Question 1

Tameeka recently lost a job she really enjoyed. At first, Tameeka felt emotionally stressed at the loss. However, when she was informed by her sister that her 3-yr-old niece was battling cancer, Tameeka felt that her own loss was small by comparison. Tameeka decided to make the best of her own situation of job searching, while being a strong source of support for her sister and niece. Tameeka is demonstrating __________

Accepted Answer

Tameeka is demonstrating emotion-focused coping because she is managing her emotional response to her job loss rather than trying to change the situation itself. She adjusts her emotional perspective by comparing her situation to her niece's more serious health issue, which helps her cope with her own stress.

Question 2

For five years Bonnie had cared for her terminally ill husband while every aspect of her life fell into confusion. During his illness, she had struggles that were both emotional and financial. After her husband passed away, Bonnie collapsed and became very seriously ill herself. By failing to overcome or resist the stressors in her life, Bonnie had reached what Selye referred to as the __________

Accepted Answer

The exhaustion stage is characterized by a depletion of physical and emotional resources resulting from the body's prolonged resistance to stressors. In this stage, individuals may experience burnout, illness, or even death if their bodies are unable to cope with the ongoing stressors. Bonnie's collapse and serious illness suggest that she had reached this stage.

Question 3

According to Lazarus, our first task when faced with a potential stressor is to estimate its severity and to determine whether it is a challenge or threat. This evaluation is referred to as __________

Accepted Answer

According to Lazarus, the first step in dealing with a potential stressor is to evaluate its severity and determine whether it is a challenge or threat. This initial evaluation is called primary appraisal. Choice B (secondary appraisal) refers to a subsequent evaluation of our coping resources and options for dealing with the stressor. Choices C and D are not accurate descriptions of this initial appraisal process.

Question 4

When a person evaluates whether a stressor presents a challenge or a threat, they are engaging in __________

Accepted Answer

Primary appraisal is the process of evaluating whether a stressor is a challenge or a threat.

Question 5

The coping method that involves changing the way you feel or emotionally react to a stressor is known as __________

Accepted Answer

Emotion-focused coping involves changing the way you feel or emotionally react to a stressor, such as through relaxation techniques or positive self-talk, as opposed to problem-focused coping which involves changing the actual stressor or self-focused coping which involves changing one's own behavior or thoughts. Defense mechanisms are unconscious psychological strategies to protect oneself from guilt or anxiety.

Question 6

In the cognitive theory of stress, the evaluation of options and the consideration of available coping mechanisms when dealing with a stressor is called __________

Accepted Answer

Secondary appraisal is the process of evaluating one's resources and coping mechanisms for dealing with a particular stressor. It involves considering options and deciding which coping strategies to use. Primary appraisal, on the other hand, is the initial evaluation of a stressor to determine its significance and potential for harm or benefit. The other options (C and D) are not recognized concepts in the cognitive theory of stress.

Question 7

In which stage of the general adaptation syndrome has the body reached the limits of its ability to adapt to stress, which may result in the development of stress-related diseases?

Accepted Answer

The exhaustion stage of the general adaptation syndrome is characterized by the body's resources being depleted after prolonged exposure to stress. If the stressor continues, the body may reach the limits of its ability to adapt, which can result in the development of stress-related diseases. The other stages, alarm and resistance, are earlier stages where the body is still able to adapt to stress. The collapse stage is not a recognized stage of the general adaptation syndrome.

Question 8

Coping strategies can be either __________ -focused or __________ -focused in nature.

Accepted Answer

Problem-focused coping strategies are aimed at addressing the source of the stress, while emotion-focused coping strategies are aimed at reducing the negative emotions associated with the stress. Therefore, the best answer is A, since it accurately defines the two types of coping strategies.

Question 9

According to Selye, some people may develop illnesses such as high blood pressure or a weakened immune system during the __________ stage of the general adaptation syndrome.

Accepted Answer

During the exhaustion stage of the general adaptation syndrome, the body’s resources are depleted and the body may become vulnerable to illnesses such as high blood pressure and weakened immune system.

Question 10

According to the cognitive theory of stress, the most important determinant of stress is __________

Accepted Answer

The cognitive theory of stress suggests that it is the individual's perception of the stressor that determines the level of stress experienced. In other words, it is not necessarily the stressor itself that causes stress, but rather the way the person interprets and appraises the stressor. This can vary depending on factors such as personal beliefs, past experiences, and coping strategies.

Question 11

Working a second job to pay off credit cards is an example of __________

Accepted Answer

Working a second job to pay off credit cards is an example of problem-focused coping because it is a practical solution to the financial problem of having high credit card debt. Problem-focused coping involves taking action to address the source of stress or problem rather than just managing the emotional response to it.

Question 12

Mary just received a traffic ticket but decided it is not worth being upset about. Mary just made a __________

Accepted Answer

Mary made a primary appraisal in determining that receiving a traffic ticket is not worth being upset about. Primary appraisal refers to the initial evaluation of whether a situation is stressful or not.

Question 13

For the past six months, Dahlia's job has been extremely stressful, but she doesn't feel that she can quit because she needs the money for tuition. Dahlia has been having chronic headaches and is behind in all of her classes. According to Hans Selye, Dahlia is in the __________ stage of the general adaptation syndrome.

Accepted Answer

Dahlia's chronic headaches and being behind in all her classes indicate that she is experiencing exhaustion, which is the final stage in Selye's general adaptation syndrome. The other stages are alarm, where the body prepares for a stressor, and resistance, where the body tries to adapt to the stressor by coping mechanisms. Collapse is not one of the stages in the general adaptation syndrome.

Question 14

After we have decided that a certain event is a stressor, we must decide how we will deal with it and what resources are available for coping with the stressor. This process is called __________

Accepted Answer

Secondary appraisal involves evaluating the resources available for coping with a stressor and deciding how to deal with it. Primary appraisal involves determining if a situation is a stressor or not, while tertiary appraisal involves re-evaluating the effectiveness of the coping strategies used. The distress-eustress dichotomy is a concept that describes the difference between negative and positive stressors.

Question 15

Imagine that you have just flunked a class. You evaluate this situation and decide that flunking a class is stressful and important enough to be upset about. Next you decide to repeat the class in summer school. You have made __________

Accepted Answer

The individual in the scenario has made both a primary and a secondary appraisal. They have evaluated the situation as stressful and important (primary appraisal) and have decided on a plan of action to repeat the class in summer school (secondary appraisal).

Question 16

After hearing on the radio that his normal route to work is obstructed by a major traffic accident, Thuy decides to consider other routes He realizes that he is in time to get off the highway before he hits traffic, go a back way, and still be at work with time to spare. Which part of Lazarus's theory has Thuy demonstrated in considering a new path to work?

Accepted Answer

Thuy has demonstrated secondary appraisal, which involves evaluating potential coping strategies and selecting the best one. He recognizes that his primary appraisal (the traffic accident blocking his usual route) is a potential threat to his goal of getting to work on time, and so he engages in secondary appraisal to identify an alternative route.

Question 17

Stanley is doing very poorly in his studies at college. In evaluating his performance, Stanley has decided that he is spending too much time partying and not nearly enough time studying in the library. Stanley adopts a plan that allows him to earn a half-hour of partying for each 10 hours he spends in the library studying. Stanley's plan is an example of __________

Accepted Answer

Stanley's plan involves problem-focused coping, as he is taking action to address the problem of his poor academic performance by increasing his studying time and decreasing his partying time.

Question 18

If the organism cannot avoid or overcome a stressor, such as loud persistent noise, it enters what Selye refers to as the __________

Accepted Answer

According to Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome, if an organism cannot avoid or overcome a stressor, it enters the exhaustion stage, which is the third and final stage. In this stage, the body's resources become depleted, and it becomes more vulnerable to illness, disease, and even death. The alarm stage is the first stage, which is the body's initial response to a stressor, and the adaptation stage is the second stage, during which the body attempts to adapt to the stressor. The regression stage is not a part of Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome.

Question 19

Ross is fifteen minutes away from work when his car begins to chug and lurch. He pulls the vehicle off to the side of the road and the engine dies. Although distressed, he decides he can call his boss on the cell phone then walk to a nearby service station for help. Ross's reaction is an example of __________

Accepted Answer

Ross's reaction is an example of secondary appraisal, which involves evaluating one's options and deciding how to cope with a stressor after recognizing it as such (primary appraisal).

Question 20

Michael was a prisoner of war in Vietnam for nine years. Every day he was exposed to dangerous situations. Every day he thought might be his last day alive. In 1972, Michael was freed as part of a prisoner exchange. Although he appeared in good health when he was released, a year later he had developed cancer that would eventually kill him. How might Selye's GAS explain this?

Accepted Answer

Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) would suggest that Michael's experience as a prisoner of war led to his body becoming exhausted and unable to cope with stress. This exhaustion could have weakened his immune system and made him more susceptible to developing cancer.

Quiz 12: Health and Stress