1.

Coping is best defined as:

A) the cognitive, behavioral, and emotional ways in which people manage stressful
situations.
B) a one-time reaction to a potentially stressful event.
C) any attempt to control one's emotional response to a stressor.
D) any attempt to increase one's resources for meeting the demands of a stressor.

2. The consideration of coping as a dynamic process implies that:

A) coping involves a wide range of actions and reactions to stress.
B) coping efforts are moderated by personal resources.
C) coping involves an ongoing set of responses by which the person continues to act
on the environment.
D) coping involves an ongoing set of responses by which the person and the
environment are involved in a reciprocal interaction.

3. Which of the following is NOT true of coping?

A) It may be adaptive or maladaptive.
B) It is closely related to how a given stressor is appraised.
C) It is a one-time reaction.
D) It is a goal-directed response aimed at managing stressful situations.

4. People who use _____________ coping methods confront a stressor head-on by

taking direct action.
A) emotion-based
B) minimizing
C) avoidance
D) approach

5. People who use a(n) _________________ coping approach try to avoid the
problem.
A) approach
B) vigilant
C) minimizing
D) problem-focused

6. People who engage in fantasizing, antisocial behaviors, and passive behaviors to

cope with stress are using which type of approach?
A) Approach
B) Vigilant
C) Avoidant
D) Problem-focused

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 7. Emotion-focused efforts would be most effective in coping with the worry and
stress due to:
A) having two final exams scheduled for the same day.
B) waiting to hear if your application to graduate school has been accepted.
C) receiving a notice that your taxes will be audited by the IRS next week.
D) being laid off from work.

8. Which of the following is an example of emotion-focused coping?

A) seeking out others for social support
B) using alcohol to avoid thinking about a problem
C) keeping busy to avoid thinking about a problem
D) All of these are examples.

9. Psychologically distancing oneself from a stressor is an example of which type of

coping?
A) emotion-focused
B) problem-focused
C) proactive
D) reactive

10. Coping strategies that are _______________ more often are linked with better
health outcomes, particularly for chronic stressors.
A) problem-focused
B) emotion-focused
C) rumination-based
D) avoidant

11. After getting a bad grade on an exam, Brandon can't stop thinking repetitively
about his failure as a student. Brandon's thought process is an example of:
A) problem-focused coping.
B) rumination.
C) vigilance.
D) avoidant coping.

12. Brandon, who can't stop thinking about his poor exam score, sometimes gets so
worked up in a vicious cycle of rumination that he resorts to “self-medicating”
with alcohol. This destructive pattern is called a(n):
A) rumination-compulsion cycle.
B) emotional rollercoaster.

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C) lose-lose scenario.
D) emotional cascade.

13. Karen, who is working through her emotional reactions to losing her job by
seeking out others who have been through the same experience, is using:
A) avoidance coping.
B) emotional-approach coping.
C) vigilant coping.
D) rumination.

14. Physiologically, men and women differ in how they cope with stress in each of
the following ways EXCEPT:
A) men display greater stress-induced secretions of catecholamines.
B) men exhibit higher blood pressure reactivity immediately after stress.
C) women exhibit larger increases in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) during
stressful laboratory tasks.
D) women exhibit a stronger glucocorticoid response to stress than men.

15. In explaining gender differences in coping, the text suggests that:

A) men are more likely to use problem-focused coping strategies in dealing with
stress.
B) women are more likely to use emotion-focused strategies in dealing with stress.
C) gender differences in coping styles disappear when women and men of similar
socioeconomic status are compared.
D) men are more likely to ruminate in dealing with stress.

16. Emotional-approach coping may be less effective for men who:

A) display high levels of masculinity and experience gender role conflict.
B) have been socialized into a flexible norm of masculinity.
C) are unsure of their gender identity.
D) tend to engage in passive behaviors in dealing with stress.

17. People who are higher in socioeconomic status (SES) have each of the following
EXCEPT:
A) lower morbidity for chronic disease.
B) lower mortality from all causes of death.
C) reduced rates of disability.
D) a stronger inflammatory response to environmental stressors.

18. Increased risk of hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes is associated with:

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A) high levels of psychological control.
B) having an under-reactive emotional style.
C) chronic inflammation.
D) high SES.

19. Children from low-socioeconomic homes are more likely to experience each of
the following EXCEPT:
A) divorce.
B) frequent school transfers.
C) punitive parenting.
D) a stronger cellular immune response to potential stressors.

20. Which of the following is true regarding gender differences in coping with
stress?
A) Women and men do not differ in their physical reactions to stressful events.
B) Men are better than women at reading people's emotional cues.
C) Men and women of similar socioeconomic status tend to be similar in their coping
strategies.
D) Women are more likely to “act out” their reactions to potential stressors.

21. A strong sense of psychological control has been related to each of the following
EXCEPT:
A) a stronger immune response to allergens.
B) successful coping.
C) rumination and emotional cascades.
D) a lower overall risk of death.

22. People of low socioeconomic status tend to rely less on _______________

coping than do people with more education and higher incomes.
A) emotion-focused
B) problem-focused
C) avoidant
D) emotion-focused and avoidant

23. Which of the following was NOT offered as an explanation for the interactions
among socioeconomic status, gender, and ethnicity among African-Americans in
relation to their ability to cope with stress?
A) Among African-Americans, middle-class men report higher levels of
discrimination than women.
B) The attainment of middle-class status is often marginal for African-Americans.
C) At every level of education, African-American men have lower incomes than

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 European-American men.
D) The pay gap between African-Americans and European-Americans is larger for
women than for men.

24. People of color often receive marginalizing messages and insults from people
who seem unaware of what they are doing. These messages are examples of:
A) microaggressions.
B) John Henryism.
C) emotional cascades.
D) rumination.

25. John Henryism refers to:

A) an unhealthy pattern of coping behaviors among African-Americans.
B) an unhealthy pattern of coping behaviors among Asian-Americans.
C) coping style that is associated with better overall physical health among some
African-American subgroups.
D) a coping style that is associated with better overall physical health among some
Asian-American subgroups.

26. Twin studies reveal that the coping style called John Henryism:
A) is largely a result of how children are socialized.
B) has a substantial genetic component.
C) is becoming more common than in the past.
D) occurs most often in those who already have metabolic syndrome.

27. The three key traits of hardy people are:

A) challenge, complexity, and control.
B) complexity, commitment, and challenge.
C) control, challenge, and commitment.
D) self-efficacy, internal locus of control, and optimism.

28. In Kobasa's study of the hardy personality, executives who reported

_______________ levels of stress and _______________ levels of illness scored
_______________ on hardiness.
A) low; high; high
B) low; high; low
C) high; low; low
D) high; high; low

29. Which of the following criticisms has NOT been leveled against research on

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 hardiness?
A) The hardiness-health relationship may be more applicable to women than to men.
B) Hardiness may comprise one to four factors, rather than the three originally
proposed.
C) Recent studies have reported mixed support for hardiness as a buffer against certain
stress-related health problems.
D) Hardy people may be healthier simply because they have greater personal
resources.

30. A key factor in promoting the ability of some children to bounce back from
environmental stressors that might otherwise disrupt their development is:
A) having well-developed elements of social cognition.
B) perceiving strong social support from at least one other person.
C) being able to resist the destructive forces of their peer group.
D) having well-developed elements of social cognition    and perceiving strong social
support from at least one other person.

31. Among adults, resilience has been associated with each of the following
EXCEPT:
A) forgiveness.
B) low self-efficacy.
C) a sense of purpose in life.
D) lower incidence of anxiety and depression.

32. Depression is more common in:

A) non-Western cultures.
B) cultures in which individualism is subordinate to cooperation and a sense of
community.
C) Western, individualistic cultures.
D) countries in which the per capita income is very low.

33. An individual with a pessimistic explanatory style is more likely to interpret

negative events in terms of _______________ factors.
A) external, unstable, specific
B) external, stable, global
C) internal, unstable, global
D) internal, stable, global

34. Which of the following was NOT identified as a possible mechanism by which
pessimism might shorten life?
A) Pessimists experience more unpleasant events.

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B) Pessimists are less likely to comply with medical treatment regimens.
C) Pessimists have weaker immune systems than optimists.
D) Pessimists tend to be risk takers and thrill seekers.

35. Researchers have found that optimists may cope more effectively because they
are more likely to use _______________ as a coping strategy.
A) denial
B) distancing
C) problem-focused coping
D) accepting personal responsibility

36. Reduced levels of C-reactive protein, which is a biological marker of

_____________, is generally associated with ____________ affective states.
A) inflammation; positive
B) inflammation; negative
C) immunity; positive
D) immunity; negative

37. People who are optimistic:

A) tend to use denial as a means of coping with stress.
B) may recover more quickly from heart surgery.
C) tend to have more health problems.
D) tend to use emotion-focused coping.

38. Segerstrom and colleagues found that optimistic law students:

A) had higher CD4 cell counts over the semester than did pessimists.
B) were more likely to appraise their coursework as a challenge rather than as a threat.
C) exercised more and avoided smoking and alcohol abuse.
D) had higher CD4 cell counts over the semester than did pessimists and were more
likely to appraise their coursework as a challenge rather than as a threat.

39. The belief that one can determine one's own internal states and behavior,
influence one's environment, and/or bring about desired outcomes is:
A) optimism.
B) perceived control.
C) self-efficacy.
D) hardiness.

40. Self-efficacy refers to:

A) the belief that one will be able to execute the courses of action required to deal with

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 potentially stressful situations.
B) a person's overall sense of self-worth.
C) the unrealistic belief that everything will always turn out for the best.
D) strong control over one's moods and behaviors.

41. Martin Seligman has found that humans who are exposed to events they cannot
control may develop:
A) vagal tone.
B) bipolar disorder.
C) learned helplessness.
D) a repressive coping style.

42. A strong sense of personal control has been associated with:

A) the tendency to use adaptive, problem-focused coping.
B) impaired immune functioning.
C) the release of pain-relieving beta-endorphins.
D) increased secretion of corticosteroids.

43. Our capacity to modulate our thinking, emotions, and behavior is called:
A) vagal tone.
B) hardiness.
C) self-efficacy.
D) regulatory control.

44. Threat appraisals have been linked with:

A) increased myocardial reactivity.
B) enhanced vascular responses.
C) decreases in diastolic blood pressure.
D) increases in cardiac output.

45. Challenge appraisals have been linked with:

A) increased cardiovascular reactivity.
B) enhanced vascular responses.
C) increases in diastolic blood pressure.
D) decreases in cardiac output.

46. Students with high vagal tone (regulatory control):

A) are less likely to use constructive coping strategies.
B) are more likely to use constructive coping strategies.
C) tend to rely on emotion-focused coping.

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D) have weaker immune systems.

47. In their study of nursing home residents, Langer and Rodin found that residents
were happier and healthier when:
A) they were given a plant that would be cared for by staff.
B) they were encouraged to make decisions for themselves.
C) they were reassured that all of their needs would be met.
D) they shared a room with at least one other person.

48. Repressive coping is best defined as:

A) a problem-focused coping style in which we inhibit emotional responses.
B) an emotion-focused coping style in which we inhibit emotional responses.
C) the tendency to obsess and be overwhelmed by persistent thoughts about stressful
experiences.
D) the perception of having no control over stressors.

49. Information from others that one is loved and cared for, and part of a network of
communication is called:
A) coping.
B) internal resources.
C) social support.
D) external resources.

50. Which of the following is NOT a documented health benefit of perceiving strong
social support?
A) faster recovery from a variety of diseases
B) lower mortality rates
C) less depression in the face of a terminal illness
D) having fewer sources of stress in one's life

51. The Alameda County Study found that:

A) men with the fewest social contacts had twice the mortality rate of men with the
most social contacts.
B) at every age, men had higher mortality rates than women.
C) low-SES women had higher mortality rates than their more affluent and better-
educated counterparts.
D) women who perceived role overload had higher morbidity rates than women who
adopted fewer roles.

52. Researchers have found that people who perceive strong social support are less

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 likely to ruminate about their plight when confronting stressors than those who
feel more alienated from others. This finding supports the:
A) buffering hypothesis.
B) direct effect hypothesis.
C) helplessness hypothesis.
D) broaden-and-build theory.

53. According to the _______________ hypothesis, social support enhances the

body's physical responses to challenging situations.
A) buffering
B) direct effect
C) indirect effect
D) Lazarus

54. The type of social support that is most helpful for uncontrollable stressors is:
A) informational support.
B) instrumental support.
C) social companionship.
D) emotional support.

55. Research studies have found that humor and pet ownership are linked with:
A) lower blood pressure responses to stress.
B) reduced epinephrine secretion.
C) increased natural killer cell activity.
D) All of the answers are correct.

56. Which of the following has been demonstrated to bolster the immune system,
reduce secretion of epinephrine and cortisol, and protect against coronary
disease?
A) Hypnosis
B) Progressive muscle relaxation
C) Laughter
D) Meditation

57. The association between religious involvement and life expectancy best
illustrates the value of:
A) biofeedback.
B) the faith factor.
C) emotion-focused coping.
D) social support.

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 58. Israelis living in nonreligious collective settlements have ____________ than
those living in religiously orthodox settlements.
A) higher rates of death
B) better emotion-focused coping skills
C) better problem-focused coping skills
D) lower rates of death

59. One possible explanation for the longer life expectancy of religiously active
people is that:
A) they respond to stress with lower vagal tone.
B) they receive more social support.
C) their sympathetic nervous system responds to challenges with greater arousal.
D) women tend to be more religiously active than men.

60. The perception that people in one's community care and are standing by to
provide assistance if needed is called:
A) tangible support.
B) informational support.
C) instrumental support.
D) invisible support.

61. The technique of teaching a person to relax by successively tensing and relaxing
different muscle groups is known as:
A) biofeedback.
B) autogenic training.
C) the relaxation response.
D) progressive muscle relaxation.

62. Doug, a 50-year-old corporate executive and Type A personality, was recently
diagnosed with chronic hypertension. Doug would probably benefit most from:
A) pain control medication.
B) acupuncture.
C) dietary therapy.
D) relaxation therapy.

63. The relaxation response associated with meditation is most likely to:
A) decrease oxygen consumption and decrease blood pressure.
B) increase oxygen consumption and increase blood pressure.
C) increase oxygen consumption and decrease blood pressure.
D) decrease oxygen consumption and increase blood pressure.

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 64. A form of therapy that focuses on using structured meditation to promote a
moment-to-moment, non-judgmental awareness is called:
A) self-affirmation therapy.
B) progressive muscle relaxation.
C) mindfulness-based-stress reduction.
D) Tai chi.

65. Neuroimaging studies have shown that mindfulness training seems to increase
activity in the:
A) prefrontal cortex.
B) amygdala.
C) hypothalamus.
D) medulla.

66. Using fMRI, one study found that volunteers who completed an eight-week
course of mindfulness-based-stress reduction training exhibited ___________
density in their ___________.
A) increased; hippocampus
B) decreased; hippocampus
C) increased; amygdala
D) decreased; amygdala

67. Cognitive behavioral therapists teach people to manage stress by changing their:
A) personality traits.
B) behaviors.
C) thought patterns.
D) philosophy of life.

68. Darren's psychologist is trying to replace his client's vicious cycle of

maladaptive, self-defeating thoughts with healthier, adaptive ones, most likely
using:
A) mindfulness-based-stress reduction.
B) relaxation therapy.
C) stress-inoculation training.
D) cognitive restructuring.

69. The form of therapy in which people learn to confront stressful events before
they occur is called:
A) rational emotive therapy.

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B) cognitive therapy.
C) stress inoculation training.
D) noncontingent therapy.

70. Which of the following is NOT a stage in stress inoculation training?

A) evaluation
B) conceptualization
C) skills acquisition
D) follow-through

71. Researchers investigating disclosure through expressive writing have found that
people who freely express their feelings about traumatic events:
A) show increased levels of physiological arousal.
B) have difficulty maintaining adequate levels of social support.
C) are no longer upset about the events after expressing themselves.
D) are less likely to have subsequent health problems.

72. People who have been diagnosed with ___________ have difficulty in
identifying and expressing their own emotions.
A) low vagal tone
B) high vagal tone
C) alexithymia
D) John Henryism

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Answer Key

1. A
2. D
3. C
4. D
5. B
6. C
7. B
8. D
9. A
10. A
11. B
12. D
13. B
14. C
15. C
16. A
17. D
18. C
19. D
20. C
21. C
22. B
23. D
24. A
25. C
26. B
27. C
28. D
29. A
30. D
31. B
32. C
33. D
34. D
35. C
36. A
37. B
38. A
39. B
40. A
41. C
42. A
43. D
44. B

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45. A
46. B
47. B
48. B
49. C
50. D
51. A
52. A
53. B
54. D
55. D
56. C
57. B
58. A
59. B
60. D
61. D
62. D
63. A
64. C
65. A
66. A
67. C
68. D
69. C
70. A
71. D
72. C

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