Lesson 5 - Fight Or Flight Response Flashcards
What does The Sympathetic Nervous System do?
The Sympathetic Nervous System is responsible for increasing bodily functions for example, fight or flight.
What is the Sympathomedullary Pathway?
This is the process in which adrenaline is released into the bloodstream.
Describe the sympathomedullary pathway:
The Sympathetic Nervous System is triggered by the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus then sends a signal to the adrenal medulla which responds by secreting the hormone adrenaline into the bloodstream.
What is the fight or flight response?
This is a survival mechanism which helps people react quickly to stressful or life threatening situations. Fight - when we directly deal with our stressful situation. Flight - when we run away from our stressful situation.
What is the role of adrenaline?
Adrenaline prepares the body for the fight or flight response.
How does adrenaline prepare us for the fight or flight response?
The SNS is triggered by the hypothalamus which sends a signal to the adrenal medulla. The adrenal medulla responds by secreting the hormone adrenaline into the bloodstream. Adrenaline increases the blood flow around our body, and therefore oxygen, to skeletal muscles for more physical action that can be carried out at a faster rate, AND more oxygen to the brain, for rapid response planning.
What effects does Adrenaline have on our body that prepares us for the fight or flight response? (8)
- increases heart rate
- constricts blood vessels
- dilating pupils
- raise blood pressure
- divert blood away from the skin
- increase blood supply to the brain
- increases respiration
- increases sweating
What does the Parasympathetic Nervous System do? (In terms of the fight or flight response)?
How is this achieved? (3)
Decreases and dampens down the fight or flight response after the stressful situation has passed. This is done by:
- slowing down the heartbeat
- reducing blood pressure
- restarting digestion
What are 3 disadvantages of the fight or flight response?
- Gray (1988) suggested that the first response to stress is not fight or flight but FREEZE where individuals stop, look and listen to their environment and become HYPER VIGILANT to danger.
- Taylor (2000) stated that females do not fight or flight in a stressful situation but, instead, TEND AND BEFRIEND due to females having the hormone OXYTOCIN which is crucial for infant/mother bonding. Tend refers to the protection of offspring and Befriend refers to seeking out social groups for mutual defence against danger.
- Von Dawans (2012) - stated how men also tend and befriend. This was demonstrated during the 2001 September 11th terrorist attacks where BOTH men and women tended and befriended by attempting to contact loved ones and help other people at the awful event.
What are 2 advantages of the fight or flight response?
+ It is supported by evolutionary psychology as the fight or flight response is adaptive (can choose from either one) and also because the response helps individuals survive by fighting or fleeing a threat.
+ Studies support the fact that adrenaline is essential for preparing the body for stress where people with malfunctioning adrenal glands don’t have a normal fight or flight response.
