Psychology2016

(Kiana) #1

446 CHAPTER 11


Practice Quiz How much do you remember?


Pick the best answer.



  1. This stage of the general adaptation syndrome is accompanied by
    activation of the sympathetic nervous system.
    a. alarm c. exhaustion
    b. resistance d. termination

  2. According to Richard Lazarus, when someone asks themselves,
    “How can I deal with this potentially harmful stressor?” the individual
    is focused on a __ appraisal.
    a. primary c. tertiary
    b. secondary d. minimal

  3. Greg rushes to an appointment, arriving 20 minutes early, while
    Aaron arrives with only minutes to spare. Slightly annoyed when
    Greg points this out, Aaron replies very casually, “Hey, I’m here.”
    We might assume Greg has more of a __ personality, while
    Aaron is more __.
    a. Type A; Type B c. Type B; Type C
    b. Type A; Type C d. Type C; Type A

  4. Olivia feels as if she is in control of her life and is committed to her
    goals. What final aspect of hardiness does she need to possess to
    be considered a hardy personality?
    a. being concerned when faced with problems
    b. exhibiting callousness in the face of threat


c. being able to contain her anger
d. seeing an event as a challenge rather than a problem


  1. Devon is a full-time college student who has not taken a semester
    off in 3 years. He increasingly finds himself fatigued and stressed by
    the seemingly never-ending stream of papers, exams, and group
    projects. It has gotten to the point where he lacks the energy to
    work on his projects and puts little effort into his studying, figuring
    “What’s the point?” What might Devon be experiencing?
    a. Devon is simply stressed. Nothing more.
    b. Devon is suffering from acculturative stress.
    c. Devon is suffering from burnout.
    d. Devon is suffering from eustress.

  2. Joaquin moved from Nicaragua to the United States. He learned
    to speak and write English, changed his last name so that it would
    sound more “American,” and no longer maintains any of his old cul-
    ture’s styles of dress or customs. Joaquin has used which method
    of entering the majority culture?
    a. integration
    b. assimilation
    c. separation
    d. marginalization


cognitive factors

Type A: workaholic, competitive, ambitious,
hate to waste time, easily annoyed; more likely
to have health issues (e.g., heart disease),
especially the more hostile an individual is

“Type H”: hardy personality, appear to be like
Type A but less prone to heart disease; appear
to thrive on stress due to three factors: sense
of commitment, control, and seeing stressors
as a challenge

Type B: more easygoing, slower to anger, not as
competitive or driven; less likely to have health
issues
Type C: tend to be pleasant and at peace but
find it difficult to express emotions, especially
Seligman (originally studied concept of learned helplessness) began the negative ones; associated with cancer
positive psychology movement; has
suggested that optimism leads to longer
life and greater success in life endeavors
optimism is associated with controlling
mood or emotional reactions; can be
a learned skill through alternative thinking,
relaxation, and correcting faulty thinking

explanatory style
optimists tend to
look for positive
outcomes, whereas
pessimists seem to
expect the worst

primary appraisal involves
estimating severity of the
stressor and classifying it as
a threat, challenge, or loss
already occurred
secondary appraisal involves
estimation of resources available
to cope with stressor

Lazarus’s cognitive-
mediational theory of
emotion
suggests an individual’s
appraisal of a stressor is a
major factor in determining
how stressful that stressor
becomes

personality differences
affect how one assesses
a stressor, the coping
strategies used, and
possible health outcomes

result of appraisal
determines level
of stress and
emotional reaction

personality factors

social factors

physiological factors

alarm: sympathetic nervous system
is first activated

exhaustion: prolonged stress response
coupled with depleted resources can
lead to stress-related diseases or death
of the organism; if stressor is stopped,
parasympathetic division is activated
and body attempts to replenish
resources

resistance: continued activation of
sympathetic activity until organism’s
resources are depleted

stress-related responses similar to those
triggered by infection— increase in white blood
cell count, enzymes, and antibodies
body is engineered for short-term, acute stress;
prolonged stress/depletion of resources results in
reduced functioning of immune system
prolonged stress and/or weakened immune system
places people at a higher risk of coronary heart
disease, weight gain, diabetes, and lower natural
killer cell activity; depression and anxiety may also
be associated with prolonged stress

the autonomic nervous system (ANS) figures prominently in
the body’s physiological reactions to stress

the field of
psychoneuroimmunology
focuses on the effects of
stress on the immune system

Hans Selye identified the
general adaptation
syndrome (GAS),
the sequence of
physiological reactions
the body goes through
when adapting to
a stressor

poverty results in lack of basic life necessities
job stress may be related to workload, lack of control
or job security, work schedule, and low job satisfaction
integration: original identity maintained but forms positive
relationships with members of dominant culture (lowest stress)

marginalization: does not maintain contact with original
culture or join majority culture (greatest stress)

assimilation: individual gives up old culture and
completely adopts ways of majority (moderate stress)
separation: majority culture is rejected and original
cultural identity is maintained (high stress)

Stress and Health


a great deal of stress can come from dealing with other people and social interactions

in general, having a positive social support system
that provides various forms of help (e.g., monetary,
physical, emotional support) is a good predictor
for healthy aging and longevity

poverty and job stress are prominent,
economically based social factors that
lead to stressful living conditions

culturally, stress is affected by status
of acculturation (adapting to a new,
different, or often dominant culture)
and the method chosen to adapt

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