TRE2 Essays

Assignment: The textbook chapter material is written to give a general description of concepts and topics focusing on understanding stress and stress management. You will be required to complete the required number of essays. You may skip some questions to include others, but have them numbered and in order for the final draft. Staple the essays in order and attach a copy of the "Textbook Research & Essays Grading Sheet" (click on the box above) to the front of the "packet."

Essays

• For each essay, complete as directed, using material from the textbook or other sources when appropriate.
• Try to do the entire exercise in your own words without quotes. Type what you understand about the reading. I am interested in what you understand, not that you are using impressive words.  Do not plagiarize.  The answers are to be typed.

Plagiarism:  Plagiarism is the use of ideas or works created by another person with the intent of claiming those ideas or works as your own. Claiming another person’s work is highly unethical and can also be illegal. Plagiarism will not be tolerated in your assignments for this course. Penalties for plagiarism are listed in your course syllabus. Forms of plagiarism include:

• an entire paper that has not been written by the student,
• a paper with major segments that have been lifted from prior work,
• a paper that has problematic paraphrasing that stays too close to the original work.

One of the best ways to avoid plagiarism is to read the original material in its entirety. Put it face down. In your own words, summarize what you have just read. If you are unsure whether or not your are plagiarizing material, bring the original material, and the summary that you have written, to your instructor for review. Please do this well in advance of the date for the assignment.

The Essays -- Choose five out of the six

1. (a) Type an essay (complete sentences, paragraphs, etc.) interpreting the following quote by Rene Dubos: "Modern man has retained many physiological and mental attributes ill-suited to civilized life, just as he has retained useless anatomical vestiges from his evolutionary past. As a result, he must meet the challenges of today with biological equipment largely anachronistic. Many forms of organic and mental disease originate from the responses that man's Paleolithic nature makes to the condition of modern life." AND (b) relate this to the material in the chapter. (Ch. 1, and "Fight or Flight Response" by R.J. Allen (Blackboard, Course Documents, Stress Readings & Resources, Table 2 Selected Readings).

2. Blackboard, Course Documents, Stress Readings and Resources, Table 3, "Transactional View of Stress" link.

Answer the following questions: The story described by Meichenbaum represents the "Transactional View of Stress." (a.) List three causes of Meichenbaum's stress. // (b.) Write a definition of what you think is meant by transactional view of stress, and // (c) use examples from the story to back up your statements in (a).

3. (a.) "When is a "B" better than an "A"?" is the title of Chapter 14.  Describe, in detail, what is meant by this question/title. (b.) Describe in detail how an "A" can become a "B" without losing the essence of an "A". (Ch. 14)

4. (a) Using Charlesworth as a basis, compare Assertive, Aggressive, and Passive behaviors in your own words.  (b) Use a single example/situation that can illustrate the comparison among these three behaviors. (Ch. 18)

5. (Click this link for the assessment titled "The Stress Test")

Answer the following questions:  (a)  What is the basis for the assignment of  "stress points" in The Stress Test ? ///  (b). Compare and contrast (tell similarities and differences) between The Stress Test above with the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) in the Charlesworth text (pages 178-181). (Notice the dates of publication between the two scales.) /// (c)  Why are "positive" events considered stressful in the SRRS? ///(d)  List events under each category that could/should be added to the ones included in the SRSS and assign appropriate "stress points" to each event.

 6. "Men are not disturbed by things, but by the views they take of them." (Epictetus, century B.C.)  How is this illustrated in the article, "Sharpening Mental Skills" by C. White (Blackboard, Course Documents, Stress Readings & Resources, Table 2 Selected Readings)