the fight or flight response

What does the fight or flight response allow us to do?

allows us to react quickly to life- threatening situations

What does the fight or flight response lead to

a number of rapid biological changes including faster heart rate faster breathing etc

What happens in the fight or flight response?

The hypothalamus processes the threat information

What does the hypothalamus act like?

acts like a command centre in the brain communicating with the rest of the body

What does the hypothalamus then activate?

The sympathetic nervous system

What does the sympathetic nervous system then do?

sends a message to the adrenal medulla

What does the adrenal medulla do?

Releases adrenaline into the blood stream

What does the adrenaline in the blood stream activate

The fight or flight response

Evaluation limitation time

The fight or flight response is out of date because of evolution

Today we are less likely to face life threatening situations more stress situations like work load

Issue with this is it can cause physical damage like high blood pressure

Evaluation- limitation - Gray (1988)

argues that the reaction to threat is not fight or flight but avid confrontation

We freeze and essentially stop focus and pay attention and look for the best way to get out.

Evaluation-limitation- application

Cannot be applied to everyone. Taylor (2000) provided evidence that females tend to produce tend-and-befriend response at times of stress instead of fight-flight reaction so they can protect their offspring.