Evaluations - A03

• Limitation of fight/flight response - incomplete explanation. For example when faced with dangerous situation, our reaction not limited to fight or flight response; some psychologists suggest humans engage in initial freeze response. Gray suggests first response to danger is to avoid confrontation altogether which is demonstrated by freeze response. During freeze response animals and humans hypervigilant while they appraise situation to decide best course of action for threat. Means since fight/flight response not accounted for third type of response, incomplete reducing overall validity.
• Limitation of flight/fight response - gender biased and androcentric. For example fight/flight response typically seen as male response to danger; recent research suggests females adopt tend and befriend response in stressful situations. Taylor et al suggests women more likely to protect offspring, form alliances with other women rather than fight or flee. Early research conducted on males (androcentric), researchers assumed findings generalised to females. Highlights beta bias within psychology as assumed females responded in same way as males until Taylor provided tend and befriend response.
• Limitation of F/F R - not applicable to real life. For example while fight/flight response useful survival mechanism for ancestors who faced genuinely life threatening situations, modern day life rarely requires such intense biological response. Furthermore stressors of modern day life repeatedly activate fight/flight response which have negative consequence on health. EG humans face lot of stress and continually activate sympathetic NS, continually increase blood pressure which cause damage to blood vessels, heart disease. Suggests flight/fight response maladaptive response to modern life.