Stress, Health and Coping

Compiled and Organized by: OLAYEMI.

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Stress is a subjective experience that arises from how we perceive and appraise threatening or challenging events. It can have both positive and negative effects on our well-being. Stressors can be categorized into catastrophes, significant life changes, and daily hassles, all of which can be toxic if experienced excessively or prolonged.

The fight-or-flight response is a physiological reaction triggered by strong emotions and perceived threats. It prepares the body to either confront or escape the threat and helps maintain homeostasis. Hans Selye proposed the general adaptation syndrome, which describes the body's nonspecific physiological response to stress. It consists of three stages: alarm reaction, stage of resistance, and stage of exhaustion, with prolonged stress leading to physical damage and potential health problems.

Coping strategies can be problem-focused or emotion-focused. Problem-focused coping aims to manage or alter the stressor, while emotion-focused coping focuses on changing or reducing negative emotions associated with stress. The choice of coping strategy depends on the perceived controllability of the stressor.

In conclusion, stress is a complex phenomenon influenced by our perception, appraisal, and coping mechanisms. It can have varied effects on our physical and mental well-being, depending on the nature and duration of stressors and individual coping strategies.

Questions and Answers.

1. What is stress?

a) A physiological response to threats or challenges

b) A feeling of overwhelm

c) A state of relaxation

d) A state of happiness

Correct answer: a) A physiological response to threats or challenges

2. According to Lazarus, what causes stress?

a) Events themselves

b) How we appraise events

c) The severity of events

d) The duration of events

Correct answer: b) How we appraise events

3. What are the positive effects of short-lived stressors?

a) Mobilization of the immune system

b) Enhanced problem-solving abilities

c) Increased satisfaction with life

d) All of the above

Correct answer: d) All of the above

4. What can demanding jobs that mentally exhaust workers lead to?

a) Physical health problems

b) Emotional instability

c) Improved cognitive abilities

d) Increased job satisfaction

Correct answer: a) Physical health problems

5. What type of stressor are catastrophes?

a) Predictable large-scale events

b) Daily annoyances

c) Emotional challenges

d) Unpredictable large-scale events

Correct answer: d) Unpredictable large-scale events

6. Which type of stressor includes events like getting married or divorced?

a) Catastrophes

b) Significant life changes

c) Daily hassles

d) Emotional challenges

Correct answer: b) Significant life changes

7. What are daily hassles?

a) Major life events

b) Unpredictable events

c) Small daily annoyances

d) Emotional challenges

Correct answer: c) Small daily annoyances

8. What physiological reactions occur during the fight-or-flight response?

a) Pupils dilate, heart pounds, breathing speeds up

b) Muscles relax, heart rate slows down

c) Pupils constrict, heart rate decreases

d) Breathing becomes shallow, muscles become limp

Correct answer: a) Pupils dilate, heart pounds, breathing speeds up

9. According to Cannon, what is the fight-or-flight response?

a) A built-in mechanism for maintaining homeostasis

b) A psychological response to stress

c) An adaptive response to physical threats

d) A response triggered by hormones

Correct answer: c) An adaptive response to physical threats

10. What did Hans Selye discover?

a) The fight-or-flight response

b) The general adaptation syndrome

c) The stages of stress

d) The physiological effects of stress

Correct answer: b) The general adaptation syndrome

11. What are the three stages of the general adaptation syndrome?

a) Alarm reaction, stage of resistance, stage of exhaustion

b) Alarm reaction, stage of adaptation, stage of recovery

c) Stage of arousal, stage of adaptation, stage of relaxation

d) Stage of alarm, stage of rest, stage of depletion

Correct answer: a) Alarm reaction, stage of resistance, stage of exhaustion

12. What happens during the alarm reaction stage?

a) The body immediately reacts to a threatening situation

b) The body adapts to the stressor

c) The body's physical resources become depleted

d) The body enters a state of relaxation

Correct answer: a) The body immediately reacts to a threatening situation

13. What occurs during the stage of resistance?

a) The body remains on alert and prepared to respond

b) The body's physiological reactions diminish

c) The body's physical resources become depleted

d) The body enters a state of exhaustion

Correct answer: a) The body remains on alert and prepared to respond

14. What happens during the

stage of exhaustion?

a) The body remains on alert and prepared to respond

b) The body's physiological reactions diminish

c) The body's physical resources become depleted

d) The body enters a state of relaxation

Correct answer: c) The body's physical resources become depleted

15. According to Selye's general adaptation syndrome, what can happen during the stage of exhaustion?

a) Illness, disease, and physical damage

b) Heightened cognitive abilities

c) Increased resistance to stressors

d) Improved overall health

Correct answer: a) Illness, disease, and physical damage

16. What is the primary focus of problem-focused coping?

a) Managing or altering the stressor

b) Changing negative emotions associated with stress

c) Avoiding or minimizing the stressor

d) Seeking positive aspects in a negative event

Correct answer: a) Managing or altering the stressor

17. What is the primary focus of emotion-focused coping?

a) Managing or altering the stressor

b) Changing negative emotions associated with stress

c) Avoiding or minimizing the stressor

d) Seeking positive aspects in a negative event

Correct answer: b) Changing negative emotions associated with stress

18. When is problem-focused coping more likely to occur?

a) When stressors are perceived as controllable

b) When stressors are perceived as uncontrollable

c) When stressors are unpredictable

d) When stressors are long-lasting

Correct answer: a) When stressors are perceived as controllable

19. When is emotion-focused coping more likely to predominate?

a) When stressors are perceived as controllable

b) When stressors are perceived as uncontrollable

c) When stressors are unpredictable

d) When stressors are short-lived

Correct answer: b) When stressors are perceived as uncontrollable

20. What is the most helpful coping response for an uncontrollable stressor?

a) Problem-focused coping

b) Emotion-focused coping

c) Avoidance coping

d) Denial coping

Correct answer: b) Emotion-focused coping

21. Can most stressors be modified and controlled to some extent?

a) Yes

b) No

Correct answer: a) Yes

22. What can prolonged or repeated stress lead to?

a) Improved mental health

b) Enhanced cognitive abilities

c) Development of disorders and diseases

d) Increased life satisfaction

Correct answer: c) Development of disorders and diseases

23. What is the physiological response to stress called?

a) General adaptation syndrome

b) Fight-or-flight response

c) Coping mechanism

d) Homeostasis

Correct answer: b) Fight-or-flight response

24. Who proposed the fight-or-flight response?

a) Hans Selye

b) Richard Lazarus

c) Walter Cannon

d) Lazarus and Folkman

Correct answer: c) Walter Cannon

25. What is the primary purpose of the fight-or-flight response?

a) To maintain homeostasis

b) To regulate body temperature

c) To enhance problem-solving abilities

d) To initiate physical action in response to a threat

Correct answer: d) To initiate physical action in response to a threat

26. What are the physiological reactions triggered by prolonged exposure to stressors called?

a) Daily hassles

b) Emotional challenges

c) General adaptation syndrome

d) Coping mechanisms

Correct answer: c) General adaptation syndrome

27. What are the three stages of the general adaptation syndrome?

a) Alarm reaction, stage of resistance, stage of exhaustion

b) Problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping, avoidance coping

c) Catastrophes, significant life changes, daily hassles

Correct answer: a) Alarm reaction, stage of resistance, stage of exhaustion

28. What happens during the alarm reaction stage of the general adaptation syndrome?

a) The body's immediate reaction to a threatening situation

b) The body adapts and remains on alert

c) The body's physical resources become depleted

d) The body enters a state of relaxation

Correct answer: a) The body's immediate reaction to a threatening situation

29. What occurs during the stage of resistance in the general adaptation syndrome?

a) The body's immediate reaction to a threatening situation

b) The body adapts and remains on alert

c) The body's physical resources become depleted

d) The body enters a state of relaxation

Correct answer: b) The body adapts and remains on alert

30. What happens during the stage of exhaustion in the general adaptation syndrome?

a) The body's immediate reaction to a threatening situation

b) The body adapts and remains on alert

c) The body's physical resources become depleted

d) The body enters a state of relaxation

Correct answer: c) The body's physical resources become depleted

31. According to Selye's general adaptation syndrome, what can occur during the stage of exhaustion?

a) Illness, disease, and physical damage

b) Heightened cognitive abilities

c) Increased resistance to stressors

d) Improved overall health

Correct answer: a) Illness, disease, and physical damage

32. What are the two fundamental kinds of coping according to Lazarus and Folkman?

a) Problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping

b) Active coping and passive coping

c) Avoidant coping and approach coping

d) Cognitive coping and behavioral coping

Correct answer: a) Problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping

33. Which coping strategy involves actively trying to address the problem causing stress?

a) Problem-focused coping

b) Emotion-focused coping

c) Avoidance coping

d) Distraction coping

Correct answer: a) Problem-focused coping

34. Which coping strategy involves efforts to change or reduce negative emotions associated with stress?

a) Problem-focused coping

b) Emotion-focused coping

c) Avoidance coping

d) Distraction coping

Correct answer: b) Emotion-focused coping

35. When is problem-focused coping more likely to occur?

a) When stressors are perceived as controllable

b) When stressors are perceived as uncontrollable

c) When stressors are unpredictable

d) When stressors are long-lasting

Correct answer: a) When stressors are perceived as controllable

36. When is emotion-focused coping more likely to predominate?

a) When stressors are perceived as controllable

b) When stressors are perceived as uncontrollable

c) When stressors are unpredictable

d) When stressors are short-lived

Correct answer: b) When stressors are perceived as uncontrollable

37. What is the most helpful coping response for an uncontrollable stressor?

a) Problem-focused coping

b) Emotion-focused coping

c) Avoidance coping

d) Denial coping

Correct answer: b) Emotion-focused coping

38. Can most stressors be modified and controlled to some extent?

a) Yes

b) No

Correct answer: a) Yes

39. What can prolonged or repeated stress lead to?

a) Improved mental health

b) Enhanced cognitive abilities

c) Development of disorders and diseases

d) Increased life satisfaction

Correct answer: c) Development of disorders and diseases

40. What is the physiological response to stress called?

a) General adaptation syndrome

b) Fight-or-flight response

c) Coping mechanism

d) Homeostasis

Correct answer: b) Fight-or-flight

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