GAS

Question 1

General Adaption Syndrome (GAS)

Answer 1

a biological model involving three stages of physiological reactions
that a person experiences in response to a persistent stressor

Question 2

Alarm reaction

Answer 2

the first stage of the General Adaptation Syndrome involving the initial decrease and subsequent increase in bodily arousal in response to an immediate stressor

Question 3

Shock

Answer 3

first substage of the alarm reaction stage involving decreased bodily arousal for a brief period of time

Question 4

Counter shock

Answer 4

second substage of the alarm reaction stage in which sympathetic nervous system responses occur that mobilise the body

Question 5

Resistance

Answer 5

second stage of the General Adaptation Syndrome involving maintaining high levels of bodily arousal i response to a persistent stressor

Question 6

Exhaustion

Answer 6

third stage of the General Adaptation Syndrome involving the depletion of energy levels and bodily resources, resulting in an inability to cope with the stressor

Question 7

strengths

Answer 7

• recognises a predictable pattern of physiological responses associated with distinct stages and substages
• recognises the relationship between chronic stress and illness.
• provides objective, empirical information about the biological processes involved in the stress response

Question 8

limitations

Answer 8

• based on research that was conducted on rats, reducing the generalisability of the model to the human population
• only focuses on the biological aspects of stress
• prescribes a uniform model that is the same for every individual in response to all stressors. Therefore, it fails to recognise the subjective nature of the stress response