Biopsychology - fight or flight response

Question 1

what is the process of the flight or fight response

Answer 1

• enter stressful situation
• amygdala sends a distress signal to the hypothalamus
• hypothalamus activates the sympathomedullary pathways
• SAM pathway runs to adrenal medulla and sympathetic nervous system
• SNS activates adrenal medulla
• adrenal medulla secretes adrenaline and noradrenaline into the bloodstream
• parasympathetic nervous system is activated

Question 2

what did Gray find

Answer 2

• 1988
• first response to danger is to avoid confrontations and freeze
• animals and humans are hypervigilant when they freeze
• decide the best course of action for that threat

Question 3

what are the negative effects of the fight or flight response

Answer 3

• modern day life rarely requires such an intense biological response
• stressors of modern day life can repeatedly activate the response
• negative effect on our health
• continuous increase in blood pressure can damage blood vessels and cause heart disease
• maladaptive response in every day life

Question 4

what did Taylor find

Answer 4

• women adopt a ‘tend and befriend’ response
• women are more likely to protect their offspring and form alliances with other women than fight or flee
• response is counterintuitive for women as flight may be seen as a sign of weakness

Question 5

what are the gender implications of the fight or flight response

Answer 5

• early research is androcentric (conducted on males)
• researchers assumed findings could be generalised to females (beta bias)
• Taylor’s findings proved otherwise

Question 6

why does the fight or flight response only apply to males

Answer 6

Lee and Harley
- SRY gene found on the Y chromosome is responsible for the fight or flight response during stressful times
- SRY genes is absent in females