Which statement about stressors is accurate?

• A. Stressors impact each person the same way
• B. Stressors change across the life span
• C. Stressors always impact physiological health
• D. Stressors are measurable for each person

Answer: (B)

Stressors change across the life span. As people move through different stages—childhood, adolescence, adulthood, aging—the demands they face, the sources of stress, and the resources available to cope with them shift. What feels stressful at one age may not at another, and life events can carry different significance depending on where you are in development. People also vary in how they perceive and respond to stress, so a single event isn’t universally stressful for everyone and doesn’t always translate to physiological illness. Perception, context, and coping resources all influence how stressors impact a person, reinforcing that their nature and effect evolve over time.