PSY 4932 - Exam 3 - Chapters 9-12

What is the essential nature of mindfulness meditation? As described by Kabat-Zinn, mindfulness meditation is: A. A practical way to see life's problems through a clear mind. B. A spiritual and religious practice based on Eastern religion. C. All-encompassing and requires major life changes. D. All of the above

A. A practical way to see life's problems through a clear mind.

The concept of depressive realism is supported by researching showing that mildly depressed people (compared to the non-depressed): A. Are more accurate in their judgments of themselves and their life, supporting a sadder-but-wiser effect. B. Are less accurate in their self and life judgments, supporting the importance of realism for mental health. C. Are very negative in their self and life judgments, supporting the role of pessimistic attitudes in depression. D. Have great difficulty in making self and life judgments, supporting the role of self, goal and value confusion in depression.

A. Are more accurate in their judgments of themselves and their life, supporting a sadder-but-wiser effect.

According to Crocker and her research on contingencies of self-worth, self-esteem researchers have paid too much attention to the level of self-esteem (high versus low) and to little attention to the: A. Basis and source of self-esteem. B. Purpose and motives behind self-esteem. C. Ways that people compensate for low self-esteem. D. Superficial, shallow, and short-term strategies that people use to maintain and enhance their self-image.

A. Basis and source of self-esteem.

Kabat-Zinn describes seven qualities or attributes of mindfulness awareness that are cultivated during mindfulness meditation. Non-judging means: A. Being aware of how our judgments of good and bad color our view of the world. B. Taking a neutral and non-judgmental stance toward ourselves, others, and the world. C. Stopping our constant "good/bad" evaluation of the world. D. Learning to be less defensive and critical in our judgments of others.

A. Being aware of how our judgments of good and bad color our view of the world.

The virtue of transcendence: A. Connects the individual to larger and deeper meanings of life. B. Means the same thing as religious. C. Is a perquisite for wisdom. D. Is the basis of both justice and temperance.

A. Connects the individual to larger and deeper meanings of life.

"Minding a close relationship" is analogous to: A. Gardening - a watchful eye and constant effort and attention. B. Parenting in the summer months - kids need fun things to do. C. Savoring - special moments are appreciated and mutually enjoyed. D. Gourmet cooking - the ingredients and how they are combined are critical to success.

A. Gardening - a watchful eye and constant effort and attention.

Positive and negative affectivity as measured by Watson's PANAS scale refers to the: A. Long-term consistency in peoples' experience of positive and negative emotions. B. Fluctuation of short-term positive and negative emotions in response to situational events. C. Influence of positive and negative emotions on a person's health and happiness. D. Influence of people's physical and social environment on the emotions they experience.

A. Long-term consistency in peoples' experience of positive and negative emotions.

Baumeister and Exline argue that one of the most important functions of virtue and morality is to: A. Maintain harmonious relationships with others by controlling selfish needs. B. Provide a foundation for religion and spirituality. C. Enhance the development of a "mature " personality. D. Counteract the negative effects of our relativistic and "anything goes" popular culture.

A. Maintain harmonious relationships with others by controlling selfish needs.

Brown and Ryan make a connection between mindfulness and goal research. These researchers believe that mindfulness may be particularly important for: A. Overriding automatic behaviors, increasing autonomous choices, and regulating goal directed behavior. B. Preventing people from living in the past by orienting them toward future goals. C. Becoming more aware of the "emptiness" of the goals many people pursue. D. Shifting people's orientation from avoidance goals to approach goals.

A. Overriding automatic behaviors, increasing autonomous choices, and regulating goal directed behavior.

A fundamental difference between romantic love and companionate love is whether an intimate relationship is built primarily on: A. Passion or friendship. B. Intimacy or commitment. C. Self-interest or compromise. D. Emotion or realism.

A. Passion or friendship.

Within a relationship, negative affect reciprocity refers to the: A. Tit-for-tat exchange and retaliation of negative verbal and nonverbal expressions. B. Demand/withdraw pattern of communication where one partner criticizes and the other clams up and stops communicating. C. Hurt, bad feelings, and anger that one partner feels in response to the critical comments of the other. D. Mutual stonewalling that occurs between two partners when conversations get heated and neither side is willing to compromise or offer construction suggestions.

A. Tit-for-tat exchange and retaliation of negative verbal and nonverbal expressions.

Is it best to be realistic or idealistic about your partner's personal qualities? Do we want to be "known" or "adored"? According to Swann's self-verification theory, people want to be: A. Adored because love is supposed to be blind. B. "Known" because a partner's understanding of who you "really" are creates strong feelings of intimacy as relationships mature over time. C. Known because it is only through love that we really find ourselves. D. Adored because people want only positive feedback about their positive qualities and not negative feedback about their undesirable qualities.

B. "Known" because a partner's understanding of who you "really" are creates strong feelings of intimacy as relationships mature over time.

A used by psychologists, temperament refers to: A. A person's frustration-anger threshold. B. A genetically-determined physiological disposition to respond to the environment in stable and typical manner. C. The sum total of a person's enduring personality traits that are co-determined by genetics and the environment. D. A person's baseline level of happiness.

B. A genetically-determined physiological disposition to respond to the environment in stable and typical manner.

Martin Seligman combines the major elements of hedonic and eudaimonic perspectives in describing a three-part analysis of happiness. According to Seligman the three components of a happy life are: A. Positive emotion, resilience, and transcendence. B. A pleasant life, an engaged life, and a meaningful life. C. A pleasant life, a healthy life, and a virtuous life. D. Frequent positive emotion, infrequent negative emotion, and life satisfaction.

B. A pleasant life, an engaged life, and a meaningful life.

According to sociometer theory (Leary, Tambor, et al.) the primary function of self-esteem is to: A. Buffer the effects of ego-deflating events. B. Act as an internal index that monitors our degree of acceptance or potential rejection by others. C. Index the degree to which we feel inferior or superior to significant others. D. Maintain a positive view of ourselves despite criticism, rejection, and failure.

B. Act as an internal index that monitors our degree of acceptance or potential rejection by others.

In their seminal study, the Lauers asked 351 married couples, married 15 years or more, about what made their marriages last. The reason couples gave fit into the two general categories of: A. Caring and compromise. B. Friendship and commitment. C. Commitment and sacrifice. D. Love and relationship growth.

B. Friendship and commitment.

Oxytocin is one example of the biological underpinnings of human's "need to belong" because it is: A. Released when were are afraid or distressed and motivates people to seek the company of others. B. Increased by physical contact (e.g., touch, hug) and produces a sense of calm and safety. C. Similar to dopamine in its pleasurable effects and is released by laughter in the company of others. D. Absent in reclusive animals species who don't need to band together to survive like humans.

B. Increased by physical contact (e.g., touch, hug) and produces a sense of calm and safety.

As used by psychologists, traits refer to: A. External circumstances that influence people's behavior. B. Internal dispositions that influence how we look at the world. C. Family determinants of behavior. D. All of the above

B. Internal dispositions that influence how we look at the world.

Gable and her colleagues found that capitalization effects that include enhanced relationship quality and subjective well-being occur: A. Whenever people tell their partner about a good thing that has happened to them. B. Only when our partner gives an enthusiastic and supportive response. C. Only when the good thing shared enhances the self-esteem and self-image of the partner as well. D. Only when our partner can capitalize (i.e., make gains) as a result of the sharing the event as well.

B. Only when our partner gives an enthusiastic and supportive response.

According to your textbook's research review, dispositional optimism is perhaps best regarded as a: A. Source of hope and inspiration for the future. B. Personal resource that fosters resistance to distress in the face of life challenges and setbacks. C. Major contributor to positive social relationships. D. A contributor to subjective, but not to objective well-being.

B. Personal resource that fosters resistance to distress in the face of life challenges and setbacks.

In the SOC Model of Effective Life Management developed by Baltes and his colleagues, S, O, and C refer to: A. Selection, organization, and commitment. B. Selection, optimization, and compensation. C. Seriousness, optimism, and challenge D. Sensibility, optimism, and competence

B. Selection, optimization, and compensation.

Which of the following are the six "universal" virtues identified by the Values in Action Project? A. Compassion, courage, temperance, authenticity, wisdom, and forgiveness. B. Wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence. C. Wisdom, bravery, kindness, temperance, love and, spirituality. D. Wisdom, creativity, persistence, fairness, love, and transcendence.

B. Wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence.

The demand/withdraw pattern of negative interaction in close relationships refers to exchanges where the: A. Man makes demands and the woman withdraws from the conversation. B. Woman makes demands and the man withdraws from the conversation. C. Both partners make demands, but end up withdrawing from the conversation because no compromise can be reached. D. Escalation of demands that comes to include ending the relationship altogether.

B. Woman makes demands and the man withdraws from the conversation.

According to the explanatory style view of optimism-pessimism, which of the following statements fits an optimistic style of explanation for a student's failure on a math exam? A. "I'm just no good at math." B. "I'm a bad test-taker." C. "I had to work late and didn't have much time to study." D. " College is more work than I can handle."

C. "I had to work late and didn't have much time to study."

Some people believe that personal tragedies represent God's punishment for their sins and some people wait passively wait for God's solutions to their problems. According to research by Pargament and his colleagues, each of these examples represent: A. Anxious/ambivalent attachment. B. Avoidant attachment. C. A negative religious coping style. D. A self-directing religious coping style.

C. A negative religious coping style.

The current view of adult attachment styles is that they are continuous rather than discrete categories and reflect two underlying dimensions of: A. Security and insecurity. B. Preoccupied dismissive. C. Anxiety and avoidance. D. Intimate and distant.

C. Anxiety and avoidance.

Authenticity and what Harter calls mutuality both suggest that in successful relationships both partners: A. Need to sacrifice their own needs for good of the relationship. B. Should "lose" themselves in the relationship. C. Are able to balance autonomy and connectedness. D. Offer genuine rather than defensive criticism of the other.

C. Are able to balance autonomy and connectedness.

Kabat-Zinn describes seven qualities or attributes of mindfulness awareness that are be cultivated during mindfulness meditation. What does he mean by letting go? A. Giving up our fantasies and wishful thinking B. Giving up our former self so that a new self may develop C. Becoming less attached to our most recurring thoughts during meditation so that we might come to understand them D. Relinquishing our attachment to the external basis of our well-being

C. Becoming less attached to our most recurring thoughts during meditation so that we might come to understand them

Most relationship researchers would affirm the implications of the Lauer's study of 351 couples married at least 15 years by arguing that enduring and happy marriages are built on: A. Interlocking needs, shared values, mutual respect, and reciprocal affection. B. Shared optimism, shared commitment, and shared affection. C. Companionate love based on friendship rather than romantic love based on passion. D. Mutual commitment, sacrifice, and hard work.

C. Companionate love based on friendship rather than romantic love based on passion.

Which of the following list of traits are included in the five-factor model/Big Five Theory of personality? A. Self-esteem, optimism, and extraversion. B. Self-esteem, hardiness, and conscientiousness. C. Extraversion, neuroticism, and openness to experience. D. Self-efficacy, relatedness, and autonomy.

C. Extraversion, neuroticism, and openness to experience.

In thinking about the means to a good life, Lyubormirsky and Sheldon suggest three reasons to be pessimistic about people's ability to increase their long-term happiness. These are: A. Consumer society, unequal access to resources, and psychology's negative focus. B. Ignorance, fear of change, and the inertia of current lifestyles. C. Genetics, personality, and adaptation to emotional events. D. Genetics, conformity, and lack of research.

C. Genetics, personality, and adaptation to emotional events.

The study by Cozzolino and his colleagues used a death reflection condition in which people were asked to imagine their own death, engage in a life review, and imagine how their family would react to their death. The death reflection condition was meant to parallel the essential features of: A. The mortality salience manipulation in terror management theory research. B. The stages of dying described by Kübler-Ross. C. Near-death experiences that lead to a life review. D. A "mindful" consideration of death.

C. Near-death experiences that lead to a life review.

Is the dismissive avoidant attachment style an exception to the "no man is an island" general rule? That is, are dismissive types really "islands" that don't need or want affection and approval from others? A recent study by Carvallo and Gabriel suggests that the answer is: A. Yes, dismissives are islands because they rejected feedback that others liked and accepted them. B. Yes, dismissives are islands because they showed no response to feedback that others liked and accepted them. C. No, dismissives are not islands because they experienced more positive feelings in response to feedback that others liked and accepted them than did people with a low dismissive view. D. No, dismissives are not islands because this category of attachment stylecannot be reliably assessed or evaluated.

C. No, dismissives are not islands because they experienced more positive feelings in response to feedback that others liked and accepted them than did people with a low dismissive view.

Critics of positive psychology argue that one advantage of Eastern ideas is that they: A. Provide a more specific "nuts and bolts" view of the "what" and "how" of a good life. B. Can enrich Western understandings of a good life because they are so radically different from them. C. Offer a more comprehensive and in-depth picture of both the "what" and the "how" of a good life. D. Are based more heavily on spirituality which is noticeably absent from Western self-improvement approaches.

C. Offer a more comprehensive and in-depth picture of both the "what" and the "how" of a good life.

As defined by the Values in Action Project, wisdom refers to: A. High intelligence and technical knowledge. B. Being successful and famous. C. Practical knowledge and intelligence in dealing with the challenges and uncertainties of life. D. Being "right" before the fact - accuracy in predictions about future events and the consequences of people's actions and choices.

C. Practical knowledge and intelligence in dealing with the challenges and uncertainties of life.

Psychologists believe and research suggests that forgiveness may be particularly valuable for: A. Maintaining a positive attitude towards humanity and God. B. Avoiding depression, self-hatred, and emotional turmoil. C. Reducing the negative health effects of anger and for repairing relationships. D. People who work with criminal offenders, such as social workers, police officers, and judges.

C. Reducing the negative health effects of anger and for repairing relationships.

Baumeister and Exline argue that the Seven Deadly Sins (e.g., gluttony, greed, lust, anger) result from: A. Unwise choices, suggesting wisdom is a master virtue. B. The conflict between virtue and self-interest, suggesting commitment to your principles is the basis of virtue and therefore integrity is a master virtue. C. Self-control failure, suggesting self-control is the "moral muscle" behind virtuous behaviors and therefore the master virtue. D. Too much temptation, suggesting that today's culture of individualism and "me first" is partly to blame for the decline in virtuous behaviors.

C. Self-control failure, suggesting self-control is the "moral muscle" behind virtuous behaviors and therefore the master virtue.

Humor, teasing, playful banter, and laughing together: A. Are one of things we enjoy the most about our relationships. B. Help release tensions and stress. C. Characterize happy couples married over 50 years. D. All of the above

D. All of the above

Lyubormirsky has investigated the differences between very happy and unhappy people. Her studies show that unhappy people: A. Are more sensitive to social comparisons. B. Take delight in the failings of others. C. Ruminate more over negative events and miss opportunities. D. All of the above

D. All of the above

Recent studies by Brown and Ryan using the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) have: A. Validated the scale in a sample of Zen practitioners. B. Shown mindfulness to be related to both subjective and eudaimonic well-being. C. Found positive relationships between MAAS scores and measures of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. D. All of the above

D. All of the above

Sharing a sense of humor and laughing together may enhance the stability and the quality of long-term relationships because: A. Laughter helps release tension. B. Sex fades but laughter endures. C. Of the connection between who we are and what makes us laugh. D. All of the above

D. All of the above

The concept of a Behavioral Activation System (BAS) and a Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS) and the BAS/BIS Sensitivity Scale refer to underlying physiological processes and individual differences related to: A. Impulse and self-control. B. Self and other regulation of behavior. C. Extraversion and neuroticism. D. Approach and avoidance behaviors.

D. Approach and avoidance behaviors.

In Pargament's definition and conceptualization of religion and spirituality, religion is the broader concept because it: A. Includes both individual and institutional religious practices. B. Recognizes both traditional and contemporary religious beliefs and practices. C. Includes both Eastern and Western religions. D. Includes both secular and sacred purposes.

D. Includes both secular and sacred purposes.

In Sternberg's triangular theory of love, different varieties of love are based on three essential ingredients. These are: A. Romance, friendship, and knowledge. B. Love, friendship, and mutual interest. C. Intimacy, shared interests, and mutuality. D. Intimacy, passion, and commitment.

D. Intimacy, passion, and commitment.

Researchers have found that higher-quality family life, self-esteem, optimism, social support, and enhanced mental health are consistently linked to what type of religious orientation? A. Committed B. Spiritual C. Extrinsic D. Intrinsic

D. Intrinsic

Positive psychotherapy (PPT), developed by Seligman and his colleagues to treat depression,: A. Emphasizes the importance of approach, rather than avoidance, goals. B. Is based on Fredrickson's broaden and build theory of positive emotions. C. Follows Carol Ryff's eudaimonic model of psychological well-being. D. Is built on developing people's signature strengths by encouraging virtuous behavior.

D. Is built on developing people's signature strengths by encouraging virtuous behavior.

Research examining the relationship between self-esteem and happiness supports Myers conclusion that: A. Feelings about the self and feelings about life are only weakly related. B. It is better to be happy with life than with yourself. C. Social relationships cause the connection between self-esteem and happiness. D. Life satisfaction begins with self-satisfaction.

D. Life satisfaction begins with self-satisfaction.

In their study of gratitude, Emmons and McCullough assigned students to grateful, hassles, or events conditions. Based on the results of their study, these researchers concluded that grateful expressions: A. Are helpful for people in relatively good physical and mental health, but not for people suffering serious illness (as shown in their study of people with neuromuscular disease). B. Enhance well-being only if they are both appreciated and reciprocated. C. Coupled with downward social comparisons have the strongest positive effects on well-being. D. May contribute to an upward spiral of well-being as described by Fredrickson's broaden-an-build theory of positive emotions.

D. May contribute to an upward spiral of well-being as described by Fredrickson's broaden-an-build theory of positive emotions.

As shown in national surveys over the last 50 years, what percentage of Americans said they believed in God or a higher power? A. About 30% B. About 50% C. About 75% D. Over 90%

D. Over 90%

Does the average person see a distinction between wisdom, intelligence, creativity, and sheer fame? When researchers asked people to nominate historic and contemporary exemplars of these characteristics they found that the answer to this question was: A. No, because most people perceive wisdom, intelligence, creativity, and sheer fame as essentially the same thing. B. No, because people distinguished between wisdom and sheer fame, but wisdom, intelligence, and creativity overlapped extensively. C. Yes, because people could only think of few wise nominees, but thought of many nominees for intelligence, creativity, and sheer fame. D. Yes, because there was a low degree of overlap in the people nominated for wisdom, intelligence, creativity, and sheer fame.

D. Yes, because there was a low degree of overlap in the people nominated for wisdom, intelligence, creativity, and sheer fame.