What was Dr. Hans Selye's contribution to the study of stress?

Choice A rationale While questionnaires are used in stress research, Selye's primary contribution was not creating a specific questionnaire. His work was foundational in defining the physiological response to stress itself, regardless of the individual's perception. His model, the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS), describes the body's non-specific physiological response to any stressor, detailing a three-stage process that is a fundamental concept in the study of stress. Choice B rationale The development of scales to measure stressful life events is a significant area of stress research, often attributed to other researchers like Holmes and Rahe with their Social Readjustment Rating Scale. Selye's contribution was a physiological model of stress response rather than a psychological one focused on individual perceptions. The GAS describes an involuntary, biological response to any stressor, not an individual's subjective rating of it. Choice C rationale Dr. Hans Selye's groundbreaking work described the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS), a three-stage physiological response to stress. The stages are alarm reaction (the initial "fight-or-flight" response), resistance (where the body attempts to cope with the stressor), and exhaustion (where the body's resources are depleted, leading to potential illness or death). This model is a cornerstone of modern stress theory. Choice D rationale Selye's resistance stage describes the body's attempt to adapt to the stressor and return to homeostasis. It is a period of sustained effort to cope, not the use of psychological defense mechanisms. While defense mechanisms are a psychological response to stress, Selye's model is a physiological one. The exhaustion stage follows when the body's resources for resistance are depleted, not when defense mechanisms are used.