stress, but are not a full definition of stress itself.

Question 3

During an especially long and stressful expedition,Sulu went in for a checkup.The doctor told him that his blood sugar and cortisol levels were elevated and that he might be at risk for illness.According to Hans Selye,Sulu is in the ____ stage of the general adaptation syndrome.

Accepted Answer

According to Hans Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome, elevated blood sugar and cortisol levels indicate that Sulu is in the resistance stage, where the body attempts to cope with stress.

Question 4

After Natter narrowly avoids a car accident,he notices that his heart is beating rapidly and he feels a "rush" from the adrenaline in his bloodstream.Natter is most likely in the ____ stage of the general adaptation syndrome.

Accepted Answer

The alarm reaction stage is characterized by the body's immediate response to a stressor, including the release of adrenaline and other stress hormones. This stage prepares the body for "fight or flight" responses to the stressor. In this scenario, Natter's near car accident would have triggered his body's alarm reaction stage.

Question 5

Roberta is a health care psychologist.As part of her practice and research,Roberta is least likely to ____.

Accepted Answer

The general adaptation syndrome is a concept from the field of psychology, specifically stress and coping mechanisms. It is not a physical illness that can be cured, but rather a theoretical model to understand how the body responds to stress. Therefore, as a health care psychologist, Roberta is least likely to seek efforts to cure the general adaptation syndrome. The other options, studying the role of stress in physical illness, helping people understand how to live longer, and educating people about the warning signs of illnesses, are all within the scope of a health care psychologist's practice and research.

Question 6

According to Selye's general adaptation syndrome model,an inexperienced soldier suddenly thrust into a long,intense battle would most likely react in which sequence?

Accepted Answer

The general adaptation syndrome model proposes that the body responds to stressors in three stages: alarm reaction, resistance, and exhaustion. In this scenario, the soldier is inexperienced and suddenly thrown into a long, intense battle, which would likely trigger the alarm reaction stage. The body releases stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, which prepare the body for fight or flight. As the battle continues, the soldier may enter the resistance stage, where the body adapts and tries to maintain physiological balance. Finally, after an extended period of stress, exhaustion may set in, leading to a breakdown of bodily systems and increased vulnerability to illness or injury.

Question 7

Which individual is experiencing a stressor that falls in the life changes and strains category?

Accepted Answer

Ross is experiencing a life change stressor since having a new baby can bring significant changes and adjustments to one's life.

Question 8

Sophia is an air traffic controller.If she fails in her job,planes could crash and hundreds of people could die.While she is at work,she must be constantly alert and pay close attention.Although she is outwardly healthy,Sophia's blood pressure and blood sugar levels are high,and her body is secreting excess amounts of corticosteroids.Which stage of the general adaptation syndrome is Sophia in?

Accepted Answer

Sophia is in the resistance stage of the general adaptation syndrome. In this stage, the body tries to adapt to the stressor, and physiological responses such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar levels, and increased secretion of corticosteroids are common as the body attempts to cope with the ongoing stress.

Question 9

Cheranita is experiencing the first stage of the general adaptation syndrome.An environmental stressor has triggered a process in her brain in which the ____ activates the sympathetic branch of the ____ nervous system,which stimulates the adrenal gland,which then secretes adrenaline.

Accepted Answer

The hypothalamus is responsible for activating the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system in response to stressors. This activation stimulates the adrenal gland to secrete adrenaline, which is a key component of the first stage of the general adaptation syndrome. The medulla oblongata is also involved in regulating the autonomic nervous system, but it is not the primary brain region responsible for activating the sympathetic branch in response to stress. The somatic nervous system is responsible for voluntary muscle movement and is not directly involved in the stress response.

Question 10

The University of Illinois is starting a research project that compares the test performance of students who sleep eight hours a night and eat well-balanced meals with students who skip sleep and eat only junk food.This research project will most likely be directed by ____ psychologists.

Accepted Answer

Health care psychologists are not focused on specific mental disorders or therapeutic interventions, but on how people's behaviors and lifestyles affect their overall physical and mental health. As the research project described focuses on the relationship between sleep, nutrition, and academic performance, health care psychologists would be the most appropriate professionals to direct it. Clinical psychologists, by contrast, are more focused on diagnosing and treating specific mental disorders, while occupational psychologists might be more focused on workplace productivity or organizational behavior. Personality psychologists study individual differences in behavior and personality traits, which does not relate to this research project.

Question 11

Although they appear to be in top physical condition,professional basketball players often get sick during the eighty-two-game,six-month-long NBA season.According to the textbook,a likely reason is that ____.

Accepted Answer

The constant and long-lasting stressors of the NBA season can lead to wearing down of the body's reserves of adaptive energy, which in turn weakens the immune system and makes them prone to getting sick. This is supported by the information provided in the question stem. Option A is incorrect as exposure to germs is not necessarily higher for professional basketball players than for other people. Option C and D are also incorrect as they are not backed by the information in the question stem.

Question 12

In Keely's typical semester at college,she usually blows off all her work until midsemester.Then she panics and works long hours under pressure until finals are over.Then she goes home for vacation and gets sick.Keely probably gets sick because she is in the ____ phase of ____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In Keely's typical semester at college,she usually...

Question 13

At a hostile family reunion,Paige is quite stressed.Her heart is racing,her emotions are frazzled,and she has crossed her arms to signal she's not to be disturbed.Paige's responses to the reunion are known as ____.

Accepted Answer

Paige's physiological and emotional responses to the family reunion are stress reactions. Her increased heart rate and frazzled emotions are signs that her body is responding to a perceived threat or challenge. Additionally, crossing her arms is a defensive posture, which is a behavioral response to stress.

Question 14

According to Selye's general adaptation syndrome (GAS),when an organism first appears to be settling in for a long-term battle with the stressor,the stage of ____ has been reached.

Accepted Answer

During the resistance stage of GAS, the organism is adapting to the stressor and trying to cope with it. This is a longer-term phase where the physiological responses are more stabilized than during the initial alarm reaction. Eventually, if the stressor continues without relief or the organism cannot adequately cope, it may lead to exhaustion. Expiration is not a stage of GAS.

Question 15

Spring has an increased level of catecholamines in her bloodstream,indicating that she is most likely in the ____ stage of the general adaptation syndrome.

Accepted Answer

The alarm reaction stage is characterized by the body's initial response to a stressor, which includes the release of hormones such as adrenaline and noradrenaline (catecholamines) from the sympathetic nervous system. This stage prepares the body for fight or flight, and the increased levels of catecholamines in Spring's bloodstream suggest that she is currently in this stage.

Question 16

Scott has heart damage that his doctor says is due to prolonged stress from caring for a child with a serious,incurable illness.The doctor explains that the damage is probably due to high levels of adrenaline and cortisol produced by his body over a long period of time.Hans Selye would say that Scott is in the ____ stage of the general adaptation syndrome.

Accepted Answer

The exhaustion stage of the general adaptation syndrome occurs when the body's resources are depleted after prolonged exposure to stress. In this stage, individuals may experience physical and emotional exhaustion, as well as symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other stress-related disorders. Scott's heart damage indicates that he may have reached the exhaustion stage as a result of his prolonged stress from caring for his child.

Question 17

During lunch,Barry tells Wynne that he cannot take any more stressors in his life.She gives him a funny look,so he explains that a stressor is a(n)____.

Accepted Answer

A stressor is an event or situation that can cause stress and prompt a response from an individual. This response might include physical symptoms like increased heart rate or behavioral responses like drinking, but the stressor itself is the triggering event or situation.

Question 18

Trina is thinking about how many papers she has to do before the end of the term,how to mend things with her boyfriend,and how to earn enough money to buy her family presents for the holidays.In other words,Trina is thinking about ____.

Accepted Answer

Trina is thinking about the causes of stress in her life, which are commonly referred to as stressors. The other options are not accurate descriptions of what Trina is thinking about.

Question 19

After the initial shock of entering cold water,swimmers feel comfortable even though their blood pressure has increased.They are in the ____ phase of the general adaptation syndrome.

Accepted Answer

The general adaptation syndrome is a three-stage response that the body goes through when faced with stressors. The first stage is the alarm reaction, during which the body mobilizes its resources to deal with the stressor. The second stage is the resistance phase, during which the body adapts to the stressor and tries to maintain homeostasis. The final stage is the exhaustion phase, which occurs when the body's resources are depleted and it can no longer adapt to the stressor. In the scenario described, the swimmers have adapted to the cold water and are feeling comfortable, indicating that they are in the resistance phase of the general adaptation syndrome.

Question 20

After working a stressful job for years,Kyle has developed high blood pressure and an ulcer.In which stage of the general adaptation syndrome would Selye place Kyle?

Accepted Answer

The general adaptation syndrome is a three-stage response to stress, including alarm reaction, resistance, and exhaustion. Kyle's physical symptoms indicate that he has entered the exhaustion stage, which occurs when the body's resources are depleted after being in a state of prolonged stress. Symptoms at this stage can include high blood pressure, fatigue, and physical illness.

Quiz 12: Health, stress, and Coping