Which statement about the resistance stage is true?

• A. The body continues to mobilize defenses and cope with the stressor
• B. The body stops responding to stress
• C. The stressor is eliminated immediately
• D. The body enters a healing phase

Answer: (A)

During the resistance stage the body stays on high alert and keeps mobilizing its defenses to cope with the stressor. After the initial alarm reaction, resources and hormones are continually activated so the organism can adapt to the ongoing challenge, maintaining arousal and metabolic effort to deal with the stressor. That sustained, active coping is exactly what the statement describes. The other options don’t fit because stopping the response, eliminating the stressor immediately, or entering a healing phase each imply a reduction or end to the stress response, which does not characterize this stage. If the stress continues for a longer period, the body’s resources can become depleted, potentially leading toward exhaustion, but the core idea here is the continued effort to cope during resistance.