What is Selye's concept of the body's adaptive response to stress in three stages?

• A. GAS
• B. Alarm stage
• C. Resistance stage
• D. Exhaustion stage

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome, which describes a universal, nonspecific way the body responds to stress in three stages. First, there’s the alarm reaction: the immediate fight-or-flight response that kicks in when a stressor is recognized, with the sympathetic nervous system activating and hormones like adrenaline and cortisol released to ready the body.

Next comes the resistance stage, where the body attempts to cope with the ongoing stress. Resources are mobilized to maintain performance and fight the stress, keeping up heightened arousal for longer and using energy stores more efficiently, though this can keep cortisol elevated.

If the stress continues and resources become depleted, the system reaches the exhaustion stage. At this point, coping fails, resources are exhausted, and immune function can decline, making illness or burnout more likely.

So, the best answer is the General Adaptation Syndrome, because it captures all three stages as a single, unified framework rather than just one stage in isolation.