Selyes General Adaption Syndrome

Question 1

Alarm reaction

Answer 1

Alarm Reaction
Alarm reaction is the first stage and the immediate reaction that occurs when a person initially encounters and is made aware or a stressor. This stage mobilises the body to confront a stressor and is made of two sub stages:

 * Shock- is the first sub stage in which the body’s biological reactions fall below normal functioning. The body acts as though it’s injured, experiencing a temporary drop in temperature and blood pressure. The ability to deal with stress is momentarily reduced .
  * Counter-Shock- sympathetic nervous system is activated; this includes the release of stress hormones including adrenaline and noradrenaline (as a sympathetic response ) by the adrenal glands. Automatically the hormone cortisol is released. Reactions in this stage are simalar to the fight/flight/freeze response

Question 2

Stage of resistance

Answer 2

Occurs after the body’s initial alarm reaction to stress. It functions as an adaptive stage in response to a persistent stressor, sustaining high levels of physiological arousal as the body adjusts to increased hormone levels. In this stage high levels of cortisol begin to suppress the functioning of the immune system. Individual appears as though all is normal

Question 3

Exhaustion

Answer 3

In this stage an organisms resistance to a stressor falls below normal levels of functioning as the body becomes depleted and unable to maintain heightened arousal. A person in the exhaustion stage often experiences fatigue, sickness and an increased susceptibility to mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression, as well as serious physical illness

Question 4

Evaluating Seyles General Adaptation syndrome

Answer 4

•Strentghs

- it identifies the biological process associated with the different stages of stress
 - acknowledges the relationship of stress to sickness and disease 

•Weakness

  - Findings are based on research with animals, so it is difficult to generalise results to a human population confidently 
 - does not account for individual differences and psychological factors

Question 5

Seyles general adaption syndrome

Answer 5

The general adaption syndrome explains the experience of stress from a psychological (biological) perspective

“SCARE”

-Shock
-Counter-Shock
•Alarm reaction
•Stage of Resistance
•Exhaustion