Understanding Psychology (10th Ed)

health psychology p. 472
psychoneuroimmunology 
(PNI) p. 472
stress p. 473
cataclysmic events p. 474
personal stressors p. 474
posttraumatic stress 
disorder (PTSD) p. 474
background stressors (“daily 
hassles”) p. 475
psychophysiological
disorders p. 477
general adaptation 
syndrome (GAS) p. 478
coping p. 480
learned helplessness p. 481
hardiness p. 481
social support p. 482
E VA LU AT E
1.
is defi ned as a response to challenging or 
threatening events.
2.
Match each portion of the GAS with its defi nition.
1. Alarm and
a. Ability to adapt to stress diminishes; 
mobilization
symptoms 
appear. 
2. Exhaustion
b. Activation of sympathetic nervous 
3. Resistance
system.
c. Various strategies are used to cope 
with a stressor.
3.
Stressors that affect a single person and produce an imme-
diate major reaction are known as
a. Personal stressors
b.
Psychic stressors
c. Cataclysmic stressors
d. Daily stressors
4. People with the personality characteristic of 
seem to be better able to successfully combat stressors.
R E T H I N K
1.
Why are cataclysmic stressors less stressful in the long run 
than other types of stressors? Does the reason relate to the 
coping phenomenon known as social support? How?
2.
From the perspective of a social worker: How would you help 
people deal with and avoid stress in their everyday lives? 
How might you encourage people to create social support 
networks?