General Adaption Syndrome (GAS) Flashcards
Who was the first person to talk about stress?
Hans Selye, most of our understanding of the nature of stress came from him
What did Selye’s research conclude?
When animals are exposed to unpleasant stimuli, they display the universal response to all stressors, called the general adaption syndrome
Why is is called General Adaption Syndrome?
- It is general because it is the same response for all agents
- It is adaptive (best way to cope)
- It is a syndrome because there a several symptoms in the response
What did Selye do?
Observed that in laboratory animals and human patients the fight or flight response was only the first of a series of reactions
What happened when the rats were injected?
Showed physiological changes but what was being injected was less important than the fact they were getting injected
What happened to the rats next?
Exposed to various types of harmful stimuli including extreme cold, excessive exercise, surgical injury and nearly lethal dose of drugs
What conclusion did Selye find with the rats?
They developed the same physiological symptoms each time
What are the 3 stages of GAS?
1) Alarm Reaction
2) Resistance
3) Exhaustion
What is the Alarm Reaction?
The fight or flight reaction is triggered, part of the sympathetic branch of the ANS, deals with acute stressors, sympathomeduklary pathway becomes activated
What is the Resistance?
If the stressor is not dealt with then the endocrine system helps us to maintain our response through the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal system
What is the Exhaustion?
When the body can no longer keep up with the stressor, it is caused by severe long term or repeated stress. The adrenal glands no longer function properly
What are 4 evaluation points?
- Generated lots of research
- Evidence to support
- Exhaustion stage may be incorrect
- Ignores emotion and cognition
