Deck 4: Stress Across Cultures

Question 1

A balloon breaking at a birthday party has the following definitions:

A)The noise from the balloon breaking is the stressor,and the heart rate increasing could be one stress response.
B)If the noise does not make your heart rate go up,it is not a stressor but just another event.
C)Stressors can vary among individuals,not everyone will have the same stress response to the balloon breaking
D)All of the above are true.

Answer 1

All of the above are true.

Question 2

The earliest theory of stress suggest our current response is a remnant of our evolutionary past and was developed by:

A)Walter Cannon
B)Hans Seyle
C)Richard Lazarus
D)Rene Descartes

Answer 2

Walter Cannon

Question 3

During secondary appraisal in the Cognitive Appraisal Model,individuals _____.

A)evaluate their resources for dealing with stress
B)unconsciously recall other similar stressful events
C)engage in the use of defense mechanisms
D)experience resistance and then exhaustion

Answer 3

evaluate their resources for dealing with stress

Question 4

Lazarus (1966)added more psychological components to the process of stress.Lazarus indicated that stress:

A)was the upsetting of the homeostasis
B)has psychosocial stress which reflects the subject's inability to forestall or diminish perception recall and anticipation
C)a substantial imbalance between environmental demand and the response capability of the focal organism.
D)is a condition or feeling experienced when a person perceives that demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able to mobilize

Question 5

After a stressful day on the job,men respond by _____ (Repetti & Wood,1997).

A)stopping by the bar for a drink
B)hunting and fishing
C)hanging out with friends
D)wanting to be alone and often fight with their spouses and kids

Question 6

Research indicates that an individual coping with diabetes can affect the outcome of the disease by:

A)living in denial of the problem
B)taking control of the disease and making lifestyle choices can make the diagnosis less stressful
C)realizing that one has no control over the outcome
D)none of the above

Question 7

The theory that women developed additional stress responses aimed to protect,calm and quiet children,to remove them from harm's way,and to marshal resources to help is called:

A)fight-or-flight theory
B)Seyle's Adaptation Syndrome
C)autonomic stress response
D)tend-and-befriend

Question 8

Lazarus suggests that we make two major types of appraisals when we face any potentially stressful event.During the primary appraisal we:

A)base our opinion on a Galvanic skin response
B)ascertain whether the event is positive,negative or neutral.
C)experience high stress
D)experience low stress

Question 9

During the first Gulf War,many individuals were hospitalized just for the trauma of not knowing whether the warheads contained chemical weapons or not.This is one example of one of the main dimensions of stress,called:

A)centrality
B)duration
C)valence
D)predictability

Question 10

According to Seyle's general adaptation syndrome (GAS)theory of stress,the _____ system is activated.

A)hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)
B)sympathetic nervous
C)sympathetic-adrenal-medullary (SAM)
D)catecholamine

Question 11

Research was conducted where one group of residents in a nursing home were given the responsibility of caring for a plant,and another group did not receive a plant.After 6 months,the group with a plant to care for were significantly better off than the group without plants.This is an example of one of the main dimensions of stress,called:

A)control
B)duration
C)predictability
D)definition

Question 12

During the fight or flight response,epinephrine:

A)increases heart rate and blood pressure
B)energizes the muscles
C)converts fat into energy
D)gets oxygen into the bloodstream

Question 13

According to Starr and McMillan (2006),the ideal level of bodily functions is:

A)no stress at all
B)homeostasis
C)stress to our systems for only 2-3 hours per day
D)what ever the hypothalamus is able to manage.It is unique for each individual.

Question 14

According to Lazarus's Cognitive appraisal model,in primary appraisal,people assess whether an event involves each of the following except:

A)fear
B)harm
C)threat
D)challenge

Question 15

According to Cannon's fight or flight theory of stress,the _____ system is activated.

A)HPA
B)SAM
C)GAS
D)SNS

Question 16

The Hassles Scales indicates that the following circumstance ranks the highest on the list of major stressors:

A)chronic car trouble
B)death of a close family member
C)jail term
D)major personal injury

Question 17

Research supports that women with higher levels of oxytocin in their bodies:

A)bond better with their babies
B)behaved in ways that formed better bonds
C)have the potential to inhibit the flight response,and enhances their relaxation.
D)All of the above are true.

Question 18

The main chemical(s)associated with the fight or flight response:

A)are catecholamines
B)is cortisol
C)is endorphin
D)is insulin

Question 19

After having a stressful day at work,women _____ (Repetti & Wood,1997).

A)want to spend more time with their kids and have more physical contact with them
B)want to go shopping
C)want to go work out in the gym
D)want to be alone

Question 20

Historically,stressors were primarily acute.An example of an acute stressor would be:

A)stubbing a toe
B)taking a Health Psychology class
C)living with rheumatoid arthritis
D)living in an overpopulated community

Question 21

Environmental stressors can be divided into three main categories:

A)home,work and community
B)background stressors,natural disaster stressors,and techno-political stressors.
C)lack of community cohesion,lack of nature resources,conflicting political ideals
D)None of the above are correct.

Question 22

Job stress symptoms of lower self-esteem would fall under this category of job stress:

A)psychological distress
B)behavioral changes
C)physical health problems
D)all of the above

Question 23

What environmental stress can lead to the reducing the learning capabilities of children in the classroom or home environments?

A)airport noise and busy roadways
B)poor use of colors in the decoration of the classroom
C)crowding
D)both a and c

Question 24

One example indicating that the effects of discrimination-related stress can have a stronger effect on men is that:

A)Orthodox Jewish males indicate they are depressed if they reside in an urban location.
B)elderly African American males have higher scores than females for race-related stress in the context of institutional racism and collective racism
C)young Asian females have lower scores on depression in the Midwest than males.
D)there is no difference of discrimination stress between men and women

Question 25

According to Brofrenbrenner (1977),work and home are examples of:

A)microsystems
B)mesosystem
C)role theory
D)reciprocity

Question 26

The diathesis-stress model indicates that the diathesis is:

A)vulnerable predispositions
B)the lack of vulnerability for stress
C)the reasons we are stressed
D)the cause for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Question 27

Researchers can test stress levels in blood samples from:

A)the level of cortisol in blood,which decreases when we are stressed
B)the level of epinephrine which increases when we are stressed
C)noting the insulin levels
D)drawing several vials of blood,so this is not normally a route to choose to determine stress levels

Question 28

A short term environmental stressor is:

A)background stressors
B)natural disaster stressors
C)techno-political stressors
D)None are short term

Question 29

Whitbeck et al.(2002)found that a sample of Native Americans in the upper Midwest decreased the association between discrimination and depression if:

A)the individuals participated in traditional practices such as powwows
B)the individuals used their tribal language
C)if the individuals lived in the urban areas
D)both a and b

Question 30

Beals et al.(2005)found that Native Americans living in the Northern Plains and the Southwest area of the United States had the most prevalent diagnosis for mental health issues such as:

A)Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
B)higher prevalence of substance abuse
C)lower prevalence of depression
D)all of the above

Question 31

A study by Rosen et al.(2003)found that being on welfare increased the risk of developing mental health problems if the single mothers were:

A)White
B)Native American
C)Latino
D)African American

Question 32

One of the biggest cultural chronic stressors that has serious implications for the development and treatment of mental illness is:

A)educational status
B)perceived discrimination
C)belief in health care benefits
D)gender

Question 33

Culture may act as a stressor in the diathesis-stress model of psychopathology by:

A)activating cultural folklore.
B)the confusion that might occur from misunderstood communication.
C)activating certain vulnerabilities and predispositions that may lead to the emergence of psychopathology.
D)causing confusion when interpreting research data.

Question 34

Gurung et al.(2004)found that chronic stress or burden and low socioeconomic status were significant predictors of changes in depression for:

A)African American and Latina women
B)Latina women and Asian women
C)European American women
D)Asian women

Question 35

North Americans indicated in the 2007 APA poll that this is their top stressor:

A)marital relationship
B)relationships with aging parents
C)relationships with children
D)work

Question 36

Sometimes a spouse may have a bad day at work and returns home to verbally abuse the family.This is referred to as:

A)chronic stress
B)compensatory responding
C)spillover
D)reciprocity

Question 37

One of the biggest stressors at work can be:

A)multiple roles
B)boredom
C)poorly defined roles
D)All of these are stressors

Question 38

Measuring stress of an individual can be accomplished by:

A)asking the individual in a questionnaire such as the Life Experiences Survey
B)extrapolating data from government reports
C)assuming that the individual has the same stress as others in their cultural group
D)asking family members their perception of the stress level of an individual

Question 39

Bolger et al.(1989)first recognized and defined two specific types of stress contagion:

A)microsystems and macrosystems
B)gender and race
C)spillover and crossover
D)socioeconomic level,and regional location

Question 40

The Galvanic skin response is a tool that measures stress by:

A)measuring perceived stress as a written survey
B)measuring the heart rate of the patient
C)measuring how our skin conducts electricity
D)analyzing psychological measures

Question 41

Stress can affect human physiology by:

A)suppression of the immune system and neuronal damage
B)decreasing blood pressure
C)improving short term memory
D)causing nail and hair growth due to increase in sympathetic nervous system.

Question 42

Every year during finals,Beverly has an increase in the incidents of colds and a chronic cough.This may be an example of:

A)allostasis
B)environmental stress
C)a stress-induced illness
D)none of the above

Question 43

Brofrenbrenner (1977)and the ecological theory identified how the work domain can affect elements of the home domain,and vice versa,and is defined by different levels of systems.

Question 44

In humans,breastfeeding mothers have been found to be calmer (Ulvas-Moberg,1996).

Question 45

Chronic stress is best defined by:

A)running from a bee or wasp to avoid being stung
B)the allostatic load can cause heart and memory problems
C)dealing with the phone ringing off the wall from election campaigns and business solicitors
D)dealing with a sprained wrist

Question 46

The stress of an unlucky day may be strong enough to cause physiological damage.This thought is demonstrated by:

A)the superstition of Western culture with the number 13
B)the statistical increase of Chinese and Japanese Americans rate of death on day 4,considered to be unlucky
C)superstition can be stressful
D)both b and c

Question 47

In one of the biggest reviews of the studies on PTSD,Ozer et al.(2003),found that psychological processes at the time of or around the trauma,not prior characteristics,are the strongest predictors of PTSD.

Question 48

Allostasis is the inability to achieve stability through change,and indicates the individual will have mental or physical consequences to not being able to change.

Question 49

If Gina reacts to the stress of missing the bus on her way to work by first appraising how important it is that she arrive at work on time,then examining her resources to see if she can cope with the stress of not going to work,she would be demonstrating the stress theory:

A)Tend-and-Befriend
B)General Adaptation Syndrome
C)Cognitive Appraisal
D)Fight-or-Flight

Question 50

Wars and acts of terrorism are examples of:

A)techno-political stressors
B)background stressors
C)natural disaster stressors
D)All of the above are correct.

Question 51

Which of the following conditions are considered stress-induced illnesses?

A)liver cancer
B)brittle nails and hair
C)mouth ulcers and eczema
D)none of the above

Question 52

Canon (1929)viewed stress as the biological mobilization of the body for action,involving sympathetic activation and endocrine activity.

Question 53

The way that parents deal with stress does not serve as a critical model for how children deal with stress,nor will it influence their health.

Question 54

Most of the early major theories of stress,such as Seyle and Cannon,paid more attention to the psychological changes in the mind that accompany the experience of stress.

Question 55

From a practical standpoint,the activation of the HPA axis and the SAM is:

A)obsolete and not needed by humans at this time
B)important and critical to the survival of humans
C)is needed to prepare our bodies for stressors,but decreases our ability to respond quickly due to constant wear and tear
D)a chronic condition

Question 56

In a longitudinal study of over 2,000 adults,it was found that the stress-responses to the 9/11 attacks predicted increased heart problems even three years after the attacks (Holman et al.,2008).

Question 57

Chronic stressors can exert true physiological and psychological damage on human bodies.

Question 58

There are tales of Australian Aborigines dying if they are curse: a healthy person on one day can die the next day if he or she is told that they are cursed (Phillips,et al.2001).

Question 59

When comparing major theories concerning stress,the following one has specific ideas about how oxytocin can generate an individual to respond to a stressor:

A)Flight-or-fight
B)Cognitive appraisal
C)General Adaptation Syndrome
D)Tend-and-Befriend

Question 60

Freedman (1975)found that overcrowding causes negative moods for:

A)only women
B)both men and women
C)it does not affect children
D)only men

Question 61

According to the research discussed in the textbook,what are some ways that men and women might differ in how they respond to stress?

Question 62

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)is a psychological disorder that is a possible consequence of a major stressful event.Please answer the following questions by offering insight and examples for each question."Is it possible to have PTSD without experiencing the event directly?" and "How can culture affect PTSD?".

Question 63

Psychologically speaking,work or occupational stress can arise from a number of factors.Nine factors are mentioned in your textbook.List five of these factors and write a short example for each one.

Question 64

Culture influences both the appraisal of stress and the experience of stress.Different cultures have different expectations for various aspects of life,and these differences can make a high threat event look like a low threat event to another group.Write about what you know from reading the textbook about how culture can influence stress,and include personal examples or examples you have observed or read about to support your answers.

Question 65

There are six main dimensions of stress.Please list these dimensions,and give a short definition as to what they entail.