Biopsychology: Lesson 5 -Fight Or Flight Flashcards
1
Q
What is the Amygdala?
A
An area in the brain that is associates sensory signals with the emotions associated with fight or flight
When an individual senses a threat, the amygdala sends a distress signal to the hypothalamus which prepares the body for action and emergency response
2
Q
What is the sympathy medullary pathway?
A
A response to a cute stress
Where the sympathetic nervous system is triggered by the hypothalamus and sends a signal to the adrenal medulla
The adrenal medulla then releases adrenaline into the bloodstream
3
Q
What are the physiological hangers that adrenaline causes?
A
- Increased heart rate - Increased blood flow
- Constrict blood vessels - raises blood pressure
- Diverts blood away from skin, kidneys and digestive system - increases blood supply to skeletal muscles and brain
- Increase respiration and sweating - proved O2 and cool body down
- Dilates pupils - increases light in eye to improve vision
4
Q
What is the parasympathetic nervous system?
A
The nervous system that dampens down the stress response when the threat has passed:
- slows heart rate
- reduces blood pressures
- restarts digestion
5
Q
Evaluation points:
- Evolutionary psychology
- Malfunctioning adrenal glands
- Freeze
- Tend and befriend, oxytocin
- Males 9/11
A
- The fight or flight response makes sense from an evolutionary psychology perspective - useful in survival
- Studies show that adrenaline is essential in preparing body for stress. People who have malfunctioning
- Gray (1988) states that the first reaction to stress is not to fight or flight but freeze, which involves the person being hyper vigilant to danger
- Females tend and befriend in times of stress. Women have the hormone oxyticub which means that they are more likely to stay and protect their offspring
- Males also tend and befriend. During 9/11 attacks both males and females called their loved ones and tried to help one another
