Deck 7: Physical Disorders and Health Psychology

Question 1

Research has shown that increased levels of cortisol in response to stress may cause damage to parts of the

A)skeletal system.
B)brain.
C)lungs.
D)stomach.

Answer 1

brain.

Question 2

Health psychology,a subfield of behavioral medicine,focuses on all of the following

A)psychological factors affecting health.
B)health policy.
C)healthcare systems.
D)interdisciplinary study of psychology and health.

Answer 2

interdisciplinary study of psychology and health.

Question 3

Currently,some of the major contributing factors to illness and death in the United States are

A)viral and bacterial.
B)behavioral and psychological.
C)neurological and endocrinological.
D)pharmacological and hormonal.

Answer 3

behavioral and psychological.

Question 4

AIDS is directly affected by stress.Stress may negatively affect the immune system,thereby promoting the deadly progression of the disease.This is an example of

A)psychological factors influencing biological processes.
B)biological factors influencing psychological processes.
C)both of these
D)neither of these

Question 5

In 1936,Canadian researcher Hans Selye discovered that giving injections to laboratory rats caused them to develop ulcers.His finding led to a new area of study called

A)stress physiology.
B)stress psychology.
C)animal psychology.
D)psychosomatic pathology.

Question 6

What is the name of the new field of study that reflects the shift in focus from infectious disease to psychological/behavioral factors as causes of illness and death?

A)Behavioral medicine
B)Abnormal psychology
C)Medical psychology
D)Physical medicine

Question 7

Using the word psychosomatic to describe a disorder with an obvious physical component is considered misleading because

A)it gives the impression that psychological disorders like anxiety or depression do not have a biological component.
B)it assumes that the physical aspects of a disorder are less important than the psychological aspects.
C)it emphasizes the psychological symptoms of a disorder instead of the physical symptoms.
D)it gives the impression that biological disorders are not influenced by psychological factors.

Question 8

At the beginning of the 20th century,the leading cause of death in the U.S.was

A)automobile accidents.
B)infectious diseases.
C)heart attacks.
D)suicides.

Question 9

In response to sustained stress,the body goes through several stages that together constitute the general adaptation syndrome (GAS),a concept proposed by researcher Hans Selye.This GAS consists of all the following stages

A)alarm.
B)resistance.
C)exhaustion.
D)deterioration.

Question 10

Research has shown that excessive secretion of the stress hormone cortisol can result in cell death in the hippocampal region of the brain in cases of

A)substance abuse.
B)mania.
C)posttraumatic stress disorder.
D)AIDS.

Question 11

As an example of a behavioral pattern that leads to illness and death,smoking has been estimated to cause approximately ____ percent of all deaths.

A)2
B)12
C)19
D)32

Question 12

Which of the following statements is true?

A)Fifty percent of deaths from the 10 leading causes of death in the United States can be traced to behaviors common to certain lifestyles.
B)Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States.
C)Smoking has been estimated to cause around 20 percent of all deaths.
D)All of the above

Question 13

Knowledge derived from the behavioral sciences applied to the prevention,diagnosis,and treatment of medical problems is called

A)health psychology.
B)behavioral medicine.
C)psychophysiological disorders.
D)psychosomatic medicine.

Question 14

Which of the following statements accurately describes a process in the activation of the HPA axis?

A)The hippocampus secretes corticotropin releasing factor (CRF).
B)CRF stimulates the thyroid gland.
C)The pituitary gland (via the parasympathetic nervous system) activates the adrenal glands.
D)The adrenal glands secrete the stress hormone cortisol.

Question 15

In which of the following ways do psychological and social factors influence health?

A)They can affect basic biological processes resulting in illness and disease.
B)Unhealthy lifestyles can increase the risk of developing physical disorders.
C)Both of these
D)Neither of these

Question 16

According to the principles of health psychology,which of the following is the best protection against acquiring AIDS?

A)Getting an injection of the AIDS vaccine
B)Being treated for HIV before it develops into AIDS
C)Changing risky behaviors that can lead to disease acquisition
D)Deciding to be sexually abstinent after years of being sexually active

Question 17

The final process in the activation of the HPA axis is

A)secretion of CRF by the hypothalamus.
B)stimulation of the pituitary gland by CRF.
C)activation of the adrenal gland by the pituitary gland.
D)secretion of cortisol by the adrenal gland.

Question 18

Which of the following factors are universally implicated in the cause of all disorders?

A)Biological only
B)Psychological only
C)Biological and psychological, but not social
D)Biological, psychological and social

Question 19

When Hans Selye injected laboratory rats with saline (salty water),what happened to the rats?

A)Nothing; saline is harmless and only used as a control condition
B)Nothing; rats recover quickly from stress because they are not prone to anxiety as humans are
C)They developed ulcers, because saline has since been discovered to have negative health consequences
D)They developed ulcers, because stress directly affected their physiology.

Question 20

According to the textbook,the physiological response of an individual to a stressor is called

A)adaptation.
B)fight-or-flight reaction.
C)stress.
D)a psychological disorder.

Question 21

Whether or not stress and/or anxiety develop in a stressful situation appears to be related to one's perceived sense of

A)happiness.
B)excitement.
C)control.
D)acceptance.

Question 22

Which of the following does NOT describe an effective psychosocial intervention that has been reported in oncology research studies?

A)Use of psychological treatments that reduced pain and depression and enhanced feelings of well-being
B)Use of videotapes and dolls that reduced children's stress and anxiety during medical procedures
C)Use of psychotherapy that temporarily prolonged life for breast cancer patients both during and after the intervention
D)Use of  psychoanalytic techniques that reduced the growth rate of tumors

Question 23

Neurohormones' main function is to

A)Lower stress
B)Carry the brain's signals to the rest of the body
C)Modulate mood
D)All of the above.

Question 24

Based on your knowledge of recent research studies,which of the following people would you predict is LEAST likely to "catch" a cold following exposure to the virus?

A)Karen, a very sociable woman with many good friends
B)Mike, a very intelligent student with good understanding of complex information and concepts
C)Judy, a very assertive individual who frequently says exactly what's on her mind
D)Marilyn, a very compulsive person who often points out other people's mistakes

Question 25

Continuous secretion of the stress hormone cortisol by the adrenal glands can lead to all of the following

A)damage to the hippocampus.
B)impaired functioning of the immune system.
C)muscle atrophy.
D)low blood pressure in the cardiovascular system.

Question 26

Which of the following individuals have been shown to have greater tendency to suffer from hypertension?

A)Those with high levels of stress whose parents had normal blood pressure
B)Those with low levels of stress whose parents had high blood pressure
C)Those with high levels of stress whose parents had high blood pressure
D)Those with low levels of stress whose parents had normal blood pressure

Question 27

Contrary to the earlier belief that the brain and immune system operate independently of each other,scientists accidentally discovered a link working with rats in a(n)

A)classical conditioning paradigm.
B)injection trial experiment.
C)rheumatoid arthritis study.
D)experimental HIV trial.

Question 28

Unhealthy and/or risky behaviors that impact directly on the cardiovascular system may contribute to

A)Panic disorder.
B)Somatic symptom disorders
C)strokes, high blood pressure, and coronary heart disease.
D)reduced immunity to autoimmune diseases.

Question 29

The immune system is weakened in AIDS patients because the human immunodeficiency virus directly attacks the lymphocytes called

A)killer T cells.
B)T4 (helper) cells.
C)suppressor T cells.
D)B cells.

Question 30

Research findings have suggested that it might not be the stressful event itself that affects immune system functioning but rather the accompanying

A)dissociation.
B)isolation.
C)depression.
D)anger.

Question 31

Which of the following statements is true regarding hypertension in the United States?

A)African-Americans are more likely to develop hypertension and have hypertensive vascular diseases than Caucasians.
B)African-Americans are just as likely to develop hypertension and have hypertensive vascular diseases than Caucasians.
C)African-Americans are less likely to develop hypertension and have hypertensive vascular diseases than Caucasians.
D)Only African-Americans of a certain genetic variant are more likely than Caucasians to develop hypertension and have hypertensive vascular diseases than Caucasians.

Question 32

Brief psychosocial treatments aimed at reducing stress while increasing coping and control lead to improved immune systems and prolonged life in

A)cancer patients.
B)AIDS patients.
C)both
D)neither

Question 33

In 2003,it was estimated that the total number of people afflicted with HIV,the human immunodeficiency virus,was more than

A)13 million.
B)23 million.
C)40 million.
D)43 million.

Question 34

Various psychological factors have been used to explain individual variations in blood pressure,including all of the following

A)coping style.
B)personality.
C)level of stress.
D)level of intelligence.

Question 35

Psychosocial interventions such as stress reduction techniques for chronically ill individuals are thought to affect the disease process via the immune system by

A)giving patients a reduced sense of control.
B)helping patients effectively utilize HAART drug regimes.
C)changing patients' positive cognitions.
D)helping patients reduce depression, thus reducing cortisol.

Question 36

Which of the following statements about AIDS is true?

A)An infected person immediately develops AIDS-related complex (ARC).
B)The median time for the development of full-blown AIDS is around three to five years.
C)The death rate from AIDS declined 80 percent since 1990.
D)The current successful cure for AIDS is highly active antiviral therapy (HAART), which eliminates the virus.

Question 37

Estimates regarding the prevalence of AIDS in southern Africa indicate that

A)the percent of the adult population that are HIV positive comprises two-thirds of the cases worldwide.
B)10 percent of the adult population has AIDS.
C)5 million children are orphaned by the disease.
D)none of these

Question 38

AIDS is now treated with new combinations of drugs called "highly active antiretroviral therapy" (HAART),which

A)suppress the virus in people who are HIV positive.
B)cure AIDS by eliminating the virus from the body.
C)suppress immune system functioning.
D)are well tolerated and cause minimal side effects.

Question 39

Sapolsky and colleagues found that physical health in wild baboons was associated with

A)Amount of human presence.
B)Social rank.
C)Inter-colony conflict.
D)Availability of food.

Question 40

Since heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States,it is very important,in terms of prevention,to determine if

A)better medications can be found to treat heart disease.
B)changes in behavior, lifestyle, and attitude can prevent heart attacks.
C)psychotherapy can help people adjust to having an artificial heart.
D)heart transplants can be made available to more patients.

Question 41

Which of the following is NOT an example of the complex interaction of physical and psychological factors in the experience of pain?

A)The gate control theory of pain
B)Delusional pain
C)Chronic pain
D)Phantom limb pain.

Question 42

Which of the following is a correct match of medical condition and definition?

A)Angina-obstruction caused by buildup of plaque in the arteries
B)Atherosclerosis-deficiency of blood to a body part caused by narrowing of the arteries
C)Myocardial infarction-death of heart tissue due to a completely clogged artery
D)Ischemia-chest pain caused by partial obstruction of the arteries

Question 43

Regarding gender differences in the experience of pain,women suffer more frequently than men from all of the following

A)migraine headaches.
B)arthritis.
C)menstrual cramps.
D)backache.

Question 44

Researchers who study the clinical experience of pain have determined that pain is

A)entirely due to physical causes.
B)entirely due to psychological causes.
C)neither entirely physical nor entirely psychological.
D)always due to unknown and unpredictable factors.

Question 45

The treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome developed by Michael Sharpe includes all of the following

A)medication.
B)increased activity.
C)regulated rest periods.
D)breathing exercises.

Question 46

Gregor just learned that his spouse of 28 years has died in an automobile accident.Upon hearing the news,Gregor collapsed and was rushed to the hospital in apparent heart failure.Gregor probably suffered

A)myocardial infarction.
B)tranischemic attack.
C)angina pectoris.
D)myocardial stunning.

Question 47

Dominant baboons were found to have better physical health than subordinate ones because they had

A)More food and mates.
B)More resting cortisol levels.
C)More predictability and controllability.
D)More intelligence and leadership.

Question 48

Which of the following people would be LEAST at risk for hypertension?

A)Maya, who has a very Type A and controlling personality
B)Dough, who tends to be melancholic and keeps to himself.
C)Abhi, who has an extensive family and network of friends
D)Mimi, who was recently promoted to a prestigious but highly competitive management position.

Question 49

In trying to determine if the Type A/Type B classifications are reliable and valid as predictors of heart disease,it becomes apparent that

A)not every individual shows distinctively Type A or Type B characteristics.
B)women are usually Type A and men are usually Type B.
C)interviews to assess people's personality characteristics are more reliable than questionnaires.
D)medical tests are the only valid predictors of heart disease.

Question 50

Females may have an "extra" pain-regulating pathway focused on relieving pain associated with the reproductive system.One implication of this biological gender difference is that

A)men need more pain relief than women following most surgical procedures.
B)women need more pain relief tan men following most surgical procedures.
C)treatment of pain in men and women is still the same, because the psychological experience of pain is the same for men and women.
D)males and females may benefit from different kinds of medications and different kinds of pain management.

Question 51

According to the gate control theory of pain,the ________ of the spinal cord act as a "gate" and may open and transmit sensations of pain if the stimulation is sufficiently intense.

A)dorsal horns
B)somatic nerves
C)coxal terminus
D)epidural blocks

Question 52

At various times,the symptoms of the disorder known as chronic fatigue syndrome were attributed to all of the following

A)viral infection.
B)environmental toxins.
C)stress.
D)brain atrophy.

Question 53

The "natural" opioids called endorphins or enkephalins act like neurotransmitters to

A)increase awareness of pain.
B)shut down the sensation of pain.
C)cause a "natural" addiction.
D)Help heal damaged tissue, thereby decreasing pain.

Question 54

Endogenous opioids have been implicated in a variety of psychopathological conditions,including

A)eating disorders.
B)phobias.
C)obsessive-compulsive disorder.
D)personality disorders.

Question 55

________ is an incapacitating exhaustion following only minimal exertion,accompanied by fever,headaches,muscle and joint pain,depression,and anxiety.

A)Somatization disorder
B)Chronic fatigue syndrome
C)Wasting disease
D)Psychogenic pain disorder

Question 56

Which of the following is an example of the phenomenon known as "operant" control of pain behavior?

A)Kate's family has always been critical and demanding. Since her accident, though, family members have become caring and sympathetic.
B)Kim is recovering from a broken leg. Although she is walking on crutches, she has been trying to be as independent as possible.
C)Kinesha had to have a finger amputated after it was partially severed in a slicing accident. Since she feels discomfort in the missing finger, she has been diagnosed with "phantom limb" pain.
D)Kyomi suffers from chronic back pain. However, she rarely complains about the pain to others and tries to keep her facial expressions from showing that she is in pain.

Question 57

In the phenomenon known as "operant" control of pain,the pain behaviors manifested by an individual are determined by

A)the type of injury.
B)social consequences.
C)the side effects of medications.
D)the patient's reaction to treatment.

Question 58

In regard to the condition termed "chronic pain," most researchers now agree that the causes of chronic pain and resulting high costs to our healthcare system are primarily

A)psychological.
B)social.
C)imaginary
D)both psychological and social.

Question 59

All of the following are examples of "pain behaviors"

A)complaining about pain to others.
B)grimacing.
C)positional changes (while sitting or walking).
D)suffering in silence.

Question 60

A predictor of which patients will suffer from chronic pain is

A)the use of  invasive surgical procedures.
B)the patient's family history with pain.
C)a profile of negative emotions.
D)the intensity of the initial pain.

Question 61

Cognitive therapy is used in stress-management programs to help clients learn to do all of the following

A)develop more realistic appraisals and attitudes.
B)identify unrealistic negative thoughts.
C)tell off people they don't like, as a way of reducing stress.
D)assert themselves in an appropriate way in stressful situations.

Question 62

The procedure known as biofeedback involves a process by which a person is first helped to become aware of his/her

A)physiological functions.
B)psychological state of mind.
C)Past emotional processing or lack thereof.
D)level of pain.

Question 63

When Herbert Benson stripped transcendental meditation of what he considered its nonessentials,he developed a brief procedure he called

A)mantra meditation.
B)simplified transcendental meditation (STM).
C)relaxation response.
D)progressive relaxation.

Question 64

In a comprehensive headache treatment program,people who were low users of analgesic medications achieved at least a ____ percent reduction in headache pain.

A)25
B)50
C)75
D)99

Question 65

In the 1970s,Herbert Benson developed a brief relaxation procedure that involved focusing on a

A)word.
B)photo.
C)person.
D)musical note.

Question 66

Cassandra is sitting cross-legged on her rug with her arms outstretched.She closes her eyes and makes a sound like "ummmm." She continues this procedure.Cassandra is demonstrating   ______________,and the sound is a(n)______________.

A)relaxation response; focus
B)meditation; mantra
C)biofeedback; focus
D)hypnosis; focal point

Question 67

All of the following are psychosocial treatments that have been developed for physical disorders and pain

A)biofeedback.
B)hypnosis.
C)relaxation procedures.
D)acupuncture.

Question 68

In a stressful events record,clients in a pain management program are asked to record

A)somatic symptoms only.
B)thoughts that occur during stress but not somatic symptoms.
C)thoughts that occur during stress as well as somatic symptoms.
D)intensity of the stress but not thoughts or somatic symptoms.

Question 69

In biofeedback procedures,clinicians use physiological monitoring equipment to make the responses ________ to the patient.

A)visible
B)audible
C)visible and/or audible
D)tactile

Question 70

All of the following situations have been associated with lowered immune system functioning

A)marital conflict or relationship difficulties.
B)job loss.
C)death of a loved one.
D)pregnancy.

Question 71

A decrease in the activity of stress hormones and certain neurotransmitters appears to occur during

A)sleep.
B)meditation.
C)biofeedback.
D)psychotherapy.

Question 72

Jon has just been diagnosed with cancer.His initial response is to deny the seriousness of his condition.This type of coping mechanism

A)will enable him to develop better coping mechanisms later.
B)is never psychologically helpful.
C)doesn't really help him endure the initial shock any more easily.
D)results in higher levels of corticosteroids (stress hormones).

Question 73

Recent clinical studies indicate that it is a good pain-relieving strategy to use biofeedback in conjunction with

A)medication.
B)relaxation procedures.
C)a placebo.
D)psychotherapy.

Question 74

Although the improvement is only moderate,relaxation techniques have been shown to have a positive effect on

A)headaches.
B)hypertension (high blood pressure).
C)pain.
D)all of these

Question 75

Several studies have found that biofeedback techniques can reduce headache in up to ____ percent of the patients undergoing this therapy.

A)25
B)36
C)63
D)92

Question 76

Individuals who are high users of pain-relieving medications are ________ to benefit from pain management programs than less frequent users.

A)more likely
B)less likely
C)equally likely
D)unable

Question 77

A controlled research study investigating the effects of a cognitive-behavioral treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome resulted in improvement in

A)measures of fatigue.
B)measures of illness belief.
C)both a and b
D)neither a nor b

Question 78

It has been suggested that biofeedback relieves the pain of tension headaches because it "teaches people to relax," but it is more likely that

A)the patients whose pain is seemingly relieved by biofeedback are probably also taking aspirin or Tylenol.
B)the biofeedback training gives patients a sense of control over their headache pain.
C)biofeedback has a "numbing effect" because it affects the nerve endings in the somatic nervous system.
D)patients experience a placebo effect, because the headache pain returns once the biofeedback sessions are completed.

Question 79

In keeping daily records of the stressful events in their lives,patients in pain management programs are taught to be very specific about all of the following

A)the actual time of day that they experience stress.
B)what seems to "trigger the stress."
C)how they attempt to control the stress.
D)the level of intensity of the stress.

Question 80

Physiological functions that are a focus of biofeedback procedures include all of the following

A)EEG rhythms ("brain waves").
B)heart rate.
C)digestive functioning.
D)muscle tension.