Chapter 14

Question 1

first stage of the general adaptation syndrome; characterized as the body’s immediate physiological reaction to a threatening situation or some other emergency; analogous to the fight-or-flight response

Answer 1

alarm reaction

Question 2

psychophysiological disorder in which the airways of the respiratory system become obstructed, leading to great difficulty expelling air from the lungs

Answer 2

asthma

Question 3

stress-reduction technique using electronic equipment to measure a person’s involuntary (neuromuscular and autonomic) activity and provide feedback to help the person gain a level of voluntary control over these processes

Answer 3

biofeedback

Question 4

disorders that involve the heart and blood circulation system

Answer 4

cardiovascular disorders

Question 5

mental or behavioral efforts used to manage problems relating to stress, including its cause and the unpleasant feelings and emotions it produces

Answer 5

coping

Question 6

stress hormone released by the adrenal glands when encountering a stressor; helps to provide a boost of energy, thereby preparing the individual to take action

Answer 6

cortisol

Question 7

minor irritations and annoyances that are part of our everyday lives and are capable of producing stress

Answer 7

daily hassles

Question 8

bad form of stress; usually high in intensity; often leads to exhaustion, fatigue, feeling burned out; associated with erosions in performance and health

Answer 8

distress

Question 9

good form of stress; low to moderate in intensity; associated with positive feelings, as well as optimal health and performance

Answer 9

eustress

Question 10

set of physiological reactions (increases in blood pressure, heart rate, respiration rate, and sweat) that occur when an individual encounters a perceived threat; these reactions are produced by activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the endocrine system

Answer 10

fight-or-flight response

Question 11

state involving intense engagement in an activity; usually is experienced when participating in creative, work, and leisure endeavors

Answer 11

flow

Question 12

Hans Selye’s three-stage model of the body’s physiological reactions to stress and the process of stress adaptation: alarm reaction, stage of resistance, and stage of exhaustion

Answer 12

general adaptation syndrome

Question 13

enduring state of mind consisting of joy, contentment, and other positive emotions; the sense that one’s life has meaning and value

Answer 13

happiness

Question 14

subfield of psychology devoted to studying psychological influences on health, illness, and how people respond when they become ill

Answer 14

health psychology

Question 14

several types of adverse heart conditions, including those that involve the heart’s arteries or valves or those involving the inability of the heart to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs; can include heart attack and stroke

Answer 14

heart disease

Question 15

high blood pressure

Answer 15

hypertension

Question 16

set of structures found in both the limbic system (hypothalamus) and the endocrine system (pituitary gland and adrenal glands) that regulate many of the body’s physiological reactions to stress through the release of hormones

Answer 16

hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis

Question 17

various structures, cells, and mechanisms that protect the body from foreign substances that can damage the body’s tissues and organs

Answer 17

immune system

Question 18

decreased effectiveness of the immune system

Answer 18

immunosuppression

Question 19

general sense of emotional exhaustion and cynicism in relation to one’s job; consists of three dimensions: exhaustion, depersonalization, and sense of diminished personal accomplishment

Answer 19

job burnout

Question 20

work situation involving the combination of excessive job demands and workload with little decision making latitude or job control

Answer 20

job strain

Question 21

white blood cells that circulate in the body’s fluids and are especially important in the body’s immune response

Answer 21

lymphocytes

Question 22

tendency toward a positive outlook and positive expectations

Answer 22

optimism

Question 22

tendency to experience distressed emotional states involving anger, contempt, disgust, guilt, fear, and nervousness

Answer 22

negative affectivity

Question 23

peoples' beliefs concerning their capacity to influence and shape outcomes in their lives

Answer 23

perceived control

Question 24

state or a trait that involves pleasurable engagement with the environment, the dimensions of which include happiness, joy, enthusiasm, alertness, and excitement

Answer 24

positive affect

Question 25

scientific area of study seeking to identify and promote those qualities that lead to happy, fulfilled, and contented lives

Answer 25

positive psychology

Question 26

judgment about the degree of potential harm or threat to well-being that a stressor might entail

Answer 26

primary appraisal

Question 27

field that studies how psychological factors (such as stress) influence the immune system and immune functioning

Answer 27

psychoneuroimmunology

Question 28

physical disorders or diseases in which symptoms are brought about or worsened by stress and emotional factors

Answer 28

psychophysiological disorders

Question 29

stress reduction technique combining elements of relaxation and meditation

Answer 29

relaxation response technique

Question 30

judgment of options available to cope with a stressor and their potential effectiveness

Answer 30

secondary appraisal

Question 31

popular scale designed to measure stress; consists of 43 potentially stressful events, each of which has a numerical value quantifying how much readjustment is associated with the event

Answer 31

Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS)

Question 32

soothing and often beneficial support of others; can take different forms, such as advice, guidance, encouragement, acceptance, emotional comfort, and tangible assistance

Answer 32

social support

Question 33

third stage of the general adaptation syndrome; the body's ability to resist stress becomes depleted; illness, disease, and even death may occur

Answer 33

stage of exhaustion

Question 34

second stage of the general adaptation syndrome; the body adapts to a stressor for a period of time

Answer 34

stage of resistance

Question 35

process whereby an individual perceives and responds to events that one appraises as overwhelming or threatening to one's well-being

Answer 35

stress

Question 36

environmental events that may be judged as threatening or demanding; stimuli that initiate the stress process

Answer 36

stressors

Question 37

psychological and behavior pattern exhibited by individuals who tend to be extremely competitive, impatient, rushed, and hostile toward others

Answer 37

Type A

Question 38

psychological and behavior pattern exhibited by a person who is relaxed and laid back

Answer 38

Type B

Question 39

Negative effects of stress are most likely to be experienced when an event is perceived as ________.

Answer 39

threatening, and no clear options for dealing with it are apparent

Question 40

Between 2006 and 2009, the greatest increases in stress levels were found to occur among ________.

Answer 40

those aged 45-64

Question 41

At which stage of Selye's general adaptation syndrome is a person especially vulnerable to illness?

Answer 41

exhaustion

Question 42

During an encounter judged as stressful, cortisol is released by the ________.

Answer 42

adrenal glands

Question 43

According to the Holmes and Rahe scale, which life event requires the greatest amount of readjustment?

Answer 43

death of spouse

Question 44

While waiting to pay for his weekly groceries at the supermarket, Paul had to wait about 20 minutes in a long line at the checkout because only one cashier was on duty. When he was finally ready to pay, his debit card was declined because he did not have enough money left in his checking account. Because he had left his credit cards at home, he had to place the groceries back into the cart and head home to retrieve a credit card. While driving back to his home, traffic was backed up two miles due to an accident. These events that Paul had to endure are best characterized as ________.

Answer 44

daily hassles

Question 45

What is one of the major criticisms of the Social Readjustment Rating Scale?

Answer 45

It does not take into consideration how a person appraises an event.

Question 46

Which of the following is not a dimension of job burnout?

Answer 46

hostility

Question 47

The white blood cells that attack foreign invaders to the body are called ________.

Answer 47

lymphocytes

Question 48

The risk of heart disease is especially high among individuals with ________.

Answer 48

depression

Question 49

The most lethal dimension of Type A behavior pattern seems to be ________.

Answer 49

hostility

Question 50

Which of the following statements pertaining to asthma is false?

Answer 50

Rates of asthma have decreased considerably since 2000.

Question 51

Emotion-focused coping would likely be a better method than problem-focused coping for dealing with which of the following stressors?

Answer 51

terminal cancer

Question 52

Relative to those with low levels of social support, individuals with high levels of social support ________.

Answer 52

tend to tolerate stress well

Question 52

Studies of British civil servants have found that those in the lowest status jobs are much more likely to develop heart disease than those who have high status jobs. These findings attest to the importance of ________ in dealing with stress.

Answer 52

perceived control

Question 53

The concept of learned helplessness was formulated by Seligman to explain the ________.

Answer 53

inability of dogs to attempt to escape avoidable shocks after having received inescapable shocks

Question 54

Which of the following is not one of the presumed components of happiness?

Answer 54

learning new skills

Question 55

Researchers have identified a number of factors that are related to happiness. Which of the following is not one of them?

Answer 55

physical attractiveness

Question 56

How does positive affect differ from optimism?

Answer 56

Positive affect involves feeling states, whereas optimism involves expectations

Question 57

Carson enjoys writing mystery novels, and has even managed to publish some of his work. When he's writing, Carson becomes extremely focused on his work; in fact, he becomes so absorbed that that he often loses track of time, often staying up well past 3 a.m. Carson's experience best illustrates the concept of ________.

Answer 57

flow