Fight or flight response

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What is mobilised when the body is under threat?
The amygdala - associates sensory signals with emotions like fear and anger
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Where does the amygdala send the signal?
To the hypothalamus
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What does the hypothalamus do?
Act as a command centre informing all relevant parts of the body throughout e sympathetic nervous system
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what two types of stressors does the body respond to?
Acute and Chronic
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Whgat is the response to acute stressors?
SNS prepares the body for fight or flight
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What signal does the SNS send to the adrenal medulla?
A signal to release adrenaline into the bloodstream
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What does the adrenaline do?
Creates the physiological changes needed for fight or flight: heightened heart rate,more blood to muscles, glucose (energy) supplied to the body
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What does the parasympathetic nervous system do after fight or flight response has passed?
It reverses all physiological changes made by the adrenaline
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What happens if the threat is persistent after the adrinal response?
The hypothalamus activates the HPA axis: H - Hypothalamus P - pirtutry gland A - adrenal gland
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WHat is 'H'?
The hypothalamus releases CRH into the bloodstream in response to the stressor
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What is 'P'?
On arrival at the pituitary gland the CRH causes the release of ACTH into the blood stream which is transported to its target site on the adrenal gland
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What is 'A'?
The ACTH stimulates the creation of cortisol in the adrenal cortex
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What are the benefits of cortisol?
it provides short bursts of energy and low sensitivity to pain
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What are the disadvantages of cortisol?
it lowers immune response and impairs cognitive ability
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How does the HPA axis regulate itself?
Both the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus both have receptors to moniutor cortiwsol levels, if these are too high they initiate cortisol reduction to bring the levels down to normal
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E1:Why might women have adifferent response?
Talor (2000) suggested that due to the a womans role as primary caregiver they are more likely to 'tend and befriend' and less likely to run away
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E1: What psychological evidence is therer for this?
This is suggested by the release of oxytocin that reduces stress + fear levels andinhbits the urge to run - useful if looking after an offspring
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E2: The fight or flight response is easilly triggered in modern life, what are the disadvantages of this?
the physical effects of the release of adrenaline can cuause longh term damage: consistantluy hgh blood pressure can cause damage to blood vessels + too much cortisol suts down the immune response making it harder to fight infection
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E3: What does Gray (1988) suggest is overlooked in the fight or flight response?
He suggests that prior to the fight or flight response we freeze, which allows us to listen and alert us to signs of danger
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Where does the amygdala send the signal?

Back

To the hypothalamus

Card 3

Front

What does the hypothalamus do?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

what two types of stressors does the body respond to?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

Whgat is the response to acute stressors?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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