Biopsychology - 04 The Fight or Flight response & Adrenaline

Question 1

What is the fight or flight response?

Answer 1

When the body is threatened it responds by preparing for action

Question 2

What systems are at work during the fight or flight response?

Answer 2

both the endocrine system and the autonomic nervous system work together

Question 3

What are the 5 parts of the fight or flight response?

Answer 3

1-Amygdala
2-Hypothalamus
3-Sympathetic nervous system
4-The role of adrenaline
5-Parasympathetic branch (ANS)

Question 4

What happens at stage 1 of the fight or flight response?

Answer 4

-when faced with threat amygdala mobilised
-sends a distress signal to hypothalamus

Question 5

What happens at stage 2 of the fight or flight response?

Answer 5

-Hypothalamus functions as control centre communicating with rest of body through triggering the sympathetic branch of the ANS

Question 6

What happens at stage 3 of the fight or flight response?

Answer 6

-The ANS changes from its normal resting state (parasympathetic state) to the physiologically aroused state (sympathetic state)
-Sympathetic nervous system sends a signal to adrenal medulla which respond by releasing adrenaline into the bloodstream

Question 7

What happens at stage 5 of the fight or flight response?

Answer 7

-When the threat has passed, the parasympathetic branch dampens down the stress response
-It acts as a brake and reduces the activities of the body which were increased by the sympathetic branch

Question 7

What happens at stage 4 of the fight or flight response?

Answer 7

-Triggers physiological changes in the body which creates physiological arousal necessary for the fight or flight response
-causes increased heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate
-causes release of glucose and fats, which flood into the bloodstream supplying energy

Question 7

Gender bias (evaluation of fight or flight theory)

Answer 7

-beta bias it assumes that males and females respond in the same way to threat
-research on right or flight was often conducted on males making it androcentric
-Taylor (2000) argues that females adopt a ‘tend and befriend’ response to dangerous situations and are more likely to protect their offspring (tend) and form alliances with other women (befriend) rather than fight or flee
-so fight or flight response typically a male response that does not apply to females this reduces usefulness

Question 8

Fight, flight or freeze (evaluation of fight or flight theory)

Answer 8

-Third response not covered by original theory
-During response animals and humans are hyper-vigilant, while they appraise the situation to decide on the best course of action