When faced with an emotional event, which of the following responses best illustrates the concept of psychological stress?

• A. Feeling overwhelmed and experiencing anxiety about the situation
• B. Experiencing physical pain unrelated to the emotional event
• C. Immediately forgetting the event without any emotional reaction
• D. Ignoring the event and feeling no change in mood or behavior

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the concept of psychological stress. Psychological stress refers to the emotional and mental strain or tension that arises when an individual perceives a situation as challenging or threatening to their well-being.
2. Step 2: Identify the key features of psychological stress, which typically include feelings of being overwhelmed, anxiety, worry, or emotional discomfort in response to a specific event or situation.
3. Step 3: Analyze each response option in the problem to see which one aligns with these features. For example, feeling overwhelmed and experiencing anxiety directly reflects emotional and mental strain.
4. Step 4: Recognize that physical pain unrelated to the emotional event does not illustrate psychological stress because it is not a direct emotional or mental response to the event.
5. Step 5: Note that immediately forgetting the event without any emotional reaction or ignoring the event with no change in mood or behavior indicates a lack of psychological stress, as there is no emotional or mental strain involved.