Question 1

Life-change units are associated with which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Life-change units are associated with the Social Readjustment Rating Scale, which measures stress levels based on life events.

Question 2

______ refer(s) to everyday insults, indignities, and demeaning messages sent to people of color by well-intentioned White people who are unaware of the hidden messages they are sending.

Accepted Answer

Microaggressions refer to subtle, often unintentional, discriminatory comments or behaviors directed at marginalized groups, including people of color, by individuals who may not be aware of the impact of their actions.

Question 3

Which of the following is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

The Social Readjustment Rating Scale is not the most widely used measure of stress today; it is one of the earlier tools developed to measure stress related to major life events. More comprehensive and varied tools are now used to assess stress.

Question 4

Recent research examining the biological effects of discrimination showed that telomeres are ______ for African American men and women who experience high levels of discrimination compared to those who report lower levels of discrimination.

Accepted Answer

Telomeres are shorter for African American men and women who experience high levels of discrimination, as chronic stress from discrimination can accelerate telomere shortening, which is a marker of cellular aging.

Question 5

S.M.was told by an acquaintance, "You don't act like a black guy, ya know?" This comment is referred to as ______.

Accepted Answer

The comment is an example of a microaggression, which is a subtle, often unintentional, form of discrimination or insult directed at a marginalized group.

Question 6

The diathesis-stress model indicates that the diathesis refers to ______.

Accepted Answer

The diathesis-stress model suggests that diathesis refers to a person's predisposition or vulnerability to developing a disorder, which, when combined with stress, can lead to the onset of mental health issues.

Question 7

Which of the following about PTSD is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

PTSD is not limited to the U.S. and Canada; it can occur in individuals worldwide who have experienced or witnessed traumatic events.

Question 8

Studies of children exposed to noisy environments indicate that ______.

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that children exposed to noisy environments tend to have more learning difficulties compared to those not exposed to such environments. Noise can interfere with concentration and cognitive development, leading to challenges in learning.

Question 9

Activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis results in the secretion of ______.

Accepted Answer

The activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis leads to the secretion of cortisol, a glucocorticoid hormone produced by the adrenal cortex.

Question 10

Data from the National Health Interview Survey showed that ______ were significantly more likely to report experiencing recent serious psychological distress and feelings of helplessness compared to all other ethnic groups.

Accepted Answer

American Indians have been reported to experience higher levels of psychological distress and feelings of helplessness compared to other ethnic groups, often due to historical trauma, socioeconomic factors, and limited access to mental health resources.

Question 11

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

Accepted Answer

Culture can activate certain vulnerabilities and predispositions in individuals, which may lead to the emergence of psychopathology according to the diathesis-stress model.

Question 12

Chandane failed her second A & P exam and worried that her chances of becoming a physical therapist were very slim.This time, she decided to get help from her professor during office hours every week to try to do better on the last two exams.After talking with her counselor, she realized that there was something she could have been doing (seeking out extra help) that would be more effective than simply hoping it she would finally understand confusing material the night before the exam when she studied on her own.According to Lazarus, deciding to seek out help was ______.

Accepted Answer

A secondary appraisal involves evaluating what can be done to cope with a situation, which in this case is seeking help to improve her exam performance.

Question 13

Which of the following is considered a short-term environmental stressor?

Accepted Answer

Natural disaster stressors are considered short-term environmental stressors as they occur suddenly and have immediate impacts, although their effects can sometimes be long-lasting.

Question 14

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

Accepted Answer

Participating in traditional practices such as powwows was found to buffer the negative effects of discrimination on depression among Native Americans, according to Whitbeck et al. (2002).

Question 15

What environmental stress has been shown to reduce the learning capabilities of children in the classroom or home environments?

Accepted Answer

Airport noise has been shown to negatively impact children's learning capabilities by causing distractions and stress, which can interfere with concentration and cognitive processing.

Question 16

Martin had a bad day at work and returns home to verbally abuse his wife and three children.This is referred to as ______.

Accepted Answer

Spillover refers to the transfer of emotions or stress from one area of life to another, such as from work to home.

Question 17

Which of the following is an example of a techno-political stressor?

Accepted Answer

Techno-political stressors are related to technological or political events, such as terrorism or cyber-attacks. The Boston Marathon bombings are an example of a political/terror-related event.

Question 18

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

Accepted Answer

Bolger et al. (1989) identified "spillover" as stress transferring within an individual from one domain of life to another, and "crossover" as stress transferring between individuals, typically within close relationships.

Question 19

For ______, deaths peaked on the fourth day of the month.

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that deaths among Chinese and Japanese Americans tend to peak on the fourth day of the month due to cultural beliefs surrounding the number four, which is considered unlucky.

Question 20

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

Accepted Answer

Microsystems are the immediate environments that an individual interacts with, such as work and home, according to Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory.

Quiz 5: Diverse Understandings of Stress