Exam Questions 15th Edition Emotions Chapter.9

Chapter 9: Emotions

Test Bank

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 1

1) Being in touch with your emotions, also known as __________, is one of the 5 attributes of __________.

Feedback: Being in touch with emotions, self-awareness is 1 of the 5 attributes of emotional intelligence.

Page reference: 9.1 What Are Emotions? (Introduction)

a.empathy; metacommunication

b.motivation; intersectionality

c.self-awareness; emotional intelligence

d.self-regulation; empathy

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 2

2) What does EQ measure?

Feedback: Coined by Daniel Goleman,the term emotional intelligence refers to the ability to understand and manage one’s own emotions and to be sensitive to others’ feelings, whose success depends on your EQ, your emotional intelligence quota.

Page reference: 9.1 What Are Emotions? (Introduction)

a.Extroversion tendency

b.Emotional intelligence

c.Empathic ability

d.Educational level

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 3

3) Emotional intelligence involves which of the following abilities?

Feedback: Emotional intelligence involves being sensitive to others’ feelings in addition to the ability to understand and manage one’s own emotions.

Page reference: 9.1 What Are Emotions? (Introduction)

a.Ignoring troubling emotions

b.Maintaining long-term relationships

c.Being clever when responding to others

d.Being sensitive to the feelings of others

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 4

4) Elevated blood sugar, slowed digestion, and pupil dilation are all symptoms of fear. These can occur when couples engage in intense conflicts, a condition marriage researcher John Gottman calls __________.

Feedback: Gottman calls the condition “flooding” and has found that it impedes effective problem solving.

Page reference: 9.1.1 Physiological Changes

a.flooding

b.nonverbal behavior

c.cognitive interpretations

d.verbal expression

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 5

5) Which statement is TRUE about nonverbal behavior and emotions?

Feedback: It’s common to think of nonverbal behavior as the reaction to an emotional state, but the reverse may also be true—nonverbal behaviorcan cause emotions.

Page reference: 9.1.2 Nonverbal Behavior

a.When someone is feeling a strong emotion, it’s easy to determine exactly what that emotion might be.

b.Nonverbal expressions of emotion are not often interconnected with verbal ones.

c.It can be easier to act yourself into new ways of feeling than to feel yourself into new ways of acting.

d.Subjects who watched short videos of basketball players could reliably determine from the players’ nonverbal behavior alone whether the athletes were winning or losing, but only if they had experience with the sport.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 6

6) Reappraisal is an activity related to which component of emotions?

Feedback: Reappraisal involves cognitive interpretation,rethinking the meaning of emotionally charged events in ways that alter their emotional impact.

Page reference: 9.1.3 Cognitive Interpretations

a.Verbal expression

b.Nonverbal behavior

c.Physiological changes

d.Cognitive interpretations

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 7

7) “Pleased” is a word that suggests a different degree of emotional __________ than “thrilled.”

Feedback: Humans experience most emotions with different degrees of intensity—and they use specific emotion words to represent these differences.

Page reference: 9.1.3 Cognitive Interpretations

a.specificity

b.intensity

c.sincerity

d.validity

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 8

8) Telling yourself that you’re excited to be meeting your partner’s family for the first time rather than nervous is an example of a positive ____________.

Feedback: Events only take on meaning when they’re filtered through cognitive interpretations.

Page reference: 9.1.3 Cognitive Interpretations

a.metacommunication

b.emotional contagion

c.nonverbal expression

d.cognitive interpretation

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 9

9) Which feeling do scholars acknowledge is a typical and common human emotion?

Feedback: Most scholars acknowledge that anger, joy, fear, sadness,and disgust are common and typical human emotions

Page reference: 9.1.4 Verbal Expression

a.Regret

b.Disgust

c.Confidence

d.Doubt

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 10

10) Members of which culture prize harmony among members of their “in-group” and are less frank about expressing negative emotions toward outsiders?

Feedback: Individualists and collectivists handle emotional expression with members of in-groups and out-groups differently. Collectivistic cultures prize harmony in their “in-group” and discourage expression of negative emotions that might upset relationships among people who belong to it.

Page reference: 9.2.1 Culture

a.Individualistic

b.Collectivistic

c.High power distance

d.Low power distance

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 11

11) Which country is known internationally for its “culture of cheerfulness”?

Feedback: Other cultures view Americans as exceptionally cheerful.

Page reference: 9.2.1 Culture

a.United States

b.Japan

c.Poland

d.India

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 12

12) Which statement is TRUE about gender and emotion?

Feedback: Although men and women generally experience the same emotions, they often read and express them differently due to social conventions.

Page reference: 9.2.2 Gender

a.Men are faster at recognizing emotions from facial cues.

b.In heterosexual romantic relationships, men often take responsibility for the “emotion work” of the couple.

c.Men are better at judging emotions from eye behavior.

d.The differences in the ways men and women read and express emotions are due in large measure to social conventions.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 13

13) What do researchers call the condition characterized by difficulty identifying and talking about feelings?

Feedback: Scholars call this condition alexithymia—a difficulty identifying and talking about feelings, which can lead to relational challenges.

Page reference: 9.2.2 Gender

a.Rumination

b.Emotional contagion

c.Alexithyemia

d.Emotional labor

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 14

14) Research on emotional expression suggests that there is some truth in the cultural stereotype of the __________ male and the __________ female

Feedback: Men are more likely to experience what scholars call alexithymia—a difficulty in identifying and talking about feelings, which can lead to relational challenges.

Page reference: 9.2.2 Gender

a.inexpressive; more demonstrative

b. more demonstrative; inexpressive

c.chatty; less talkative

d.less talkative; chatty

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 15

15) What do researchers call the managing and even suppressing of emotions in situations where it is both appropriate and necessary?

Feedback: Managing and suppressing emotions, emotional labor is an important component of communication at work and home.

Page reference: 9.2.3 Social Conventions and Roles

a.Rumination

b.Emotional contagion

c.Emotional labor

d.Alexithyemia

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 16

16) Which statement is TRUE about the expression of emotion?

Feedback: Americans in particular avoid acknowledging negative emotions (“Don’t cry”; “Nothing to get upset about”) in almost every context, including child rearing, the workplace, and personal relationships.

Page reference: 9.2.3 Social Conventions and Roles

a.The unwritten rules of communication discourage the direct nonverbal expression of most emotions.

b.The rules for expressing emotions in the workplace are clearly similar to those in personal life.

c.Americans in particular avoid acknowledging negative emotions.

d.Emotion expression has been shown to have negative effects on psychological well-being and life satisfaction.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 17

17) You were devastated when Game of Thrones ended and began writing fanfiction to keep the saga alive. What type of relationship might you have with these media characters?

Feedback: A parasocial relationship describes enduring, one-sided bonds that fans develop as they follow media characters.

Page reference: 9.2.4 Mediated Communication

a.Hyperpersonal

b.Parasocial

c.In-group

d.Polychronic

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 18

18) The presence of your serene best friend always make you feel calm when you’re stressed. What is this process called?

Feedback: Emotions can spread from one person to another through emotional contagion, a process that can occur online as well as in person.

Page reference: 9.2.5 Emotional Contagion

a.Emotional labor

b.Emotional contagion

c.Disinhibition

d.Metacommunication

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 19

19) One five-minute episode of anger can impair your immune system for how many hours?

Feedback: People who are overly expressive suffer physiologically. One five-minute episode can impair your immune system for over six hours.

Page reference: 9.3 Expressing Emotions Effectively

a.3

b. 4

c.5

d.6

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 20

20) John Gottman identified two distinct parenting styles: emotion __________ and emotion dismissing.

Feedback: These different approaches have different and powerful effects on development; children who grow up in families where parents dismiss emotions are at higher risk for behavior problems.

Page reference: 9.3 Expressing Emotions Effectively

a.enhancing

b.coaching

c.ruminating

d.rewarding

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 21

21) You appreciate the question “how are you?” and enjoy responding with a detailed and specific description of your feelings at the time. Your response to this query illustrates which communication orientation?

Feedback: People with a high affective orientation are usually aware of their emotions and tend to value the expression of feelings.

Page reference: 9.3.1 Recognize Your Feelings

a.Low power

b.High power

c.Low affective

d.High affective

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 22

22) Research indicates that teaching children to recognize and __________ their emotions is foundational to building their emotional intelligence.

Feedback: Beyond being aware of one’s feelings, research shows that it’s valuable to be able to specifically identify one’s emotions.

Page reference: 9.3.1 Recognize Your Feelings

a.label

b.suppress

c.reappraise

d.enhance

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 23

23) Monitoring thoughts and verbal messages are both ways of helping you with which first step for effective emotional expression?

Feedback: Monitoring physiological changes, nonverbal behaviors, thoughts, and verbal messages are all ways of helping you recognize your emotions, an important first step in expressing emotions effectively.

Page reference: 9.3.1 Recognize Your Feelings

a.Share multiple feelings.

b.Recognize your feelings.

c.Choose the best language.

d.Recognize the difference between feeling and acting.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 24

24) After a heated argument with your romantic partner, what does research on emotions suggest you should do?

Feedback: Putting feelings into words promotes self-understanding, and it helps others make sense of your behavior, especially descriptions of emotions that demonstrate higher specificity or granularity and focus on a specific set of circumstances rather than the whole relationship.

Page reference: 9.3.2 Choose the Best Language

a.Say nothing. More talk will only aggravate your partner.

b. Do something unexpectedly nice for your partner. Actions speak louder than words.

c.Express your feelings through nonverbal communication.

d.Express your feelings through verbal communication that centers on specific circumstances.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 25

25) When your best friend gets a scholarship to a college you hope to attend, you are overwhelmed by conflicting feelings of admiration, excitement, and envy. How should you respond to your friend?

Feedback: Despite it being commonplace to experience several emotions at the same time, it’s typical to communicate only one feeling—usually, the most negative one. Instead, it’s better to communicate your range of emotions.

Page reference: 9.3.3 Share Multiple Feelings

a.Share multiple feelings verbally to convey the range of your emotions.

b. Avoid emotional contagion.

c.Express only the most important feeling.

d.Share multiple feelings nonverbally through a variety of nonverbal communication.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 26

26) Which statement is TRUE about feeling and acting?

Feedback: Researchers have discovered that people who deal with negative feelings by venting them indiscriminately have above-average levels of anxiety in their interpersonal relationships.

Page reference:9.3.4 Recognize the Difference Between Feeling and Acting

a.Pretending that nothing is the matter when you’re nervous will diminish your anxiety.

b.People who act out angry feelings actually feel better than those who experience anger without lashing out.

c.Getting in touch with certain emotions commits you to a course of action.

d.People who frequently vent negative feelings tend to have high levels of anxiety in their interpersonal relationships.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 27

27) Which statement is TRUE regarding the timing of emotion expression?

Feedback: It turns out that the old adage, “Never go to bed angry,” has scientific validity. During sleep, the brain reorganizes the way negative memories are stored.

Page reference: 9.3.6 Choose the Best Time and Place to Express Your Emotions

a.It’s best to speak out when your feelings are strongest.

b.Writing out your feelings has benefits, but only if someone else reads what you’ve written.

c.If you go to bed mad, you’ll likely have trouble shaking that anger the next morning.

d.It’s never a good idea to say nothing and keep your feelings to yourself.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 28

28) Which two features distinguish debilitative from facilitative emotions?

Feedback: Unpleasant emotions of higher intensity and longer duration tend to be debilitative.

Page reference: 9.4.1 Facilitative and Debilitative Emotions

a.Intensity and breadth

b.Intensity and duration

c.Breadth and depth

d.Breadth and duration

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 29

29) Which recurrent thoughts not demanded by the immediate environment can increase feelings of sadness, anxiety, and depression and makes them last longer?

Feedback: Rumination can increase feelings of sadness, anxiety, and depression and makes them last longer.

Page reference: 9.4.1 Facilitative and Debilitative Emotions

a.Hyperpersonal communication

b.Emotional labor

c.Rumination

d.Emotional contagion

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 30

30) Which emotion is a particularly unhealthy focus of rumination?

Feedback: Jealousy and rumination are a particularly bad mix, often leading to unhealthy relational behaviors such as surveillance and stalking.

Page reference: 9.4.1 Facilitative and Debilitative Emotions

a.Disgust

b.Uncertainty

c.Resentment

d.Jealousy

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 31

31) The little voice that whispers in your head is called __________.

Feedback: The little voice that whispers in your ear, self-talk is anonvocal, internal monologue.

Page reference: 9.4.2 Thoughts Cause Feelings

a.emotional contagion

b.self-talk

c.facework

d.disinhibition

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 32

32) Your job is frequently stressful, but as a supervisor, you need to set an example by remaining calm and in control on the job. The need to manage and suppress emotions is known as __________.

Feedback: Studies show that emotional labor (i.e., managing and suppressing emotions) is an important component of many if not most occupations.

Page reference: 9.3 Expressing Emotions Effectively

a.rumination

b.self-talk

c.emotional labor

d.facework

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 33

33) You consider it a compliment when a trusted friend calls you ambitious, but a criticism when a competitive co-worker labels you such. This illustrates how the same __________ can cause different emotions.

Feedback: The same activating event—being called ambitious—is the same in both cases, yet your interpretations and the emotions they produce are quite different.

Page reference: 9.4.2 Thoughts Cause Feelings

a.activating event

b. cognitive schema

c.rationalization

d.self-talk

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 34

34) Holding expectations for yourself and for others can promote which fallacy?

Feedback: One source of unhappiness is the inability to distinguish between what is and what should be, or the fallacy of should.

Page reference: 9.4.6 The Fallacy of Should

a.Fallacy of approval

b.Fallacy of perfection

c.Fallacy of should

d.Fallacy of catastrophic expectations

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 35

35) “If I post on Facebook, nobody will read or Like it.” This statement is an example of which fallacy?

Feedback: Similar to Murphy’s Law, the fallacy of catastrophic expectations assumes that if something bad can happen, it probably will.

Page reference: 9.4.10 The Fallacy of Catastrophic Expectations

a.Fallacy of approval

b.Fallacy of should

c.Fallacy of perfection

d.Fallacy of catastrophic expectations

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 36

36) Research on cancer patients indicates that __________can trump __________ when emotions run high.

Feedback: Couples said that sometimes the best way to manage their emotions was to focus instead on discussing facts, solving problems, or engaging in humor.

Page reference: 9.4.11 Minimizing Debilitative Emotions

a.disclosure; diversion

b.diversion; disclosure

c.suppression; monitoring

d.monitoring; suppression

Type: true-false

Title: Chapter 9 Question 37

37) “Emotions are things that people feel” is a satisfactory definition.

Feedback: Type general feedback here (maximum of 1000 characters (including spaces))

Page reference: 9.1 What Are Emotions?

a. True

b. False

Type: true-false

Title: Chapter 9 Question 38

38) Keeping a balanced “body budget” decreases emotional stress.

Feedback: Type general feedback here (maximum of 1000 characters (including spaces))

Page reference: 9.1.1 Physiological Changes

a. True

b. False

Type: true-false

Title: Chapter 9 Question 39

39) Reappraisal often leads to higher stress and decreased productivity.

Feedback: Type general feedback here (maximum of 1000 characters (including spaces))

Page reference: 9.1.3 Cognitive Interpretations

a. True

b. False

Type: true-false

Title: Chapter 9 Question 40

40) Emotions that are primary in one culture may not be primary in another or even have an equivalent.

Feedback: Type general feedback here (maximum of 1000 characters (including spaces))

Page reference: 9.1.4 Verbal Expression

a. True

b. False

Type: true-false

Title: Chapter 9 Question 41

41) Across cultures, emotion suppression has been shown to have negative effects on psychological well-being and life satisfaction.

Feedback: Type general feedback here (maximum of 1000 characters (including spaces))

Page reference: 9.2.1 Culture

a. True

b. False

Type: true-false

Title: Chapter 9 Question 42

42) Whereas collectivists are quite frank about expressing negative emotions toward outsiders, individualists are more likely to hide emotions such as disliking.

Feedback: Type general feedback here (maximum of 1000 characters (including spaces))

Page reference: 9.2.1 Culture

a. True

b. False

Type: true-false

Title: Chapter 9 Question 43

43) Friends and family are especially accurate at interpreting the feelings behind texted messages.

Feedback: Type general feedback here (maximum of 1000 characters (including spaces))

Page reference: 9.2.4 Mediated Communication

a. True

b. False

Type: true-false

Title: Chapter 9 Question 44

44) Being around a calm person who makes you feel more at peace is an example of emotional contagion.

Feedback: Type general feedback here (maximum of 1000 characters (including spaces))

Page reference: 9.2.5 Emotional Contagion

a. True

b. False

Type: true-false

Title: Chapter 9 Question 45

45) Studies show that people with higher emotional granularity make fewer visits to doctors and hospitals.

Feedback: Type general feedback here (maximum of 1000 characters (including spaces))

Page reference: 9.3.1 Recognize Your Feelings

a. True

b. False

Type: true-false

Title: Chapter 9 Question 46

46) Most people suffer from impoverished emotional vocabularies.

Feedback: Type general feedback here (maximum of 1000 characters (including spaces))

Page reference: 9.3.2 Choose the Best Language

a. True

b. False

Type: true-false

Title: Chapter 9 Question 47

47) People who act out angry feelings—even by hitting an inanimate punching bag—feel better than those who experience anger without acting out.

Feedback: Type general feedback here (maximum of 1000 characters (including spaces))

Page reference: 9.3.4 Recognize the Difference Between Feeling and Acting

a. True

b. False

Type: true-false

Title: Chapter 9 Question 48

48) People afflicted by the fallacy of perfection often see themselves as victims of forces beyond their control.

Feedback: Type general feedback here (maximum of 1000 characters (including spaces))

Page reference: 9.4.4 The Fallacy of Perfection

a. True

b. False

Type: true-false

Title: Chapter 9 Question 49

49) Abandoning the fallacy of approval means living a life of selfishness.

Feedback: Type general feedback here (maximum of 1000 characters (including spaces))

Page reference: 9.4.5 The Fallacy of Approval

a. True

b. False

Type: true-false

Title: Chapter 9 Question 50

50) One way to avoid the debilitative feelings that often accompany the fallacy of causation is to use language that minimizes responsibility for your choices.

Feedback: Type general feedback here (maximum of 1000 characters (including spaces))

Page reference: 9.4.8 The Fallacy of Causation

a. True

b. False

Type: true-false

Title: Chapter 9 Question 51

51) Ruminating on the good rather than the bad in life can enhance one’s emotional, relational, and even physical health.

Feedback: Type general feedback here (maximum of 1000 characters (including spaces))

Page reference: 9.4.12 Maximizing Facilitative Emotions

a. True

b. False

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 52

52) Define the 5 attributes of emotional intelligence.

The 5 attributes of emotional intelligence are self-awareness (in touch with emotions); self-regulation (appropriate control of emotions); motivation (drive and initiative unhampered by emotions); empathy (in touch with others’ emotions); social skills (appropriate communication of emotions).

Page reference: 9.1 What Are Emotions?

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 53

53) Which 5 feelings do scholars agree are common and typical human emotions?

Feedback: Most scholars acknowledge that anger, joy, fear, sadness, and disgust are common and typical human emotions.

Page reference:9.1.4 Verbal Expression

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 54

54) Identify 5 influences on human communication?

Feedback: Culture, gender, social conventions and roles, mediated communication, and emotional contagion are 5 influences on human communication.

Page reference: 9.2 Influences on Emotional Expression

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 55

55) What are 5 steps for expressing emotions effectively?

Feedback: The 5 steps for expressing emotions effectively are choosing the best language, sharing multiple feelings, recognizing the difference between feeling and acting, accepting responsibility for your feelings, and choosing the best time and place to express your feelings.

Page reference: 9.3 Expressing Emotions Effectively

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 56

56) Identify 4 behaviors that characterize good listeners.

Feedback: Good listeners ask and answer questions; provide reflective and relevant feedback; offer their own perspective; and respond nonverbally by making eye contact, nodding their heads, and leaning forward.

Page reference: 8.4 Types of Listening Responses

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 57

57) What are 3 ways of expressing feelings verbally?

Feedback: You can restate another’s message by changing the wording, offering an example of what you think the speaker is talking about, and reflecting the underlying theme of the speaker’s remarks. You can use single words, by describing what’s happening to you metaphorically, or by describing what you’d like to do.

Page reference: 9.3.2 Choose the Best Language

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 58

58) How do you dispute an irrational belief?

Feedback: If the belief is irrational, consider an alternative way of thinking that is more sensible and that can leave you feeling better when faced with the same activating event in the future.

Page reference: 9.4.11 Minimizing Debilitative Emotions

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 59

59) Describe and provide examples of each of the four components of emotions.

Feedback:

• When you experience strong emotions, many bodily changes occur. The physiological response of fear, for example, includes increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, increased adrenaline secretions, elevated blood sugar, slowed digestion, and pupil dilation. One of the best ways to manage emotions is through a healthy diet, regular exercise, and a good night’s sleep.
• Other changes involve nonverbal behaviour such as a distinctive facial expression, posture, gestures, different vocal tone and rate, etc. Although it’s reasonably easy to tell when someone is feeling a strong emotion, nonverbal behavior is generally ambiguous and can easily be misread.
• Cognitive interpretations affect emotions, as the mind plays an important role in determining how we feel. Reappraisal involves rethinking the meaning of emotionally charged events in ways that alter their emotional impact. Labeling your feelings of nervousness as excitement, for example, can help improve performance.
• Verbal expressions are sometimes necessary to express feelings. Putting emotions into words—sometimes referred to as affect labeling—can help you manage them more effectively. Humans experience most emotions with different degrees of intensity—and they use specific emotion words to represent these differences. Saying “I’m too angry to continue this discussion” is better than stomping out of the room, for example.

Page reference: 9.1 What Are Emotions?

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 60

60) Describe the influence of social conventions and roles on the expression of emotions.

Feedback:

• In mainstream U.S. society, the unwritten rules of communication discourage the direct verbal expression of most emotions. Americans tend to act out rather than talk out their emotions. Not surprisingly, the emotions that people do share directly are usually positive (“I’m happy to say . . .”; “I really enjoyed . . .”). Americans in particular avoid acknowledging negative emotions (“Don’t cry”; “Nothing to get upset about”) in almost every context, including child rearing, the workplace, and personal relationships.
• Restricting emotion expression isn’t always a bad idea. Researchers use the term emotional labor to describe situations in which managing and even suppressing emotions are both appropriate and necessary. Studies show that emotional labor is an important component of many if not most occupations, and it can also be a component of communication with family and friends. It’s often not an easy task, though, especially when you’re feeling fearful, stressed, angry, or defensive.

Page reference:9.2.3 Social Conventions and Roles

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 9 Question 61

61) Describe the steps that help minimize debilitative emotions.

Feedback:

• Monitor your emotional reactions. The first step is to recognize when you’re having debilitative emotions, whose two key characteristics are—intensity (they are too intense) and duration (they last too long).
• Note the activating event. Sometimes what triggered an emotional response is obvious; sometimes it’s not. These can include specific people, types of individuals, settings, and topics of conversation.
• Record your self-talk. At this point you analyze the thoughts that link the activating event and your feelings. When first learning to use this method, putting your thoughts on paper will help you see whether they make any sense.
• Dispute your irrational beliefs. First, decide whether each belief you’ve recorded is rational or irrational. Next, explain why the belief does or doesn’t make sense. Finally, if the belief is irrational, consider an alternative way of thinking that is more sensible and that can leave you feeling better when faced with the same activating event in the future.
• Change your self-talk. Replace words in your intrapersonal language such as “can’t,” “have to,” and “should” with words like “will,” “want to,” and “choose to.” Some researchers suggest that self-talk is most effective when it’s stated in the second person: addressing yourself as “you” instead of “I” as if you’re coaching yourself.
• Page reference: 9.4.11 Minimizing Debilitative Emotions