The flight or fight response

Question 1

What is the flight or fight response?

Answer 1

A sequence of activity within the body that is triggered when the body prepares itself for defending or attacking (fight) or running away to safety (flight)
Involves changes in the nervous system and the secretion of hormones that are necessary to sustain arousal

Question 2

What is the amygdala responsible for in the fight or flight response?

Answer 2

Associates sensory signals with emotions such as anger or fear and sends a ‘distress signal’ to the hypothalamus.

Question 3

What is the hypothalamus responsible for in the fight or flight response?

Answer 3

In response to continued threat, releases CRH (corticotrophin - releasing hormone) into the bloodstream.

Question 4

How many major systems are involved in the fight or flight response + what are they for?

Answer 4

2
one for acute (sudden) stressors e.g personal attack
one for chronic (ongoing) stressors e.g. a stressful job

Question 5

What 3 components act in response to acute (sudden) stressors?

Answer 5

The sympathetic nervous system (SNS)
Adrenaline
The parasympathetic nervous system (PNS)

Question 6

What does the sympathetic nervous system do in fight or flight?

Answer 6

Once triggered the SNS is triggered + prepares the body for rapid acton associated with fight or flight.
Sends a signal through the adrenal medulla which responds by releasing adrenaline (hormone) into the bloodstream.

Question 7

What does adrenaline do in fight or flight?

Answer 7

Adrenaline circulates through the body + causes a number of physiological changes.
It also triggers the release of glucose (blood sugar) + fats into the bloodstream supplying energy to parts of the body associated with the fight or flight response.

Question 8

What effects does adrenaline have on the body?

Answer 8

Increases heart rate - pushes blood to the muscles, heart + other vital organs.
While also increasing blood pressure.
Increases breathing rate - helps take in as much oxygen in one breath as possible.

Question 9

What does the parasympathetic nervous system do in fight or flight?

Answer 9

Once the threat has passed the PNS dampens down the stress response when the threat has passed.
Slows heart rate down + lowers blood pressure.
Also slows breathing rate.

Question 10

What 3 components act in response to chronic (ongoing) stressors?

Answer 10

HPA axis
The hypothalamus
The pituitary gland
The adrenal glands
Feedback

Question 11

What is the HPA axis?

Answer 11

describes the sequence of bodily activity in response to stress that involves the hypothalamus, pituitary + adrenal cortex

Question 12

What is the role of the hypothalamus in the HPA axis?

Answer 12

Releases CRH into the bloodstream in response to the stressor.

Question 13

What is the role of the pituitary gland in the HPA axis?

Answer 13

CRH causes the pituitary gland to produce + release ACTH which is then carried through the bloodstream to its target sites in the adrenal glands.

Question 14

What is the role of the adrenal glands in the HPA axis?

Answer 14

ACTH stimulates the adrenal cortex to release various stress - related hormones incl. cortisol.

Question 15

What does cortisol do in fight or flight?

Answer 15

Cortisol is responsible for several effects in the body that are important in the fight or flight response.

Question 16

What does the adrenal medulla do in fight or flight?

Answer 16

releases adrenaline into the bloodstream, causing physiological changes such as increased heart rate + release of blood sugar.

Question 17

What does the adrenal medulla do in fight or flight?

Answer 17

releases stress hormones incl. cortisol in response to stress.

Question 18

what is the role of feedback system in fight or flight?

Answer 18

Monitors cortisol levels so that CRH + ACTH production is inhibited if cortisol is too high.

Question 19

Fight or flight A03 - ‘tend and befriend’
Gender differences
Weakness

Answer 19

Taylor et al. (2000)
Female behavioural responses to stress are more characterised by ‘tend + befriend’ rather than fight or flight.
Involves protecting themselves + their young through nurturing behaviours (tending) + forming alliances with other women.
This may be an evolved response from being the primary caregiver + fleeing from the danger would put a females offspring at risk.
Suggests that previous research has been mainly focused on males + has obscured patterns of stress response in females.

Question 20

Fight or flight A03 - ‘doesn’t tell the whole story/ adaptive’
Weakness

Answer 20

Gray (1988)
States that the first response isn’t to fight or flight but to avoid confrontation.
Suggests that the most animals incl. humans typically display the ‘freeze response’ - to stop, freeze + listen.
Adaptive advantage as it allows humans / animals to make the best response to the threat.

Question 21

Fight or flight A03 - PTSD
Weakness

Answer 21

The fight or flight response can become maladaptive in individuals with PTSD. People with PTSD may experience a heightened and persistent fight or flight response even in the absence of actual threats, which can impair their ability to function in everyday life. This highlights the importance of understanding the fight or flight response in the context of mental health disorders.

Question 22

Fight or flight A03 - role of the amygdala

Answer 22

The amygdala is a key brain structure that plays a critical role in the fight or flight response. It is responsible for detecting potential threats and initiating the physiological and emotional changes associated with the response. Studies have shown that the amygdala can be activated even in response to ambiguous stimuli, suggesting that it may be oversensitive to potential threats.