Fight or flight 16 marker
The fight-or flight response enables us to react quickly in stressful or threatening situations
and has evolved as an adaptive advantage to protect us by either fighting off a threat or
running away. When a threat is realised the amygdala is immobilised, which then associates
sensory information with emotional feelings before sending a stressing signal to the
hypothalamus.
In response to an acute stress the sympathetic nervous system then prepares for fight or
flight by sending a signal to the adrenal medulla to secrete adrenaline. Adrenaline increases
blood pressure and heart rate so more oxygen can reach muscles in order to preform fight
or flight and release of glucose. Once, the threat is passed the parasympathetic dampens
the stress and returns effects of adrenaline back to normal.
One limitation of the fight or flight response is that it can’t be generalised to both genders.
This is because further research conducted by Shelly Taylor 2000 found that females as well
as either undergoing the fight or flight response also may befriend the threat. This is an
example of beta bias in assuming women responds to threats in the same way as men,
therefore the original research cannot be generalised to women decreasing the population
validity. In turn it decreases the effectiveness of fight or flight ads it cannot be applied to
everyone.
Another limitation of the fight or flight response is the fact that it was useful for our
ancestors in responding energetically to a threat but in modern day stressors rarely elicit
this sort of response. As the fight or flight response and the release of adrenaline leads to
increases blood pressure which can damage blood vessels and lead to heart disease. Which
means it’s now an adaptive disadvantage to the modern human. Therefore this response in
modern life can have more implications than positives as we no longer are required to
respond using fight or flight.
The fight-or flight response enables us to react quickly in stressful or threatening situations
and has evolved as an adaptive advantage to protect us by either fighting off a threat or
running away. When a threat is realised the amygdala is immobilised, which then associates
sensory information with emotional feelings before sending a stressing signal to the
hypothalamus.
In response to an acute stress the sympathetic nervous system then prepares for fight or
flight by sending a signal to the adrenal medulla to secrete adrenaline. Adrenaline increases
blood pressure and heart rate so more oxygen can reach muscles in order to preform fight
or flight and release of glucose. Once, the threat is passed the parasympathetic dampens
the stress and returns effects of adrenaline back to normal.
One limitation of the fight or flight response is that it can’t be generalised to both genders.
This is because further research conducted by Shelly Taylor 2000 found that females as well
as either undergoing the fight or flight response also may befriend the threat. This is an
example of beta bias in assuming women responds to threats in the same way as men,
therefore the original research cannot be generalised to women decreasing the population
validity. In turn it decreases the effectiveness of fight or flight ads it cannot be applied to
everyone.
Another limitation of the fight or flight response is the fact that it was useful for our
ancestors in responding energetically to a threat but in modern day stressors rarely elicit
this sort of response. As the fight or flight response and the release of adrenaline leads to
increases blood pressure which can damage blood vessels and lead to heart disease. Which
means it’s now an adaptive disadvantage to the modern human. Therefore this response in
modern life can have more implications than positives as we no longer are required to
respond using fight or flight.
