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Stimulus-based definitions treat stress as a demanding event such as overcrowding or a long commute. What is the main problem with defining stress this way?

AThey describe stress only as a physiological reaction of the body
BThey treat pleasant events as incapable of producing any arousal
CThey apply only to events that threaten a person's health or safety
DThey ignore that people differ in how they view the same event
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. They ignore that people differ in how they view the same event
1. A stimulus-based definition names the demanding event itself as the stress. 2. That framing fails to recognize that people differ in how they view and react to challenging life events and situations. 3. A conscientious student who has studied all semester experiences less stress in exam week than an unprepared one, even though the exam is identical. 4. Describing stress purely as a bodily reaction is the response-based definition, which is a different position entirely. 5. Stimulus-based definitions do not deny that pleasant events arouse people, and they are not restricted to threats to health or safety. 6. So the failure is the neglect of individual differences in appraisal. _Source: OpenStax Psychology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 14 "Stress, Lifestyle, and Health", section 14.1 What Is Stress?_
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