Fight or Flight - AO3 Flashcards
The fight or flight response nomothetic and ignores important gender differences. Use an example. LIMITATION.
Takes a one size fits all approach.
Research has suggested that in our evolutionary past, that women would respond to stress in a ‘tend and befriend’ way. Instead women would ‘tend’ to their children by nurturing them and ‘befriend’ others for protection, compared to men who will protect themselves.
Lee et. al found that the SRY gene on the Y chromosome directs male development and promotes aggression in males so they may prepare to fight, compared to the absence of this gene and the production of oxytocin may prevent women to fight.
Lacks generalisability/ecological validity.
Has outdated views that women will always tend and befriend instead of fight or flight.
Researchers argue that there may be another response to stress. LIMITATION.
Gray (1988) argues that the first phase of reaction to a threat is not to fight or flee, but to ‘freeze’ and avoid confrontation. Most animals, including humans, typically display the freeze response, allowing them to be hyper vigilant and alert to any danger.
Anthropomorphic.
The fight or flight response can have a positive impact in some circumstances. STRENGTH.
Von Dawans et. al (2012) found that acute stress can actually lead to greater cooperative behaviour in both men and women. This could explain the human connection that occurs in times of crisis eg. Manchester bombings, twin towers, California fires, etc.
