Fight or Flight response
Cards (11)
- Fight or flight response - a sequence of activity within the body that is triggered when the body prepares itself to defend/attack (fight) or run away (flight)
- threat
- amygdala mobilises - associating sensory signals with emotions associated with the fight or flight response
- it then sends distress signals to the hypothalamus that communicates with the rest of the body via the nervous system
- In response to stressors, the body has 2 major systems within the sympathetic ns:
- acute (sudden)
- chronic (ongoing)
- Acute stressors - adrenaline
- HR, BP, BR increases
- more blood to muscles, heart and vital organs
- increases release of fats/blood sugar providing energy to body parts associated with FoF response
- Chronic stressors - HPA axis(H) Hypothalamus(P) Pituitary gland(A) Adrenal glands
- HPA axis - Hypothalamus
- released a chemical messenger CRH in response to continued threat
- HPA axis - Pituitary gland
- CRH causes the pituitary gland to release ACTH which is transported in the bloodstream to its target (the adrenal glands)
- HPA axis - Adrenal glands
- are stimulated by the ACTH to release several stress relieving hormones (e.g. cortisol)
- if levels of cortisol rise above threshold, the hypothalamus and pituitary gland initiate a reduction in CRH and ACTH levels
- Not a complete explanation
- Gray - the initial response is to avoid confrontation not fight or flight
- most animals display a 'freeze response'
there are other valid theories about reaction to stressors - Limited samples
- many of the studies into the FoF response have only involved male pps
- this makes the results unrepresentative and not generalisable
females may have a different stress response to males - Female response
- Taylor et al conducted a study with women and found they were less likely to flee and exhibit more protective behaviours
- oxytocin in rats has been found to inhibit the flight response
shows that the FoF response tells us little about how females respond to stress