Question 1

Karen Allen had female students attempt to solve relatively difficult math problems.Some of the participants had their dog with them while they worked on the problems, while others had a close friend with them.The researchers measured each participant's stress-related arousal.In this study, the independent variable was:

Accepted Answer

The independent variable in this study is who was present while the individual worked on the problems, whether it was their dog or a close friend. The other options listed, such as the difficulty of the math problems, the amount of stress-related arousal, and the time it took to solve the problems, are all dependent variables that may be affected by the independent variable of who was present.

Question 2

In a study by Blumenthal and colleagues, men were assigned to one of two treatment conditions.Half the men were involved in aerobic activity, and the remainder engaged in nonaerobic strength-and-flexibility training.After 12 weeks, the researchers found:

Accepted Answer

The study found that the men in the aerobic group showed lower blood pressure and heart rate in situations involving mental stress. This suggests that aerobic activity may be more effective than nonaerobic strength-and-flexibility training in reducing the physiological responses to stress. Option A is incorrect as it suggests that nonaerobic training was more effective in reducing blood pressure and heart rate, which is not supported by the study. Option B is incorrect as it suggests that both groups showed a similar reduction in blood pressure and heart rate, which is not what the study found. Option D is incorrect as it suggests that neither group showed any reduction in blood pressure or heart rate, which is not supported by the study.

Question 3

Aerobic exercises are:

Accepted Answer

Aerobic exercises are high-intensity activities that require the use of oxygen to produce energy.

Question 4

Carla blows little hassles out of proportion and creates stress unnecessarily.Being caught in traffic means she will never be able to fix dinner or do her homework, when it will just delay things a few minutes.Carla could avoid much of the stress she now experiences if she would try:

Accepted Answer

Cognitive reappraisal involves changing the way one thinks about a situation in order to decrease stress and anxiety. In Carla's case, if she were to reframe being caught in traffic as an opportunity to listen to music or a podcast, or to simply have some alone time, she may be able to reduce the level of stress she experiences. Developing social support and engaging in activities such as meditation and exercise can also be helpful in managing stress, but cognitive reappraisal directly addresses Carla's tendency to blow small things out of proportion.

Question 5

Some of the physical and psychological symptoms associated with nicotine withdrawal are:

Accepted Answer

Insomnia, irritability, and increased appetite are common physical and psychological symptoms associated with nicotine withdrawal. Hypersomnia (excessive sleeping), vomiting, trembling, heart palpitations, increased blood pressure, and reduced immune response are less common symptoms.

Question 6

Roni receives a "D" on a major term paper.Rather than seeing this as the end of her plans for graduate school and a good job, she thinks about the fact she received some fairly low grades in her first semester, but she was still able to make the honor roll.In this case, Roni is coping with potential stress:

Accepted Answer

Roni is using reappraisal, or changing the way she thinks about the situation, in order to cope with the stress of receiving a low grade. She is focusing on her past successes and the possibility that one poor grade does not determine her entire future.

Question 7

Aerobic exercises have a:

Accepted Answer

Aerobic exercises are known to have a positive effect on both physical and psychological health. They promote cardiovascular health, help in managing weight, improve mood and cognitive function, and reduce stress and anxiety levels. Hence, option D is the correct choice.

Question 8

Noel is waiting in a very long line at the bank, again.Rather than focusing on how this is going to throw his whole schedule for the day out, he thinks about how he could rearrange his errands.He decides that next time, he will cash his check before his noon-hour aerobic class, rather than after the class.That way the lines at the bank will probably be shorter.In this case, Noel is coping with potential stress:

Accepted Answer

Noel is coping with potential stress by deriving future alternatives, as he is thinking of a solution for the long lines at the bank in the future. He is not using distraction, biofeedback, or autogenic relaxation techniques.

Question 9

Matteo is studying for the SAT.Based on the research conducted by Karen Allen, you might expect that Matteo will experience the least stress-related arousal if he studies:

Accepted Answer

Karen Allen's research suggests that the presence of pets, such as dogs, can reduce stress-related arousal more effectively than the presence of friends or being alone.

Question 10

Karen Allen had female students attempt to solve relatively difficult math problems.Some of the participants had their dog with them while they worked on the problems, while others had a close friend with them.The researchers measured each participant's stress-related arousal.In this study the dependent variable was:

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable in the study was the amount of stress-related arousal that the participants displayed, which was measured by the researchers. The independent variable was whether the participant had their dog or a close friend present while they worked on the math problems. The other options listed (B, C, and D) were not the dependent variable in this study.

Question 11

Xena is a student who lives alone.She is trying to decide between buying herself a pet and finding a roommate to share her apartment.Based on the research conducted by Karen Allen and her colleagues, you should advise Xena that:

Accepted Answer

Research by Karen Allen and her colleagues has shown that having a dog can reduce stress levels, making option A the correct choice.

Question 12

When their trip home was interrupted by car trouble, Sam got very upset even though they had no reason to hurry and the repairs were covered by a warranty.Trudy said, "This isn't so bad.We can relax by the pool and the car will be better than before." Trudy experienced less stress because:

Accepted Answer

Trudy used cognitive reappraisal, which is a technique of changing how an individual perceives and interprets a situation. She focused on the positive aspects of the situation, which helped her to experience less stress. Option A (good social support) may also be a factor that helped Trudy, but it is not explicitly mentioned in the given information. Option B (internal, global, and stable attributional style) and option C (autogenic relaxation) are not relevant to the given scenario.

Question 13

Trudy and Sean were "bumped" from their flight out of San Francisco.Sean got very upset and yelled about how this totally ruined their vacation when, in reality, they didn't really need to get home that evening.Trudy said, "Look, this gives us another chance to see some of the things we've missed, and we have a free plane ticket too!" Trudy experienced little stress because she used:

Accepted Answer

Trudy used cognitive reappraisal, a strategy in which she reinterpreted the situation in a more positive light. She saw the delay as an opportunity to see more sights and also mentioned the benefit of a free plane ticket. This demonstrates a flexible and adaptable approach to coping with stress, which can help to reduce negative emotions and improve overall well-being.

Question 14

Which of the following is NOT one of the physical and psychological symptoms associated with nicotine withdrawal?

Accepted Answer

Vomiting is not a commonly reported symptom of nicotine withdrawal. Insomnia, irritability, and increased appetite are all commonly reported symptoms.

Question 15

In a study by McCann and Holmes, mildly depressed female college students were assigned to one of three treatment conditions.One group engaged in a regular program of aerobic exercise, one group learned relaxation techniques, and the third group received no treatment.After 10 weeks, McCann and Holmes found that:

Accepted Answer

The study found that the group who engaged in aerobic exercise showed the largest improvement in mood after 10 weeks. The other two groups, those who learned relaxation techniques and those who received no treatment, did not show as significant of an improvement in mood.

Question 16

Cigarette smoking:

Accepted Answer

Cigarette smoking during pregnancy is well-documented to increase the risk of birth defects, low birth weight, and other adverse outcomes. Smoking introduces nicotine, a stimulant, not a depressant, to the brain and is highly addictive, contrary to the claims in options B and C. While smoking rates have declined in many areas due to public health campaigns and smoking restrictions, option A is incorrect in the general global context.

Question 17

The relationship between aerobic exercise and psychological health is:

Accepted Answer

Multiple controlled studies have found that aerobic exercise has a significant positive effect on psychological health, including reduced depression and improved response to stress. Correlational data also supports this relationship. While there may be individual variations in psychological test results, the overall trend is towards improved psychological health with regular aerobic exercise.

Question 18

High intensity activities, such as running and swimming, that increase both the heart rate and oxygen consumption are known as:

Accepted Answer

High intensity activities that increase heart rate and oxygen consumption are known as aerobic exercises. The other options (progressive muscle techniques, systematic desensitization techniques, autogenic exercises) do not necessarily involve high intensity cardiorespiratory activity.

Question 19

Beryl is doing homework for her statistics class.When she checks the answer she has just calculated for the problem she has been working on, she finds it is incorrect.She is frustrated and tells her roommate, "I don't know why I'm even trying, I'll never catch on in this course.I should just give up now." Beryl's statements reflect:

Accepted Answer

Beryl's statements reflect catastrophizing, which is a cognitive distortion that involves blowing things out of proportion and imagining the worst possible outcomes. She is catastrophizing her ability to succeed in the statistics course based on one incorrect answer. Type A thinking refers to a personality type characterized by competitiveness and a sense of urgency, burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion, and general adaptation syndrome refers to the body's physiological response to stress.

Question 20

Diego's house was almost completely destroyed by fire last week.As he walked through the charred remains with the insurance adjuster, Diego joked and said: "It's too bad that the only thing that wasn't destroyed is that ugly paining that my brother-in-law gave me for my last birthday." In this stressful situation, Diego's joking attitude reflects:

Accepted Answer

Diego's ability to joke and find humor in the situation is an example of cognitive reappraisal, which involves reinterpreting a situation in a more positive or less threatening light to manage stress. It is a coping mechanism that can be helpful in situations where stress is unavoidable. Posttraumatic stress syndrome, catastrophizing, and general adaptation syndrome do not apply to this scenario.

Quiz 16: Stress and Health