fight or flight response

Question 1

outline the effects of the sympathetic nervous system in the fight or flight response

Answer 1

• increased heart rate
• increased breath rate
• increased blood pressure
• pupil dilation

Question 2

outline the effects of the parasympathetic nervous system in the fight or flight response

Answer 2

• decreased heart rate
• decreased breath rate
• decreased blood pressure
• contracts pupils

Question 3

outline the body’s response to acute stressors

Answer 3

• activate sympathomedullary pathway
• amygdala senses danger and alerts hypothalamus
• commands ANS to activate sympathetic branch, stimulating adrenal medulla
• releases adrenaline into bloodstream, making body work faster to deal with the stress

Question 4

what does are body use in response to a chronic stressor

Answer 4

• hypothalamic pituitary adrenocortical axis

Question 5

explain the process of the hypothalamic pituitary adrencortical axis

Answer 5

• hypothalamus activates SNS and releases CRH
• CRH causes pituitary to release ACTH which travels to target glands
• ACTH stimulates adrenal cortex to release various hormones.
• once ACTH and cortisol in bloodstream, they stop more ACTH being released
• if stressor removed, blood sugar levels go to normal, but if it continues, so will pituitary-adrenal excitation

Question 6

evaluation
what does taylor et al suggest about gender differences in the fight or flight response

Answer 6

• suggests females respond to stress by a pattern of tend and befriend
• protecting their young through nurturing
• fleeing at any sign of danger would put offspring at risk

Question 7

evaluation
it can be argued that we have not evolved to modern day life stressors, explain

Answer 7

• physiological responses may be adaptive for a stress response that requires energetic behavioural responses
• problem arises when stress response is repeatedly activated
• too much cortisol suppresses immune response, increasing likelihood of stress-related ilness