The Flight or Fight Response Flashcards
When does the flight or fight response occur?
Body prepares itself for defending/attacking or running away
What is flight or fight response?
Reactions to stressful situations
What is the first step in the flight or fight response?
A threat or stressor is perceived
What is the second step in the flight or fight response?
The hypothalamus prepares the body for action by triggering the activity of the sympathetic nervous system
What is the third step in the flight or fight response?
The body switches from the parasympathetic state to sympathetic state
What is the fourth step in the flight or fight response?
The process of preparing the body for rapid action necessary for flight or fight beings
What is the fifth step in the response of flight or fight?
Sympathetic nervous system sends a signal to the adrenal medulla
What is the sixth step in the response to flight or fight?
Adrenal medulla releases adrenaline
What is the seventh step in the response of flight or fight?
Range of effects on the body prepare it for action
What is the eighth step in the response to flight or fight?
-Heart rate, respiration, sweating increase
-Oxygen support to skeletal muscles, brain increase
-Blood vessels are constricted
-Blood is diverted away from skin
-Kidney, digestive system, glucose and fats are release
What is the ninth step in the response to flight or fight?
Parasympathetic nervous system is activated
What is the tenth step in the response to flight or fight?
Body returns to it’s resting state
Heart rate and blood pressure reduced
digestion begins
The physiological responses associated with flight or fight may be adaptive for?
Stress response that requires energetic behaviour
What is the negative consequence of flight or fight?
Stressors of modern life rarely require physical activity (exams)
-Sympathetic nervous system is repeatedly activated
-Increased blood pressure lead to physical damage to blood vessels
-Cause heart disease
- System may no longer be adaptive to stressors of today
The flight and fight response can have negative effects on the body. What evidence is there to support this?
Physiological responses associated may be adaptive for stress response such as being chased.
Modern stressors rarely require physical activity (exams)
The flight and fight response can have negative effects on the body. Why is this a weakness?
-If we stress repeatedly stress response is activated
-lead to physical damage of blood vessels and then heart disease
The flight and fight response can have negative effects on the body. Although it is a weakness what is the counterargument?
-Adaptive for some stressors or threats we face today such as avoiding cars
A weakness of the response is that during our evolutionary past, men and women had different toles in society. What explanation is there to support this?
-Women have different response for coping with stress
-Fleeing at any sign of danger puts offspring at risk
-More adaptive for women to tend to their offspring in a threat and make alliances with females
A weakness of the response is that during our evolutionary past, men and women had different toles in society. Why is this a weakness?
-Male bias
-Assumption that flight or fight is a valid explanation of the stress in all humans is a reflection of the bias towards male psychology
A weakness of the response is that during our evolutionary past, men and women had different toles in society. What is an additional point?
Studies have also shown that females release oxytocin when under stress and this supresses the flight or fight response.
A weakness of the response is that during our evolutionary past, men and women had different toles in society. What evidence is there to support this?
Men would have been hunters so flight or fight response is appropiate
Women would have been gatheres whose role is to protect themselves and off-springs
