According to the GAS (General Adaptation System), the stage one will experience the activation of the adrenal pituitary cortex system for fight or flight?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Alarm Reaction Stage
Option (1) Resistance Stage — Incorrect. This is the second stage of the General Adaptation Syndrome. If stress is prolonged, the parasympathetic nervous system calls for more cautious use of the body’s resources, and the body tries to cope with the stressor.
Option (2) Exhaustion Stage — Incorrect. This is the third stage: continued exposure to the same stressor drains the body’s resources, and stress-related diseases become more likely.
Option (3) Alarm Reaction Stage — Correct. In this first stage, the presence of a noxious stimulus or stressor activates the adrenal-pituitary-cortex system. Hormones producing the stress response are released, and the person is ready for fight or flight.
Option (4) Burnout — Incorrect. Selye’s model has only three stages: alarm reaction, resistance and exhaustion. Burnout is a state of physical, emotional and psychological exhaustion, not a stage of this model.
Note 1: It seems that there is a mistake in the original NTA paper, which prints ‘General Adaptation System’ when it should read ‘General Adaptation Syndrome’. GAS is Hans Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome, the three-stage pattern of the body’s response to stress, and the question asks about its stages, so the intended reading is clear.
Note 2: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2022 on 05-08-2022 (Slot 2), and in CUET (UG) 2026 on 15-05-2026 (Slot 1).
NCERT (2025-26): “General Adaptation Syndrome … Selye noticed a similar pattern of bodily response in all of them. He called this pattern the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS). According to him, GAS involves three stages: alarm reaction, resistance, and exhaustion (see Fig.3.3). … Alarm reaction stage : The presence of a noxious stimulus or stressor leads to activation of the adrenal-pituitary-cortex system. This triggers the release of hormones producing the stress response. Now the individual is ready for fight or flight.…”
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