Evaluating The Fight-or-Flight Response

Question 1

The ‘tend and befriend’ response:

Taylor et al. (2000)

Answer 1

for females, behavioural responses to stress are tend and befriend. This involves protecting themselves and their young through nurturing behaviours (tending) and then forming protective alliances with other women (befriending) and thus deal with stress differently

Question 2

Negative consequences of the fight-or-flight response:

Answer 2

The increased blood pressure due to the SNS activation can lead to damage to the blood vessels eventually causing heart disease

Question 3

‘Fight or Flight’ doesn’t tell the whole story:

Gray (1988)

Answer 3

The first reaction is usually the ‘freeze response’ which focuses our attention and makes us look for new information in order to make the best response for that particular threat.