General Adaptation Syndrome describes the body's responses to stress as which statement?

General Adaptation Syndrome describes the body's responses to stress as which statement?

• A. Is highly individualized and varies between people
• B. Involves four stages
• C. Is unrelated to stress
• D. Nonspecific bodily responses shared by all people

Answer: (D)

General Adaptation Syndrome refers to a nonspecific, body-wide reaction to stress that is the same across different stressors and across people. The body’s response isn’t tailored to the exact cause of stress; instead, it activates a general cascade involving the autonomic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, with hormones like adrenaline and cortisol preparing the body for action. This leads to familiar changes such as increased heart rate and energy mobilization. The model describes three stages—alarm, resistance, and exhaustion—not four. Because these responses are shared and nonspecific, the statement that best captures GAS is that the bodily responses are nonspecific and common to all people.

General Adaptation Syndrome refers to a nonspecific, body-wide reaction to stress that is the same across different stressors and across people. The body’s response isn’t tailored to the exact cause of stress; instead, it activates a general cascade involving the autonomic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, with hormones like adrenaline and cortisol preparing the body for action. This leads to familiar changes such as increased heart rate and energy mobilization. The model describes three stages—alarm, resistance, and exhaustion—not four. Because these responses are shared and nonspecific, the statement that best captures GAS is that the bodily responses are nonspecific and common to all people.