Development of Stress Models

The “Fight or Flight” model is one of the earliest theories of stress, proposed by Walter Cannon. The model suggests that when an individual perceives a threat, the body responds by releasing adrenaline, preparing the body to either confront or evade the threat.
Another early theory is Hans Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS), which includes three stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion. In the alarm stage, the body reacts to the stressor, in the resistance stage, the body adapts to, and fights off, the stressor, and in the exhaustion stage, the body’s resources are depleted.
Richard Lazarus proposed the Transactional Model of stress, which suggests that stress is a transaction between people and their environment. How stressful an event is depends on the event itself, but also how it’s perceived and handled by the individual.
Another model is the Tend and Befriend model, which was proposed by Shelley Taylor and others. This model argues that females are more likely to deal with stress by nurturing others and seeking social support, while males are more likely to exhibit fight-or-flight responses.
The Diathesis-stress model suggests that stressful life events and a person’s vulnerability or predisposition (genetic or psychological) can both factor in the development of psychological disorders.
There are significant individual differences in how people perceive, interpret and deal with stress. Factors such as personality traits (optimism vs pessimism), coping styles (problem-focused vs emotion-focused), and social support can all affect how much stress a person experiences and how they manage it.
Lastly, it is crucial to remember that stress models are not mutually exclusive. They all contribute to our understanding of stress from different perspectives, and understanding each model can help in devising appropriate stress management strategies.