Chapter 3: Stress

Question 1

One accepted definition of stress is …

any negative change that occurs in the course of life.

any circumstance that threatens well-being and taxes coping abilities.

anything that causes chronic illness in organisms.

any potentially upsetting event that occurs in one’s environment.

Answer 1

any circumstance that threatens well-being and taxes coping abilities.

Question 2

Below are 3 false statements about stress and one true statement. Which of the following statements regarding the nature of stress is true?

Question options:

Researchers have found that stress is the leading cause of psychological disorders.

A single major stressful event is more strongly harmful to mental health than are the accumulated effects of a bunch of minor stressful hassles.

Routine hassles may have significant negative effects on mental and physical health.

Lazarus’ findings on minor hassles suggests that the effects of small stressors do not add up.

Answer 2

Routine hassles may have significant negative effects on mental and physical health.

Question 3

Primary appraisal is an initial evaluation of whether an event is

harmful to one’s health.

relevant and stressful.

expected.

going to happen soon,

Answer 3

relevant and stressful.

Question 4

Secondary appraisal involves…

making plans to avoid the situation.

asking someone for a second opinion about a stressful event.

evaluating your coping resources and options.

tapping into your defense mechanisms.

Answer 4

evaluating your coping resources and options.

Question 5

The four major types of stress described in your textbook are

Question options:

pressure, anxiety, environment, social demands.

frustration, conflict, pressure, and change.

frustration, anger, pressure, and change.

conflict, pressure, anxiety, and social demands.

Answer 5

frustration, conflict, pressure, and change.

Question 6

Which of the following would be considered an example of an acute stressor?

persistent financial strains produced by huge credit-card debts

ongoing pressures from a hostile boss at work

when the car you drive every day gets a flat tire.

the demands of caring for a sick family member for an extensive period of time

Answer 6

when the car you drive every day gets a flat tire.

Question 7

Raising a child diagnosed with autism and being married to a spouse who cuts you down all the time are examples of

Question options:

acute stressors.

ambient stressors.

chronic stressors.

anticipatory stressors.

Answer 7

chronic stressorss

Question 8

“Persistent, long-term environmental conditions that, although not urgent, are negatively valued and place adaptive demands on people” have been given a special name. What is that name? (Pick the best answer.)

acute stressors

anticipatory stressors

cultural stressors

ambient stressors

Answer 8

ambient stressors

Question 9

Sometimes a medium amount of anxiety helps us by motivating us to do things. In other words, increases in stress can improve performance on a task, up to a point. For example, if you are moderately anxious about your grade, you are more likely to be motivated to study for a test. Thus, medium anxiety/stress can improve your test performance. But, if you become very highly anxious, you can pass your optimal level of arousal for studying and you might have trouble concentrating on studying. According to your textbook (page 79) this type of relationship is described as

Question options:

a downward spiral.

burnout.

a positive correlation.

the inverted-U hypothesis.

Answer 9

the inverted-U hypothesis.

Question 10

The sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system

Question options:

calms the body after the fight-or-flight response.

conserves bodily resources.

arouses sympathy for those in stressful circumstances.

mobilizes bodily resources for emergencies.

Answer 10

mobilizes bodily resources for emergencies.

Question 11

Hans Selye exposed lab animals to a bunch of different types of stressors and found that…

the patterns of physiological arousal were similar, regardless of the type of stress.

each type of stress caused a uniquely different physiological response.

each individual animal responded to stress differently, so no trends were found.

the patterns of physiological arousal seemed to change, depending on the intensity of the stressor.

Answer 11

the patterns of physiological arousal were similar, regardless of the type of stress.

Question 12

In humans the fight-or-flight response to stress is less adaptive than it is in animals because

social evolution has eliminated the need for biological coping mechanisms.

humans do not have adequate equipment to fight or flee from threats.

humans live mostly stress-free lives due to modern technological advancements.

in our current, modern world, most modern human stresses can’t be dealt with by fighting or by running away.

Answer 12

in our current, modern world, most modern human stresses can’t be dealt with by fighting or by running away.

Question 13

Internal conflict occurs when a choice must be made about goals. Generally, which kind of conflict tends to be the least stressful?

approach-avoidance

All types are equally stressful.

approach-approach

avoidance-avoidance

Answer 13

approach-approach

Question 14

Which is an example of an approach-avoidance conflict?

Question options:

The health club cancelled your gym membership prematurely and now refuses to give you your $500 deposit back. You can go through the major hassle and expense suing them in court or you can just accept the loss of the huge deposit that you paid them upfront.

You have been offered a free one year membership at both Planet Fitness and at Anytime Fitness. Both are equal distance from your house and both have similar equipment and similar hours.

A coworker offers to use her influence to get you a gym membership at an expensive club you’d love to join for 75% off the normal membership price! The catch is that the woman, who you don’t really enjoy spending time with, will now expect you to be her new daily workout buddy.

You have enough money to buy a new gym membership at a place that offers aerobics classes or you could spend that money on an treadmill machine to get your aerobic workouts in your own house.

Answer 14

A coworker offers to use her influence to get you a gym membership at an expensive club you’d love to join for 75% off the normal membership price! The catch is that the woman, who you don’t really enjoy spending time with, will now expect you to be her new daily workout buddy.

Question 15

According to your textbook (page 73) approach-avoidance conflicts often produce

Question options:

self-directed anger.

aggression.

frustration.

vacillation.

Answer 15

vacillation.

Question 16

Research on life change and stress began when Thomas Holmes, Richard Rahe, and their colleagues set out to explore the relation between stressful life events and

Schizophrenia.

physical illness.

aggressive behavior.

frustration.

Answer 16

physical illness

Question 17

Research with the Social Readjustment Rating Scale has shown that people with higher scores

are less susceptible to stress.

tend to have pessimistic outlooks on life.

know from experience how to handle stress.

are vulnerable to physical and psychological problems.

Answer 17

are vulnerable to physical and psychological problems.

Question 18

Mounting evidence from research indicates that stress may ______ the functioning of the immune system.

destroy

suppress

stimulate

enhance

Answer 18

suppress

Question 19

Below are 3 true statements about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that are taken directly from your textbook. There is also one false statement. Pick the false statement.

Question options:

The types of traumas that can lead to PTSD are more common than most people realize and include rapes, assaults and automobile accidents.

The vast majority of people who experience traumatic events do not develop PTSD.

Many individuals who have hardly any emotional reactions during or immediately after a traumatic event, later go on to show high vulnerability to PTSD.

Strong social support has been found to be a key factor in reducing the likelihood of PTSD among Vietnam War veterans.

Answer 19

Many individuals who have hardly any emotional reactions during or immediately after a traumatic event, later go on to show high vulnerability to PTSD

Question 20

Which of the following is not a characteristic of burnout?

Question options:

immediate traumatic stresses

cynicism

emotional exhaustion

lowered self-efficacy

Answer 20

immediate traumatic stresses

Question 21

Psychosomatic diseases are

Question options:

common reactions to single traumatic events.

psychological disturbances associated with burnout.

genuine physical ailments caused partly by psychological factors.

imaginary physical ailments caused by psychological factors.

Answer 21

genuine physical ailments caused partly by psychological factors.

Question 22

The effects of stress are not always negative. In fact, below are 3 things that the textbook says can be a positive result of a stressful situation. There is also a false choice, not mentioned in your textbook. Which of the following is not a beneficial effect of stress?

satisfies the need for stimulation and challenge

promotes personal growth

it improves the efficiency of the “working memory” system.

inoculates against later stresses

Answer 22

it improves the efficiency of the “working memory” system

Question 23

People who lack social support are

are equally likely to develop infectious diseases as those with high social support.

more prone to developing infectious diseases, such as colds, under stress.

less prone to developing infectious diseases, such as colds under stress, because they are less likely to be exposed to infectious germs.

have less intense physiological reactions to stress, because they keep it to themselves.

Answer 23

more prone to developing infectious diseases, such as colds, under stress.

Question 24

Hardiness tends to reduce the effects of stress by altering one’s

need for sensory stimulation.

frustration level.

autonomic reactivity.

stress appraisals.

Answer 24

stress appraisals.

Question 25

People who exhibit an optimistic explanatory style tend to attribute setbacks to

Question options:

temporary situational factors.

other’s shortcomings.

a bad home environment.

personal traits.

Answer 25

temporary situational factors.