Final answer:
The beneficial social support during a stress episode is known as the buffering effect. It helps lower the impact of stress and contributes to better health outcomes and stress-resilience. The correct option is A.
Step-by-step explanation:
Beneficial social support during a stress episode is called the buffering effect. This type of support can be provided by friends, family, and acquaintances, who offer advice, guidance, encouragement, emotional comfort, and tangible help. During stressful times, strong social support has been shown to lower the impact of perceived discrimination and its associated psychological distress, as in the study with African American mothers in Detroit.
Furthermore, social support contributes to improved physiological reactions to stress and may encourage better health behaviors overall. The existence of such a support network is a critical aspect of stress-resilience and coping strategies.