Which of the following is a major criticism of both the stimulus-based and response-based definitions of stress?

• A. They define stress solely as a positive experience.
• B. They focus exclusively on biological factors and ignore psychological aspects.
• C. They fail to account for individual differences in how people perceive and cope with stressors.
• D. They only consider chronic stress and overlook acute stress.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that both stimulus-based and response-based definitions of stress attempt to explain what stress is by focusing on either the external events (stimuli) or the internal reactions (responses).
2. Recognize that a major limitation of these definitions is that they do not consider how different individuals perceive and react to the same stressor differently, which is crucial in understanding stress.
3. Note that the stimulus-based definition focuses on the external stressor itself, while the response-based definition focuses on the physiological or psychological reactions, but neither fully incorporates individual psychological appraisal.
4. Recall that psychological appraisal refers to how a person interprets and evaluates a stressor, which can vary widely between individuals and influences their coping mechanisms.
5. Conclude that the major criticism is that these definitions fail to account for individual differences in perception and coping, which is essential for a comprehensive understanding of stress.