fight or flight

• fight or flight mechanism

  • hypothalamus triggers activity in the sympathetic branch of the ans
  • ans changes from the resting parasympathetic stage to the physiologically aroused sympathetic state
  • stress hormone adrenaline is produced from the adrenal medulla
  • adrenaline causes physiological changes in target organs in the body, such as increased Heart rate, pupil dialation
  • once the threat has passed the parasympathetic nervous system returns the body to its resting stage
• bodily changes associated with fight or flight

  • increase breathing - to increase oxygen intake
  • pupil dialation - increase light intake and vision
• issues with fight or flight

  1. human behaviour is not limited to two responses
  2. gray suggest that the first response to danger si to avoid confrontation - freeze response
  3. during freeze humans are hypervgilant to decided the best course of action for the threat
  4. doesnt fully explain the complex cognitive and biological factors that underpin human response to stress/danger
• another issues - women

  • doesnt explain response of females
  • females adopt tend and befriend
  • protect offspring and form aliances with other women - taylor et al
  • rather than fleeing
  • limited research however, promted more research