‘Fight or flight’

• What are three physical symptoms of ‘fight or flight’?

  • heavy breathing/ heart rate increases
  • Start to sweat
  • Mouth gets dry
• what is the ‘fight or flight’ response?

  our body’s primitive, automatic, inborn response that prepares the body to ‘fight’ or ‘flee’ from perceived attack, harm or threat to our survival.
• what is the chain of events that occur in the ‘fight or flight’ ?

  • the hypothalamus recognises a stressor and activates the sympathetic division of the ANS
  • at the same time the endocrine system is activated as the pituitary gland releases adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) which stimulates the adrenal glands to release cortisol, which leads to the release of adrenaline.
  • The stress hormones get ready for ‘f or f‘ by increasing the arousal of the SNS so leading to physical signs.
  • After a few mins, the parasympathetic branch of ANS will work and return the body back to normal.
• Evaluation of ‘fight or flight’

  P:

  • its a survival mechanism (evolutionary)
  • It’s biological, it’s reliable, objective and scientific

  N:

  • later research has shown an added element of the ‘tend and befriend’ approach
  • ‘Fight to flight’ does not tell the whole story. Gray argues that the first phase of reaction to threat is not that but to freeze.
  • A lot of research is androcentric (on men alone) women tend to show different responses.