General adaptation syndrome | AQA A-Level Psychology Revision
- Revision Notes
- Aug 6
- 18 min read
Updated: Aug 14
For 7182 specification, first teach in September 2025
AQA A-Level Psychology | Free Revision Notes
Estimated study time: 55 minutes
These general adaptation syndrome A-Level Psychology revision notes explain how the body responds when exposure to a stressor continues over time. You will study the alarm reaction, resistance and exhaustion stages, including how prolonged activation can weaken immune functioning and increase vulnerability to illness. General adaptation syndrome introduces the physiology of stress and prepares you for the more detailed mechanisms covered in the body’s long-term stress pathway [The HPA system] and the immediate fight-or-flight pathway [The sympathomedullary pathway].
Learning Objectives 🎯
By the end of this revision page, you should be able to:
Define general adaptation syndrome and a stressor.
Describe the alarm reaction, resistance and exhaustion stages.
Explain how the body attempts to adapt to prolonged stress.
Apply the three stages to unfamiliar situations.
Analyse how prolonged stress may contribute to immunosuppression and illness.
Evaluate general adaptation syndrome as an explanation of the physiological stress response.
Revision Notes 📚
What does the AQA specification require?
The AQA Stress option requires knowledge of the physiology of stress, including:
General adaptation syndrome.
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system.
The sympathomedullary pathway.
The role of cortisol.
The specification also requires students to understand the role of stress in illness, including immunosuppression and cardiovascular disorders.
This lesson concentrates on general adaptation syndrome, often abbreviated to GAS. It provides an overview of how the body responds across time. Later lessons explain the particular physiological pathways involved.
What is stress?
Stress is the physiological and psychological response produced when a person encounters demands that require adaptation.
The demand producing the response is called a stressor.
Stressors may be:
Short-lived or continuing.
Predictable or unpredictable.
Physical or psychological.
Controllable or difficult to control.
Examples could include an immediate emergency, continuing workload or a prolonged period of caring responsibilities.
General adaptation syndrome focuses on the body’s physiological response to the demand rather than on the particular content of the stressor.
What is general adaptation syndrome?
General adaptation syndrome is a stage-based explanation of how the body responds and adapts to a continuing stressor.
The name can be broken down into three parts:
General: the body produces a broadly similar physiological response to different stressors.
Adaptation: the body attempts to adjust to the demand.
Syndrome: the response involves a collection of related physiological changes.
The model proposes three stages:
Alarm reaction
Resistance
Exhaustion
The stages describe what may happen if exposure to the stressor continues.
Stressor detected → alarm reaction → resistance → exhaustion
The individual will not necessarily reach exhaustion. If the stressor ends or is managed successfully, the body may recover before the final stage.
A stage-based process
GAS is a stage theory, meaning that the stress response develops through an ordered sequence.
Each stage represents a different relationship between:
The demands placed on the body.
The body’s ability to cope.
The biological resources available.
The person’s resistance to illness.
AQA has previously described GAS as a stage-based process of adapting to a stressor which can end with damage to the immune system.
The model therefore connects the immediate stress response with the possible health effects of chronic stress.
Acute and chronic stress
Acute stress is a short-term response to an immediate demand.
Chronic stress is stress that continues over a prolonged period.
GAS is particularly useful for explaining chronic stress because it shows how:
An immediate alarm response may begin the process.
The body may remain physiologically activated during continuing stress.
Long-term demands may eventually reduce resistance and increase illness vulnerability.
Acute stress | Chronic stress |
Short-term | Long-term |
Usually linked to an immediate demand | Linked to a continuing or repeated demand |
May involve rapid mobilisation of the body | May require extended physiological adaptation |
Recovery can occur when the stressor ends | Prolonged activation may contribute to exhaustion |
Stage 1: Alarm reaction
The alarm reaction begins when the body first detects a stressor.
The body recognises that normal functioning may not be sufficient and rapidly mobilises its resources.
During this stage:
Physiological arousal increases.
The body prepares to respond to the demand.
Energy is made available.
Heart rate and breathing may increase.
Resistance may initially be disrupted as the body reacts to the stressor.
The alarm reaction is closely connected to the fight-or-flight response.
The precise rapid physiological mechanism is developed further in sympathetic activation and fight or flight [The sympathomedullary pathway].
Purpose of the alarm reaction
The alarm reaction prepares the body for immediate action.
The response may be adaptive because it directs resources towards dealing with a threat.
For example, a person who suddenly notices a vehicle moving towards them may experience:
Faster heart rate.
Increased breathing.
Heightened alertness.
Rapid mobilisation of energy.
These responses could help the person move out of danger.
However, this level of activation cannot continue indefinitely without a cost. If the stressor remains, the person moves into the resistance stage.
Stage 2: Resistance
The resistance stage occurs when the stressor continues beyond the initial alarm reaction.
The body attempts to adapt to the continuing demand and maintain functioning.
During resistance:
Physiological arousal remains above its normal level.
The body directs resources towards coping with the stressor.
The person may appear to function normally.
Resistance to the original stressor may remain relatively high.
Biological resources continue to be used.
The person may feel that they are coping, but their body is still working harder than usual.
For example, someone experiencing several weeks of heavy workload may continue attending work and completing tasks while remaining tense, tired and physiologically activated.
Maintaining the stress response
During resistance, the body attempts to maintain a prolonged response rather than the brief mobilisation seen during alarm.
This continuing response is linked to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system, known as the HPA system, and cortisol.
The detailed sequence is covered in cortisol and prolonged stress [The HPA system].
For this lesson, the important point is:
The resistance stage allows the person to continue functioning, but maintaining the response consumes biological resources.
Resistance does not mean relaxation
The word resistance can be misleading.
It does not mean that the person is no longer stressed. It means that the body is attempting to resist the effects of the continuing stressor.
A person in resistance may:
Continue working.
Appear outwardly calm.
Report that they are managing.
Maintain performance for a period.
At the same time, they may experience:
Continuing physiological arousal.
Fatigue.
Poor sleep.
Reduced ability to deal with additional demands.
What happens if the stressor ends during resistance?
If the stressor is removed or successfully managed:
Physiological activity can reduce.
The body can return towards its usual level of functioning.
Resources can be restored.
The person may avoid reaching exhaustion.
The stages are therefore not a guaranteed path towards illness.
The duration and outcome of the response may depend on:
How long the stressor lasts.
How severe it is.
Whether the person can control it.
The person’s individual resources.
Available coping strategies and social support.
Stage 3: Exhaustion
The exhaustion stage may occur when the stressor continues and the body can no longer maintain resistance effectively.
The biological resources required to cope have become depleted.
During exhaustion:
The ability to resist the stressor decreases.
Physiological functioning becomes less effective.
The person may experience extreme tiredness.
Immune functioning may become compromised.
Vulnerability to illness may increase.
Exhaustion does not simply mean feeling sleepy. It refers to the body’s reduced capacity to continue adapting to the stressor.
Exhaustion and immunosuppression
Immunosuppression occurs when the immune system becomes compromised and cannot protect the individual against disease as effectively.
GAS proposes that prolonged stress may eventually damage immune functioning.
The process can be summarised as:
A continuing stressor activates the stress response.
The body remains activated during resistance.
Biological resources are used over an extended period.
The body’s ability to maintain resistance decreases.
Immune functioning may become impaired.
Vulnerability to infection or illness increases.
This connection is explored in greater depth in stress-related effects on health [Stress and illness].
The three stages compared
Stage | What triggers it? | Main response | Resistance to stress | Possible outcome |
Alarm reaction | First detection of a stressor | Rapid physiological mobilisation | Initially disrupted, then activated | The body prepares for immediate action |
Resistance | The stressor continues | Prolonged adaptation and continued arousal | Maintained for a period | The person continues coping while resources are used |
Exhaustion | The stressor continues beyond the body’s capacity | Resources become depleted | Falls | Immunosuppression and increased illness vulnerability may occur |
The complete process
A developed explanation of GAS should show movement through the entire sequence.
Step 1: A stressor is detected
The body recognises a demand that requires adaptation.
Step 2: Alarm reaction begins
Physiological arousal rapidly increases and resources are mobilised.
Step 3: The stressor continues
The immediate response cannot remain at its initial intensity indefinitely.
Step 4: Resistance develops
The body adapts and maintains an elevated level of physiological activity.
Step 5: Resources continue to be used
The person may continue functioning, but prolonged activation places demands on the body.
Step 6: Exhaustion may occur
If the stressor remains and resources become depleted, resistance falls and illness vulnerability increases.
Applying GAS to an unfamiliar scenario
Consider this example:
Mara begins a demanding placement. On her first day, she feels her heart pounding and becomes highly alert. Over the following two months, she continues meeting her deadlines but sleeps poorly and often feels tense. Near the end of the placement, she becomes extremely tired and develops repeated infections.
A developed application would explain:
Mara’s pounding heart and high alertness on the first day indicate the alarm reaction because her body is rapidly mobilising resources.
Continuing to meet deadlines while remaining tense suggests resistance, because her body is adapting to the continuing stressor.
Her extreme tiredness and repeated infections suggest exhaustion, because prolonged stress may have depleted resources and compromised immune functioning.
A weak answer would simply label the three parts without explaining why they fit each stage.
Application structure
Use the following structure:
Scenario detail → GAS stage → explanation of the physiological process
For example:
Mara develops repeated infections after months of stress. This could indicate the exhaustion stage because prolonged resistance may have compromised her immune system, increasing her vulnerability to illness.
Distinguishing alarm from resistance
The alarm and resistance stages both involve physiological arousal, but they occur at different points.
Alarm reaction | Resistance |
Immediate response | Continuing response |
Begins when the stressor is first detected | Develops when the stressor remains |
Rapid mobilisation | Sustained adaptation |
Prepares the person for action | Helps the person continue functioning |
Linked particularly to acute stress | Linked particularly to prolonged stress |
A scenario describing an immediate shock, rapid heartbeat or sudden alertness is likely to indicate alarm.
A scenario describing continued functioning over days, weeks or months while stress remains is more likely to indicate resistance.
Distinguishing resistance from exhaustion
The central difference concerns whether the body can still maintain adaptation.
Resistance | Exhaustion |
Resources are still sufficient to continue coping | Resources are no longer sufficient |
Resistance to the stressor remains relatively high | Resistance falls |
The person may appear to function normally | Functioning and health may deteriorate |
Immune functioning may still be maintained | Immunosuppression may develop |
Recovery remains possible if the stressor ends | Illness vulnerability is increased |
GAS and the physiological pathways
GAS gives an overview of the response across time. The HPA system and sympathomedullary pathway explain particular biological mechanisms within that process.
General adaptation syndrome | Physiological pathways |
Describes the response across stages | Describe how particular signals are transmitted |
Includes alarm, resistance and exhaustion | Include the HPA system and sympathomedullary pathway |
Explains adaptation over time | Explain rapid and prolonged physiological activation |
Links prolonged stress to exhaustion | Explain the role of hormones such as cortisol |
A strong answer to a question specifically about GAS should remain focused on the stages. Detailed pathway knowledge should only be added when it directly helps answer the question.
Evaluating General Adaptation Syndrome
Strength: it links short-term and long-term stress
A strength of GAS is that it explains how an immediate stress response can develop into a long-term health risk.
The model distinguishes:
Rapid mobilisation during alarm.
Continuing adaptation during resistance.
Reduced functioning during exhaustion.
This provides a coherent explanation of why a response that may be useful in the short term can become harmful when prolonged.
The alarm response may help the person deal with immediate danger. However, maintaining physiological activation for too long may increase wear on the body.
Strength: it explains the relationship between stress and illness
GAS has explanatory value because it connects prolonged stress with:
Depletion of biological resources.
Reduced resistance.
Immunosuppression.
Increased vulnerability to illness.
This makes a clear prediction:
People exposed to severe or continuing stress should be more likely to show reduced immune functioning or stress-related health problems.
The link between prolonged stress, sustained cortisol and reduced immune function is also recognised in AQA material on immunosuppression and cardiovascular health [Stress and illness].
Strength: it offers an organised framework
The three-stage structure makes a complex physiological process easier to understand.
It helps students and researchers distinguish:
The start of the response.
Adaptation to continuing demand.
The possible effects of prolonged exposure.
This organisation also has practical value. It emphasises that continuing to function does not necessarily mean that stress has ended.
A person may appear to be coping during resistance while still experiencing prolonged physiological activation.
Strength: physiological effects can be measured
GAS focuses on biological changes, many of which can be investigated objectively.
Possible physiological indicators of stress include:
Heart rate.
Blood pressure.
Hormonal activity.
Immune functioning.
Skin conductance.
Objective measures can reduce reliance on a person’s subjective judgement of whether they feel stressed.
However, a physiological change does not always identify the precise cause. Increased arousal may occur for reasons other than stress, so the context must still be considered.
Limitation: the response may not be completely general
GAS proposes a broadly similar response to different stressors.
This may be too simple because different stressors may produce different patterns of response.
For example:
An immediate physical threat may produce rapid mobilisation.
A continuing workload may produce prolonged tension.
Bereavement may involve a different emotional and behavioural pattern.
Lack of control may affect stress differently from excessive workload.
The response may therefore depend partly on the type, meaning and controllability of the stressor.
This weakens the claim that one general sequence can explain every stress response equally well.
Limitation: the model may oversimplify the stages
Stress may not always develop through three clearly separated stages.
In real life:
The boundaries between stages may be unclear.
Several stressors may occur at once.
A stressor may repeatedly stop and restart.
Recovery may be incomplete.
A person may move between higher and lower levels of arousal.
The stage structure is useful for organising knowledge, but the actual physiological response may be more continuous and variable.
Limitation: individual differences are underemphasised
People do not respond identically to the same stressor.
Differences may be related to:
Personality.
Hardiness.
Perceived control.
Previous experience.
Coping strategies.
Social support.
One person may remain in resistance for a long period, while another may experience health difficulties more quickly.
The importance of these differences is explored in behavioural patterns linked to stress [Personality types and stress] and commitment, challenge and control [Hardiness].
This suggests that GAS may provide a general framework but cannot predict each individual’s response precisely.
Limitation: psychological interpretation is neglected
GAS is primarily a physiological explanation.
It says relatively little about:
How the person interprets the stressor.
Whether the person believes they can cope.
The meaning the event has for them.
Their available psychological resources.
Their chosen coping response.
Two people may encounter the same event but interpret it differently. One may see it as threatening, while the other sees it as manageable.
A purely physiological stage model may therefore overlook important psychological influences on the response.
Limitation: biological reductionism
GAS may be described as biologically reductionist because it explains stress mainly in terms of bodily processes and resource depletion.
Reductionism can be useful because it:
Produces a focused explanation.
Identifies measurable processes.
Allows clear predictions.
Links stress to physical health.
However, it may neglect:
Cognitive appraisal.
Social circumstances.
Workplace control.
Daily hassles.
Coping and support.
This evaluation can be developed using levels of explanation [Holism and reductionism].
Limitation: biological determinism
GAS may appear biologically deterministic because it suggests that prolonged exposure produces a predictable sequence of bodily responses.
This can be helpful because it explains stress-related illness without blaming the person.
However, a strongly deterministic interpretation may underestimate:
Personal control.
Coping behaviour.
The possibility of changing the environment.
Support from other people.
Individual resilience.
The fact that people differ in hardiness and coping suggests that the progression towards exhaustion is not inevitable.
Does everyone reach exhaustion?
No. GAS does not mean that every stress response must end in exhaustion.
The outcome may depend on whether:
The stressor ends.
The person adapts successfully.
Resources are restored.
The environment changes.
Coping or social support reduces the demand.
A careful answer should use language such as:
“Exhaustion may occur.”
“Prolonged stress can reduce immune functioning.”
“Vulnerability to illness may increase.”
Avoid presenting illness as an unavoidable result of experiencing stress.
Overall evaluation
GAS provides a clear biological account of how the response to stress may change over time. Its three stages explain why immediate arousal can be adaptive but prolonged activation can contribute to exhaustion, immunosuppression and illness.
However, the model may be too general and stage-like. It underestimates differences between stressors, individuals and psychological interpretations. GAS is therefore most useful as a broad framework for understanding prolonged physiological stress, rather than as a complete explanation of every person’s response.
Planning an extended response
For an extended question, organise your answer around knowledge, application and evaluation.
Knowledge and understanding
Explain:
GAS as a stage-based process of adaptation.
The alarm reaction.
The resistance stage.
The exhaustion stage.
Resource depletion.
Immunosuppression.
The possible link between prolonged stress and illness.
Application
For each detail in the scenario:
Identify the relevant stage.
Quote or paraphrase the detail.
Explain why it indicates that stage.
Connect it to the physiological process.
Evaluation
Develop points such as:
The link between acute and chronic stress.
The explanation of stress-related illness.
Objective physiological measurement.
Oversimplification of the stages.
Differences between stressors.
Individual differences.
Psychological interpretation.
Biological reductionism and determinism.
A command such as discuss requires both accurate description and developed evaluation.
Key Words 🔑
Key word | Student-friendly definition | How it may be used in an exam |
Stress | The physiological and psychological response to demands requiring adaptation | Use it as the overall response being explained |
Stressor | An event, condition or demand that produces a stress response | Identify the source of stress in an application scenario |
General adaptation syndrome | A three-stage explanation of how the body responds and adapts to a continuing stressor | Name and explain the overall model |
GAS | The abbreviation for general adaptation syndrome | Use only after writing the full term once |
Adaptation | The body’s attempt to adjust to a continuing demand | Explain what occurs during resistance |
Alarm reaction | The initial stage in which the body rapidly mobilises resources | Apply it to immediate arousal after a stressor begins |
Resistance | The stage in which the body maintains adaptation to a continuing stressor | Apply it when a person continues functioning under prolonged stress |
Exhaustion | The stage in which resources become depleted and resistance falls | Apply it to severe fatigue, reduced functioning or illness vulnerability |
Acute stress | A short-term response to an immediate demand | Contrast it with prolonged stress |
Chronic stress | Stress that continues over a prolonged period | Explain movement through resistance towards possible exhaustion |
Physiological arousal | Increased bodily activity produced by the stress response | Describe what rises during alarm and remains elevated during resistance |
Immunosuppression | Reduced immune functioning which weakens protection against disease | Explain a possible consequence of exhaustion |
Resource depletion | The reduction of biological resources after prolonged adaptation | Link resistance with exhaustion |
Biological reductionism | Explaining a complex experience mainly through physical processes | Evaluate the model’s narrow physiological focus |
Biological determinism | The view that behaviour or responses are governed by biological processes | Evaluate whether GAS underestimates control and coping |
Hints from the Examiner Reports 💡
Examiner hint: Learn the exact term general adaptation syndrome. AQA has previously presented it as a definition question describing a stage-based adaptation process that can end with immune-system damage.
Examiner hint: When a question asks for one term, give one precise answer. The 2021 report noted that when students supplied more than one term for a definition, only the first answer was credited.
Examiner hint: Do not confuse description with evaluation. The same report found that many six-mark evaluation answers remained descriptive, while stronger answers used evidence to support or challenge an explanation.
Examiner hint: For an application question, identifying the stage is only the beginning. Explain why the detail shows alarm, resistance or exhaustion.
Examiner hint: Use specialist terminology accurately. Phrases such as resource depletion, physiological arousal and immunosuppression are useful only when their role in the model is explained.
Examiner hint: In an extended response, combine the three assessment skills. Describe the model, apply the stages to separate parts of the scenario and develop the implications of each evaluation point.
Examiner hint: Keep physiological mechanisms relevant to the command. A question about GAS requires the three stages. A question about the HPA system or sympathomedullary pathway requires the detailed sequence for that particular pathway.
Common Mistakes ⚠️
Mistake: Describing GAS as a single immediate response.
Why this is incorrect:GAS is a process that develops across three stages when a stressor continues.
How to improve:Describe alarm, resistance and exhaustion in the correct order.
Mistake: Saying that resistance means the stress has ended.
Why this is incorrect:During resistance, the stressor remains and physiological activation continues.
How to improve:Explain that the body is adapting to the continuing demand.
Mistake: Treating resistance as a form of conscious refusal.
Why this is incorrect:Resistance refers to the body maintaining physiological adaptation, not the person deliberately refusing to respond.
How to improve:Link resistance to continuing arousal and the use of biological resources.
Mistake: Defining exhaustion as ordinary tiredness.
Why this is incorrect:Exhaustion involves reduced capacity to adapt after prolonged stress and may include compromised immune functioning.
How to improve:Refer to resource depletion, falling resistance and increased illness vulnerability.
Mistake: Saying that everyone who experiences stress reaches exhaustion.
Why this is incorrect:The person may recover if the stressor ends or is managed before resources are depleted.
How to improve:Use conditional language such as “may progress to exhaustion”.
Mistake: Confusing exhaustion with immunosuppression.
Why this is incorrect:Exhaustion is the stage. Immunosuppression is one possible physiological consequence.
How to improve:Write the sequence clearly: prolonged stress may lead to exhaustion, which may compromise immune functioning.
Mistake: Putting the stages in the wrong order.
Why this is incorrect:The model begins with alarm, moves to resistance if the stressor continues and may end in exhaustion.
How to improve:Remember the sequence A-R-E: alarm, resistance, exhaustion.
Mistake: Saying arousal returns to normal during resistance.
Why this is incorrect:The person may appear to function normally, but physiological activity remains elevated.
How to improve:Distinguish outward functioning from continuing internal activation.
Mistake: Describing the HPA system instead of GAS.
Why this is incorrect:The HPA system is a particular physiological pathway. GAS is the broader three-stage model.
How to improve:Answer the named topic first, then use pathway knowledge only where it develops the explanation.
Mistake: Giving generic evaluation such as “the theory is reductionist”.
Why this is incorrect:A label alone does not explain why reductionism limits the model.
How to improve:State that GAS focuses on physiology and may neglect appraisal, coping, control and social support.
Mistake: Applying a stage without using the scenario.
Why this is incorrect:Writing “this is resistance” does not demonstrate why the detail fits that stage.
How to improve:Use a precise detail and explain the process it indicates.
Exam-Style Questions ✍️
Question 1
Which of the following shows the correct order of the stages in general adaptation syndrome?
A. Resistance, alarm, exhaustionB. Alarm, exhaustion, resistanceC. Alarm, resistance, exhaustionD. Exhaustion, alarm, resistance
[1 mark]
Question 2
Define general adaptation syndrome.
[2 marks]
Question 3
Name and briefly describe the three stages of general adaptation syndrome.
[6 marks]
Question 4
Explain one difference between the resistance stage and the exhaustion stage.
[3 marks]
Question 5
Aisha begins a new job. During her first presentation, her heart pounds and she becomes highly alert. During the following six weeks, she continues working long hours and meeting her targets, although she remains tense and sleeps poorly. She later becomes extremely fatigued and develops several infections.
Use general adaptation syndrome to explain Aisha’s responses.
[6 marks]
Question 6
Explain how prolonged stress may lead to immunosuppression according to general adaptation syndrome.
[4 marks]
Question 7
Evaluate general adaptation syndrome as an explanation of the physiological response to stress.
[8 marks]
Question 8
Dev has been caring for a relative while completing a demanding training course. When the additional responsibilities first began, he experienced rapid heartbeat and intense alertness. For several months, Dev managed both responsibilities, although he felt continually tense. He now feels unable to cope, is extremely tired and has experienced repeated illness.
Discuss general adaptation syndrome. Refer to Dev in your answer.
[16 marks]
Answers and mark scheme
Question 1
Answer: C
The correct sequence is alarm, resistance and exhaustion.
[1 mark]
Question 2
Award up to two marks:
General adaptation syndrome is a stage-based explanation of the body’s response to stress.
It explains how the body attempts to adapt to a continuing stressor and may eventually reach exhaustion.
[2 marks]
Question 3
Award up to two marks for each stage:
Alarm reaction: the stressor is first detected and the body rapidly mobilises physiological resources.
Resistance: the body adapts to the continuing stressor and maintains an elevated level of physiological activity.
Exhaustion: prolonged stress depletes resources, resistance falls and illness vulnerability may increase.
Full marks require all three stages in the correct order with some description.
[6 marks]
Question 4
Award marks for a clear distinction:
During resistance, the body can still maintain adaptation to the continuing stressor.
During exhaustion, resources have become depleted and the ability to resist has fallen.
A relevant elaboration, such as exhaustion increasing vulnerability to immunosuppression or illness.
[3 marks]
Question 5
Award one mark for each clear application, up to six marks:
The new job or presentation is the stressor.
Aisha’s pounding heart and heightened alertness indicate the alarm reaction.
Her body is rapidly mobilising resources.
Continuing to meet targets over six weeks while remaining tense indicates resistance.
Extreme fatigue indicates possible exhaustion after prolonged adaptation.
Repeated infections may indicate immunosuppression associated with exhaustion.
Credit other accurate applications of the three stages.
[6 marks]
Question 6
Award up to four marks:
A continuing stressor causes the body to remain in the resistance stage.
Maintaining the response uses biological resources over time.
If the stress continues, resources may become depleted and exhaustion may occur.
Immune functioning may become compromised, reducing protection against infection or disease.
[4 marks]
Question 7
Indicative content may include:
Knowledge
GAS is a stage-based model.
The alarm reaction involves rapid mobilisation.
Resistance involves continued adaptation and physiological activation.
Exhaustion involves resource depletion and reduced resistance.
Prolonged stress may contribute to immunosuppression and illness.
Evaluation
Links immediate and prolonged stress.
Provides an organised framework.
Explains how chronic stress may affect health.
Physiological processes can be measured objectively.
May overgeneralise across different stressors.
The stages may be less distinct than the model suggests.
Underestimates individual differences.
Neglects cognitive appraisal and coping.
May be biologically reductionist or deterministic.
For the highest marks, evaluation should be developed and focused on the explanatory value of GAS.
[8 marks]
Question 8
Indicative content may include:
Knowledge and understanding
GAS explains adaptation to a continuing stressor.
Alarm is the initial mobilisation stage.
Resistance involves prolonged adaptation.
Exhaustion may occur when biological resources are depleted.
Exhaustion may lead to immunosuppression and increased illness vulnerability.
Application to Dev
Caring responsibilities and training demands are continuing stressors.
Rapid heartbeat and intense alertness indicate alarm.
Managing both responsibilities for several months suggests resistance.
Continuing tension indicates that physiological activation remained elevated.
Feeling unable to cope and extremely tired suggests exhaustion.
Repeated illness may indicate compromised immune functioning.
Evaluation
Dev’s changing response across time illustrates the usefulness of a stage-based model.
GAS explains how a useful immediate response can become harmful when prolonged.
The model links chronic stress with illness.
Dev’s experience does not prove that every person would follow the same sequence.
Personality, hardiness, control and social support could affect his response.
The boundaries between resistance and exhaustion may be unclear.
The model focuses on biology and may neglect Dev’s interpretation of his responsibilities.
The stress response may depend on the nature and controllability of the stressor.
A biological framework is scientifically useful but may be reductionist.
A high-level response will be accurate, organised and focused. It will use several separate details from the scenario and develop its evaluation rather than presenting a list of brief strengths and limitations.
[16 marks]
Comments