Question

Mrs. Sharma, a teacher in a local school sensed smoke coming into her classroom. She was startled and realised that something was wrong and immediately opened the windows and doors. She grabbed the fire extinguisher and guided her students to safety as per the evacuation plan.

Identify the stage of General Adaptation Syndrome at which Mrs. Sharma was when she sensed the smoke.

Answer 1

Mrs. Sharma was at Alarm Reaction Stage. The presence of a harmful stimulus or stressor leads to activation of the adrenal-pituitary-cortex system. This triggers the release of hormones producing the stress response and prepares the individual for fight or flight.