PSYCH 111: Introduction to Psychology: Week 2: Chapter 14 Quizzes: Stress, Lifestyle, and Health

Correct Answer:

a. Why people continue to smoke or eat high fat and processed food despite knowing the potential adverse health implications of such behaviors

Explanation

The correct answer is a. Health psychologists study the psychological and behavioral processes in health, illness, and healthcare. They investigate why people engage in unhealthy behaviors, how stress influences health, and what motivates individuals to adopt healthier lifestyles. By understanding the psychological factors behind habits such as smoking or unhealthy eating, health psychologists develop interventions to improve health outcomes.

Why the Other Options Are Incorrect

b. How to repair broken bones and heal damaged tissue through medical intervention

This falls under the field of medicine or orthopedics, not health psychology. Health psychology focuses on behavior and mental processes, not surgical or medical repair.

c. The genetic mutations that lead to inherited diseases such as cystic fibrosis

This is the domain of genetics and molecular biology. Health psychology does not focus on the biological mutations that cause disease but on the behaviors and psychology surrounding health and illness.

d. How viruses like influenza or COVID-19 spread within a community

This is the focus of epidemiology and public health. While health psychologists may examine behavioral responses to outbreaks (e.g., vaccine hesitancy), the biological and community spread of viruses is not their primary focus.

Correct Answer

B. Hostility

Explanation

Job burnout is generally defined by three main dimensions: emotional exhaustion (feeling drained and fatigued by work), depersonalization (developing a detached or cynical attitude toward clients or coworkers), and diminished personal accomplishment (feeling ineffective and unproductive in one’s work). Hostility, while it may appear in stressed individuals, is not formally recognized as a primary component of burnout.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect

A. Depersonalization

Depersonalization is a core dimension of burnout, reflecting a sense of detachment and negative, impersonal attitudes toward others in the workplace.

C. Exhaustion

Exhaustion is a fundamental aspect of burnout, representing the depletion of emotional and physical energy caused by chronic stress at work.

D. Diminished personal accomplishment

Diminished personal accomplishment is a recognized dimension of burnout, reflecting feelings of inefficacy and reduced productivity in professional tasks.

Correct Answer:

c. Flow

Explanation

The correct answer is c. Flow. Flow is a psychological state identified by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, where a person becomes fully immersed in an activity, losing track of time and self-consciousness. This state is intrinsically rewarding, meaning the activity is done for its own sake rather than for external rewards. Flow typically occurs when there is a balance between the challenge of the task and the individual’s skills.

Why the Other Options Are Incorrect

a. Zen

Zen is a school of Buddhism emphasizing meditation and mindfulness. While it promotes presence and awareness, it is a spiritual and philosophical practice, not the psychological concept describing full engagement in an activity.

b. Completion

Completion refers simply to finishing a task. It does not capture the immersive, deeply enjoyable psychological state of losing oneself in an activity. Completion can occur without engagement or enjoyment.

d. Chi

Chi (or Qi) is a concept from Chinese philosophy and medicine that refers to vital life energy. It relates to balance and well-being but does not describe the specific psychological state of becoming absorbed in an activity.

Correct Answer:

c. body's physiological reaction to any demand that is placed on it

Explanation

The correct answer is c. Hans Selye defined stress as the nonspecific physiological response of the body to any demand placed on it. This means that stress was conceptualized primarily as how the body reacts physically—through activation of the endocrine and autonomic systems—rather than the nature of the stressor itself. This response-based perspective laid the foundation for his General Adaptation Syndrome model.

Why the Other Options Are Incorrect

a. mental health of the individual

Although stress can influence mental health, Selye’s definition did not focus on psychological well-being. Instead, it emphasized the body’s physiological responses to demands.

b. best action to take in order to eliminate the stressor

This reflects problem-focused coping or a cognitive appraisal approach, not Selye’s response-based definition. Selye did not define stress in terms of strategies for managing stressors.

d. body's baseline reaction to ordinary events

Selye focused on the physiological reactions to demands or stressors, not baseline functioning during ordinary, non-stressful events. Stress involves departure from baseline, not maintaining it

Correct Answer

A. Inability of dogs to attempt to escape avoidable shocks after having received inescapable shocks

Explanation

Learned helplessness occurs when an individual (or animal) experiences a situation in which they have no control over negative outcomes. After repeated exposure to inescapable shocks, dogs stop attempting to escape even when escape becomes possible. Seligman used this phenomenon to explain how prior experiences of uncontrollable events can impair motivation and learning.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect

B. Failure of dogs to learn from prior mistakes

This option is too general and does not capture the critical element of uncontrollability central to learned helplessness.

C. Ability of dogs to learn to help other dogs escape situations in which they are receiving uncontrollable shocks

This is incorrect because learned helplessness demonstrates a reduction in proactive behavior, not the facilitation of helping others.

D. Inability of dogs to learn to help other dogs escape situations in which they are receiving uncontrollable electric shocks

This misrepresents the concept, which focuses on the individual’s own lack of escape behavior, not helping other dogs.

The Correct Answer is:

B. The airways become inflamed and constricted, obstructing airflow out of the lungs

Explanation:

Asthma is characterized by chronic inflammation of the airways, causing thickening of the airway walls, and tightening of the surrounding muscles, which narrows the air passages. This obstruction makes it difficult for the person to expel air from the lungs, leading to wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and coughing, especially during the morning and night. The airway inflammation and constriction are the primary physiological changes responsible for these symptoms.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

A. The lungs lose elasticity, making it difficult to inhale air

This is incorrect because asthma primarily affects exhalation due to airway obstruction, not lung elasticity or inhalation.

C. The diaphragm weakens, causing irregular breathing patterns

This is incorrect because diaphragm function is generally unaffected in asthma; the breathing difficulty stems from airway obstruction, not muscular weakness.

D. The alveoli collapse, preventing oxygen exchange entirely

This is incorrect because asthma does not typically cause alveolar collapse; oxygen exchange may be impaired indirectly due to narrowed airways, but the alveoli themselves remain intact.

The Correct Answer is:

B. Acute stressors are brief, intense events, while chronic stressors are long-term, ongoing stressors

Explanation:

Acute stressors are short-term events that trigger an immediate physiological and psychological response, such as a traffic accident or an argument. They typically resolve quickly once the stressor passes. In contrast, chronic stressors are persistent and ongoing, such as financial difficulties, a high-demand job, or caregiving responsibilities, and they continuously tax the body and mind. Chronic stress can lead to long-term health consequences, including cardiovascular disease, weakened immunity, and psychological disorders, because the stress response remains active over time.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

A. Acute stressors are long-term and persistent, while chronic stressors are brief and time-limited

This is incorrect because it reverses the definitions; acute stressors are brief, and chronic stressors are long-term.

C. Acute stressors have no physiological impact, while chronic stressors always cause illness

This is incorrect because both acute and chronic stressors trigger physiological responses, though chronic stress is more likely to produce long-term health problems.

D. Acute stressors occur only in occupational settings, while chronic stressors occur only in personal life

This is incorrect because both acute and chronic stressors can occur in any domain of life, including work, personal, or social settings.

The Correct Answer is:

B. Cortisol is a stress hormone that provides energy initially but can weaken the immune system if levels remain elevated

Explanation:

Cortisol is released via the HPA axis in response to stress and helps provide the body with an immediate boost of energy to prepare for fight-or-flight responses. However, if cortisol levels remain elevated over prolonged periods, it can suppress immune function, leaving the body more vulnerable to illness and infections. This dual role demonstrates both adaptive and maladaptive effects of cortisol depending on the duration of stress exposure.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

A. Cortisol provides immediate energy during stress and strengthens the immune system when levels remain high

This is incorrect because sustained high cortisol actually weakens, rather than strengthens, the immune system.

C. Cortisol slows down heart rate and respiration to help the body conserve energy during stress

This is false; cortisol primarily provides energy and does not slow heart rate or respiration—those functions are regulated differently.

D. Cortisol is released by the sympathetic nervous system and triggers the fight-or-flight response immediately

This is incorrect because cortisol is released by the HPA axis, not the sympathetic nervous system, and its effects are slower and longer-lasting than adrenaline.

Correct Answer:

c. Moderate stress can enhance both immediate and delayed recall of educational material.

Explanation

The correct answer is c. Research shows that moderate stress levels can actually improve memory performance by heightening alertness and focus. Stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, when released in moderate amounts, can enhance encoding and retrieval processes, boosting both immediate and delayed recall. However, this effect follows an inverted U-shaped curve, where too little or too much stress reduces performance.

Why the Other Options Are Incorrect

a. Recall of educational material is best under stress-free conditions.

This is incorrect because completely stress-free conditions do not optimize memory. Moderate stress provides enough arousal to enhance focus and recall, whereas stress-free conditions may not stimulate the same level of cognitive engagement.

b. Stress has no effect on remembering educational material.

This is inaccurate. Numerous studies show that stress does affect memory, both positively and negatively, depending on its intensity and timing. It cannot be said to have no effect.

d. Intense stress can enhance both immediate and delayed recall of educational material.

This is incorrect because high levels of stress impair memory. Intense stress disrupts attention, interferes with encoding, and can cause retrieval failures. It overwhelms the brain’s processing capacity, making recall less effective, not enhanced.