Quiz on Stress and Coping Strategies

Multiple Choice Questions

Multiple choice: One point each.  In answering, give the number followed by the correct letter, e.g. 1. A

1. Susanna is happy, but very excited, as she makes plans for a large and elaborate wedding with more than 200 guests. Which of the following is most likely TRUE?

A.  She is probably showing symptoms of distress.

B.  She probably showing symptoms of eustress.

C.  She is probably overly emotional.

D.  Since marriage is a happy event, she has no reason to be stressed.

2.   Each April at tax filing time, Carl the tax accountant notices that when he is very busy and highly stressed, he tends to get ill, but in the summer, when he has  nothing to do, he feels bored and without stress, but he also gets ill. This phenomenon is best explained by the fact that _______________.

A. Carl is probably experiencing too much eustress.

B. Carl does not know how to control stress.

C. Too much or too little stress contributes to illness.

D. His illness is explained by seasonal stress, including changes in sunlight and  Vitamin D absorption.

3.  For 20 years, Harold commuted 80 miles a day in Atlanta traffic, among the worst in the nation.  One morning he had a massive heart attack and died immediately. His experience can be best explained by:

A.Cannon’s fight-or-flight response

B. Lazarus’ stimulus-response interaction

C. Selye’s general adaptation syndrome

D. Holmes and Rahe’s life events perspective

4. An out-of-control car veers onto the curb, directly in your path. You leap away.  The car is:

A.  a stress

B.  a stressor

C.  a feedback loop

D.  a stimulus-response interaction

5. Harold and Maude work in similar stressful jobs.  Harold’s blood pressure increases with stress, while Maude’s generally does not.  This is an example of difference in:

A. allostatic load

B. stress recovery

C. stress reactivity

D. stress resistance

6.  Fred is being chased by a bull and narrowly escapes.  The hormone primarily responsible for his burst of energy is:

A.  cortisol

B.  aldosterone

C.  oxytocin

D.  vasopressin

7.  The stressful impact of “daily hassles” is generally measured by

A.  laboratory physiological measures

B.  laboratory self-report measures

C.  naturalistic physiological measures

D.  naturalistic self-report measures

8.  Al, a mechanic at a large auto repair shop, is known as a difficult, hard-to-satisfy person, often critical of his fellow workers, full of complaints, and easy to anger. His     ___________________ personality and aggressive behavior are most likely to result in ____________________.

A. Type A; low cortisol levels

B. Type B; high cortisol levels

C. Type A; coronary heart disease

D. Type B; ulcers

9.  You failed a psychology test and are convinced that you will flunk out of school. Your pal Jessica also failed but simply resolves to study harder next time.  The differences in response can be best explained by differences in: 

A.  physiological arousal

B.  emotional arousal

C.  cognitive appraisal

D.  cortisol levels

10.  Beth tells herself, “I can take charge of my own health.”  She is exhibiting:

A.  internal locus of control

B.  external locus of control

C.  medial locus of control

D.  positive reinforcement

Essays: Five points each.  Respond to each question in at least two paragraphs.

11. Identify a stressor that you have experienced or are likely to experience and describe it in terms of Lazarus’ model of appraisal, including primary appraisal, secondary appraisal, and coping Include any problem-focused and emotion-focused strategies you used and indicate how effective they were.

12. You are a health psychologist who has received a grant to study the causes of coronary heart disease and develop effective treatment plans. As part of your literature review for the grant, discuss at least two physiological and at least two behavioral factors that may contribute to the condition.