Which statement accurately describes General Adaptation Syndrome?

Which statement accurately describes General Adaptation Syndrome?

• A. It describes the body's three-stage response to stress.
• B. It describes a purely psychological response to stress.
• C. It only applies to acute stress and not chronic stress.
• D. It is unrelated to physiological changes.

Answer: (A)

General Adaptation Syndrome describes the body's general, three-stage response to stress. When a stressor is encountered, the body first enters an alarm stage, activating the fight-or-flight system with immediate physiological changes like adrenaline release. If the stress continues, the resistance stage follows, where the body sustains hormonal activity and metabolic adjustments to cope with the ongoing demand. If the stress remains unresolved, the exhaustion stage occurs, resources become depleted, and vulnerability to illness or dysfunction increases. This description captures why the statement is best: the response is a three-stage, nonspecific physiological process that can apply to chronic as well as acute stress. It’s not purely psychological, and it involves clear physiological changes, not something unrelated to the body’s mechanisms.

General Adaptation Syndrome describes the body's general, three-stage response to stress. When a stressor is encountered, the body first enters an alarm stage, activating the fight-or-flight system with immediate physiological changes like adrenaline release. If the stress continues, the resistance stage follows, where the body sustains hormonal activity and metabolic adjustments to cope with the ongoing demand. If the stress remains unresolved, the exhaustion stage occurs, resources become depleted, and vulnerability to illness or dysfunction increases. This description captures why the statement is best: the response is a three-stage, nonspecific physiological process that can apply to chronic as well as acute stress. It’s not purely psychological, and it involves clear physiological changes, not something unrelated to the body’s mechanisms.