Which statement is an accurate reflection of McGonigal's claim?

Which statement is an accurate reflection of McGonigal's claim?

• A. Believing stress is bad for you is more harmful than the stress itself.
• B. Stress is always harmful and should be avoided.
• C. People should avoid stress by taking a long vacation.
• D. Stress has no impact on performance.

Answer: (A)

The main idea being tested is how our beliefs about stress shape its effects on our bodies and performance. McGonigal shows that stress itself isn’t automatically bad; what matters is how you interpret it. If you think stress is damaging, you’re more likely to experience negative outcomes because that belief can amplify anxiety and guide your body into a longer or tougher stress reaction. If you instead view stress as a helpful signal—your body is primed to rise to a challenge—you can channel that physiological arousal to improve focus, energy, and performance, and you may even cope better with the situation. So, the statement that believing stress is bad for you is more harmful than the stress itself aligns with her claim about mindset shaping the impact of stress. The other options don’t fit because they claim stress is always harmful, or that avoidance solves it, or that stress has no effect on performance, which contradicts the idea that our interpretation of stress changes its impact.

The main idea being tested is how our beliefs about stress shape its effects on our bodies and performance. McGonigal shows that stress itself isn’t automatically bad; what matters is how you interpret it. If you think stress is damaging, you’re more likely to experience negative outcomes because that belief can amplify anxiety and guide your body into a longer or tougher stress reaction. If you instead view stress as a helpful signal—your body is primed to rise to a challenge—you can channel that physiological arousal to improve focus, energy, and performance, and you may even cope better with the situation.

So, the statement that believing stress is bad for you is more harmful than the stress itself aligns with her claim about mindset shaping the impact of stress. The other options don’t fit because they claim stress is always harmful, or that avoidance solves it, or that stress has no effect on performance, which contradicts the idea that our interpretation of stress changes its impact.