General Adoption Syndrome (G.A.S.) - Limitations of G.A.S.

Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome explains stress mainly as a bodily (physiological) response to any demand.​ However, in real life, different people do not react in the same way to the same situation.​ This shows that our thoughts and evaluations (cognitive processes) also play a major role in deciding whether we feel stressed or not.​ Because Selye’s model does not include these cognitive processes, it has important limitations.

• GAS focuses on what happens in the body (alarm, resistance, exhaustion).​
• It does not explain why one person finds a situation very stressful, while another person in the same situation stays calm.​
• It fails to consider the role of cognitive appraisal – how we interpret and judge an event as harmless, threatening, or challenging.​

Psychologists such as Lazarus and Folkman (1984) and Croyle (1992) explained stress using cognitive appraisal.​

(a) Primary Appraisal

• The person asks: “Is this situation important for me or my goals?”
• The situation may be seen as: Irrelevant, Benign–positive (good), and Stressful (harmful, threatening, or challenging)​
• Stress is likely when the event is judged as threatening to important goals or well‑being.​

(b) Secondary Appraisal

• The person then asks: “Can I handle this situation?”
• They judge their coping resources, such as Skills and abilities, Support from others, and Time and energy available.
• Stress is likely when the person believes that their coping resources are not enough to deal with the demands.​

A grandson has not returned from school on time.

Grandmother’s reaction:

• Imagines serious danger (e.g., abduction).
• Becomes very tense and anxious.

Grandfather’s reaction:

• Stays calm and says, “Do not worry, he will come within half an hour.”

After 15 minutes, the child returns; the delay happened because the rickshaw got punctured. The event was the same, but stress was experienced only by the grandmother, because her appraisal of the situation was more threatening.​

• Selye’s GAS focuses on bodily reactions and ignores cognitive appraisal.​
• Stress depends on how we interpret a situation, not only on the situation itself.​
• Primary appraisal: Is the event important and threatening?
• Secondary appraisal: Do I have enough resources to cope?​
• When a situation is seen as threatening and coping is seen as inadequate, stress is experienced; otherwise, stress may not be felt.