TB WL10 Ch03revb

Chapter 3
STRESS AND ITS EFFECTS
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
The Nature of Stress

1. Describe the nature of stress, and discuss how common it is.
2. Distinguish between primary and secondary appraisal of stress.
3. Summarize the evidence on ambient stress.
4. Explain how culture and ethnicity are related to stress.
Major Sources of Stress

5. Distinguish between acute, chronic, and anticipatory stressors.
6. Describe frustration as a source of stress.
7. Outline the three types of internal conflict, and discuss typical reactions to conflicts.
8. Analyze evidence on life change as a source of stress.
9. Discuss evidence on pressure as a source of stress.
Responding to Stress
10. List three categories of negative emotions commonly elicited by stress.
11. Discuss the role of positive emotions in the stress process.
12. Explain the effects of emotional arousal on coping efforts, and describe the inverted-U
hypothesis.
13. Describe the fight-or-flight response, and contrast it with the tend-and-befriend response.
14. Identify the three stages of the general adaptation syndrome.
15. Distinguish between the two major pathways along which the brain sends signals to the
endocrine system in response to stress.
16. Clarify the concept of coping.
The Potential Effects of Stress

17. Explain the phenomenon of choking under pressure.
18. Summarize evidence regarding how stress can affect cognitive functioning.
19. Identify the symptoms and causes of burnout.
20. Discuss the potential impact of stress on psychological health.
21. Discuss the prevalence, symptoms, and causes of posttraumatic stress disorder.
22. Discuss the effects of stress on physical health.
23. Articulate three ways in which stress might lead to beneficial effects.
Factors Influencing Tolerance

24. Explain how social support moderates the impact of stress.
25. Describe the hardiness syndrome and how it influences stress tolerance.
26. Clarify how optimism is related to stress tolerance.
27. Describe the potential problem of unrealistic optimism.
APPLICATION: Reducing Stress through Self-Control

28. Explain why traits cannot be target behaviors in self-modification programs.
29. Identify the three kinds of information you should pursue in gathering your baseline data.
30. Discuss how to use reinforcement to increase the strength of a response.
59
31. Explain how to use reinforcement, control of antecedents, and punishment to decrease the
strength of a response.
32. Analyze issues related to fine-tuning and ending a self-modification program.
60
LEARNING OBJECTIVES Item Number
1. Describe the nature of stress and discuss how common it is. 1, 2, 3, 4, TF1
2. Distinguish between primary and secondary appraisal of stress. 5, 6, 7, 8, SA1
3. Summarize the evidence on ambient stress. 9, 10, SG1
4. Explain how culture and ethnicity are related to stress. 11, 12, 13
5. Distinguish between acute, chronic, and anticipatory stressors. 14, 15, 16, SG2
6. Describe frustration as a source of stress. 17, 18, 19, 20, 21
7. Outline the three types of internal conflict, and discuss typical 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 25,
reactions to conflicts. 26, 27, TF2, SA2
8. Analyze evidence on life change as a source of stress. 17, 18, 28, 29, 30, 31,
32, SG3, TF3, TF4
9. Discuss evidence on pressure as a source of stress. 18, 33, 34, 35, 36
10. List three categories of negative emotions commonly elicited by 37, 38, 39
stress.
11. Discuss the role of positive emotions in the stress process. 40, 41, 42, SA3
12. Explain the effects of emotional arousal on coping efforts, and 43, 44, 45, 46, SG4
describe the inverted-U hypothesis.
13. Describe the fight-or-flight response, and contrast it with the 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52,
tend-and-befriend response. 53, SG5
14. Describe the three stages of the general adaptation syndrome. 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59,
60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65,
SA4
15. Distinguish between the two major pathways along which the 66, 67, 68, SG6, TF5
brain sends signals to the endocrine system in response to stress.
16. Clarify the concept of coping. 69, 70, SA5
17. Explain the phenomenon of choking under pressure. 71, 72, 73, TF6
18. Summarize evidence on how stress can affect cognitive 74, 75
functioning.
19. Identify the symptoms and causes of burnout. 76, 77, 78, 79, SG7, SA6
20. Assess the potential impact of stress on psychological health. 80, 81
21. Discuss the prevalence, symptoms, and causes of posttraumatic 82, 83, TF7
stress disorder.
22. Discuss the effects of stress on physical health. 84, 85, SG8, TF8
23. Articulate three ways in which stress might lead to beneficial 86, 87, SA7
effects.
24. Explain how social support moderates the impact of stress. 88, 89, 90, SG9, TF9,
SA8
25. Describe the hardiness syndrome and how it influences stress 91, 92, 93
tolerance.
26. Clarify how optimism is related to stress tolerance. 94, 95, 96, 97, SA9
27. Describe the potential problem of unrealistic optimism. 98, 99
28. Explain why traits cannot be target behaviors in self- 100, 101, TF10, SA10
modification programs.
29. Identify the three kinds of information you should pursue in 102, 103, SA10
gathering your baseline data.
30. Discuss how to use reinforcement to increase the strength of a 104, 105, SG10
response.
61
31. Explain how to use reinforcement, control of antecedents, and 106, 107
punishment to decrease the strength of a response.
32. Analyze issues related to fine-tuning and ending a self- 108, 109
modification program.
Key: Multiple-Choice question numbers appear first, followed by Study Guide question numbers
(SG), True/False (TF), and Short Answer (SA).
62
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The emerging consensus among contemporary researchers is that stress is

a. a stimulus event that presents difficult demands.
b. the response of physiological arousal elicited by a troublesome event.
c. a special stimulus-response transaction in which one feels threatened.
d. a series of events that tend to elicit overwhelming feelings of anxiety.
ANS: c REF: 71
OBJ: 1 KEY: Factual DIF: Moderate
2. One accepted definition of stress is

a. any potentially upsetting event that occurs in one’s environment.
b. any circumstance that threatens well-being and taxes coping abilities.
c. any negative change that occurs in the course of life.
d. anything that causes chronic illness in organisms.
ANS: b REF: 71
OBJ: 1 KEY: Factual DIF: Easy
3. Which of the following statements regarding the nature of stress is correct?

a. Routine hassles may have significant negative effects on mental and physical health.
b. Major stressful events are more strongly related to mental health than are minor hassles.
c. Most people effectively deal with everyday stress through the use of defense
mechanisms.
d. Experts generally agree that major and minor stressors are independent of each other.
ANS: a REF: 71
4. Lazarus's findings on hassles suggest that the effects of stress are

a. cumulative.
b. mutually exclusive.
c. specific to different domains.
d. inversely related to the number of demands.
ANS: a REF: 71
OBJ: 1 KEY: Factual DIF: Difficult
5. Whether or not an event is stressful is most likely to depend on

a. how much physiological arousal it causes.
b. how much change there is.
c. how one appraises and adapts to the event.
d. whether one is prepared for the event.
ANS: c REF: 72 MSC: WWW

OBJ: 2 KEY: Conceptual DIF: Difficult
63
6. Primary appraisal is an initial evaluation of whether an event is
a. imminent.
b. detrimental to one’s health.
c. relevant and stressful.
d. expected.
ANS: c REF: 72
7. Secondary appraisal involves

a. making plans to avoid the situation.
b. tapping into your defense mechanisms.
c. soliciting a second opinion about a stressful event.
d. evaluating your coping resources and options.
ANS: d REF: 72
8. The notion that "stress lies in the eye of the beholder" suggests that
a. coping strategies tend to vary from individual to individual.
b. people's appraisals of stressful events are highly subjective.
c. there are certain events that just about everyone finds stressful.
d. the appraisal of stress generally involves the use of visual imagery.
ANS: b REF: 73
OBJ: 2 KEY: Conceptual DIF: Easy
9. The term “ambient stress” refers to

a. stress that seems to have no identifiable source.
b. specific situations in which stress is most likely to occur.
c. chronic environmental conditions that place adaptive demands on people.
d. stressful situations that result from demands placed on us by others.
ANS: c REF: 73
10. Crowding and noise have been identified as sources of ___________ that have been
found to be correlated with elevated stress hormones.
a. acute stress
b. traumatic stress
c. ambient stress
d. rational stress
ANS: c REF: 73 NOT: New

64
11. _______________ has been a major source of stress in many societies around the world.
a. Religious conflict
b. Cultural change
c. Intergenerational disagreement
d. Coping deficiency
ANS: b REF: 74
12. Which of the following may be a significant cause of stress for immigrants?
a. Covert discrimination
b. Overt interracial conflict
c. Acculturation
d. Effects of modernization

13. One challenge faced by members of ethnic minorities in dealing with everyday
discrimination is that manifestations of such discrimination are often
a. imaginary.
b. ambiguous.
c. minor.
d. consistent.
ANS: b REF: 74 MSC: WWW

OBJ: 4 KEY: Conceptual DIF: Moderate
14. Acute stressors

a. are threatening events that have a relatively short duration and clear endpoint.
b. are unpleasant environmental conditions to which one must adjust.
c. are conditions that have a relatively long duration and no apparent time limit.
d. always lead to physical illness.
ANS: a REF: 75
15. Threatening events that have a relatively long duration and no apparent time limit are
referred to as
a. ambient stressors.
b. cultural stressors.
c. acute stressors.
d. chronic stressors.
ANS: d REF: 75
65
16. Dealing with a rude store clerk and waiting for the results of an examination are two
examples of
a. acute stressors.
b. ambient stressors.
c. environmental stressors.
d. chronic stressors.
ANS: a REF: 75
17. Which of the following is NOT a major source of stress described in your textbook?
a. Change
b. Internal conflict
c. Frustration
d. Socialization
ANS: d REF: 75-76 NOT: New

OBJ: 6-8 KEY: Factual DIF: Easy
18. The four major types of stress described in your textbook are
a. pressure, anxiety, environment, and social demands.
b. frustration, anger, pressure, and change.
c. frustration, internal conflict, pressure, and change.
d. internal conflict, pressure, anxiety, and social demands.
ANS: c REF: 75-78 MSC: WWW NOT: New

OBJ: 6-9 KEY: Factual DIF: Moderate
19. According to psychologists, frustration occurs when

a. feelings of anger are aroused.
b. the pursuit of some goal is thwarted.
c. incompatible motivations are activated.
d. individuals perceive subjective threat.
ANS: b REF: 75
20. Which of the following is a common kind of frustration leading to stress?

a. Anger
b. Anxiety
c. Losses
d. Subjective threat
ANS: c REF: 75
66
21. _________ may be a common effect of environmental or ambient stress.
a. Conflict
b. Frustration
c. Change
d. Trauma
ANS: b REF: 75
22. Internal conflict occurs when

a. pursuit of an important goal is thwarted.
b. an event is perceived as threatening.
c. two incompatible behavioral impulses compete for expression.
d. ambiguous stimuli are encountered in the environment.

23. Generally, which kind of conflict tends to be the least stressful?

a. Approach-approach
b. Avoidance-avoidance
c. Approach-avoidance
d. All types are equally stressful.
ANS: a REF: 76
24. You want to ask someone for a date, but you are afraid of being rejected. Which of the
following types of conflict applies to your situation?
d. Frustration-aggression
ANS: c REF: 76
25. You are a talented artist and good at mathematics. You enjoy both and don’t know which
to major in at college. Which of the following types of conflict applies to your situation?
d. Frustration-aggression
ANS: a REF: 76
67
26. Approach-avoidance conflicts often produce
a. vacillation.
b. frustration.
c. aggression.
d. self-directed anger.
ANS: a REF: 76 MSC: WWW

27. Research supports a previous theory that internal conflicts generate considerable
psychological stress. The theorist who proposed this was
a. Freud.
b. Watson.
c. Selye.
d. Maslow.
ANS: a REF: 76
28. ________________ is any noticeable alteration in one’s life circumstances.

a. Stress
b. Life conflict
c. Life change
d. Dissonance
ANS: c REF: 77
29. Holmes and Rahe concluded that change is stressful

a. only when it is undesirable.
b. only when it is overwhelming.
c. whether it is undesirable or desirable.
d. only when accompanied by pressure.
ANS: c REF: 77
30. The Social Readjustment Rating Scale was designed to measure

a. frustration.
b. all kinds of stress.
c. change-related stress.
d. the anxiety produced by certain events.
ANS: c REF: 77
68
31. Research with the Social Readjustment Rating Scale has shown that people with higher
scores
a. are less susceptible to stress.
b. know from experience how to handle stress.
c. tend to have pessimistic outlooks on life.
d. are vulnerable to physical and psychological problems.
ANS: d REF: 77
32. Current research indicates that

a. positive change is typically more stressful than negative change.
b. only negative change is stressful.
c. we have little reason to believe that change is inevitably stressful.
d. all change is inevitably stressful.

33. Whenever others expect you to conform to their expectations or perform in certain ways,
you tend to experience
a. anger.
b. conflict.
c. frustration.
d. pressure.
ANS: d REF: 78 MSC: WWW

34. Which of the following researchers designed a scale to measure pressure as a form of life
stress?
a. Albert Bandura
b. Thomas Holmes
c. Neil Miller
d. Wayne Weiten
ANS: d REF: 79
35. Weiten's research on the stressful effects of pressure indicates that there is a strong
relationship between pressure and
a. the appraisal of stress.
b. measures of procrastination.
c. a variety of psychological problems.
d. stress-induced physiological arousal.
ANS: c REF: 79
69
36. According to research, Janet has found studying for finals and her graduate exams so
stressful that the only behavior NOT likely to occur is
a. poorer academic performance.
b. escape behaviors such as drinking.
c. increased depression.
d. increased concentration.
ANS: d REF: 79
OBJ: 9 KEY: Conceptual DIF: Moderate NOT: New
37. Psychologists study responses to stress at which of the following levels?

a. Behavioral
b. Emotional
c. Physiological
d. All of these
ANS: d REF: 80
38. ___________ are largely uncontrollable and are accompanied by physiological changes.
a. Conflicts
b. Pressures
c. Stressors
d. Emotions
ANS: d REF: 80
39. Research findings indicate that subjective cognitive appraisals may influence a person’s
__________ responses to stressors.
a. emotional
b. social
c. controllable
d. perceptual
ANS: a REF: 80 NOT: New

40. Fredrickson et al. (2003) found that the frequency of pleasant emotions correlated
__________ with resilience and the frequency of negative emotions correlated
___________ with resilience.
a. positively; negatively
b. negatively; positively
c. positively; positively
d. negatively; negatively
ANS: a REF: 82
OBJ: 11KEY: Factual DIF: Difficult
70
41. Research suggests that positive emotional reactions to stress may have the adaptive
quality of enhancing
a. fear reactions.
b. social, intellectual, and physical resources.
c. avoidance strategies.
d. use of defense mechanisms.
ANS: b REF: 82 MSC: WWW NOT: New

OBJ: 11KEY: Factual DIF: Moderate
42. Research following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States found
that emotions of anger, sad, glad, hopeful, and content were statistically significant in
relation to
a. defense mechanisms.
b. resilience.
c. the parasympathetic system.
d. feelings of sympathy.
ANS: b REF: 82
OBJ: 11KEY: Factual DIF: Moderate
43. The correlation between test-related anxiety and exam performance is thought to be
a. positive.
b. negative.
c. U-shaped.
d. nonexistent.
ANS: b REF: 82
44. Optimal level of arousal is related to

a. level of self-esteem.
b. the complexity of the task.
c. personality type.
d. optimism of the individual.
ANS: b REF: 82
45. Sometimes, anxiety helps us by motivating us to study for a test, but if we become too
anxious, we pass our optimal level of arousal and spend too much time worrying instead
of studying. This type of correlation is described as
a. a downward spiral.
b. the inverted-U hypothesis.
c. negative.
d. positive.
ANS: b REF: 82
71
46. Research on the inverted-U hypothesis is
a. in need of refinement.
b. inconsistent.
c. based on animal learning.
d. all of these.
ANS: d REF: 83 NOT: New

47. The "fight-or-flight" response was first described by

a. Martin Seligman.
b. Ray Rosenman.
c. Walter Cannon.
d. Hans Selye.

48. The fight-or-flight response occurs in the

a. cerebral cortex.
b. parasympathetic division of the limbic system.
c. sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system.
d. synaptic vesicles in the brain.
ANS: c REF: 83
49. The fight-or-flight response is a reaction that begins in response to a threat. This is a(n)
_________ reaction.
a. involuntary
b. voluntary
c. unusual
d. cultural
ANS: a REF: 83
50. The sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system

a. conserves bodily resources.
b. arouses sympathy for those in stressful circumstances.
c. mobilizes bodily resources for emergencies.
d. calms the body after the fight-or-flight response.

72
51. New research on gender and the fight-or-flight response indicates that
a. fighting may be more adaptive for females than males because females need to fight off
predators from their offspring.
b. fighting and fleeing may be less adaptive for females because both responses may
endanger offspring.
c. men are more likely to fight and women are more likely to flee.
d. men and women are equally likely to expend a lot of effort on the care of offspring in
times of stress.
ANS: b REF: 84
52. An alternative to the fight-or-flight response that may be present for females is the
a. tend-and-befriend response.
b. lock-and-load response.
c. freeze-and-free-up response.
d. cat-and-mouse response.
ANS: a REF: 84
53. In humans, the fight-or-flight response is less adaptive than it was in ancestral humans
because
a. our stresses are usually of short duration.
b. social evolution has surpassed biological evolution.
c. most modern human stresses can't be managed with these strategies.
d. modern humans don't have adequate equipment to fight or flee from threats.

54. Hans Seyle’s work was important because it showed

a. how prolonged physiological arousal that is meant to be adaptive could lead to diseases.
b. how ambient stress could lead to a traumatic stress response.
c. that positive change is just as stressful as negative change.
d. that children do not react to stress the same way that adults do.
ANS: a REF: 85
55. Being followed when walking home late at night or narrowly escaping a car accident are
experiences that would activate the
a. resistance reaction.
b. alarm reaction.
c. non-sympathetic nervous system.
d. exhaustion reaction.
ANS: b REF: 84
73
56. ___________ is credited with formulating the theory of stress reactions called the general
adaptation syndrome.
a. Hans Selye
b. Neal Miller
c. Walter Cannon
d. Michael Scheier
ANS: a REF: 84
57. Selye exposed lab animals to various stressors and found that
a. each individual animal responded to stress differently.
b. each type of stress caused a particular physiological response.
c. patterns of physiological arousal were similar, regardless of the type of stress.
d. patterns of physiological arousal seemed to depend on the intensity of the stress.
ANS: c REF: 84
58. The general adaptation syndrome is a

a. general coping strategy for dealing with stress.
b. severe stress-related psychological disorder.
c. set of bodily responses to stress.
d. physiological-based solution for stressful problems.

59. The correct order of stages in the general adaptation syndrome is

a. resistance, alarm, exhaustion.
b. alarm, exhaustion, resistance.
c. resistance, exhaustion, alarm.
d. alarm, resistance, exhaustion.
ANS: d REF: 84 MSC: WWW

60. In the __________ stage of the general adaptation syndrome, the body attempts to adapt
to continued stress.
a. alarm
b. exhaustion
c. resistance
d. extinction
ANS: c REF: 84
74
61. You hate mathematics and feel a knot forming in your stomach when you read in the
college catalog that Calculus I is required for your chosen major. You are in the
_____________ stage of the general adaptation syndrome.
a. alarm
b. exhaustion
c. resistance
d. extinction
ANS: a REF: 84
62. You realize that no matter how much you hate mathematics, you will not be able to drop
out of calculus class this semester if you want to go to the graduate school of your choice.
You hunker down for a miserable semester of hard and studious labor. You are in the
____________ stage of the general adaptation syndrome.
a. alarm
b. exhaustion
c. resistance
d. extinction

63. After barely squeezing through Anatomy 101 with a passing grade, you sleep 16 hours a
day for the first 10 days of summer break and refuse to see any of your friends. You are in
the ____________ stage of the general adaptation syndrome.
a. alarm
b. exhaustion
c. resistance
d. extinction
ANS: b REF: 85
64. Seyle’s general adaptation model has been criticized because

a. it ignores cultural influences on stress.
b. the order in which the stages occur may vary between individuals.
c. it ignores individual differences in the appraisal of stress.
d. there is no link between stress and physical illness.
ANS: c REF: 85
75
65. Which of the following is least likely to have a negative impact on the immune system?
a. Caring for an elderly parent
b. Receiving long-term disability following an automobile accident
c. Remaining in a hostile work environment while waiting for a better job opportunity to
come along
d. Spending the weekend with hostile family members
ANS: d REF: 85
66. ______ are hormones that help mobilize the body for action.
a. Amphetamines
b. Immunosteroids
c. Catecholamines
d. Neurotransmitters
ANS: c REF: 85
67. The "master gland" of the endocrine system is the

a. pituitary.
b. adrenal cortex.
c. adrenal medulla.
d. hypothalamus.
ANS: a REF: 86
68. Mounting evidence from research indicates that stress may ______ the functioning of the
immune system.
a. stimulate
b. destroy
c. suppress
d. enhance
ANS: c REF: 86
69. _______ involves active efforts to master, reduce, or tolerate the demands of stress.
a. Coping
b. Adjustment
c. Stress tolerance
d. General adaptation
ANS: a REF: 87 MSC: WWW

76
70. By definition, coping efforts are
a. not necessarily adaptive or maladaptive.
b. necessarily healthy.
c. permanent.
d. effective.
ANS: a REF: 87
71. Pressure to perform may disrupt attention to task performance by

a. making one feel self-conscious.
b. making one focus on the task.
c. encouraging one to focus on the source of the pressure.
d. overemphasizing the importance of the task.
ANS: a REF: 88
72. Recent research on the effect of pressure on task performance in "normal" subjects
suggests that
a. choking under pressure is fairly common.
b. choking under pressure is just an excuse.
c. choking under pressure is a phenomenon unique to amateur performers.
d. normal people are less likely to choke under pressure than are professional athletes.
ANS: a REF: 88
73. Your friend Terry, who has been practicing free-throw shots in the backyard, just won the
chance to shoot a half-court basket for a $10,000 prize at a professional basketball game.
Research indicates that Terry is
a. more likely to make the shot in front of a large crowd than in the backyard, because the
added pressure increases the ability to filter out distractions.
b. less likely to choke under the pressure than a professional athlete, because professionals
have their job on the line.
c. very likely to choke under pressure.
d. likely to catch a cold just before the game because of a reduced immune system from the
acute stress.
ANS: c REF: 88
74. Research findings indicate that on a cognitive task, stress may increase one's tendency to
a. systematically review options.
b. jump to conclusions too quickly.
c. consider a variety of options.
d. organize information into categories.
ANS: b REF: 88
77
75. Which of the following was NOT cited in your text as a disruptive effect of severe stress
on cognitive functioning?
a. Inability to integrate new information
b. Reduced working memory efficiency
c. Inability to deal with interpersonal issues
d. Poorly organized view of options

76. Physical and emotional exhaustion and a lowered sense of self-efficacy due to work-
related stress is called
a. burnout.
b. reaction formation disorder.
c. the general adaptation syndrome.
d. posttraumatic stress disorder.
ANS: a REF: 88 MSC: WWW NOT: New

77. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of burnout?

a. Lowered self-efficacy
b. Immediate traumatic stresses
c. Cynicism
d. Emotional exhaustion
ANS: b REF: 88
78. According to Leiter and Maslach, what causes burnout?

a. Traumatic experiences in the workplace
b. Ongoing job stressors
c. Personal weakness
d. Being recognized for one's work
ANS: b REF: 89
79. Signs of burnout in the workplace include

a. decreased production.
b. increased health problems.
c. increased absenteeism.
d. all of these.
ANS: d REF: 89
78
80. Research reveals that stress often contributes to the onset of which of the following?
a. Depression
b. Schizophrenia
c. Eating disorders
d. All of these
ANS: d REF: 91
81. Mark has been working in a men's clothing store for over a year. Most days, he is the
only employee present and does all tasks and sales on his own. The owner of the store
rarely stops by, and when he does, he complains that Mark has not sold enough. Mark
may have some psychological problems due to chronic stress. Which of the following is
an unlikely reaction?
a. Insomnia
b. Sexual difficulties
c. Homicidal feelings
d. All of these

82. Posttraumatic stress disorder involves

a. immediate reaction to stressful war experiences.
b. stress reactions in anticipation of a traumatic event.
c. psychological disturbance due to the experience of a major traumatic event.
d. psychotic reactions to chronic stress, which emerge after one leaves the stressful
environment.
ANS: c REF: 89
83. Which of the following appears to be a key factor in predicting who is most likely to
develop PTSD following a traumatic event?
a. The age of the victim
b. The place of the traumatic event
c. The intensity of the traumatic event
d. Biological aspects of the individual

84. Psychosomatic diseases are

a. common reactions to single traumatic events.
b. psychological disturbances associated with burnout.
c. imaginary physical ailments caused by psychological factors.
d. genuine physical ailments caused partly by psychological factors.
ANS: d REF: 91
79
85. Psychosomatic disease ______ because of research on stress.
a. has fallen into disuse
b. is popular
c. is unrelated to stress
d. none of these

OBJ: 22 KEY Factual DIF: Moderate
86. Which of the following is NOT a beneficial effect that may result from stress?
a. Satisfies the need for stimulation and challenge
b. Increases optimism
c. Promotes personal growth
d. Inoculates against later stresses
ANS: b REF: 93
87. The school of modern psychology that was developed to offset the perceived emphasis in
psychology on pathology and suffering is called
a. psychodynamic psychology.
b. behaviorism.
c. positive psychology.
d. coping psychology.
ANS: c REF: 93
88. ______ variables are factors that can soften the impact of stress on physical and mental
health.
a. Intervening
b. Dependent
c. Moderator
d. Extraneous

89. The best description of social support is

a. charity work to take one's mind off stressful problems.
b. support from various social agencies.
c. various types of aid from one's social networks.
d. one's ability to aid others in need of support.
ANS: c REF: 94
80
90. Who of the following people is most likely to develop stress-related illness?
a. Susan, who lives alone but volunteers at the local skilled nursing home two times per
month
b. John, who lives with two good friends from high school
c. Jaime, who lives with a quiet roommate, belongs to a big family, works for a growing
company, and is described as a very “sociable” guy by all who know him
d. Dora, who lives alone, works from her home, and prefers to keep to herself
ANS: d REF: 95
91. Kobasa found strong stress tolerance to be related to

a. a belief that situational variables control one's destiny.
b. a passive approach to life.
c. a sense of commitment.
d. all of these.
ANS: c REF: 96
92. Which of the following executives is NOT exhibiting a quality related to hardiness?
a. Al is very committed to his work and sees his job as a part of his identity.
b. Bob finds a way to reframe problems at work as challenges rather than burdens.
c. Clara loves the challenge at work of meeting deadlines that are outside of her control.
d. Drew sees everything as a competition and works hard to outdo all of the other
employees.

93. A behavior pattern marked by commitment, challenge, and control that appears to be
related to stress resistance is called
a. hardiness.
b. optimism.
c. autonomic passivity.
d. autonomic reactivity.
ANS: a REF: 96
94. The general tendency to expect good outcomes is called

a. hardiness.
b. optimism.
c. social support.
d. sensation-seeking.
ANS: b REF: 96
81
95. People who exhibit an optimistic explanatory style tend to attribute setbacks to
a. others’ shortcomings.
b. temporary situational factors.
c. a bad home environment.
d. personal traits.
ANS: b REF: 96
96. The Life Orientation Test (LOT) was designed to measure

a. optimism.
b. hardiness.
c. conscientiousness.
d. sensation-seeking.
ANS: a REF: 96
97. In stressful circumstances, optimists are more likely than pessimists to

a. be realistic about the situation.
b. decline any offers of social support.
c. use their most effective defense mechanisms.
d. engage in action-oriented, problem-focused coping.
ANS: d REF: 97
98. Unrealistic optimism

a. cannot harm anyone.
b. may lead to risky behaviors.
c. contributes to hardiness.
d. is adaptive.
ANS: b REF: 97 NOT: New

99. Jane believes she is unlikely to get lung cancer because she has decided to only smoke
until she finishes college and she has heard that only smoking for a few years eliminates
the risk of lung cancer. Her attitude is an example of
a. pessimistic explanatory style.
b. optimistic explanatory style.
c. unrealistic optimism.
d. ambiguous style.

82
100. Bob is working on behavior self-modification because he would like to be less irritable at
work. His attempts are ______ because he has focused on a personality trait.
a. unlikely to succeed
b. likely to succeed
c. unrelated to his success
d. none of these

101. The best way to approach self-modification is to focus on _____ rather than _____.
a. specific behaviors; personality traits
b. personality traits; specific behaviors
c. infrequent responses; specific behaviors
d. personality traits; typical responses

102. To gather baseline data for self-modification, you should do all but which of the
following?
a. Determine the initial response level
b. Monitor events immediately after the target response
c. Monitor typical consequences
d. You should do all of these
ANS: b REF: 98-99 NOT: New

103. Mary has noticed that when she watches an exciting basketball game, she eats more
snack food. She has identified
a. an initial response level.
b. an antecedent.
c. a typical consequence.
d. her baseline data.

104. The best way to increase response strength in self-modification is through

a. positive reinforcement.
b. finding a reward effective for that person.
c. choosing a readily available reinforcer.
d. all of these.

83
105. Robert has decided to reinforce his increased study time target by adding a star to a chart
every time he studies one hour. He has decided that every 20 stars, he can do an activity
with his friends for four hours. His idea is a form of
a. shaping.
b. self-denial.
c. token economy.
d. satiation.
ANS: c REF: 100 MSC: WWW NOT: New

106. To decrease a response, you may use

a. negative reinforcement.
b. control of antecedents.
c. punishment.
d. any of these.

107. Denise has decided to decrease her target behavior of unhealthy eating by avoiding the
fast-food and cookie aisles of the grocery store. She is using the method of
a. control of antecedents.
b. reinforcement.
c. shaping.
d. punishment.

108. Some behavior modification programs have common flaws. Rory found that she had too
long of a delay between behavior and reinforcement. She should
a. give up.
b. fine-tune her program.
c. suck it up and keep trying.
d. depend on weaker reinforcers.

109. The best way to end a self-modification program is

a. let it fade away, but notice if old patterns return.
b. phase it out.
c. set an ending goal.
d. any of these.
ANS: d REF 101 NOT: New

84
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS FROM STUDY GUIDE
1. Which of the following would NOT be considered a form of ambient stress?

a. Crowding
b. Air pollution
c. Excessive heat
d. Unrealistic expectations

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

a. Having your home threatened by severe flooding
b. Ongoing pressures from a hostile boss at work
c. Persistent financial strains produced by huge credit-card debts
d. The demands of caring for a sick family member for an extensive period of time

3. 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
a. frustration.
b. aggressive behavior.
c. physical illness.
d. schizophrenia.

4. According to the inverted-U hypothesis, performance on a task

a. usually decreases with emotional arousal.
b. usually increases with emotional arousal.
c. peaks at the optimal level of arousal for the particular task.
d. peaks at about the same level no matter what the task is.
ANS: c REF: 82-83 NOT: New

5. In contrast to the traditional fight-or-flight model of responding to stress, Shelley Taylor

and her colleagues have suggested that females may be more likely to engage in a ______
response.
a. run-and-hide
b. tend-and-befriend
c. lock-and-load
d. wait-and-see

85
6. When a person experiences stress, the brain sends signals to the endocrine system along
two pathways. The structure that appears to initiate action along both pathways is the
a. adrenal gland.
b. catecholamine.
c. hypothalamus.
d. pituitary gland.

7. Burnout is associated with all but which of the following?

a. Increased absenteeism
b. Increased sense of self-efficacy
c. Reduced productivity at work
d. Increased vulnerability to health problems

8. Stress is associated with the onset and course of which of the following illnesses?
a. Stroke
b. Cancer
c. Heart disease
d. All of these

9. Which of the following statements regarding the effects of social support on stress is
NOT accurate?
a. Social support is favorably related to physical health.
b. Social support is beneficial only when it is provided by immediate family members.
c. Providing social support to others can have psychological and physical benefits.
d. Social support may serve as a protective buffer from stress.

10. A token economy is a system for doling out symbolic reinforcers that are exchanged later
for a variety of genuine
a. placebos.
b. reinforcers.
c. antecedents.
d. contingencies.

86
TRUE/FALSE
1. Everyday hassles have NOT been found to be predictive of mental or physical health.
ANS: false REF: 71

2. When trying to resolve an approach-avoidance conflict, it is best to focus on lowering the

avoidance gradient.
ANS: true REF: 76

3. Individuals who score low on the Social Readjustment Rating Scale are more likely to
develop illnesses than those who score high.
ANS: false REF: 77

4. Current research indicates that change is inherently and inevitably stressful.
ANS: false REF: 78

5. Corticosteroids help inhibit tissue inflammation in case of injury during times of stress.
ANS: true REF: 86

6. On well-learned tasks that should be executed almost automatically, the self-conscious

person may focus too little attention on the task.
ANS: false REF: 88

7. The types of traumas that can cause PTSD are more common than most people realize.
ANS: true REF: 90

8. Psychosomatic diseases are unique to heart and lung problems.
ANS: false REF: 91

9. Strong social support has been found to be a key factor in reducing the likelihood of
PTSD among Vietnam War veterans.
ANS: true REF: 95

87
10. Behavior self-modification is likely to be ineffective in controlling stress.
ANS: false REF: 98 NOT: New

SHORT ANSWER
1. Explain what is meant by the statement, "Stress is in the eye of the beholder."
ANS: Answer not provided REF: 72 OBJ: 2
2. Briefly describe the three types of conflict and give an example of each. Which type of
conflict is most likely to produce vacillation? Why?
3. How do positive emotions promote resilience in the face of stress?
ANS: Answer not provided REF: 81-82 OBJ: 11
4. Describe a criticism of Hans Selye's model of the general adaptation syndrome.
ANS: Answer not provided REF: 85 NOT: New OBJ: 14
5. Explain how coping responses may be either healthy or unhealthy.
6. Describe burnout and its possible causes. Do you think it's possible for college students to
suffer from "academic burnout"?
7. Define the term “positive psychology” and explain the rationale for this movement.
8. Briefly explain how social networks can be beneficial or detrimental to efforts to cope
with stress.
88
9. Define the term “explanatory style.” What are some of the things that optimists do that
are helpful in coping with stress?
10. Give an example of a self-modification program. Label and describe the target behavior
and the three areas of baseline data for your example.
ANS: Answer not provided REF: 97-99 NOT: New OBJ: 28 and 29
89

TB WL10 Ch03revb

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

TB WL10 Ch03revb

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Chapter 3

STRESS AND ITS EFFECTS

The Nature of Stress

Major Sources of Stress

The Potential Effects of Stress

Factors Influencing Tolerance

APPLICATION: Reducing Stress through Self-Control

1. The emerging consensus among contemporary researchers is that stress is

2. One accepted definition of stress is

3. Which of the following statements regarding the nature of stress is correct?

4. Lazarus's findings on hassles suggest that the effects of stress are

5. Whether or not an event is stressful is most likely to depend on

ANS: c REF: 72 MSC: WWW

7. Secondary appraisal involves

9. The term “ambient stress” refers to

ANS: c REF: 73 NOT: New

ANS: c REF: 74 NOT: New

ANS: b REF: 74 MSC: WWW

14. Acute stressors

ANS: d REF: 75-76 NOT: New

ANS: c REF: 75-78 MSC: WWW NOT: New

19. According to psychologists, frustration occurs when

20. Which of the following is a common kind of frustration leading to stress?

22. Internal conflict occurs when

ANS: c REF: 76 NOT: New

23. Generally, which kind of conflict tends to be the least stressful?

ANS: a REF: 76 MSC: WWW

28. ________________ is any noticeable alteration in one’s life circumstances.

29. Holmes and Rahe concluded that change is stressful

30. The Social Readjustment Rating Scale was designed to measure

32. Current research indicates that

ANS: c REF: 78 NOT: New

ANS: d REF: 78 MSC: WWW

37. Psychologists study responses to stress at which of the following levels?

ANS: a REF: 80 NOT: New

ANS: b REF: 82 MSC: WWW NOT: New

44. Optimal level of arousal is related to

ANS: d REF: 83 NOT: New

47. The "fight-or-flight" response was first described by

ANS: c REF: 83 MSC: WWW

48. The fight-or-flight response occurs in the

50. The sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system

ANS: c REF: 83 MSC: WWW

ANS: c REF: 84 NOT: New

54. Hans Seyle’s work was important because it showed

58. The general adaptation syndrome is a

ANS: c REF: 84 NOT: New

59. The correct order of stages in the general adaptation syndrome is

ANS: d REF: 84 MSC: WWW

ANS: c REF: 84 MSC: WWW

64. Seyle’s general adaptation model has been criticized because

67. The "master gland" of the endocrine system is the

ANS: a REF: 87 MSC: WWW

71. Pressure to perform may disrupt attention to task performance by

ANS: c REF: 88 NOT: New

ANS: a REF: 88 MSC: WWW NOT: New

77. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of burnout?

78. According to Leiter and Maslach, what causes burnout?

79. Signs of burnout in the workplace include

ANS: c REF: 89 NOT: New

82. Posttraumatic stress disorder involves

ANS: c REF: 91 MSC: WWW