Question 1

A pessimistic explanatory style involves accounting for negative events or situations with external, unstable, and specific explanations.

Accepted Answer

A pessimistic explanatory style involves explaining negative events with internal, stable, and global reasons, suggesting that the causes are due to one's own traits, will persist over time, and affect many areas of one's life.

Question 2

Psychologists Judith Rodin and Ellen Langer discovered that nursing home residents who were given control over their daily activities had more stress-related illnesses than other nursing home residents who did not need to make frequent decisions about their daily activities.

Accepted Answer

Actually, it is the opposite. Rodin and Langer's research found that nursing home residents who were given control over their daily activities had fewer stress-related illnesses than other nursing home residents who did not have as much control. This is known as the "control-enhancing" effect of personal responsibility.

Question 3

Health psychologists have found that a wide variety of stressors are associated with diminished immune system functioning, increasing the risk of health problems and slowing recovery times.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. Health psychologists have conducted research on the link between stress and the immune system, and have found that stressors can impact immune system functioning and lead to health problems.

Question 4

A pessimistic explanatory style involves accounting for negative events or situations with internal, stable, and global explanations.

Accepted Answer

A pessimistic explanatory style involves attributing negative events or situations to internal factors (blaming oneself), stable factors (believing the negative situation will continue indefinitely), and global factors (believing that the negativity affects multiple areas of one's life).

Question 5

Because of the added responsibility, having a sense of personal control over a stressful situation increases the impact of stressors and heightens feelings of anxiety and depression.

Accepted Answer

Having a sense of personal control over a stressful situation can actually decrease the impact of stressors and alleviate feelings of anxiety and depression.

Question 6

Research has demonstrated that people who experienced chronic stressors that lasted more than a month were the most likely to develop colds when exposed to a cold virus.

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that chronic stress can weaken the immune system and make individuals more susceptible to illnesses. Specifically, individuals who experience chronic stressors that last for more than a month are more likely to develop colds when exposed to a cold virus.

Question 7

Health psychologists have found that a high level of stress is not associated with diminished immune system functioning, and does not increase the risk of health problems or slow recovery times from illness or injury.

Accepted Answer

This statement is false. Health psychologists have found that a high level of stress is associated with diminished immune system functioning, and does increase the risk of health problems and slower recovery times from illness or injury.

Question 8

An optimistic explanatory style involves accounting for negative events or situations with external, unstable, and specific explanations.

Accepted Answer

An optimistic explanatory style involves looking at negative events or situations from a more positive perspective by attributing them to external factors (rather than personal flaws), unstable factors (rather than permanent ones), and specific factors (rather than global ones). This helps individuals maintain hope and optimism in difficult situations.

Question 9

A wide variety of stressors are associated with diminished immune system functioning, increasing the risk of health problems and slowing recovery times, but a person's degree of exposure to bacteria, viruses, and other sources of disease or infection will also influence the likelihood of becoming sick.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. Both stress and exposure to pathogens can impact immune system functioning and lead to increased risk of illness.

Question 10

First-year law students who were generally positive and optimistic had better immune system functioning than first-year law students who were more pessimistic.

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that positive emotions and attitudes can strengthen the immune system, while negative emotions and attitudes can weaken it. Therefore, it is likely that first-year law students who were generally positive and optimistic had better immune system functioning than those who were more pessimistic.

Question 11

Health psychologist Sheldon Cohen demonstrated that people who experienced chronic stressors that lasted more than a month were the least likely to develop colds when exposed to a cold virus.

Accepted Answer

Sheldon Cohen's research actually found that people who experienced chronic stressors lasting more than a month were more likely to develop colds when exposed to a cold virus, indicating that chronic stress can impair the immune system's ability to fight off illness.

Question 12

Research has consistently shown that having a sense of personal control over a stressful situation reduces the impact of stressors and decreases feelings of anxiety and depression.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. Many studies have found that having a sense of personal control or mastery over a stressful situation can positively influence psychological well-being and reduce the negative effects of stress on mental health. For example, individuals who believe they have some control over a situation are less likely to experience symptoms of anxiety and depression than those who feel helpless or powerless. This sense of control can come from a variety of sources, such as problem-solving skills, social support, or personal resources, and it can be cultivated through various coping strategies and interventions.

Question 13

An optimistic explanatory style involves accounting for negative events or situations with internal, stable, and global explanations.

Accepted Answer

An optimistic explanatory style involves attributing negative events to external, unstable, and specific causes, whereas an internal, stable, and global explanation is characteristic of a pessimistic explanatory style.

Question 14

Chronic negative emotions are not related to the development of chronic diseases, even though habitually grouchy people experience more stress and more frequent daily hassles than happier people.

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that chronic negative emotions, such as hostility, anger, and anxiety, are linked to the development of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. The frequent experience of stress and daily hassles associated with these negative emotions can contribute to physiological changes in the body that increase the risk of chronic disease.

Question 15

According to Martin Seligman, the characteristic way in which people explain negative events can have a significant impact on their physical health.

Accepted Answer

This is true. Martin Seligman's theory of learned helplessness suggests that people who explain negative events using internal, stable, and global explanations are more likely to develop physical health problems such as heart disease and compromised immune function. In contrast, those who use external, unstable, and specific explanations are more resilient and better able to cope with stress.

Question 16

Regarding the association between stress and immune system functioning, your textbook concludes that exposure to stressors does not automatically translate into poorer health and that physical health is affected by the interaction of many factors, including heredity, nutrition, health-related habits, and access to medical care.

Accepted Answer

The textbook concludes that exposure to stressors does not automatically translate into poorer health and multiple factors play a role in determining physical health, including heredity, nutrition, health-related habits, and access to medical care.

Question 17

Research has now shown that certain personality traits, such as cheerfulness and having a positive attitude, can cure cancer and other serious illnesses.

Accepted Answer

There is no scientific evidence to support the claim that personality traits can cure cancer or other serious illnesses. While a positive attitude can certainly be beneficial in coping with illness, it is not a cure. Medical treatment and therapy are necessary for addressing serious health conditions.

Question 18

Research has shown that compared to an optimistic explanatory style, a pessimistic explanatory style is associated with poorer physical health, including increased occurrences of infectious disease.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. Research has shown that individuals who tend to explain negative events in a pessimistic way are more likely to report poorer physical health and increased occurrences of infectious disease compared to those who have an optimistic explanatory style.

Question 19

Martin Seligman's research on explanatory style demonstrated that the characteristic way in which people explain negative events does not have a significant impact on their physical health or psychological well-being.

Accepted Answer

Martin Seligman's research actually showed the opposite - that explanatory style does have a significant impact on physical health and psychological well-being. Specifically, a pessimistic explanatory style (attributing negative events to internal, stable, and global factors) was found to be associated with various negative outcomes, such as depression, anxiety, and poor physical health.

Question 20

Psychologists Judith Rodin and Ellen Langer discovered that nursing home residents who were given control over their daily activities had fewer stress-related illnesses than other nursing home residents who had decisions about their daily activities made for them by the nursing home staff.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true according to the research conducted by psychologists Judith Rodin and Ellen Langer on nursing home residents and control over their daily activities.

Quiz 12: Section 3: Stress, Health, and Coping