fight or flight

Question 1

what is the fight or flight response

Answer 1

the way an animal responds when stressed - becomes physiologically aroused in readiness to fight or flee

Question 2

what is adrenaline

Answer 2

a stress hormone

Question 3

where is adrenaline released

Answer 3

from the adrenal medulla - part of adrenal gland near kidneys

Question 4

what does adrenaline trigger

Answer 4

triggers physiological changes in the body - fight or flight response

Question 5

sympathetic state

Answer 5

Sympathetic NS prepares the body for action
- increases heart rate
- Increases breathing rate
- Dilates pupils
- Inhibits digestion
- Inhibits saliva production
- Contracts rectum

Question 6

parasympathetic state

Answer 6

Parasympathetic brings the body back to its resting state
- Decreases heart rate
- Decreases breathing rate
- Constricts pupils
- Stimulates digestion
- Stimulates saliva production
Relaxes rectum

Question 7

first steps of the fight or flight response

Answer 7

1. The amygdala reacts to threat
2. The hypothalamus activates the sympathetic nervous system, release of adrenaline
3. The adrenal cortex releases cortisol for continued alertness

Question 8

Second step

Answer 8

The hypothalamus activates the sympathetic branch for the autonomic nervous system

Question 9

Third step

Answer 9

The adrenal glands respond by pumping adrenaline into the bloodstream, as this circulates through the body, it brings on a number of physiological changes

Question 10

Fourth step

Answer 10

the heart beats faster than normal, pushing blood to the muscles, heart and other vital organs

Question 11

Fifth step

Answer 11

Airways in the lungs open wide so that the lungs can take in as much oxygen as possible with each breath

Question 12

Sixth step

Answer 12

Pupils dilate so that we can see more clearly; unessential systems such as digestion are also inhibited; blood is shunted away from the stomach to the major muscle groups where it will be used during an emergency

Question 13

Seventh step

Answer 13

Once the threat passes the parasympathetic nervous system returns the body to its resting state

Question 14

Critique

Answer 14

P - may have been useful for ancestors - less relevant now in modern day life
E - stressors in modern day life trigger fight or flight - bad for our health
E - stress and continually activate the sympathetic nervous system increase blood pressure which can cause damage to their blood vessels and heart disease
L - suggests fight or flight response is a maladaptive response in modern-day life

Question 15

Opposing research

Answer 15

P - reflection is bias towards male physiology
E - female fight or flight - risk for her children - leaves them vulnerable
E - Taylor 2006 - ‘tend and befriend’ - women more likely to protect their offspring and form alliances with other women
L - fight or flight is subject to beta bias

Question 16

Different explanation

Answer 16

P - Psychological factors - cognitive appraisal is ignored
E - Lazarus - 1999 - we make appraisals of stress by actively working out if it is a threat and whether we have the resources to cope with it
E - med students response to watching a procedure on film was determined by whether they believed the procedure to be traumatic (increased heart rate) or a rite of passage (decreased heart rate)
L - difficult for purely physiological explanations to account for this findings, this therefore shows that humans are not just passive in the face of stresses