Biopsych- Fight or flight response

Question 1

Why is the heart rate increased in the fight or flight response?

Answer 1

-To increase blood flow to vital organs + muscles
-Increase movement of adrenaline around the body

Question 2

Why is breathing right increased?

Answer 2

To increase oxygen intake with every breath

Question 3

Why do pupils dilate?

Answer 3

To increase light intake

Question 4

Why is sweat produced?

Answer 4

To regulate temprature

Question 5

Why is there a reduction in non-essential function (digestive system, urination, salivation)

Answer 5

To increase energy for essential functions

Question 6

What is the function of the parasympathetic nervous system?

Answer 6

-Dampens down the stress response (slows heartbeat, reduces blood pressure, digestion resumes)

Question 7

What is the HPA axis?

Answer 7

-When the brain continues to percieve something stressful the HPA axis kicks in

Question 8

What activates the HPA axis?

Answer 8

Hypothalamus

Question 9

What is the role of the hypothalamus in the HPA axis?

Answer 9

-Releases a chemical messenger
-Corticotrophin-releasing hormone
-Into the bloodstream

Question 10

what is the role of the pituitary gland in the HPA axis?

Answer 10

-CRH arrives at the pituitary gland
-Causes the production and release of Adrenocorticotropic hormone
-ATCH is transported in the bloodstream to its target site in the adrenal glands

Question 11

What is the role of the adrenal glands in the HPA axis?

Answer 11

-ATCH stimulates the adrenal cortex to release several stress-related hormones such as cortisol

Question 12

What is the effects of cortisol?

Answer 12

Positive= quick bursts of energy
Negative= Impaired cognitive performance and lowered immune system

Question 13

What is the 1st step of the fight or flight response?

Answer 13

-Person enters stressful situation

Question 14

What is the 2nd step of the fight or flight response?

Answer 14

-The amygdala (part of the limbic system) is activated
-Sends distress signal to the hypothalamus

Question 15

What is the 3rd step of the fight or flight response?

Answer 15

-The hypothalamus activates the symthamedvalley pathway (SAM pathway)
-Path running from to the adrenal medulla and the sympathetic nervous system

Question 16

What is the 4th step of the fight or flight response?

Answer 16

-The SNS stimulates the adrenal medulla (part of the adrenal gland)

Question 17

What is the 5th step of the fight or flight response?

Answer 17

-Adrenal medulla secretes adrenaline and noradrenaline into the bloodstream

Question 18

What is the 6th step of the fight or flight response?

Answer 18

-Adrenaline causes a number of physiological changes to prepare the body for fight/flight response

Question 19

Other than adrenaline what else do the adrenal glands produce?

Answer 19

-ATP
-energy-storing molecule that provides a short-lived, intense surge of energy

Question 20

Adrenaline is transported around the body in the 1._____ and binds to 2._____ on its 3.____ organs

Answer 20

1.bloodstream
2.receptors
3. target

Question 21

One of the targets of adrenaline is the SAN, leading to an increase in the frequency of 1._____

Answer 21

1.excitations

Question 22

More blood means more 1.________ available for muscle cells, which in turn, increases the rate of 2._____ respiration

More 3._____ is therefore provided to deal with the situation

Answer 22

1.oxygen and glucose
2.aerobic
3.energy

Question 23

Give a limitation of the fight or flight response (human behaviour is not just limited to two responses)

Answer 23

-One limitation of the fight or flight response is that human behaviour is not limited to just two responses
-Gray (1988) suggests that the first response to danger is to avoid confrontation altogether which is demonstrated by a freeze response
-During the freeze response humans are hyper-vigilant while they appraise the situation to decide on the best course of action for that particular threat
-Suggests that the fight or flight explanation of behaviour is limited and does not fully explain the complex cognitive + biological factors that underpin the human response to stress/ danger

Question 24

Give another limitation of the fight or flight response (effect on health)?

Answer 24

-A final issue with the fight or flight response is that it can have a negative/ detrimental effect on health, especially in modern-day life
-While the fight or flight response may have been a useful survival mechanism for our anscters who faced genuinely life-threatening situations (eg. from predators, modern-day life rarely requires such as an intense biological response
-This matters because the fight/flight response can increase blood pressure and cause damage to blood vessels and contribute to heart disease
-This suggests that the fight or flight response is a maladaptive response in modern-day life

Question 25

Give another issue with the fight or flight response (Doesnt fully explain the response in females)

Answer 25

-The fight or flight response does not fully explain the stress response in females
-taylor et al suggests that females adopt a tend + befriend response in stressful/dangerous situations
-Acoording to taylor et al women are more likjely to protect their offspring (tending) and form alliances with other women (befriend) rather than fight an adversery and flee
-The origibnal fight/flight may have been limited in its applocation to females
-Highlights beta bias within this area of psychology as psychologists assumed that females responded in the same way as males until taylor provided evidence

Question 26

Give an evaluation point for the fight or flight response (positive behaviours rather than fight or flight responses)

Answer 26

-Von Dawans et al challenged the classic view taht understress men respond only with fight or flight response whereas women are more likely to use tend and befriend
-Found that acute stressb can actually lead to greater cooperation and friendly behaviour in both men and women
-This could explain the human connection that happens during criss such as the 9/11 attacks in New York
-Only reason why stress may lead to greater cooperative behaviour is because human beings are funementally social animals and its protective nature of human social relationships that has allowed our species to thrive