Chapter 12 PSY 121

What factors can influence the functioning of your immune system?

Age, genetics, nutrition

Which answer represents the correct order of the three stages of general adaptation syndrome?

Alarm, Resistance, Exhaustion

Neurofeedback has been used to teach individuals with depression and anxiety how to self-regulate which response?

Amygdala

Leesa is excited and nervous to go on her first overseas vacation. She has been thinking about how much the trip will cost and wonders if she is independent enough to manage on her own. Leesa is experiencing which aspect of psychological stress?

Cognitive

What is the leading cause of death in North America?

Coronary Heart Disease

Nathan has a father who yells and tells him he is stupid. His father beats him when he doesn't do his chores quickly enough. Nathan believes he is stupid and that he will never be able to escape his situation at home. What is Nathan experiencing?

Learned helplessness

Which psychological treatment has been shown to reduce anxiety and depression among cancer patients?

Mindfulness-based theory

How is stress related to cancer?

Stress can make a person's body more hospitable to cancer.

What is the relationship between stress, cortisol, the immune system's functioning, and the risk of illness?

Stress leads to increased cortisol and decreased functioning of the immune system, which increases the risk of illness or infection.

Which part of the nervous system directs the fight-or-flight response in times of stress?

Sympathetic

How is Facebook related to social support?

The number of Facebook friends is positively related to perceived social support.

Which personality type predicts subsequent physical and/or mental health issues after the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease?

Type D (future)

Researchers believe that emotional eating and obesity use similar brain pathways as substance use and addiction. Which neurotransmitter is associated with these pathways?

Dopamine

Helga was diagnosed with breast cancer and is anxious and worried about the outcome. Her friends have rallied around her, spending time watching funny movies or taking her to comedy clubs. Helga's friends are engaging in which type of coping?

Emotion-focused coping

What are some of the physiological changes that make up the fight-or-flight response?

Increased heart rate, increased respiration, sweating, decreased digestive function

A contemporary definition of stress includes ____________.

a subjective discrepancy between a situation and a person's ability to cope with the situation

Houmam moved from Syria to England 8 months ago. He is struggling to communicate in English and fit in with his new friends in school. What kind of stress is Houmam experiencing?

acculturative

T cells work directly to kill _______ without the help of ______.

antigens; antibodies

When people feel stressed, they often start eating unhealthy food and stop exercising. These ____________ aspects of stress can lead to more stress in the future.

behavioral

A person may inherit the predisposition for heart disease but not experience the symptoms of heart disease until he loses his job and gets a divorce in the same year. The genetic predisposition is considered a _____ factor in the biopsychosocial model.

biological

All of the following are considered psychological responses to stress EXCEPT

bullying

Stress that has a negative impact on people is referred to as __________, whereas the stress that has positive results is called ____________.

distress; eustress

The psychological aspect of stress may include feelings of anger. Anger is considered part of the _______________ experience of stress.

emotional

In response to stress, the sympathetic nervous system releases ____________, whereas the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system releases ___________.

epinephrine; cortisol

If a stressor is short term, energizing, and seen as something to be conquered, it will likely be experienced as _____.

eustress

The group of people who will most likely have the highest life expectancy are those who are __________ and ____________.

high SES; live in an urban area

The neuroendocrine system responsible for releasing cortisol and other stress hormones to defend against stress is called ____________.

hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis

The physiological stress response system associated with the release of the hormone cortisol is called the _______________, and the system associated with the release of epinephrine and norepinephrine is called the _________________.

hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA); sympathetic nervous system

Socioeconomic status or SES is most often calculated using a combination of _______ and ___________.

income; educational attainment

Justina drove over ice, started sliding, and thought she was going to crash. Under this stress, she experienced a(n) ______________ in her sympathetic nervous system, which resulted in her experiencing _______________ and _________________.

increase; pupil dilation and increased respiration

Biofeedback is designed to help people control their _____ bodily functions as a way to _____ stress.

involuntary; reduce

Reza's parents are going through a divorce. Reza would like to live with his mother, but where he lives will be decided by a judge. Reza feels stressed, in part, because he lacks ____________.

perceived control

A person who is considered religiously active is likely to experience _____________ compared to people who are not religiously active.

psychological and physical advantages

The interdisciplinary field that emphasizes the interaction of psychological, neurological, and immunological factors in stress and illness is called ____________.

psychoneuroimmunology

Mitch was raised in foster care and has no real family to rely on when life becomes overwhelming. He also has difficulty making friends because he does not trust that people won't leave him. Mitch does not have good _______, which can increase the impact of stressors.

social support

A hurricane and an hour daily commute are both considered:

stessor

An event that is perceived as threatening or challenging is known as a ______.

stressor

Women's emotional response to stress typically involves nurturing behaviors that have been called ___________________.

tend and befriend

People with lower socioeconomic status (SES) are ____ more likely to die at a younger age than their higher SES counterparts.

three times

Some stress researchers have proposed we restrict the definition of stress to situations that involve ____________.

unpredictability and lack of control

Increased cortisol production has been linked to what negative outcomes?

weight gain and memory impairment

Stuart's car breaks down his first week of college. He has just started a new job and needs his car to get to work. He calls around to mechanics to get an estimate of the cost of repairs and compares that to the money he has saved up in the bank. He decides to call his parents and ask if he can borrow half the money needed for the repair. Which strategy is Stuart using to cope with this stress?

Problem-focused coping

Nikki has a high-pressure sales job. She experiences physiological and psychological stress on a daily basis. Nikki is learning how to systematically tense and relax her muscles to relieve the tension in her body. What is this technique called?

Progressive muscle relaxation

Marissa's boyfriend broke up with her, and she failed her chemistry test the same day. Marissa feels depressed and worried. Which foods is she most likely to eat in response to her stress?

Brownies and ice cream

A cognitive appraisal of a stressful situation involves two steps. What are they?

A primary appraisal and a secondary appraisal

Dr. Banini is a health psychologist. When she conducts assessments of new patients, she is sure to ask about their medical history, family history of illness, any psychological symptoms, and current stressors in their life (e.g., family, work, home environment). Dr. Banini is practicing from a __________ perspective.

Biopsychosocial

Quincy is imagining himself lying on a beach. He tries to feel the cool ocean breezes against his skin, hear the quiet lap of the ocean, and see the swaying of the palm trees. He is using which technique to reduce stress?

Guided imagery

Hank, who just turned 50, believes he will enjoy his middle and older years and has a positive outlook on the aging process. What implications can this have for the rest of his life?

Hank will live longer than his less optimistic friends.

What are some of the positive physical health outcomes associated with being religiously active?

Healthier diet, more physical activity, improved immune system functioning

How does social networking vary between individualistic and collectivistic cultures?

People from individualistic cultures spend more time and have more friends with social networking than those from collectivistic cultures.

What is the function of the natural killer (NK) cells?

They patrol the body looking for diseased cells and attack them with lethal chemicals.

During periods of stress, the brain releases cortisol and other stress-related hormones. What impact do these stress hormones have on the immune system?

They suppress the disease-fighting activity of the T cells, B cells, and NK cells leaving the person more susceptible to illness

Under stress, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis releases _____________, whereas the sympathetic nervous system releases ____________ and ______________.

cortisol; epinephrine and norepinephrine

An individual's ___________ should be viewed as an overarching factor that affects other biopsychosocial factors.

culture

Muslim Arabs who are ___________ are more likely to experience acculturative stress when trying to adjust to the United States.

more religious

Compared to a collectivistic culture, a person from an individualistic culture is likely going to have __________ friends and be ___________ likely to seek out social support.

more; more

The three lymphocytes that play a role in health and disease are ____________.

natural killer cells (NK), B lymphocytes (B cells), and T lymphocytes (T cells)

Aerobic exercise has been found to ____________.

reduce stress and symptoms of depression, improve cardiovascular health, slow down the cellular damage from stress and stimulate new cell growth