Final answer:
Arousal is linked to difficulty concentrating, and dissociation is linked to avoiding people in the context of acute stress disorder symptoms. These symptoms relate to the general adaptation syndrome that explains physical and psychological adjustments to stress over time.
Step-by-step explanation:
With respect to the symptoms of acute stress disorder, arousal is to dissociation as difficulty concentrating is to avoiding people. The pairing is meant to demonstrate the contrasting symptoms of the disorder where hyperarousal reflects heightened psychological activity such as irritability or hypervigilance, and dissociation represents detachment from reality or emotional numbness. Difficulty concentrating can be a symptom of the heightened stress response, akin to arousal, while avoiding people is a behavior that may stem from dissociative symptoms.
The discussion about how stress impacts the body, particularly with reference to the general adaptation syndrome, reflects the process by which the body adjusts to stress over time. This adjustment includes the three stages: alarm reaction, the stage of resistance, and the stage of exhaustion, each with their own characteristic impacts on the body and mental state. This understanding can provide insight into treatments for disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), where managing stress and mitigating its effects are crucial.