Question 69

Alarm, resistance, and exhaustion

Hans Selye's general adaptation syndrome consists of three distinct stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion, which describe the body's response to stress.

A) Perception, response, and recovery

This option is incorrect as it does not align with Selye's identified stages. While perception and response are components of stress reactions, they do not encapsulate the three stages of adaptation that Selye outlined.

B) Perception, interpretation, and flight

This option is also incorrect. The terms used here, such as perception and interpretation, do not represent the stages of the general adaptation syndrome. Instead, Selye's model focuses on physiological responses rather than cognitive interpretations.

C) Alarm, resistance, and exhaustion

This option is correct. Selye defined these three stages as the body's systematic response to stress, beginning with the alarm reaction, followed by the resistance stage where the body attempts to cope, and finally leading to the exhaustion stage if stress persists.

D) Adaptation, modification, and adoption

This option is incorrect. Although adaptation is a general concept related to how organisms respond to stress, Selye's specific terminology refers to the phases of alarm, resistance, and exhaustion, not to modification or adoption.

Conclusion

The correct answer, "alarm, resistance, and exhaustion," accurately reflects the stages outlined by Hans Selye in his general adaptation syndrome model. Other options fail to capture the essence of Selye's work, either introducing unrelated concepts or misrepresenting the actual stages of stress response. Understanding these stages is crucial for studying physiological and psychological responses to stress.