Question 1

Dr. Mendez is a researcher who believes that physical and emotional health are affected by the complex interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors. Thus, Dr. Mendez tends to follow the _____ model in her research.

Accepted Answer

Dr. Mendez's belief that physical and emotional health are influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors aligns with the biopsychosocial model. The general adaptation model focuses on the body's response to stress, psychoneuroimmunology studies the connection between the nervous system, endocrine system, and immune system, and cognitive appraisal theory suggests that how a person appraises a situation influences their stress response.

Question 2

Health psychology is guided by the _____ model of health, illness, and well-being.

Accepted Answer

The biopsychosocial model of health, illness, and well-being is the guiding framework for health psychology. This model acknowledges the complex interaction between biological, psychological, and social factors in determining health outcomes. It focuses on the interplay between these factors in the development and management of illness, as well as in the promotion of health and well-being. The other options listed (stress and coping, psychoneuroimmunology, and general adaptation) are related concepts within health psychology, but they do not provide the overarching framework for understanding health, illness, and well-being in the same way that the biopsychosocial model does.

Question 3

Dr. García and her colleagues have done extensive research into the effects of life events on health and well-being. They are most likely to conclude that:

Accepted Answer

Dr. García and her colleagues are likely to conclude that undesirable events are significant sources of stress, but change in itself is not necessarily stressful. This aligns with the idea of the stressor-stress-strain model, which suggests that stressors (such as life events) only result in stress if the individual perceives them as threatening or challenging. Therefore, people's cognitive appraisal of events is a crucial factor in determining their level of stress. It is not likely that positive and negative events are equal in their contribution to stress levels, and it is not supported by research that positive life events have a greater cumulative effect on stress levels than negative life events.

Question 4

Cumulative adversity refers to:

Accepted Answer

Cumulative adversity refers to the total amount of negative events experienced over a lifetime. It can include events that are negative, severe, and far beyond our normal expectations for everyday life.

Question 5

Witnessing or surviving a violent attack and experiences associated with combat, warfare, or major disasters are examples of the types of events that are typically considered to be:

Accepted Answer

Traumatic events are those that are emotionally and physically overwhelming, often causing feelings of fear, helplessness, or horror. Witnessing or surviving a violent attack, combat, warfare, or major disasters are prime examples of such events. Life change units and daily hassles refer to other types of stressors, and "Type A events" is not a commonly recognized term in psychology.

Question 6

A number of problems with the life events approach have been identified. Which of the following is NOT one of them?

Accepted Answer

There is actually a positive correlation between scores on the SRRS and physical and psychological problems, meaning that higher scores are associated with higher health risks. The inverse relationship mentioned in option B is not accurate.

Question 7

_____ developed the Social Readjustment Rating Scale, which attempts to quantify and rank the impact of stress-producing events in a person's life.

Accepted Answer

Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe developed the Social Readjustment Rating Scale in 1967 as a way to measure the level of stress a person experiences based on major life events. The scale assigns a numerical score to various stressors, with higher scores indicating a greater impact on an individual's life.

Question 8

The Social Readjustment Rating Scale:

Accepted Answer

The Social Readjustment Rating Scale is a tool used to quantify and rank the impact of stress-producing events in a person's life. It is also known as the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale. It assigns values to significant life events such as marriage, divorce, job loss, and death of a loved one. The higher the score, the greater the stress and risk for negative health outcomes. This tool does not measure acculturative stress or everyday stress, and it does not use personality measures to estimate recovery time.

Question 9

Research has shown that _____ levels of cumulative adversity are associated with poor health outcomes.

Accepted Answer

Research indicates that both very high and very low levels of cumulative adversity can be linked to poor health outcomes, suggesting a U-shaped relationship where moderate levels may be less harmful.

Question 10

_____ is a disorder that involves intrusive thoughts of a traumatic event, emotional numbness, and symptoms of anxiety, such as nervousness, sleep disturbances, and irritability.

Accepted Answer

The description given matches the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is a mental health condition caused by experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. The intrusive thoughts, emotional numbness, and symptoms of anxiety described are common among individuals with PTSD. Burnout refers to exhaustion and reduced job performance due to chronic stress, while cumulative adversity disorder and general adaptation syndrome are not recognized mental health diagnoses.

Question 11

Traumatic events are events or situations that:

Accepted Answer

Traumatic events are events or situations that are negative, severe, and far beyond our normal expectations for everyday life. They can include experiences such as natural disasters, accidents, or violence.

Question 12

Holmes and Rahe believed that any change that required you to adjust your behavior and lifestyle would cause stress. In an attempt to measure the amount of stress people experienced, they developed the:

Accepted Answer

The Social Readjustment Rating Scale developed by Holmes and Rahe is designed to measure the amount of stress people experienced by calculating the total number of life events that require significant adjustments to behavior or lifestyle within a certain timeframe. The other options listed do not measure stress in this way.

Question 13

People with ____ levels of cumulative adversity are healthier and better able to cope with recent misfortune than people with _____ levels of cumulative adversity.

Accepted Answer

The statement suggests that there is an optimal level of cumulative adversity for good health and coping abilities. This suggests that very high or very low levels of cumulative adversity are less ideal than a moderate level. Therefore, option B is the best choice as it includes both possibilities.

Question 14

In contrast to the conclusions reached by early stress researchers Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe, contemporary health psychologists now believe that:

Accepted Answer

Contemporary health psychologists now believe that most people are resilient and can cope with major life events without developing severe physical or psychological problems. The impact of major life events is not as damaging as originally thought, and high scores on the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) do not invariably lead to severe illness or disease. Positive life events are generally associated with better physical health outcomes compared to negative life events.

Question 15

One large survey of college students found that _____ percent reported having been exposed to a traumatic event during their lifetime.

Accepted Answer

The survey found that 85% of college students reported having been exposed to a traumatic event during their lifetime.

Question 16

Early stress researchers Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe:

Accepted Answer

Holmes and Rahe developed the Social Readjustment Rating Scale, which measures stress based on life changes that require adjustment.

Question 17

When Rachel completed the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS), her score, based on events during the previous year, was 350 life change units. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

Accepted Answer

While a high score on the SRRS is associated with an increased risk of physical and psychological problems, it is not possible to make accurate predictions about Rachel's future health based solely on her score. There are many individual and situational factors that can affect how a person responds to stress, and scores on the SRRS are only weakly correlated with the development of problems. It is important to consider Rachel's overall health, coping strategies, and support system before making any predictions about her future well-being.

Question 18

Events or situations that are perceived as harmful, threatening, or challenging are called:

Accepted Answer

Stressors are events or situations that are perceived as harmful, threatening, or challenging, and can lead to physiological and psychological stress responses. A) Catecholamines are a group of stress hormones, but do not encompass all types of stressors. B) Daily hassles are a type of stressor, but this term is more specific and does not encompass all stressors. D) Life change units refer to a specific method of measuring stress, but not all stressors can be captured by this measurement.

Question 19

Research shows that less than _____ percent of those who experience major disasters-such as floods, earthquakes, and hurricanes-develop posttraumatic stress disorder

Accepted Answer

The answer of Research shows that less than _____ percent...

Question 20

_____ are events or situations that are negative, severe, and far beyond our normal expectations for everyday life or life events.

Accepted Answer

Traumatic events refer to events or situations that are negative, severe, and far beyond our normal expectations for everyday life or life events. Life change units and daily hassles refer to more common and less severe stressors, while Type A events refer specifically to high-pressure work situations.

Quiz 12: Stress, Health, and Coping