GENERAL

ADAPTATION SYNDROME
Shivansh Rattan
2021437315
B.A.(Hons.) Psychology
Sem-6
2021-2024
GENERAL ADAPTATION SYNDROME
● General adaptation syndrome (GAS) is a theory that describes the physiological changes the
body experiences when under stress. The syndrome includes three stages: the alarm stage,
the resistance stage, and the exhaustion stage.
● General adaptation syndrome was first described by Hans Selye in 1936
● In the GAS model, There are 3 stages ( one of which is further divided into sub stages) :
1. Alarm stage
1.1. Shock phase
1.2. Countershock phase
2. Resistance stage
3. Exhaustion stage
1. ALARM STAGE
● It refers to the initial symptoms the body experiences when under stress.
● It is when the central nervous system is awakened, causing the body's defenses to assemble.
● This stage results in a fight-flight-freeze reaction.

1.1. SHOCK PHASE

● Distinguished by decrease in body temperature and blood pressure.
● Loss of fluid from body tissues also occurs.

1.2. COUNTERSHOCK PHASE

● During this phase of alarm stage, the body’s fight-or-flight response is triggered.
● Increase in Heart rate and blood pressure is observed due to release of stress
hormones and adrenaline.
2. RESISTANCE STAGE
● During this stage, the body begins to repair itself.
● If the stressful situation is resolved, the body continues to repair itself until it returns to its
pre-stress state.
● If the stressful situation is not resolved, the body remains on high alert, eventually adapting to
the higher stress level.
● Stress hormones and blood pressure remain elevated.
● This can lead to hypertension and heart problems as well as irritability, frustration, and poor
concentration.
3. EXHAUSTION STAGE
● This stage occurs during prolonged or chronic stress.
● It occurs when the body’s adaptation to higher stress levels starts to break down.
● When the body no longer has the strength or resources to fight the stress.
● During this stage, the body shows certain symptoms :
● Trouble sleeping
● Severe loss of concentration
● Fatigue
● Depressed mood
● Trembling or jumpiness
● Anxiety attacks
● Crying spells
● Stress-related illnesses
GENERAL ADAPTATION SYNDROME
● Alarm stage is good if it lasts only for short periods of time, or for mild stressors. That time
it is not considered harmful and is a natural mechanism to protect us from danger.
● Prolonged or chronic stressors may result to taking longer for the body to repair, leading
to exhaustion stage.
YERKES-DODSON LAW

Shivansh Rattan
2021437315
B.A.(Hons.) Psychology
Sem-6
2021-2024
YERKES-DODSON LAW
● The law was first described in 1908.
● It was proposed by psychologists Robert Yerkes and John Dillingham Dodson.
● The Yerkes-Dodson Law suggests there is a relationship between performance and arousal.
● Increased arousal can help improve performance up to a certain point, At the point when
arousal becomes excessive, performance diminishes.
● The theory asserts that there is an optimal level of arousal (stress) that we all try to maintain.
● If we are under-aroused, we become bored and will seek out some sort of stimulation. On the
other hand, if we are over-aroused, we will engage in behaviors to reduce our arousal/stress.
● They discovered mild electrical shocks could be used to motivate rats to complete a maze
but, when the electrical shocks became too strong, the rats would begin scurrying in random
directions to escape.
● The law dictates that performance increases with physiological or mental arousal, but only up
to a point.