Psychosomatic Processes -- Test 4

April 30, 1997

Put your name on the back of the blue book. Answer only 7 (seven!) of the following 9 questions.

1. Describe Clark’s cognitive-conversational model of coping. Does her approach indicate that talking about a trauma is always good for the speaker? Justify your answer.

2. Do men or do women benefit more from social support? Why? Draw on the work of Uchino et al. and Lehman et al in your answer.

3. Do people naturally search for meaning in misfortune? What is meaning? Can a therapist provide meaning for the traumatized patient? Why or why not? As long as you are at it, is your answer consistent or inconsistent with Meichenbaum’s constructivist approach? Explain.

4. What is Swann’s theory of self-verification? How does it relate to psychosomatics? What does his theory suggest would be the best way to treat a person who was sick?

5. On what grounds do Wortman and Silver question the assumption that people need to “work through” a trauma? Are their ideas consistent or inconsistent with those of Alexander, Pennebaker, Wegner, and Roemer/Borkovec? Justify your answer.

6. What is Stiles’ fever model of disclosure? How would it relate to Pennebaker & Harber’s ideas about the social stage model of coping?

7. Discuss how Pennebaker’s work on inhibition and disclosure is both consistent and inconsistent with Rimé’s social sharing work. What might explain the inconsistencies?

8. How has your view of your body and/or health been influenced by the readings in this course. Draw on the relevant theorists and approaches in your answer. Sound smart.

9. Make up a question that could have been on this test and answer it. You will be graded on both your question and your answer.