Read the passage below and answer the following question:
BEHAVIOURAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL CORRELATES OF ILLNESS: THE EFFECTS OF THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS ON HEALTH
- Cancer is actually a group of diseases characterized by a loss of some cells’ ability to function normally. These cells typically multiply rapidly, generating tumours.
- Individual differences in people’s reaction to nicotine, the addictive substance in tobacco, help determine who will become a smoker.
- Both smoking and passive smoking are implicated in many cancers, in cardiovascular disease, and in sickness among children. Poor diet can raise our risks of cancer of the colon and rectum, breast cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Heavy drinking can cause disease of the stomach, liver and intestines. It can also impair mental and sexual functioning, and it can result in fetal alcohol syndrome.
- Inadequate emotional expression can adversely affect the progression of cancer. Emotions also affect high blood pressure.
- Persons who tend to be competitive, aggressive, hostile, and impatient are displaying a pattern of behaviours termed Type A. Cynical hostility puts Type A persons most at risk for heart attacks.
- Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a reduction in the immune system’s ability to defend itself against foreign matter. AIDS is transmitted primarily through unprotected sex and infected blood.
Increased intake of addictive substance like nicotine tobacco and alcohol due to stress is a/an __________ effect of stress on psychological functioning and health.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Behavioural
Stress has four major effects on the stressed person: emotional, physiological, cognitive and behavioural.
Option (1) Emotional — Incorrect. Emotional effects are feelings, such as mood swings, anxiety, depression and increased psychological tension. Taking more nicotine or alcohol is something a person does, not a feeling.
Option (2) Physiological — Incorrect. Physiological effects are changes inside the body, such as the release of epinephrine and norepinephrine, increased heart rate and slowing of digestion.
Option (3) Cognitive — Incorrect. Cognitive effects concern thinking: poor concentration, reduced short-term memory and faulty decisions under mental overload.
Option (4) Behavioural — Correct. Stress affects our behaviour in the form of eating less nutritional food and increasing intake of stimulants such as caffeine, excessive consumption of cigarettes, alcohol and other drugs. Disrupted sleep, absenteeism and reduced work performance are other behavioural effects.
NCERT (2025-26): “Effects of Stress on Psychological Functioning and Health … Behavioural Effects : Stress affects our behaviour in the form of eating less nutritional food, increasing intake of stimulants such as caffeine, excessive consumption of cigarettes, alcohol and other drugs such as tranquillisers etc. Tranquillisers can be addictive and have side effects such as loss of concentration, poor coordination, and dizziness. Some of the typical behavioural effects of stress seen are disrupted sleep patterns, increased absenteeism, and reduced work performance.” “Effects of Stress on Psychological Functioning and Health … Cognitive effects of stress are poor concentration, and reduced shortterm memory capacity.…” |