Fight or Flight

• (AO1)State the 6 steps within fight or flight

  1)Person enters a stressful/dangerous situation

  2)Amygdala (part of the limbic system) is activated which sends a distress signal to hypothalamus

  3)Hypothalamus activates the SAM pathway - runs to the adrenal medulla and the sympathetic NS

  4)Sympathetic NS stimulates the adrenal medulla, part of the adrenal gland

  5)The adrenal medulla secretes the hormone adrenaline (prepares the body) and noradrenaline (alerts the mind/person) into the bloodstream

  6)Adrenaline causes many physiological changes, preparing body for fight or flight
• (AO1)Explain adrenaline's role

  Adrenaline released from adrenal medulla when SAM (sympathomedullary) pathway becomes activated.

  
  

  Adrenaline has range of effects on body, preparing it for 'fight or flight'

  
  

  1)Incr heart rate = raises blood pressure (constricts blood vessels), diverting it away from skin, kidney and digestive system. Blood redirected to brain & skeletal muscles = enhancing movement & strength - fight better, move faster

  2)Incr respiration & sweating = regulate temperature

  3)Incr breathing r = increase oxygen intake - to skeletal muscles for physical action & to brain for rapid response planning

  4)Pupil dilation = incr light energy into eye & enhance vision (especially in dark)

  5)Decr non-essential functions (e.g. digestive system, urination, salivation) = incr energy for other essential functions
• (AO1) What happens after the fight or flight response?

  The parasympathetic NS is activated to return the body back to its "natural" state (resting)

  It slows down out heart rate, breathing rate and reduces blood pressure.
• (AO3) Gender bias

  Point: Research on fight/flight response has historically focused on men, assuming women react the same.

  
  

  Evidence: Taylor's research in 2000 counterargues this. Discovered females adopt a "tend and befriend" response in a stressful/dangerous situation, protecting offspring and forming alliances with other women instead of fighting/fleeing. This response may be counterintuitive as running could be seen as weakness, putting offspring in danger.

  
  

  Evaluate: This focus on males could lead to gender bias. Overlooks women's more complex stress response, involving nurturing and social support, thus limiting understanding of female stress.
• (AO3) Link in psychopaths

  Point: There is a link between personality traits and the fight/flight response, with psychopaths being less likely to enter this state.

  
  

  Evidence: Research suggests that psychopaths have a less reactive nervous system, making them less sensitive to stressors & less likely to experience the fight/flight response.

  
  

  Evaluate: This difference has important implications, as it could explain why psychopaths are less fearful & more prone to engage in dangerous/aggressive behaviours, as they do not experience the same physiological responses to stress.
• (AO3) L - Bio reductionism

  Point: The f/f response is often criticised for its biological reductionism, oversimplifying complex human behaviour by attributing it solely to physiological processes.

  
  

  Evidence: It focuses on the nervous system & the release of adrenaline, yet fails to consider the influence of cognitive, social and environmental factors on stress.

  
  

  Evaluate: By reducing human behaviour to just biological mechanisms, this approach overlooks complexity of human responses, limiting its comprehensiveness & effectiveness in explaining stress reactions.