Lesson 5 - Fight Or Flight

Question 1

What is the sympathomedullary pathway?

Answer 1

The sympathetic nervous system is triggered by hypothalamus. The hypothalamus also sends a signal to the adrenal medulla, which responds by releasing a hormone called adrenaline into the bloodstream

Question 2

Role of adrenaline?

Answer 2

Adrenaline causes a number of physiological reactions as it circulates throughout the body!

1) Heart beats faster, pushing blood to the muscles, heart and other vital organs quicker, blood pressure also increased and blood is directed away from non essential organs to muscles.
2) Breathing rate increases so you can take in as much oxygen as possible with each breath
3) Energy stores are released as well as fats, which flood the bloodstream, supplying a quick burst of energy to parts of the body associated with the fight or flight response

Question 3

Role of the parasympathetic nervous system?

Answer 3

When the threat is gone, the parasympathetic dampens down the stress response, slowing down the heartbeat and reduces blood pressure. Digestion restarts

Question 4

Advantages of fight or flight?

Answer 4

+ the fight or flight response makes sense from an evolutionary psychology point of view because it would have helped the individual to survive by either fighting or feeling a threat, so it is a very valid explanation.
+ studies support the claim that adrenaline is essential in preparing the body for stress. People who have malfunctioning adrenal glands do not have a normal fight or fight response to stress

Question 5

Weaknesses fight or flight?

Answer 5

• A weakness is that the fight or flight response doesn’t take into account other responses. Some psychologists say that the first initial reaction to stress is not fight or flight, but freeze. Gray suggested that the first response to danger is to avoid confrontation all together, which is demonstrated by the freeze response
• fight or flight is predominantly male, and females have a behaviour called ‘tend and befriend’ instead. Taylor et al found that in danger, women are more likely to protect their offspring and befriend other women rather than fight or flee. However Von Dawans found that males are also likely to display this behaviour. During 9/11, both males and females befriended as they tried to contact loved ones
• despite being useful for ancestors who actually faced life threatening Situations, modern day situations barely require this response. Modern day stressors can also continually activate fight or flight which can negative,y impact out health. Continuous fight or flight can constantly increase blood pressure, damaging vessels and heart disease. FoF is maladaptive response to modern day life.