general adaptation syndrome

Question 1

what is stage 1

Answer 1

alarm reaction

Question 2

two substage of alarm reaction

Answer 2

1st substage: shock
2nd substage: countershock

Question 3

what is alarm reaction

Answer 3

immediate reaction that occurs when person encounters/ made aware of stressor. mobilises body

Question 4

shock

Answer 4

bodys biological reactions fall below normal functioning.
- body acts as though injured
- temp and BP drop temporarily e.g fainting, low heart rate
- ability to deal with stressor = reduced

Question 5

countershock

Answer 5

-symp NS responses occur
- release of stress hormone including adrenaline and nonadrenaline by adrenal glands
- cortisol secreted by HPA

Question 6

second stage of GAS

Answer 6

resistance

Question 7

resistance

Answer 7

• adaptive stage = response to persistent stressor
• high levels of physiological arousal as body adjusts to increased hormone levels
• symp NS= decreased in intensity, body experience a rise in its resis. to the stressor
• high levels of cortisol = begins to suppress immune system e.g getting sick (minor) –> indiv. focusses most of energy ons tressor at hand = ignoring other life commitments e.g socialising/work

Question 8

last stage of GAS

Answer 8

exhaustion

Question 9

exhaustion

Answer 9

• cortisol depleted and body’s ability to respond to stressor = reduced
• unable to maintain heightened arousal = fatigue, sickness and an increased susceptibility to mental health disorders e.g anxiety and depression as well as more pysical illnesses (severe)

Question 10

strengths of GAS

Answer 10

• model suggest a predictable pattern of responses that can easily be tested in a laboratory
• identifies various biological processes that occur as part of the stress response, e.g hormone secretion and immune system depletion
• one of the 1st theories to suggest that stress can weaken the body’s resistance to illness
• there is research and evidence to suggest that the three stages of GAS exists = body’s non- specific response to a stressor = physiological reality.

Question 11

limitations of GAS

Answer 11

• humans and rats are physiologically different for e.g human stress responses tend to be more complex and variable t/f GAS model cannot be easily generalised to humans
• does not acknowledge the psychological or cognitive processing involved in the human stress response = can affect how much an individual experiences the stress response
• does not account for individual differences in stress responses for e.g disorders can be associated with high stress levels. e.g PTSD, depression and hypertension