Overview

• Understanding stress as solely a physical response can limit our grasp on the complex nature of stress.

Limited Scope

• Physiological models of stress concentrate only on physical responses, like heart rate or cortisol levels, and ignore important psychological aspects.
• This perspective disregards the subjectivity of human experiences - two people may experience the same event differently depending on their individual perception and interpretation.

Neglects Psychological Influence

• Stress frequently arises from the way we perceive and interpret events, rather than the nature of the events themselves, a facet missed by a purely physiological view.
• Cognitive Appraisal Theory argues that what we think, believe and tell ourselves has a significant impact on our stress levels. Failing to incorporate these psychological components gives an incomplete picture of stress.

Disregards Social and Environmental Factors

• A purely physiological approach neglects considering external factors like socioeconomic conditions, job demands, or social support.
• Understanding stress in a broader context, including how an unstable environment may elicit stress, can give a deeper insight into the ways to manage it.

Unrealistic Approaches to Stress Management

• Focusing on physiological symptoms alone might lead to an overreliance on medicinal approaches to stress management.
• Behavioural and cognitive techniques, like mindfulness, cognitive behavioural therapy, and biofeedback, can play vital roles in stress management and need to be included in a comprehensive understanding of stress.

Individual Differences

• There is great variability in individuals' responses to stress. People differ in their resiliences, coping mechanisms, and what they find stressful.
• Stress responses can also differ based on sex, age, and conditioning amongst other factors, which a purely physiological perspective fails to account for.

In conclusion, while physical responses form a crucial part of the stress response, viewing stress as a purely physiological response risks ignoring the important psychological, environmental, social and individual factors involved. Stress management, therefore, needs to be approached from a holistic viewpoint.