Physiological Responses to Stress (GAS, SAM, HPA, Fight or Flight) Flashcards
What are the three stages of GAS?
Alarm - Causes “fight or flight” by making the hypothalamus trigger adrenaline production.
Resistance - Functions return to normal if the stressor is gone, but if it isn’t, the body keeps using up resources like cortisol (which is dangerous).
Exhaustion - This is if resources are depleted, causing stress-related illnesses due to a damaged immune system
What are the stages of SAM?
-Hypothalamus is triggered to due the threat which makes the Sympathetic nervous system activate the adrenal medulla.
-This releases adrenaline and nor-adrenaline into the bloodstream which causes fight or flight response.
-When over, the parasympathetic branch of the NS returns the body to normal.
What are the three stages of HPA?
Hypothalamus activates HPA alongside the SAM to release corticotropin (a hormone) into the bloodstream.
This triggers the pituary gland which releases ATCH.
This makes the adrenal gland release cortisol.
What are the 2/4 weaknesses for Physiological Responses to Stress?
There are gender differences that argue “fight or flight” is only for men, as women do “tend or befriend” to due to evolution. This means it is biased towards males.
It is maladapative due to it not helping us cope with modern day stressors, it only doing harm to us now.
What is direct suppression caused by?
The cortisol which weakens the immune system.
What is the indirect suppression caused by?
Lifestyle influences which are responses to stress such as smoking.
