Stress Management Training Stress Management Training: Coping Strategies 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which coping strategy involves changing the way you think about a stressor rather than changing the stressor itself?
- Problem-focused coping
- Cognitive reframing (Correct answer)
- Avoidance coping
- Social withdrawal
Correct answer: Cognitive reframing
Cognitive reframing (also called cognitive restructuring) shifts your interpretation of a stressor to reduce its emotional impact.
Question 2: A person facing a work deadline uses a to-do list and breaks the project into smaller tasks. This is an example of:
- Emotion-focused coping
- Avoidance coping
- Problem-focused coping (Correct answer)
- Rumination
Correct answer: Problem-focused coping
Problem-focused coping involves taking direct action to address or reduce the source of stress.
Question 3: Which physiological technique activates the parasympathetic nervous system to counteract the stress response?
- Caffeine intake
- Diaphragmatic breathing (Correct answer)
- Increased physical activity only
- Avoidance of sleep
Correct answer: Diaphragmatic breathing
Diaphragmatic (deep belly) breathing stimulates the vagus nerve, activating the parasympathetic 'rest and digest' response.
Question 4: Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) reduces stress primarily by:
- Increasing cortisol production
- Alternately tensing and releasing muscle groups (Correct answer)
- Focusing solely on mental imagery
- Elevating heart rate temporarily
Correct answer: Alternately tensing and releasing muscle groups
PMR systematically tenses and then relaxes muscle groups to release physical tension stored in the body.
Question 5: Journaling as a coping strategy is most effective for stress reduction when it:
- Focuses only on negative events without reflection
- Involves expressive writing that processes emotions and meaning (Correct answer)
- Is done immediately before bed regardless of content
- Replaces all social support
Correct answer: Involves expressive writing that processes emotions and meaning
Research by James Pennebaker shows expressive writing that explores emotions and meaning yields the greatest stress reduction benefits.
Question 6: Social support functions as a stress buffer primarily through which mechanism?
- Eliminating all stressors from one's environment
- Providing emotional validation, practical help, and perspective (Correct answer)
- Replacing professional mental health treatment
- Increasing cortisol levels in shared situations
Correct answer: Providing emotional validation, practical help, and perspective
Social support buffers stress by offering emotional comfort, tangible assistance, and alternative viewpoints that reduce perceived threat.
Question 7: Which statement best describes 'adaptive' versus 'maladaptive' coping strategies?
- Maladaptive strategies always involve substance use only
- Adaptive strategies reduce stress long-term; maladaptive ones provide short-term relief but increase overall harm (Correct answer)
- Adaptive coping avoids all negative emotions
- Maladaptive coping is effective for acute but not chronic stress
Correct answer: Adaptive strategies reduce stress long-term; maladaptive ones provide short-term relief but increase overall harm
Adaptive coping promotes long-term wellbeing, while maladaptive coping (e.g., avoidance, substance use) may temporarily reduce distress but worsen outcomes over time.
Stress Management Training Stress Management Training: Coping Strategies 2
Which coping strategy involves changing the way you think about a stressor rather than changing the stressor itself?