FIGHT OR FLIGHT
A01 A01
- (SAM pathway) stressor detected in - (HPA pathway) If stressor still detected by
environment by amygdala amygdala after 20 minutes, signal sent to
- sends signal to hypothalamus to activate hypothalamus
sympathetic NS - H releases CRF
- adrenaline released from adrenal glands - pituitary gland triggered, releases ACTH
- ACTH signals adrenal cortex, releases
- sympathetic NS= heart rate increase, corticosteroids (eg. hormone cortisol)
blood pressure increase, digestion levels - continuous stressor= slightly decreased
decrease (save energy) heart rate + blood pressure, slightly
increased digestion levels, slightly lower
immunity in body
- once stressor no longer detected,
parasympathetic NS is triggered (body
back to normal) - once stressor no longer detected,
- parasympathetic NS= heart rate, blood parasympathetic action (return body to
level, digestion return to normal levels normal levels)
A03- STRENGTHS A03- WEAKNESSES
- face validity - negative consequences of F/F
-> genetic basis for sex difference -> modern day stressors (eg. exams)
-> (Lee+Harley) male chromosone= require less physical activity
increased aggression resulting in F/F -> high blood pressure could cause (eg.)
-> lack of this chromosone in females heart disease if repeatedly activated
means less aggression in stressful -> useful survival mechanism for
situations ancestors, but no longer has great value
-> theory makes sense + has scientific
evidence
-> so objective and measuring what we’re
supposed to measure
- androcentric
-> gender difference (BETA bias)
- a positive rather than ‘F/F’ -> (Taylor et al) ‘tend + befriend’ females
behaviours -> protect and seek support NOT F/F
-> (Van Dawans et al) acute stress leads -> reserve energy into passing on genes
to increased co-operative + friendly through offspring’s survival
behaviour -> cannot be generalised to female
-> both men and women population
-> makes sense as we are naturally social -> so limited in value as only applies to
beings half population
-> an advantage to humans to work
together
, - not the whole story
- (Gray) initial freeze response
- explanation not advanced enough or valid
WAYS OF INVESTIGATING THE BRAIN
A01 A01
1. fMRI 3. ERP
- detects change in blood flow in brain - electrophysical response of the brain to
during a task - the more active the brain is, specific sensory, cognitive, motor events
the more oxygen is required in that area - stimulus presented hundreds of times
- important for localisation of function and average response is graphed
- highlights which areas are involved in - averaging= reduces any extraneous
different neural activities neural; activity so only specific response
to stimulus stands out
2. EEG 4. post- mortems
- electrodes fixed to scalp via skull cap - brain analysed after death
- scans show general brainwave patterns of - determine whether certain observed
electrical activity in the bran behaviour during lifetime can be linked to
- patterns= alpha, beta, theta, delta waves structural abnormalities in the brain
which produce two states - examine deeper regions of brain (eg.
- states= synchronised patterns hypothalamus)
(recognised waveform) + desynchronised
patterns (no pattern detected)
- used for epilepsy, tumours, sleep 5. PET scans
disorders - person performs action so brain active
- physiological function measures through
blood flow, metabolism, NT, radioactive
drugs
A03- STRENGTHS A03- WEAKNESSES
1. fMRI 1. fMRI
-> non-invasive, no radiation so risk-free -> expensive
-> high spatial resolution (1-2mm) means -> low temporal resolution (5 seconds)
accurate localisation between image on screen vs firing of
2. EEG neuronal activity, unable to predict onset
-> diagnosis (eg. epilepsy) of brain activity well
-> high temporal resolution (millisecond) 2. EEG
means brain activity recorded in real time -> low spatial resolution means it is only a
3. ERP generalised nature of information
-> cognitive processes measured and received and specific areas of activity are
linked to brain area (eg. attention, unclear
perception) 3. ERP
-> high temporal resolution means activity -> risk of following the wrong wave
is measured in real time -> low spatial resolution means
-> more robust as eliminate extraneous generalised nature and specific areas of
neural activity activity are unclear
4. post- mortems 4. post- mortems
-> foundation for knowledge of key -> informed consent (eg. HM, amnesia)
processes (eg. speech production is Broca’s -> causation as may have been other
area) illness, trauma that led to deficits in the
A01 A01
- (SAM pathway) stressor detected in - (HPA pathway) If stressor still detected by
environment by amygdala amygdala after 20 minutes, signal sent to
- sends signal to hypothalamus to activate hypothalamus
sympathetic NS - H releases CRF
- adrenaline released from adrenal glands - pituitary gland triggered, releases ACTH
- ACTH signals adrenal cortex, releases
- sympathetic NS= heart rate increase, corticosteroids (eg. hormone cortisol)
blood pressure increase, digestion levels - continuous stressor= slightly decreased
decrease (save energy) heart rate + blood pressure, slightly
increased digestion levels, slightly lower
immunity in body
- once stressor no longer detected,
parasympathetic NS is triggered (body
back to normal) - once stressor no longer detected,
- parasympathetic NS= heart rate, blood parasympathetic action (return body to
level, digestion return to normal levels normal levels)
A03- STRENGTHS A03- WEAKNESSES
- face validity - negative consequences of F/F
-> genetic basis for sex difference -> modern day stressors (eg. exams)
-> (Lee+Harley) male chromosone= require less physical activity
increased aggression resulting in F/F -> high blood pressure could cause (eg.)
-> lack of this chromosone in females heart disease if repeatedly activated
means less aggression in stressful -> useful survival mechanism for
situations ancestors, but no longer has great value
-> theory makes sense + has scientific
evidence
-> so objective and measuring what we’re
supposed to measure
- androcentric
-> gender difference (BETA bias)
- a positive rather than ‘F/F’ -> (Taylor et al) ‘tend + befriend’ females
behaviours -> protect and seek support NOT F/F
-> (Van Dawans et al) acute stress leads -> reserve energy into passing on genes
to increased co-operative + friendly through offspring’s survival
behaviour -> cannot be generalised to female
-> both men and women population
-> makes sense as we are naturally social -> so limited in value as only applies to
beings half population
-> an advantage to humans to work
together
, - not the whole story
- (Gray) initial freeze response
- explanation not advanced enough or valid
WAYS OF INVESTIGATING THE BRAIN
A01 A01
1. fMRI 3. ERP
- detects change in blood flow in brain - electrophysical response of the brain to
during a task - the more active the brain is, specific sensory, cognitive, motor events
the more oxygen is required in that area - stimulus presented hundreds of times
- important for localisation of function and average response is graphed
- highlights which areas are involved in - averaging= reduces any extraneous
different neural activities neural; activity so only specific response
to stimulus stands out
2. EEG 4. post- mortems
- electrodes fixed to scalp via skull cap - brain analysed after death
- scans show general brainwave patterns of - determine whether certain observed
electrical activity in the bran behaviour during lifetime can be linked to
- patterns= alpha, beta, theta, delta waves structural abnormalities in the brain
which produce two states - examine deeper regions of brain (eg.
- states= synchronised patterns hypothalamus)
(recognised waveform) + desynchronised
patterns (no pattern detected)
- used for epilepsy, tumours, sleep 5. PET scans
disorders - person performs action so brain active
- physiological function measures through
blood flow, metabolism, NT, radioactive
drugs
A03- STRENGTHS A03- WEAKNESSES
1. fMRI 1. fMRI
-> non-invasive, no radiation so risk-free -> expensive
-> high spatial resolution (1-2mm) means -> low temporal resolution (5 seconds)
accurate localisation between image on screen vs firing of
2. EEG neuronal activity, unable to predict onset
-> diagnosis (eg. epilepsy) of brain activity well
-> high temporal resolution (millisecond) 2. EEG
means brain activity recorded in real time -> low spatial resolution means it is only a
3. ERP generalised nature of information
-> cognitive processes measured and received and specific areas of activity are
linked to brain area (eg. attention, unclear
perception) 3. ERP
-> high temporal resolution means activity -> risk of following the wrong wave
is measured in real time -> low spatial resolution means
-> more robust as eliminate extraneous generalised nature and specific areas of
neural activity activity are unclear
4. post- mortems 4. post- mortems
-> foundation for knowledge of key -> informed consent (eg. HM, amnesia)
processes (eg. speech production is Broca’s -> causation as may have been other
area) illness, trauma that led to deficits in the
