Stress Management Training Stress Management Training: Physiological Responses 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the phenomenon called when a person becomes physiologically desensitized to repeated minor stressors over time?
- Stress inoculation (Correct answer)
- Allostatic overload
- Sensitization
- Cortisol resistance
Correct answer: Stress inoculation
Stress inoculation describes how controlled, repeated exposure to manageable stressors can build resilience and reduce physiological reactivity.
Question 2: Which physiological effect is associated with oxytocin release during social support or connection?
- Increased cortisol and blood pressure
- Reduced cortisol and calming of the stress response (Correct answer)
- Activation of the fight-or-flight response
- Suppression of immune cell production
Correct answer: Reduced cortisol and calming of the stress response
Oxytocin, released during social bonding and touch, counteracts the stress response by reducing cortisol and promoting feelings of calm and safety.
Question 3: What term describes the body's return to baseline physiological levels after a stressor is resolved?
- Allostasis
- Homeostasis (Correct answer)
- Adaptation
- Equilibration
Correct answer: Homeostasis
Homeostasis refers to the body's process of returning to its stable baseline state after the stress response has been activated and resolved.
Question 4: How does sleep deprivation interact with the physiological stress response?
- It reduces cortisol levels
- It has no measurable effect on stress hormones
- It elevates baseline cortisol and amplifies stress reactivity (Correct answer)
- It strengthens the immune response to stress
Correct answer: It elevates baseline cortisol and amplifies stress reactivity
Sleep deprivation raises baseline cortisol levels and makes the HPA axis more reactive, worsening both the physiological and psychological impact of stressors.
Question 5: Which physiological system is primarily responsible for the 'tend-and-befriend' stress response pattern observed in some individuals?
- HPA axis activation with high cortisol
- Sympathetic nervous system with epinephrine surge
- Oxytocinergic system and parasympathetic modulation (Correct answer)
- Thyroid axis activation
Correct answer: Oxytocinergic system and parasympathetic modulation
The tend-and-befriend response involves oxytocin and parasympathetic modulation, promoting social affiliation and caregiving rather than fighting or fleeing.
Question 6: What is the primary physiological reason that chronic stress can lead to weight gain around the abdomen?
- Stress reduces appetite, causing muscle loss first
- Cortisol promotes fat storage in visceral adipose tissue (Correct answer)
- Stress increases metabolism, converting fat to muscle
- Epinephrine causes water retention in abdominal tissue
Correct answer: Cortisol promotes fat storage in visceral adipose tissue
Elevated cortisol promotes the accumulation of visceral (abdominal) fat by stimulating fat cell growth and increasing appetite for calorie-dense foods.
Question 7: In the context of stress physiology, what does the term 'neuroendocrine response' refer to?
- The brain's electrical activity during stress
- The coordinated interaction between the nervous system and hormone-releasing glands during stress (Correct answer)
- The immune system's reaction to cortisol
- The digestive system's response to adrenaline
Correct answer: The coordinated interaction between the nervous system and hormone-releasing glands during stress
The neuroendocrine response describes how the nervous system and endocrine (hormone) system work together—via the HPA and SAM axes—to produce the physiological stress response.
Stress Management Training Stress Management Training: Physiological Responses 5
What is the phenomenon called when a person becomes physiologically desensitized to repeated minor stressors over time?