Psychology and Health
Which of the following is the best definition of self-efficacy?
A belief that one can perform adequately in a given situation
What is the definition of stressors?
Events or experiences that induce psychological and/or physiological stress
When it comes to research findings on interpersonal relationships, including romantic connections, which phrase is the most accurate?
"Birds of a feather flock together."
Which of the following phrases best summarizes the concept of reciprocity?
"I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine."
Which age range reports the highest levels of stress?
18-33 years old
Many people find that online relationships, including friendships and romances, are easier to establish and maintain than they would have predicted. From a social psychology perspective, what makes these relationships so 'real'?
Functional distance: There is a high amount of interaction between the individuals involved.
________ refers to the complete state of physical, mental, and social well-being, and is not just the absence of disease or infirmity.
Health
Robinson Crusoe, written by Daniel Defoe in 1719, describes the lonely life of a man ship wrecked on an island. This book correctly addresses which element of human psychology related to relationships?
Humans have a need to belong and to connect with one another
International studies of happiness yield which of the following results regarding the relation of money and subjective well-being?
In general, average levels of happiness are higher in economically developed nations although Latin America is a notable exception to this trend
Why do scientists sometimes avoid using the word happiness when referring to subjective well-being?
It is a popular word that can refer to different things such as feeling good or being satisfied.
Thirty-eight percent of people report using the internet and having it influence their decision to see a doctor. While the internet has an important role, which of the following is a concern doctors have over the average person turning to the internet for medical advice?
Judging the credibility of information based on irrelevant factors
Being cunning, strategic, or exploitative in one's relationships- refers to an individuals' level of ________.
Machiavellianism
Which of the following best describes the possible relation between positive affect and disease?
Positive feelings can boost the immune system and improve health behaviors.
Which of the following effects of money might interfere with happiness?
Pursuing money can lead us to give up social relations, spirituality, or interests.
How do subjective social variables differ from objective social variables?
Subjective social variables are based on personal opinions and feelings, while objective social variables are based on facts.
Dr. Chui is trying to make recommendations to her client, Gary, to increase his subjective well-being. In this scenario, Dr. Chui is likely to do which of the following?
Tailor specific feedback for Gary since no one single recommendation is appropriate for everyone.
Vondra and Mitzi live across the street from each other, but almost never interact. The only time they even see each other is when they are both getting into their cars to go to work in the morning. There has been no fight or conflict, but they simply have no cause to interact with each other. Which of the following would describe the relationship between the two women?
They have close proximity and very low functional distance.
How has our perspective on health changed over the years?
We look at physical, mental, and social well-being, not just the absence of disease or illness.
_____________ best describes when people feel like they have the power to change their environment or behavior if they need or want to?
a sense of control
An example outcome of high subjective well-being includes:
a stronger immune system
After people first react to good or bad events their feelings and reactions tend to dampen down over time and they return toward their original level of subjective well-being. This process is known as what concept?
adaptation
Amy is very excited for the day of her wedding. On that day she experiences a spike in happiness and this feeling lasts for about a month. After that she returns to her "normal" levels of mood. What is this an example of?
adaptation
Aristotle, the noted philosopher, commented that human beings ___________.
are fundamentally social in nature
What is a field similar to health psychology that integrates psychological factors in the treatment of disease?
behavioral medicine
According to Armour (2007), a Gallup poll indicated that employees who had ________ at work reported 50% more job satisfaction than those who did not.
close friends
In the model of Robert Sternberg, what kind of love is marked by passion, commitment, and intimacy all at the same time?
consummate love
Charlie hates taking exams. He spends the week before finals biting his nails, sleeping poorly, and worrying. He tries to distract himself by watching funny movies the night before the exam. This is an example of _________________.
emotion-focused coping
Which type of coping regulates the negative emotions associated with stressful events?
emotion-focused coping
Of all the possible stress reduction techniques which of the following has the most health benefits?
exercise
Behaviors become habits when they are firmly established and performed automatically. Gloria has many habits. Which of the following would we classify as positive habits?
flossing her teeth every night before bed
The frequency with which we cross paths with other people is called
functional distance.
Happiness has been shown to be associated with a number of desirable outcomes such as __________.
happy lawyers are more likely to win cases
Having sufficient social resources helps support individuals' subjective well-being. Which of the following is the best example of these resources?
having a friend you can turn to in times of need
Joe runs 2-3 miles each morning. He does not smoke, only occasionally drinks alcohol, and watches after his diet. Joe is making sure to engage in plenty of ________.
health behaviors
Which of the following is NOT one of the factors used by researchers as a measure of one's subjective well-being?
income
Caring, closeness, and emotional support are all parts of the ________ component of love.
intimacy
Researchers have found that when participants are exposed to a cold virus the participants with a lower risk of developing a cold were ________________________.
less stressed and more positive at the beginning of the study
A researcher is interested in the process by which a person reflects on their life and judges to what degree it is going well by whatever standards that person thinks are most important to a good life. What might the researcher be measuring?
life satisfaction
Which of the following components are measured by psychologists interested in subjective well-being?
life satisfaction, positive feelings and negative feelings
Life satisfaction has been found to be _______ in underdeveloped economic nations likely because __________________________.
low; citizens cannot get sufficient material resources
Denita is a very ardent, right-wing conservative and always votes for Republican candidates. She recently met Troy, who she thinks is interesting and very attractive. Once she finds out that he is a very liberal individual who prefers Democratic candidates, she may no longer want to date him. This change in her opinion demonstrates the ________ hypothesis.
matching
When Myrl and Becca began dating, people would talk about them quietly behind their backs. The conversations centered around the fact that Becca was judged to be highly attractive while most people thought that Myrl was relatively plain-looking. In this instance the couple seems to be dating in a way that violates the ________ hypothesis.
matching
Every day on his way to work, Darnell passes a particular coffee shop. Before starting his job Darnell had never heard of the shop, but now that he sees it every day he stops there regularly and finds that it has become his favorite place to get a cup of coffee. According to research by Robert Zajonc, Darnell's liking of the coffee shop is due to the ________ effect.
mere exposure
The _______ effect refers to the idea that people like people, places, or things only because they are familiar with them and have regular contact with them.
mere-exposure
Jarrod reports feeling that his life is going well overall. He experiences many desirable and pleasant emotions on a daily basis, but also has battled with anger and worry since he had children. What level of subjective well-being (SWB) might we say that Jarrod holds?
moderately high SWB, because you can still have some negative emotions and be happy
Donald is a real piece of work. He always thinks that his accomplishments are the best ever, does not give credit to anyone else, and is totally incapable of accepting criticism from others. His employees do not stay on his team for very long because he never recognizes their work. Donald has a high level of ________.
narcissism
Professor Bahrine goes to a popular nightclub and observes the interactions that take place at the bar. He counts the frequency with which couples make physical contact within a 60 second period. He does this throughout the evening while pretending to be a customer at the bar. The professor is measuring a(n) ________ social variable.
objective
Dr. Tylka is studying the way that people value relationships. For the purpose of her study, she defines an interest in relationships as "the number of people with whom you have had a conversation that is not related to work activities in the past 48 hours." This process of defining the variable of interest is called ________.
operationalization
The process of defining a concept so that it can be measured is called ________.
operationalization
The process of being excluded and ignored by others is called ________, and it is inversely related to people's levels of subjective well-being.
ostracism
The ________ component of love is comprised of physiological and emotional arousal. It can include physical attraction, emotional responses that promote physiological changes, and sexual arousal.
passion
An individual's sense that others are available, willing to help, and ready to take action when assistance is needed is called ________ support.
perceived
Examples of top-down causes of subjective well-being include:
personality, outlook, and resilience
Albert has a large project due to his boss by the end of the week. Although it's stressful, Albert makes a step-by-step to-do list to ensure he can accomplish the project on time. Albert is displaying what type of coping?
problem-focused coping
When Diener and Seligman (2002) did research to determine what distinguishes the happiest 10 percent from the unhappiest 10 percent of undergraduate students, what did they find to be the key factor?
quality relationships
Martin has been trying very hard to be friendly with Jeannie, but she just seems distant to him. Although he's never done anything wrong to her, he finds that he no longer has an interest in being friends with her. It appears that the lack of ________ from Jeannie has ended Martin's willingness to be warm and pleasant toward her.
reciprocity
Johnny has been known to "bounce back" from any negative situation he may encounter. When his small business went bankrupt Johnny didn't feel beaten. Instead, 10 years later he was able to modify his idea and turn it into a profitable business. Johnny is a perfect example of a person with ____________.
resilience
Jada and Will have been dating for 3 weeks and are feeling very emotionally close to each other. They have begun a satisfying sexual relationship and each feels a need to be around the other at all times. Neither of them has thought about whether the relationship has a future; they are both enjoying the present. In Sternberg's model, this might demonstrate ________ love.
romantic
In the movie The Craft, a fictitious story about adolescent witches, one young witch is thrown out of her circle of friends because she won't cast hurtful spells on other kids. If this punishment lasts a week or two, or until she starts engaging in the desired behaviors, it would be an example of ________.
shunning
When her mother finds out that she is dating a man who is not Jewish, Ahava finds that nobody in the family will speak to her. She is not told to leave the house, but her parents, grandparents, and siblings give her a silent treatment until she ends the relationship. Ahava has been the victim of ________ over what others perceive as unacceptable behavior.
shunning
Colin and Greg are both members of the musical scene at school. Colin participates in every production, goes to the cast parties, and is good friends with everyone in the shows. Greg only occasionally participates, knows a few of the people, and rarely goes to cast parties or social events. These boys differ in their levels of _________ at their school.
social integration
Social integration helps improve health through perceptions that our social network can help us in times of need. This concept is also known as what?
social support
Subjective well-being is influenced by which of the following factors?
temperament
Why do researchers who are interested in subjective well-being take the time to observe changes in immune system and brain regions in addition to asking people to report on their own happiness levels?
to better measure happiness in individuals
What standards do researchers measure life satisfaction by?
whatever standards the individual participant thinks are most important for a good life
In psychology, subjective well-being has come to be defined by three different components. Which of the following is not one of them?
work success
Dr. Holmes wants to study the nature of social relationships in his sample, but he is concerned that each of the methods he can use has their own limitations. What might he do to deal with this problem?
He can include multiple types of measurement, including objective measures, subjective measures, and daily diaries.
Vishnu is an extremely hostile and competitive person. One might say he has a Type A personality. Due to these characteristics, we can predict what about Vishnu?
He is at risk for heart problems such as damaged arteries.
Kevin comes from a large family with 6 siblings and 18 aunts and uncles. He's also very sociable in school and has many friends he feels he can rely on such as his swimming team, his Spanish club members, and the other student workers in the cafeteria. Taylor, on the other hand, is an only child being raised by her grandparents. She is striving to earn her high school diploma online and spends most of her free time completing online marketing surveys for extra cash. Comparing Kevin and Taylor, who has greater "social integration" and why?
Kevin because he has a large support network and many social roles in his community.
Which of the following best describes the relation of money to subjective well-being?
Money can boost happiness, but it does not guarantee it, and can interfere with happiness if a person values money too much.
Experiencing negative emotions can be beneficial, although unpleasant. Which of the following is the best example of the function of a negative emotion?
Negative emotions, such as worry, help motivate people to prepare for the future.
What part do negative feelings play in subjective well-being?
Negative feelings are functional and should be experienced as appropriate but only some of the time.
When researchers invited business executives to a social mixer and tracked their interactions, what did they find?
People spent the most time with others who they already knew.
What were the main findings from Hans Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome?
Phases of stress, including arousal, coping, and exhaustion, was first discovered while studying rats.
When employees report that their supervisors have several qualities-- known as the dark triad-- their satisfaction at work drops and their distress increases. Which of the following is not part of this dark triad?
competitiveness
When Miguel feels that life is really getting to him, he has one very close friend with whom he can share anything. This friend, Anitra, never judges him and is supportive in any way that she can be. Anitra is serving as a ________ to Miguel.
confidante
Sandra has relatively high subjective well-being. As such, we can predict she is most likely to do which of the following?
Donate her time and money to help others in her community or around the world to try and make a difference.
To focus on an event that is causing stress in an effort to change or improve the situation is what type of coping?
problem-focused coping
Collin and Valencia are both first-year college students, and they live in the same dormitory. They see each other several times a day, and have begun having romantic feelings toward each other. The factor of physical nearness that predicts their attraction to each other is called ________.
proximity
Why does proximity seem to promote relationships between people?
Because proximity promotes familiarity.
Which of the following is the most accurate with regards to self-report happiness measures?
Self-report can used for measure happiness but because these assessments are flawed it is helpful to use them along with other types of measures.
According to noted sociologist Emile Durkheim, achieving a state of personal well-being requires what?
being socially connected
A person's willingness to stay in a relationship no matter what - to "stick it out" even in hard times" - is related to which component of love, according to Robert Sternberg?
commitment
What are example characteristics of someone with a Type A personality?
competitive, impatient, and hostile
Joe and Ruth have been married for 43 years. Neither of them is terribly attracted to the other anymore; in fact, they have not had sex in many years. They don't share common interests, and rarely do things together. When they are asked why they don't divorce, they both say "after all of this time, where am I going to go?" This type of love that only involves commitment, is called ________ love.
empty
Hostility is an experience or trait with cognitive, behavioral, and emotional components. Which of the following is NOT an example of these components?
excessive worry
Damon experienced a death in his family from the hurricane that passed through his city recently. His stress levels are very high and he's starting to feel very tired and distracted at work. From these symptoms, what phase of the General Adaptation Syndrome would we say that Damon is in?
exhaustion
The term that refers to physical nearness and plays a big part in the interpersonal attraction that develops between people is ________.
proximity
According to Robert Sternberg's theory, love is comprised of three different components. Which of the following is not one of them?
security
Marcia is 71 and her husband of 45 years has just died. Friends and relatives have been helping take care of things so that Marcia can grieve. They bring food and even do her laundry and dry cleaning. This assistance is called ________.
social support
Since people cannot usually change stress __________,they should aim to change ___________ instead.
sources; responses
Which of the following is not one of the specific dimensions of well-being that have been identified and studied by researchers?
spirituality
Thinking and feeling that your life is going well is defined as what?
subjective well-being
What is the common scientific term for happiness in psychological studies?
subjective well-being
Examples of bottom-up causes of subjective well-being include:
sufficient material resources, sufficient social resources, and living in a desirable society
Dominga has recently been distancing herself from others. She is becoming disconnected from society, and nobody has really taken notice. This may be because she was never truly close to others to begin with. According to Durkheim, Dominga will now be at higher risk for
suicide.
A social network's provision of psychological and material resources that benefit an individual is referred to as social ________.
support
