ISS1161 - Modules 1 to 3

A behavior pattern marked by commitment, challenge, and control that appears to be related to stress resistance is called A. hardiness. B. optimism. C. autonomic passivity. D. autonomic reactivity.

A. hardiness.

Psychosomatic disease ______ because of research on stress. A. has fallen into disuse B. is popular C. is unrelated to stress D. none of these

A. has fallen into disuse

The most significant narcotics problem in modern Western society is the use of A. heroin. B. cocaine. C. codeine. D. morphine.

A. heroin.

Research suggests that forgiving is an effective __________-focused coping strategy. A. emotion B. behavior modification. C. solution D. interpersonal

A. emotion

______________ is a strategy for generating as many alternative courses of action as possible while withholding criticism and evaluation. A. Brainstorming B. Overcompensating C. Cognitive dissonance D. Appraising

A. Brainstorming

Eric has been feeling depressed and has a lot of tension and anxiety while he looks for a new job. He wonders if regular exercise will be of benefit. Given the research, what would you tell him? A. He's right. Research supports his assumptions. B. He's right. He needs to get in better shape to get a job. C. He's wrong. People who are depressed can only be helped by medication. D. He's wrong. Exercise has nothing to do with improving moods.

A. He's right. Research supports his assumptions.

Which of the following characteristics is most closely associated with the Type A personality? A. Hostile B. Patient C. Permissive D. Cooperative

A. Hostile

Which of the following is NOT one of the underlying assumptions of this textbook? A. You can only change your behavior by consulting a professional psychologist B. The key to effective adjustment is to take charge of your own life C. Critical thinking involves a skeptical attitude D. Knowledge of psychological principles may be of value in every day life

A. You can only change your behavior by consulting a professional psychologist

You hate mathematics and feel a knot forming in your stomach when you read in the college catalog that Calculus I is required for your chosen major. You are in the _____________ stage of the general adaptation syndrome. A. alarm B. exhaustion C. resistance D. extinction

A. alarm

Research suggests that efforts to actively suppress emotions result in A. increased autonomic arousal. B. more efficient time management. C. inevitable outbursts of physical aggression. D. deficiencies in one's ability to deal with others.

A. increased autonomic arousal.

Which of the following theoretical orientations asserts that scientific psychology should focus on the study of observable behavior? A. Humanism B. Behaviorism C. Psychoanalysis D. Structuralism

B. Behaviorism

_______________ has been a major source of stress in many societies around the world. A. Religious conflict B. Cultural change C. Intergenerational disagreement D. Coping deficiency

B. Cultural change

Which of the following is an example of the coping strategy known as behavioral disengagement? A. Arguing with one's best friend because of anger toward one's boss B. Dropping a class because it is evident that one needs to take one of the recommended prerequisites C. Using drugs following a significant loss D. Blaming one's parents for one's character flaws

B. Dropping a class because it is evident that one needs to take one of the recommended prerequisites

Worldwide, which of the following is the most common mode of transmission of the HIV virus? A. Sharing food B. Heterosexual relations C. Sexual contact among homosexual men D. The sharing of needles by intravenous drug users

B. Heterosexual relations

Which of the following has been shown to increase the risk of such diseases as lung cancer, arteriosclerosis, and emphysema? A. Obesity B. Smoking C. Poor nutrition D. Lack of exercise

B. Smoking

_____________ is an estimate of the proportion of trait variability within a population that is determined by differences in genetic inheritance. A. The inheritance ratio B. The heritability ratio C. The behaviorally genetic percentage D. The genetic coefficient

B. The heritability ratio

Which of the following is the best definition of psychology? A. The study of consciousness B. The study of behavior and the profession that applies the knowledge from these studies to solving practical problems C. The study of abnormal behavior and the profession that applies knowledge from these studies to diagnosing and treating people with mental illness D. The study of motivation, emotion, and memory

B. The study of behavior and the profession that applies the knowledge from these studies to solving practical problems

Which of the following is NOT one of the main components of Ellis's model of catastrophic thinking? A. Consequence B. Unconditioned response C. Belief system D. Activating event

B. Unconditioned response

One accepted definition of stress is A. any potentially upsetting event that occurs in one's environment. B. any circumstance that threatens well-being and taxes coping abilities. C. any negative change that occurs in the course of life. D. anything that causes chronic illness in organisms.

B. any circumstance that threatens well-being and taxes coping abilities.

Modern western society has made extraordinary technological progress A. and therefore, has seen decreases in social problems B. but social and personal problems seem more prevalent and more prominent than ever before C. and therefore, has seen a boom in time spent engaging in leisure activities D. but social and personal problems are just as prevalent as they were in the past

B. but social and personal problems seem more prevalent and more prominent than ever before

According to Adler, ______ involves efforts to overcome imagined or real inferiorities by developing one's abilities A. introversion B. compensation C. reaction formation D. individual psychology

B. compensation

Virtually all of the research on stress and physical health in humans is A. anecdotal. B. correlational. C. experimental. D. observational.

B. correlational.

Two months ago, your best friend did not win a major scholarship that she had been counting on to help pay for graduate school. Now she is always fighting with you, her boyfriend, and her roommates. She is most likely using the defense mechanism called A. regression. B. displacement. C. projection. D. identification.

B. displacement.

Depression _____ one's chance of developing heart disease. A. increases slightly B. doubles C. decreases D. is unrelated to

B. doubles

Some psychologists prefer to study animals rather than humans mainly because A. animal subjects tend to be more cooperative than humans B. it's easier to control the factors influencing animals' behaviors C. researchers do not have to worry about causing discomfort to animals D. most animals are unable to figure out the hypothesis for a particular study

B. it's easier to control the factors influencing animals' behaviors

Susan, a person suffering from mood swings, goes to see a psychologist. The psychologist tells Susan his first step will be to diagnose her disorder; after that, he will provide her with a prognosis. Most likely, this psychologist subscribes to the _________ model of abnormal behavior. A. physiological B. medical C. psychosocial D. bio-neurological

B. medical

A researcher wants to examine the effects of caffeine consumption on memory ability. In this study, the dependent variable is A. the children B. memory ability C .caffeine consumption D. the grade level of the children

B. memory ability

The general tendency to expect good outcomes is called A. hardiness. B. optimism. C. social support. D. sensation-seeking.

B. optimism.

Jan is a very dependent and clingy individual who relies on obsessive eating and smoking to cope with her problems. According to Freud, Jan is suffering from fixation in the A. phallic stage. B. oral stage. C. anal stage. D. genital stage.

B. oral stage.

Research suggests that positive emotional reactions to stress may have the adaptive quality of enhancing A. fear reactions. B. social, intellectual, and physical resources. C. avoidance strategies. D. use of defense mechanisms.

B. social, intellectual, and physical resources.

In a case study, A. an individual participant is studied in depth. B. systematic observation is used to see if a link exists between variables. C. behavior is carefully observed without intervening directly with subjects. D. a variable is manipulated while another variable is observed for changes.

B. systematic observation is used to see if a link exists between variables.

Sue's friends say that she is sympathetic, trusting, cooperative, and straightforward. Which of the following "Big Five" traits would best describe her? A. Neuroticism B. Extraversion C. Agreeableness D. Conscientiousness

C. Agreeableness

People who are eager to seek medical care are most likely to be which of the following? A. Highly psychotic B. High in extroversion C. High in neuroticism D. High in sensation-seeking

C. High in neuroticism

Which of the following has NOT been proposed as an explanation for how humor helps to reduce the effects of stress and promote wellness? A. Humor increases the experience of positive emotions. B. Humor facilitates rewarding social interactions. C. Humor facilitates the release of stress-relieving neurotransmitters. D. Humor affects appraisals of stressful events.

C. Humor facilitates the release of stress-relieving neurotransmitters.

Suppose a researcher gave you a questionnaire to fill out about your attitudes on abortion, school prayer, and drug legalization. This researcher is using which of the following research methods? A. Experiment B. Case study C. Survey D. Naturalistic observation

C. Survey

In order to evaluate self-help books for ourselves, we may employ critical thinking. Which of the following is NOT a critical thinking guideline? A. Examine the evidence B. Analyze biases and assumptions C. Use emotional reasoning D. Tolerate uncertainty

C. Use emotional reasoning

Crowding and noise have been identified as sources of ___________ that have been found to be correlated with elevated stress hormones. A. acute stress B. traumatic stress C. ambient stress D. rational stress

C. ambient stress

The five-factor model _______________ in non-Western cultures. A. has been studied exhaustively B. has no meaning C. applies with some differences D. should never be used

C. applies with some differences

In order to achieve increased effectiveness, one must learn to schedule important tasks A. first every day. B. at the end of each day. C. at the times of personal energy and productiveness. D. with a lot of flexibility.

C. at the times of personal energy and productiveness.

Critics have described the psychodynamic perspective as A. biased against females, empirically testable, and overemphasizing unconscious desires. B. empirically untestable, but not biased against females. C. biased against females and empirically untestable. D. biased against females, empirically untestable, and overemphasizing unconscious desires.

C. biased against females and empirically untestable.

Before the 20th century, the principal threats to health in our society were A. farm accidents. B. heart diseases. C. contagious diseases. D. various forms of cancer.

C. contagious diseases.

hich of the following is NOT a type of constructive coping described in your text? A. Appraisal-focused B. Emotion-focused C. Problem-focused D. Cognition-focused

D. Cognition-focused

Harry wants to lose 50 pounds. He should A. sharply increase his exercise. B. sharply reduce his food intake. C. decrease his food intake and increase his exercise, both in moderate ways. D. sharply increase his exercise while simultaneously reducing his food intake dramatically.

C. decrease his food intake and increase his exercise, both in moderate ways.

Humanistic psychologists' major charge against the behaviorist and psychodynamic theories was that these models were A. based on personal growth. B. unscientific. C. dehumanizing. D. too optimistic.

C. dehumanizing.

he belief that events are beyond one's control is particularly likely to emerge in people who A. are considered true optimists. B. show symptoms of bipolar disorder. C. exhibit a pessimistic explanatory style. D. score extremely high in sensation-seeking.

C. exhibit a pessimistic explanatory style.

In contrast to the Freudian model, Maslow believed that psychology should take a greater interest in the _____________ personality. A. conscious B. unconscious C. healthy D. unhealthy

C. healthy

Whether or not an event is stressful is most likely to depend on A. how much physiological arousal it causes. B. how much change there is. C. how one appraises and adapts to the event. D. whether one is prepared for the event.

C. how one appraises and adapts to the event.

Most students record ______ of the crucial ideas in a lecture. A. less than 90% B. less than 70% C. less than 40% D. less than 10%

C. less than 40%

High sensation-seeking is probably a(n) ______ behavior. A. adaptive B. narcissistic C. maladaptive D. survival

C. maladaptive

Most psychological tests can be placed in one of two broad categories: A. IQ tests and attitude tests. B. aptitude tests and achievement tests. C. mental ability tests and personality tests. D. projective tests and standardized tests.

C. mental ability tests and personality tests.

In humans, the fight-or-flight response is less adaptive than it was in ancestral humans because A. our stresses are usually of short duration. B. social evolution has surpassed biological evolution. C. most modern human stresses can't be managed with these strategies. D. modern humans don't have adequate equipment to fight or flee from threats.

C. most modern human stresses can't be managed with these strategies.

Working hard to sell the most widgets for your employer in order to earn a bonus and paid vacation is behavior that is shaped by the prospect of A. primary reinforcement. B. negative reinforcement. C. positive reinforcement. D. punishment.

C. positive reinforcement.

According to Freud, the ______ contains thoughts and feelings that are just below the surface of awareness. A. id B. libido C. preconscious D. collective unconscious

C. preconscious

Posttraumatic stress disorder involves A. immediate reaction to stressful war experiences. B. stress reactions in anticipation of a traumatic event. C. psychological disturbance due to the experience of a major traumatic event. D. psychotic reactions to chronic stress, which emerge after one leaves the stressful environment.

C. psychological disturbance due to the experience of a major traumatic even

Research indicates that A. people with high IQs are happier than people with low IQs. B. people with low IQs are happier than people with high IQs. C. there is no association between IQ and happiness. D. people with really high IQs and really low IQs are not as happy as people with average IQs.

C. there is no association between IQ and happiness.

Internal conflict occurs when: A. pursuit of an important goal is thwarted. B. an event is perceived as threatening. C. two incompatible behavioral impulses compete for expression. D. ambiguous stimuli are encountered in the environment.

C. two incompatible behavioral impulses compete for expression.

Holmes and Rahe concluded that change is stressful: A. only when it is undesirable. B. only when it is overwhelming. C. whether it is undesirable or desirable. D. only when accompanied by pressure.

C. whether it is undesirable or desirable.

On college campuses, alcohol appears to contribute to about ______ of student rapes. A. 20% B. 50% C. 75% D. 90%

D. 90%

Research reveals that stress often contributes to the onset of which of the following? A. Depression B. Schizophrenia C. Eating disorders D. All of these

D. All of these

Who of the following people is most likely to develop stress-related illness? A. Susan, who lives alone but volunteers at the local skilled nursing home two times per month B. John, who lives with two good friends from high school C. Jaime, who lives with a quiet roommate, belongs to a big family, works for a growing company, and is described as a very "sociable" guy by all who know him D. Dora, who lives alone, works from her home, and prefers to keep to herself

D. Dora, who lives alone, works from her home, and prefers to keep to herself

It's a good idea to increase consumption of healthy carbohydrates, natural sugars, and ample fiber. You can do this by eating more food from which of the following groups? A. Breads and cereals B. Fish, chicken, turkey C. Milk and milk products D. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains

D. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains

Which of the following best describes correlational research? A. Exerting experimental control B. Manipulating an independent variable C. Manipulating a dependent variable D. Making systematic observations

D. Making systematic observations

Which of the following does NOT represent an empirical technique? A. Watching people engage in a learning activity B. Weighing rats after two months of a special diet C. Gauging the speed with which a patient performs a fine motor activity D. Speculating about the factors that are related to human happiness

D. Speculating about the factors that are related to human happiness

Which of the following statements about the use of coping strategies is NOT true? A. Most people come to rely on some strategies more than others. B. An individual's coping strategies are influenced by situational demands. C. People's coping strategies show only moderate stability across a wide variety of situations. D. The right coping strategy guarantees a successful outcome.

D. The right coping strategy guarantees a successful outcome.

Positive reinterpretation uses A. a commonsense strategy. B. a positive comparison strategy. C. imagining yourself in a similar situation with a worse outcome. D. all of these.

D. all of these.

Research on the inverted-U hypothesis is A. in need of refinement. B. nconsistent. C. based on animal learning. D. all of these.

D. all of these.

Whether someone develops learned helplessness under conditions of unavoidable aversive events most likely depends on A. the intensity of the aversive events. B. prior experience in similar circumstances. C. conditioning experiences in childhood. D. cognitive interpretation.

D. cognitive interpretation.

Joe has been arrested three times in the past five years for driving under the influence of alcohol. When you ask him about how he is managing his drinking problem, he says "I don't have a drinking problem; I have a getting caught problem!" He is most likely using __________ to manage his difficulties. A. overcompensation B. undoing C. projection D. denial

D. denial

One idea from Jung's personality theory that has been incorporated into mainstream modern psychology is the notion of A. archetypes. B. mnemonics. C. collective unconscious. D. introversion/extraversion.

D. introversion/extraversion.

The loci method is a mnemonic device that involves A. making up a logical story. B. inventing a useful acronym. C. memorizing a simple poem. D. taking a make-believe walk.

D. taking a make-believe walk.

A good reason for taking notes in your own words, rather than verbatim, is that A. most lecturers are quite wordy. B. "translating" on the spot is a helpful mental exercise. C. this reduces the likelihood that you will later engage in plagiarism. D. this forces you to organize the information in a way that makes sense to you.

D. this forces you to organize the information in a way that makes sense to you.