Q&A Hero

Q: in 2008, the percentage of the u.s. population meeting the criteria for obesity was: a.3 percent b.5 percent c.15 percent d.33 percent

Q: an important change in the health of people over the last 100 years involves: a.an increasing number of mortalities associated with lifestyle choices b.the increased use of successful coping strategies c.obesity becoming less prevalent d.more people dying of infectious diseases

Q: uncle frank has a heart condition, which means he needs to be very careful about certain aspects of his life. based on research on family-focused interventions, which of these actions will be least helpful in encouraging uncle frank to lead a healthier life? a.providing rewards for his positive health behaviors b.planning his daily schedule for him c.encouraging him to make his own health decisions d.modeling healthy behaviors, such as eating a well-balanced diet

Q: according to research conducted on family-focused interventions, the major difference between effective and ineffective family-focused treatments involves whether: a.the patient has adequate social skills b.family members have enough information about the patients illness c.a medical practitioner or a family therapist conducts the intervention d.family members promote the patients autonomy

Q: kayla is participating in a research study on coping. she is asked to engage in a difficult task that is designed to elicit a stress response. based on the results of previous research, if kayla is high in hardiness she will show _____ following the stressful task. a.an increase in positive thoughts about herself b.lower than average blood pressure c.a steady heart rate d.more blood flow in the amygdala

Q: hardy individuals tend to view life events as less stressful than those who are low on this personality dimension. an important aspect of how they view their daily life is that: a.they tend to resist negative changes b.when stressed, they focus on negative thoughts and feelings c.they have varying levels of commitment to their daily activities d.they feel they are largely in control of what happens to them

Q: according to kobasa, which of the following is not a component of the hardiness personality trait? a.comparison b.challenge c.commitment d.control

Q: if amy is committed to her life tasks, feels challenged by barriers, and feels in control of her fate, she would be described as: a.type a b.type b c.hardy d.an externalizer

Q: robert, a formerly homeless man, has recently begun enjoying the experience of paying utility bills and rent. these activities are meaningful to him because they remind him that he is no longer homeless. in finding meaning in these activities, robert is engaging in the process of: a.downward comparisons b.upward spiraling c.anticipatory coping d.creating positive events

Q: positive reappraisal involves consciously changing ones: a.behaviors b.emotional expressions c.beliefs about events d.personality

Q: based on what you know about downward comparisons, which emotion is most likely to follow a downward comparison? a.relief b.excitement c.embarrassment d.depression

Q: a positive reappraisal strategy that involves comparing oneself to those worse off is known as: a.creation of positive events b.the silver lining effect c.downward comparisons d.social comparisons

Q: sasha finds her job difficult and has had a hard time learning how to do some of the tasks that are required of her. she decides to put in some extra hours to learn how to complete the tasks, and she is confident that in doing so she will be able to perform the tasks well. according to research discussed in your textbook, what is a likely outcome? a.sasha will become physically ill from all the extra hours she is putting in. b.sasha will feel less stressed and happier. c.sasha will become a friendlier person because she will learn to teach herself new things. d.sasha will become increasingly negative and even depressed.

Q: scott is having a difficult time with his classes. he tries to keep from becoming anxious about his grades by going to movies and parties with his friends. however, scott is frequently irritated and gets sick often. which of the following factors is probably contributing to scotts mood problems and illnesses? a.he is using a problem-focused coping strategy. b.he is using an emotion-based coping strategy. c.he is using a primary appraisal coping strategy. d.he is using a positive reappraisal strategy.

Q: people are most likely to adopt a problem-focused coping strategy when they perceive the stressors as: a.positive b.negative c.controllable d.uncontrollable

Q: the major difference between emotion-focused coping and problem-focused coping involves: a.the intensity of the stressor b.whether one attempts to reduce the emotions associated with the stressor or solve the problem directly c.the ability to perceive the stressor d.whether the stress is familiar or unfamiliar

Q: murids grandfather is dying of cancer. _____ coping will be most effective in reducing murids stress around this event. a.problem-focused b.conciliatory c.autonomous d.emotion-focused

Q: anticipatory coping will be most effective when the: a.stress is predictable b.stress ultimately has a positive outcome c.person is dealing with multiple sources of stress at once d.stress is seen as meaningful in some way

Q: deciding how to deal with a stressor before it arises is the definition of: a.anticipatory coping b.pre-coping c.future-oriented coping d.emotion-focused coping

Q: after reading your psychology textbook, your friend george decides that he uses primarily emotion-focused coping strategies when dealing with problems in his daily life. georges conclusion implies that he: a.decides on which strategy to use by weighing the emotional costs and benefits associated with a particular strategy b.tries to avoid or minimize his problemsfor example, by reading a book or listening to music c.first tries to assess how he feels emotionally, and then develops a rational plan of action d.takes immediate steps to solve the problem

Q: katies professor is giving a test tomorrow, but has not told the students what will be on the test. katie is not sure how or what to study and feels nervous about her upcoming performance. the most effective coping strategy for katie to use the night before the exam is: a.emotion-focused coping b.positive reappraisal c.anticipatory coping d.a defense mechanism

Q: which one of the following is not an example of emotion-focused coping? a.avoidance of stressor b.minimizing the problem c.distancing oneself from the outcome d.creating alternative solutions

Q: emotional coping strategies: a.generally work better over the short term than over the long term b.are usually better than problem-focused strategies in various situations c.work best in the face of a controllable stressor d.are counterproductive in most situations

Q: in lazaruss two-part cognitive appraisal process, secondary appraisals involve: a.interpreting the sensory input b.deciding whether a situation is stressful or not c.evaluating our response options and choosing coping behaviors d.engaging in anticipatory coping

Q: engaging in primary appraisal allows us to: a.probably engage in secondary appraisal instead b.enact coping behaviors only for stimuli that are relevant c.often be emotionally aroused d.have difficulty expressing our emotions

Q: brenda has used a primary appraisal, but not a secondary appraisal, in her analysis of an event. because she has not used secondary appraisal, we can guess that the event was: a.related to brendas self-identity b.followed by a physiological response c.nonthreatening d.highly emotional

Q: lazarus divides the cognitive appraisal process into two parts: primary and secondary. primary appraisals involve: a.deciding whether an event is stressful or irrelevant to you b.evaluating your response options c.selecting a coping behavior d.deciding whether a coping behavior was successful

Q: amy has just been diagnosed with breast cancer. she reminds herself that breast cancer is highly treatable and that the doctors caught hers early. she feels much luckier than people whose breast cancer is caught during later stages of the disease. which of the following coping strategies is amy using? a.creation of positive events b.downward comparisons c.secondary appraisals d.emotion-focused coping

Q: two ways that hostility can affect the body are through stress on the heart and: a.increased pulmonary function b.reduced pulmonary function c.decreased inflammation d.increased lymphocyte activity

Q: being hostile or depressed has been found to: a.cause autoimmune disorders b.predict greater risk for heart disease c.stop the general adaptation syndrome from occurring d.increase lymphocyte production

Q: feeling hostile and impatient is characteristic of people who are at increased risk to develop: a.major depressive disorder b.heart disease c.an immune disorder d.an eating disorder

Q: recent research on predictors of heart disease suggests that people who are _____ are particularly vulnerable to cardiac problems. a.angry or depressed b.time-pressed and shy c.low in self-esteem d.low in cortisol production

Q: jane owns a consulting firm and has three employees. which person should jane recommend for a job that demands good people skills? a.the type a person because she will be highly extroverted b.the type b person because she will be accommodating and relaxed c.the type c person because she will be highly motivated to help others d.the mixed-personality type person because she will be the most flexible

Q: which of the following people is most likely to develop coronary heart disease at some point in his or her life? a.john, a counseling psychologist who is laid-back and enjoys his job b.erik, a ceo of a fortune 500 company who takes frequent vacations c.louis, a competitive poker play who is aggressive, impatient, and thrives on beating the competition d.jarrod, who is an elementary school teacher and is easygoing

Q: the type b behavior pattern describes a person who is: a.competitive and time-pressed b.easygoing and accommodating c.cynical and pessimistic d.at high risk for cardiovascular disease

Q: in a well-known study of california men, being hostile and impatient was found to be related to _____, which shows that _____. a.heart disease; genes control the development of disease b.immune functioning; stress is a function of lifestyle c.heart disease; psychological factors are important in disease development d.hormonal dysfunction; gender will have an effect on disease development

Q: smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and _____ strongly predict heart disease. a.an insufficient allostatic load b.an underactivated hpa axis c.type a behavior d.type b behavior

Q: your roommate is hostile, very competitive, and pessimistic. on the basis of recent research, which of the following health problems is your roommate most likely to experience later? a.cardiovascular disease b.immune system failures c.chronic infections d.cancer

Q: your roommate is achievement oriented, impatient, aggressive, and time-pressed. your roommates behavior fits the: a.type a behavior pattern b.type b behavior pattern c.gas pattern d.glucocorticoid pattern

Q: seeing someone who is red in the face and ready to explode with anger might indicate that the person: a.has a hardy personality b.has a type a personality c.has a type b personality d.is using emotion-focused coping

Q: people who live in st. petersburg recently experienced flooding of their homes and hail damage during a particularly bad storm. people in miami did not experience this storm. who will have better immune functioning, and why? a.people in miami will have better immune functioning because they used better anticipatory coping. b.people in miami will have better immune functioning because they did not experience the negative event. c.people in st. petersburg will have better immune functioning because they are working to overcome an eustress event. d.people in neither town will experience better immune functioning because immune functioning is largely due to genetics, not environmental events.

Q: the more negative emotions someone experiences, the greater the chance of developing: a.antibodies b.eustress c.heart disease d.glandular cancer

Q: farhan has had to deal with repeated amounts of high stress. his parents both have chronic diseases, he and his wife are arguing constantly, and his new job demands a lot of his time. according to research on the effects of stress, farhan will: a.probably be divorced in the next year b.show a decreased immune response to infectious diseases c.develop a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia d.develop a type a personality

Q: harold has been unemployed for many years and is constantly struggling to pay his bills. the stress harold is experiencing is an example of: a.eustress b.a-stress c.chronic stress d.acute stress

Q: immune functioning and the experience of positive events have been shown to: a.be negatively correlated b.have a random relationship c.be positively correlated d.be positively correlated in women and negatively correlated in men

Q: a general conclusion growing out of the research on health and stress is that: a.short-term stress is more dangerous to your health than chronic stress is b.until recently, psychologists have overemphasized the effects of stress on health c.the source of stress is more important to health outcomes than is the level of stress d.chronic stress has adverse effects on health

Q: which of the following is a major risk factor for heart disease? a.lack of exercise b.smoking c.obesity d.all of the above

Q: stress hormones: a.interfere with emotional expression if they are released in the bloodstream b.are often released at random c.may alter immune system functioning d.have little effect on the coping response

Q: melinda just got a new job as a receptionist, and she does not expect it to be very stressful. however, she is nervous about learning how to perform well in the job when she first starts working. this kind of stress is _____ and may result in _____. a.long term; worse immune functioning b.long term; better immune functioning c.short term; worse immune functioning d.short term; better immune functioning

Q: if, by magic, the general adaptation syndrome did not occur in human beings in response to a stressor, what would be the most likely outcome? a.humans would deal with stress in a more effective way. b.the fight-or-flight response would be weakened or nonexistent. c.mental illness rates due to stress would increase. d.men would find it more difficult than women to cope with stress.

Q: selyes general adaptation syndrome describes _____ responses to stress. the primary and secondary appraisal model describes _____ responses to stress. a.emotional; bodily b.bodily; emotional c.cognitive; bodily d.bodily; cognitive

Q: in which stage of the stress response does the immune system fail? a.alarm b.resistance c.exhaustion d.specific stress

Q: according to the general adaptation syndrome understanding of the stress response, if stress continues long enough: a.physiological and immune systems will begin to fail b.the stimuli initially seen as stressful will cease to affect the organism c.the immune system will become overactive and threaten the organism d.the organism will learn new methods of dealing with the stress

Q: in which stage of the stress response does the body increase its immunity to infection and disease? a.alarm b.resistance c.exhaustion d.specific stress

Q: in which stage of the stress response is the body most likely to be exposed to infection and disease? a.alarm b.resistance c.exhaustion d.specific stress

Q: in which stage of the stress response does the body first start to fight back with increased immune functioning? a.alarm stage b.resistance stage c.stress execution stage d.suspense stage

Q: in humans, the alarm stage of the general adaptation syndrome involves: a.the inhibition of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system b.the production of cortisol, which helps the body respond to stress c.reduced production of both norepinephrine and epinephrine d.deactivation of the sympathetic nervous system

Q: according to selye, the general adaptation syndrome consists of three stages that occur in the following order: a.exhaustion, resistance, alarm b.resistance, alarm, exhaustion c.alarm, exhaustion, resistance d.alarm, resistance, exhaustion

Q: _____ is not a phase of the general adaptation syndrome. a.exhaustion b.resistance c.alarm d.nonspecific stress

Q: stress increases the release of cortisol, and the cortisol helps us cope with the stress. if stress continues for prolonged periods of time: a.cortisol production is exhausted b.the antagonist to cortisol dominates the physiological system c.cortisol no longer has its usual effects d.the increased cortisol begins to have adverse effects on bodily and mental functioning

Q: which of the following people is least likely to develop more severe cold symptoms after exposure to a cold virus? a.someone with a type a personality b.a marine in active combat c.someone who has an overly active hpa axis d.a hardy individual

Q: experiencing many self-reported negative events has an effect on health. which of the following bodily responses is correlated with experiencing more negative life events? a.decreased hpa activity b.increased lymphocyte activity c.increased antibody production d.decreased antibody production

Q: if plotted on a graph, the correlation between stress and immune functioning would be: a.strong and positive b.strong and negative c.shaped like an inverted u d.random

Q: chelsea has been sick often in the past year, and when she finally starts to recover she gets sick again. she also has a very stressful work and family life. what is most likely the cause of chelseas constant illness? a.she is too busy to see a doctor b.increased oxytocin levels due to chronic stress c.decreased lymphocyte production due to chronic stress d.understimulation of the sympathetic nervous system due to chronic stress

Q: participants in a research study provide saliva samples to a team of researchers. the researchers then relate the participants personality traits to immune system functioning. the researchers are involved in the study of: a.psychoneuroimmunology b.sociobiology c.biobehaviorism d.allopathic load

Q: margot is an air force pilot stationed for the past six months in a war zone. you would expect her immune functioning to be: a.better than someone who has a less stressful job b.worse than someone who has a less stressful job c.about the same as someone who has a less stressful job d.it is impossible to tell from this example.

Q: what is the name of the field that studies the immune system response to psychological factors? a.psychophysiology b.psychoimmunology c.psychoneuroimmunology d.psychoneuropharmacology

Q: the fact that oxytocin is a more prevalent hormone in womens stress response provides evidence for the: a.finding that testosterone is a relatively unimportant hormone in stress responses b.tend-and-befriend hypothesis c.conclusion that women do not engage in the fight-or-flight response d.importance of excluding women from stress research studies

Q: a.cortisol b.oxytocin c.norepinephrine d.testosterone

Q: a concern over female hormonal cycles has historically led to stress research that _____ aggression because _____ typically have been used in stress research studies. a.underemphasizes; females b.overemphasizes; females c.underemphasizes; males d.overemphasizes; males

Q: your parents are under a great deal of job stress. which of the following responses might you expect from them in terms of their parenting behavior? a.both will devote less attention to your needs. b.your mother will be more responsive to your needs than usual, whereas your father will be less responsive to them. c.both will devote more attention to your needs as a way of coping with the job stress. d.research has shown that stress is unrelated to gender.

Q: under stress, females are likely to show a _____ response, whereas males are more likely to show a(n) _____ response. a.fight-or-flight; tend-and-befriend b.coping; noncoping c.tend-and-befriend; aggression d.flight; fight

Q: when men and women are placed under equivalent levels of stress: a.both appear equally motivated to seek out social support b.women are more likely than men to seek out social support c.men are more prone to seek social support than women are d.both men and women are equally motivated, but women prefer support from men, whereas men seek support from both sexes

Q: who coined the phrase fight-or-flight response? a.charles sherrington b.walter cannon c.hans selye d.david premack

Q: research on the fight-or-flight response has been criticized by taylor and others for: a.focusing too exclusively on the responses of males b.neglecting the possibility that stress can also inhibit or prevent behavioral responding c.focusing on humans and neglecting other animal species d.placing too much emphasis on the role of hormones in mediating these responses

Q: why have psychologists emphasized fight-or-flight responses over tend-and-befriend responses? a.the former have greater adaptive value. b.the research has largely been done with males. c.research supports the former but not the latter. d.avoidance responses are more important to survival than approach responses are.

Q: mayas hpa axis has been activated over many weeks. after chronic hpa activation over this long period, maya is most likely to have problems in: a.smooth muscle movement b.remembering information c.understanding spoken language d.expressing positive and negative emotions

Q: if no damage to the hippocampus occurred due to prolonged hpa activation, people would likely experience no or few stress-related impairments in: a.muscle movement b.memory c.social interaction d.emotion regulation

Q: one of the problems with the prolonged activation of the hpa axis due to chronic stress is that it: a. remains inactive even during extreme stress b. destroys neurons in the spinal cord c. damages neurons in the hippocampus d. facilitates long-term potentiation

Q: miryam and her boyfriend were together for 10 years, and then he broke up with her. the breakup was extremely distressing to her. which of the following responses will miryam almost certainly experience? a.anticipatory coping b.the eustress response c.the allostatic release response d.hpa activation