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b. a talk-based therapy that originated in Chinese medicine.
c. a herbal remedy for stress or depression.
d. a type of meditation that is an effective strategy for controlling stress.
31. Research on the medical benefits of qi gong indicates that
a. qi gong training produces beneficial changes in the immune system.
b. qi gong must be combined with tai chi to exert beneficial effects.
c. the benefits are similar to relaxation training, producing mostly stress reduction.
d. the benefits of qi gong are similar to placebo effects.
32. Tai chi is practiced currently as _____________ but originated as ____________.
a. a relaxation technique . . . a method for curing neurological disorders
b. an exercise to increase strength . . . a weight loss method
c. a technique to promote health . . . a martial art
d. a type of meditation . . . an aerobic workout
33. When practiced as a connected set of movements, tai chi
a. is not as beneficial as when practiced as disconnected, discrete movements.
b. has few physical benefits but produces many psychological benefits.
c. is no longer suitable for older people because of safety issues.
d. provides moderate intensity, low-impact aerobic exercise.
34. The most critical element of the biofeedback process is
a. change in rate of breathing.
b. immediate information on the status of a biological system.
c. an understanding of how and why the process occurs.
d. change in heart rate.
35. Biofeedback training can result in a person learning to raise skin temperature because
a. skin temperature rises when relaxation prompts vasodilation.
b. increased heart rate prompts vasodilation.
c. skin temperature correlates with visceral activity.
d. the sensorimotor rhythm prompts adrenal activation.
36. An increasingly common non-secular practice, ________ involves a focus of attention
and an open attitude.
a. meditation
b. Qi Gong
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c. Tai Chi
d. Reiki
37. Martha participates in __________, a type of meditation where she sits and repeats a
sound over and over.
a. mindfulness meditation
b. transcendental meditation
c. guided imagery
d. yoga
38. Jane participates in __________, a type of meditation focused on non-judgmental
awareness of one’s thoughts and feelings.
a. mindfulness meditation
b. transcendental meditation
c. guided imagery
d. yoga
39. Which type of meditation has been adapted into a stress-reduction program and has been
shown to work by altering brain function.
a. mindfulness meditation
b. transcendental meditation
c. guided imagery
d. yoga
40. The key components of ________ are the focus of attention on moving the body in a
controlled fashion, ignoring other situations or problems.
a. mindfulness meditation
b. transcendental meditation
c. guided imagery
d. yoga
41. There has been evidence that suggests that ________ produces changes in the function of
the immune system.
a. qi gong
b. tai chi
c. Reiki
d. mindfulness meditation
42. Sean practices this type of movement that could be described as “moving meditation:”
a. qi gong
b. tai chi
c. Reiki
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d. mindfulness meditation
43. Matt is experiencing recurring headaches and so he uses a treatment that consists of being
made aware of his biological processes, such as his muscle tension.
a. biofeedback
b. hypnosis
c. energy healing
d. Reiki
44. A recent study that examined the efficacy of hypnosis as a treatment, compared hypnotic
patients to nonhypnotic patients found that pain was reduced for __________.
a. patients who were under hypnosis only
b. all patients, regardless of whether they were under hypnosis
c. patients who expected their treatment to be effective
d. nonhypnotic patients only.
45. Those researchers who believe that hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness also
believe that it is necessary to use __________ to achieve this altered state.
a. increased muscle tension
b. an induction procedure
c. biofeedback
d. a hypnotist with a strong personality
46. Health psychologists have most effectively used hypnotic treatment to help people
a. control pain.
b. cope with stress.
c. stop smoking.
d. alter eating habits.
47. Most people in the United States who use some form of CAM use it as __________
rather than as __________.
a. something their physician recommended . . . something they believe in
b. complementary medicine . . . alternative medicine
c. alternative medicine . . . complementary medicine
d. a last resort . . . a first choice
48. Which ethnic group is most likely to use CAMs?
a. European Americans
b. Hispanic Americans
c. Asian Americans
d. Hispanic Americans
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49. Who is most likely to use CAMs?
a. a middle-aged Asian American women
b. a teenage athlete
c. a well-educated European American woman
d. a well-educated Asian American man
50. Young men who believe strongly in ______________ were ________ to use CAM than
other people.
a. religion; more
b. religion; less
c. science; more
d. science; less
51. In the United States, who is most likely to use CAM?
a. a well-educated European American woman
b. a poorly educated Hispanic woman
c. an Asian American whose parents immigrated to the United States
d. people with low back injuries
52. A person who uses some form of CAM is likely to
a. be an immigrant to the United States.
b. be of low socioeconomic status.
c. accept the biomedical view of health and illness.
d. accept the biopsychosocial view of health and illness.
53. A treatment is classified as alternative because
a. the treatment has not been approved by the FDA.
b. its practitioners are not licensed.
c. research evidence has not confirmed its effectiveness.
d. all of these.
54. Critics of CAM argue that few double-blind, placebo controlled trials have demonstrated
effectiveness. CAM advocates argue that
a. many techniques used in conventional medicine have not been evaluated by this
method either.
b. double-blind, placebo controlled trials are a flawed method for evaluating health
research.
c. researchers are biased against CAM, so the research is not fair.
d. the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine is underfunded.
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55. People who use mindfulness meditation experience changes in the function of the brain
that suggest
a. they are experiencing an increase in anxiety but a decrease in tension.
b. they are experiencing an increase in positive emotions.
c. their right hemisphere has increased its function, which indicates heightened
creativity.
d. they are asleep.
56. Relaxation training, including meditation, has been found to be most successful in
a. lowering blood pressure to the normal range.
b. managing stress and anxiety.
c. treating stress-related schizophrenia.
d. treating ulcers.
57. Techniques from traditional Chinese medicine have demonstrated effectiveness for
managing stress and depression. Which of the following statements describes the research
findings?
a. Acupuncture and acupressure are effective in managing stress but less effective
for depression.
b. Qi gong and tai chi are effective for managing stress, anxiety, and depression, but
acupuncture has not been found to be effective for these conditions.
c. Qi gong and tai chi are effective for managing stress, and acupuncture is an
effective treatment for depression.
d. Herbal preparations are effective in managing anxiety, and qi gong is an effective
treatment for depression.
58. As a treatment for pain, acupuncture
a. is no more effective than a placebo.
b. produces biochemical changes in the brain consistent with pain relief.
c. is less effective than TENS.
d. all of these are correct.
59. Which of the following have been found to be useful in the treatment of depression?
a. acupuncture
b. yoga
c. Saint John’s Wort
d. all of these
60. Chronic low back pain is an extremely difficult pain syndrome to manage. What CAM
treatment has demonstrated its effectiveness in managing low back pain?
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a. massage
b. acupuncture
c. chiropractic treatment
d. all of these
61. Biofeedback
a. offers clear advantages over relaxation training for migraine headaches.
b. has demonstrated its independent therapeutic effects for all types of headaches as
well as for gastric disorders.
c. is not more effective than relaxation techniques for controlling pain.
d. is more successful with psychological than with physiological disorders.
62. Hypnosis is more effective in controlling __________ pain than _________ pain.
a. acute . . . chronic
b. chronic . . . acute
c. low back . . . headache
d. fibromyalgia . . . postsurgical
63. Evidence suggests that those patients MOST likely to receive pain relief through
hypnosis are
a. men.
b. highly suggestible.
c. different from those who would respond well to a placebo.
d. all of these.
64. The benefits of qi gong and tai chi include
a. relaxation, strengthened muscles, and improved balance.
b. pain relief and increased sensory acuity.
c. decreased immune system response.
d. nothing more than the placebo response.
65. People may be limited in their access to CAM through
a. the costs of the treatments, which are often not covered by insurance.
b. their physicians, who often discontinue conventional treatments for those who use
CAM.
c. their families’ reactions to their treatment choice.
d. none of these
66. Integrative medicine
a. attempts to integrate the use of medication and surgery to manage pain.
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b. attempts to integrate conventional and alternative medicine to improve treatment
success.
c. attempts to decrease the inequalities of health care treatment to ethnic minorities
in the United States by establishing a series of facilities that treat people from all
ethnic groups.
d. has been discussed but not attempted.
67. Research has confirmed that mindfulness meditation is helpful in reducing people’s
__________.
a. anxiety
b. stress-related problems
c. depression
d. all of the above
68. Yoga has been used successfully to help ________ in those who did not experience a
complete response to traditional medicine.
a. decrease anxiety
b. decrease depression
c. decrease weight
d. all of the above
69. All of the following techniques or supplements have been shown to reduce depression
EXCEPT:
a. acupuncture
b. yoga
c. Saint John’s Wort
d. qi gong
70. _____ has been found to be effective in controlling nausea and vomiting associated with
chemotherapy in children.
a. Acupuncture
b. Accupressure
c. Hypnosis
d. Biofeedback
71. ______ has been suggested to help control some of the risks of Type 2 diabetes.
a. Yoga
b. Hypnosis
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c. Qi gong
d. Tai Chi
72. _______ was shown to decrease hostility in prisoners.
a. Reiki
b. Yoga
c. Hypnosis
d. Mindfulness meditation
73. _____ has been found to be effective in controlling nausea and vomiting associated with
postoperative symptoms.
a. Acupuncture
b. Accupressure
c. Hypnosis
d. Biofeedback
74. ________ has been shown to be effective in treating insomnia.
a. Hypnosis
b. Biofeedback
c. Yoga
d. Acupuncture
75. Engaging in the practice of _______ has been helpful in reducing fears of falling and
improving balance in older adults.
a. tai chi
b. Reiki
c. yoga
d. biofeedback
True/False Questions
1. Alternative treatments always remain on the fringe of treatment and never make the transition
to conventional medicine.
2. More people use complementary than alternative medicine.
3. Traditional Chinese medicine hypothesizes that qi is a force that is essential to health and that
acupuncture and qi gong improve health by affecting qi.
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4. Homeopathic remedies are created through potentization.
5. Whether procedures or practices are considered alternative medicine depends solely on
cultural context.
6. The notion of a vital energy that brings mind and body together is unique to traditional Chinese
medicine.
7. Manipulation techniques include massage and chiropractic treatment.
8. The founder of chiropractic treatment believed that manipulation of spine would help prevent
future illness, as well as cure current illness.
9. Chiropractors only use their hands to manipulate the spine.
10. Following a diet to lose weight (such as the Atkins, Zone, or Ornish plans) or to improve
health (such as vegetarian or macrobiotic diet) are among the most popular alternative
approaches.
11. Biofeedback and hypnosis can be traced to the alternative medical system of naturopathy.
12. Recent immigrants are more likely to use CAMs than immigrants who have been in the US
for years.
13. Most adults who use CAM employ it as an alternative medicine, rather than complementary.
14. The movement-based approaches of qi gong and tai chi are dangerous for older people with
arthritis.
15. Integrative medicine represents an attempt to integrate alternative with conventional medicine
to improve health care.
Essay Questions
Considering Alternative Approaches
1. Discuss the similarities and differences among the alternative medical systems.
2. What alternative procedures and products are most commonly used?
3. What are the differences and similarities among the mind—body approaches of meditation,
biofeedback, and hypnotic treatment?
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4. Analyze who uses alternative treatments.
5. Discuss the effectiveness of alternative treatments.
Considering Alternative Approaches
6. What are the advantages of integrative medicine? What are the barriers?