Question 1

The number-one killer of men and women in the United States is __________.

Accepted Answer

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Question 2

Dmitri works in a busy grocery store after school. When a customer challenges the price of an item, Dmitri becomes impatient, combative, and hostile. Psychologists would say that he exhibits which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Dmitri's behavior is indicative of the Type A behavior pattern, which is characterized by impatience, competitiveness, and hostility. This contrasts with the Type B behavior pattern, which is more relaxed and patient. Weber's law relates to the perception of changes in stimuli, and the fundamental attribution error is a concept in social psychology that describes the tendency to overemphasize personality-based explanations for behaviors observed in others while underemphasizing the role of external factors.

Question 3

Friedman and Rosenman (1964) theorized that people who exhibit a Type A behavior pattern are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than people who do not exhibit a Type A behavior pattern when they are __________.

Accepted Answer

Friedman and Rosenman suggested that Type A individuals, characterized by competitiveness, urgency, and hostility, are more prone to cardiovascular issues, especially when provoked or stressed.

Question 4

Death from heart disease has been shown to be related to which of the following personality traits?

Accepted Answer

Hostility has been linked to heart disease in numerous studies, suggesting that individuals with hostile attitudes and behaviors may have a higher risk of developing heart-related conditions.

Question 5

In coronary patients, in the hour following an angry outburst there is an __________.

Accepted Answer

Angry outbursts can trigger physiological responses that increase the risk of a heart attack, especially in individuals with existing coronary conditions, due to the stress and strain they place on the heart.

Question 6

What is the association between depression and coronary disease?

Accepted Answer

Being clinically depressed more than doubles the risk of death from coronary disease. This association is supported by numerous studies indicating that depression significantly increases the risk for both the development and worsening of coronary artery disease.

Question 7

Cigarette smoking reduces life expectancy by __________.

Accepted Answer

Cigarette smoking on average reduces life expectancy by about 10 years compared to non-smokers.

Question 8

May drinks alcohol excessively. What should she know about what this is doing to her body?

Accepted Answer

Excessive alcohol consumption is well-documented to cause liver damage, including conditions such as fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, fibrosis, and cirrhosis. It does not increase CNS function or prevent cirrhosis; rather, it depresses CNS function and is a leading cause of cirrhosis.

Question 9

Being severely overweight increases one's chance of __________.

Accepted Answer

Being severely overweight can increase the risk of various health issues, including cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

Question 10

Ted eats Smacky O's cereal when he is stressed because he says it calms him down. He has a point, because research shows that eating __________.

Accepted Answer

Eating can reduce activity in the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which is involved in the body's response to stress. This reduction in activity can lead to feelings of calmness, explaining why Ted feels calmer when he eats Smacky O's cereal during stressful times.

Question 11

Bosley has a habit of eating when he is severely stressed. Where is he most likely to gain weight?

Accepted Answer

Stress-induced weight gain is most commonly associated with an increase in abdominal fat. This is due to the body's release of cortisol, a stress hormone, which tends to promote fat storage in the abdominal area.

Question 12

Shawna cannot maintain 85 percent of her ideal body weight, yet she tells her friends how fat she thinks she is. Shawna would most likely be diagnosed with which of the following disorders?

Accepted Answer

Shawna's perception of being fat despite being unable to maintain 85 percent of her ideal body weight aligns with symptoms of anorexia nervosa, which is characterized by a distorted body image and an extreme fear of gaining weight, leading to severe restriction of food intake.

Question 13

Jillian often eats high-calorie snacks and then forces herself to vomit or take laxatives so that she will not gain weight. In addition, she exercises at least three hours every day, because she has an intense fear of putting on weight. Jillian would most likely be diagnosed with __________.

Accepted Answer

Jillian's behaviors align with symptoms of bulimia nervosa, characterized by binge eating followed by purging to prevent weight gain, not anorexia nervosa, schizophrenia, or major depressive disorder. However, bulimia nervosa is not listed as an option, hence the correct answer is "none of these."

Question 14

Research has shown that, compared to nonanorexics, anorexics are more likely to be less __________.

Accepted Answer

Anorexics are often characterized by a high level of control and rigidity, which is opposite to being open to experience.

Question 15

Mary, who exercises at a gym five days per week, is likely to __________.

Accepted Answer

Regular exercise can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, and it can also help slow bone loss.

Question 16

Physical exercise may sharpen one's memory, because it has been shown to __________.

Accepted Answer

Physical exercise has been shown to lead to neurogenesis in the hippocampus, an area of the brain critical for memory and learning. This is why it can sharpen one's memory. Choices B and C do not describe beneficial effects of physical exercise on the brain related to memory enhancement.

Question 17

______________ is a technique for reducing stress in which a person is trained to concentrate on the present and to be aware that every thought or emotion that may arise in one's mind will fade away.

Accepted Answer

Mindfulness meditation is a practice that involves focusing on the present moment and accepting it without judgment. It teaches individuals to observe their thoughts and feelings as they are, without trying to change them, which can lead to reduced stress.

Question 18

Christian's car broke down and he had to walk six miles to school. He said to his friends, "At least I don't have to go to the gym today-I got my exercise!" Psychologists would call Christian's coping style __________.

Accepted Answer

Christian is using reappraisal, which involves changing the way one thinks about a potentially stress-inducing situation in order to reduce its emotional impact. By viewing the walk as a form of exercise, he is reframing a negative event (car breaking down) into a positive outcome (getting exercise), which is a classic example of cognitive reappraisal.

Quiz 12: Stress, Coping, and Health