VCE Psychology Question Thread!

[recess]

Hi,

I was just wondering if the fight-flight-freeze response is only activated when a person is 'faced' (is that the right terminology?) with a stressor causing distress, or is it for all stress (including eustress?)

Also, how does fight response apply for when someone is taking a test? For flight, it's that they'll postpone the test and for freeze- they will not be able to think during the test so they stay frozen. Is fight when they tackle the test but not getting anything right? Similarly, what is a 'fight' response to someone who is scared about doing speeches?

Lastly, I am a bit confused about why people cry when they feel distressed, because isn't it the parasympathetic nervous system that is responsible for producing tears?

Cheers!

[sarangiya]

Hi,

I was just wondering if the fight-flight-freeze response is only activated when a person is 'faced' (is that the right terminology?) with a stressor causing distress, or is it for all stress (including eustress?)

Distress (and eustress, potentially, thanks to rani_b ). From your post as a whole, I take it that your impression of FFF response is that it is common. On the contrary, it is uncommon and is only activated in extreme situations of immediate danger. Like, for example, running away from a fire, fighting against domestic abuse, freezing while being assaulted. If you're wondering if it will apply, thinking about whether the reaction is initiated with the intent of increasing chance of survival.

Some exams will want you to describe a response to something like a Lloyd bang in reference to FFF. It may seem to fall out of the scope but because the source of the sound (gunshot? No, actually a car backfire) or nature of the spider is unknown (daddy long legs or viscous funnel web?), the response will be initiated as a precaution.

A biological stress model that does occur regardless of eustress/distress (any stressor will activate it) and is in response to any stressor is the General Adaptation Syndrome model by Selye.

Also, how does fight response apply for when someone is taking a test? For flight, it's that they'll postpone the test and for freeze- they will not be able to think during the test so they stay frozen. Is fight when they tackle the test but not getting anything right? Similarly, what is a 'fight' response to someone who is scared about doing speeches?

The reason you're having trouble addressing these scenarios is because none of the would be extreme enough to activate FFF. None of them are a threat to survival. Yes there is a stress response, but it is probably the GAS modelled response over FFF.

Lastly, I am a bit confused about why people cry when they feel distressed, because isn't it the parasympathetic nervous system that is responsible for producing tears?

Cheers!

Contemplating why humans cry is very interesting. You'll find that there is no good answer. This is primarily because although other animals tend to share our behaviours, even stress and stress responses, no other animal produces tears.
You could consider it an emotion-focused coping method (venting, appealing for social support) or even just a source of catharsis.
I wouldn't put it down to sympathetic or parasympathetic purely because there are no documented studies to back you up. Interesting though.

Good luck!

[rani_b]

Distress. From your post as a whole, I take it that your impression of FFF response is that it is common. On the contrary, it is uncommon and is only activated in extreme situations of immediate danger. Like, for example, running away from a fire, fighting against domestic abuse, freezing while being assaulted. If you're wondering if it will apply, thinking about whether the reaction is initiated with the intent of increasing chance of survival.

.

Good luck!

I'm a little confused as to why the fight-flight-freeze response isn't activated even during eustress. I thought our body went through the same physiological changes regardless of eustress and distress, and during the first stage of GAS the fight-flight-freeze response is activated. Or is the body able to distinguish when it is eustress or distress and for eustress only some sympathetic nervous system functions are activated, like increased heart rate but not the FFF response, and in distress the FFF response?

[sarangiya]

I'm a little confused as to why the fight-flight-freeze response isn't activated even during eustress. I thought our body went through the same physiological changes regardless of eustress and distress, and during the first stage of GAS the fight-flight-freeze response is activated. Or is the body able to distinguish when it is eustress or distress and for eustress only some sympathetic nervous system functions are activated, like increased heart rate but not the FFF response, and in distress the FFF response?

You're right, the alarm stage of GAS is considered to include FFF. And, yes, GAS models the response to any stressor.
I'll definitely stand corrected to say eustress or distress can activated FFF response, but I think you'd be hard-come-by to find eustress that would threaten chances of survival enough (if at all) to trigger the FFF response.
For example, on the 2017 exam, question 17 is the only one that specifically refers to the FFF response and it is in reference to an alarm sounding because a shark was spotted in water. This to me, makes sense as a stimulus to activate FFF because it is threatening to our survival, and is distressing.

[rani_b]

You're right, the alarm stage of GAS is considered to include FFF. And, yes, GAS models the response to any stressor.
I'll definitely stand corrected to say eustress or distress can activated FFF response, but I think you'd be hard-come-by to find eustress that would threaten chances of survival enough (if at all) to trigger the FFF response.
For example, on the 2017 exam, question 17 is the only one that specifically refers to the FFF response and it is in reference to an alarm sounding because a shark was spotted in water. This to me, makes sense as a stimulus to activate FFF because it is threatening to our survival, and is distressing.

Ok, thanks for clarifying. I guess it depends on our interpretation of the stressor as well.

[recess]

are interneurons only located in the CNS? (spinal cord and brain?) similarly, are neural pathways only in brain, can they be in body also?

[enociz]

are interneurons only located in the CNS? (spinal cord and brain?) similarly, are neural pathways only in brain, can they be in body also?

According to Jacaranda Psych 3/4 Textbook (Box 2.3 on Pg 127):

Sensory and motor neurons are found throughout the nervous system, whereas interneurons are found only in the CNS.

[gary123]

Hello! Couple of questions regarding stress..
-what is the difference in terms of dealing with stress for emotion and problem focused coping and also approach and avoidant coping strategies?
-What is the key difference between life events and major stress? so life events cause substantial amounts of stress and requires substantial adjustment but so does major stress??
-also if stress is caused by inadequate resources to cope then how can we evaluate someone thing as stressful in primary appraisal without the role of second appraisal in the first place?
Thanks in advance

[lazaward]

Hello! Couple of questions regarding stress..
-what is the difference in terms of dealing with stress for emotion and problem focused coping and also approach and avoidant coping strategies?
-What is the key difference between life events and major stress? so life events cause substantial amounts of stress and requires substantial adjustment but so does major stress??
-also if stress is caused by inadequate resources to cope then how can we evaluate someone thing as stressful in primary appraisal without the role of second appraisal in the first place?
Thanks in advance

- emotion/problem focused coping are more specifically to do with secondary appraisal of the transactional model where as approach/avoidance coping strategies aren’t associated with a model.
- life events is more on the individual scale where as major stress affects almost everyone who experiences it.
- primary appraisal is about the significance of the stressor to the individual. you can perceive something as stressful despite having resources to cope, stress is not only caused by not having adequate resources. the stressor has to be stressful to you first before inadequate resources are taken into account, you could have inadequate resources and not care about the situation at all.

[gary123]

Thank you, could you also clarify my understanding of Lazarus and Folkman model

 the transactional model applies to any potential stressor meaning it still technically hasn't been considered a stressor yet which is then evaluated in primary appraisal.  If it is irrelevant or benign positive then it is not considered stress and the individual doesn't proceed to second appraisal. But if it were stressful then the second appraisal would determine if it has enough coping resources and options to deal with it. If it does then we would experience eustress(not sure how this works because for something like winning a lottery it would be considered benign positive and eustressful at the same time) or distress(e.g losing part time job but we still perceive our selves as capable of dealing with the loss) or no stress at all(clarify here especially pls) . If we perceive ourselves with insufficient resources then we experience distress. Regardless of wether we have enough resources we still use problem focused or emotion focused coping strategies to deal with the stressor.

Sorry if some of it doesn't make sense I am also confused myself with this :/

[MambaMent..]

Hey, was wondering if anyone could explain the link between HPA axis and fight flight freeze response? Thanks!

[TheBamboozler]

Could somebody explain to me the similarities between long term potentiation and long term depression? Cheers!

[peter.g15]

Thank you, could you also clarify my understanding of Lazarus and Folkman model

 the transactional model applies to any potential stressor meaning it still technically hasn't been considered a stressor yet which is then evaluated in primary appraisal.  If it is irrelevant or benign positive then it is not considered stress and the individual doesn't proceed to second appraisal. But if it were stressful then the second appraisal would determine if it has enough coping resources and options to deal with it. If it does then we would experience eustress(not sure how this works because for something like winning a lottery it would be considered benign positive and eustressful at the same time) or distress(e.g losing part time job but we still perceive our selves as capable of dealing with the loss) or no stress at all(clarify here especially pls) . If we perceive ourselves with insufficient resources then we experience distress. Regardless of wether we have enough resources we still use problem focused or emotion focused coping strategies to deal with the stressor.

Sorry if some of it doesn't make sense I am also confused myself with this :/

I think that the example for winning the lottery is quite complex and would obviously have multiple stages where the person realises they have won the lottery, and then they start thinking about what to do etc. So, I think there are multiple aspects of winning the lottery that you'd have to consider and then determine the individual stressors. For example, thinking of what to do with family who want a part of the money may be considered stressful, whereas you thinking about the new phone you'll buy isn't. So i'd say, consider the different aspects and make judgements separately. Just remember that our evaluation of stress isn't simple and is made up of cost vs. benefit and multiple evaluations to figure out if we're stressed or not.

For the example about losing the job, but being able to find a new one, I would classify this as a challenge because the individual has recognised that 'yes, there is an issue, but I can make the best of it by finding a new job (dealing with the loss)'.

Hope i helped a bit

[peter.g15]

Hey, was wondering if anyone could explain the link between HPA axis and fight flight freeze response? Thanks!

Both the HPA axis and fight-flight-freeze responses are biological responses. In this i mean that hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline are released. I believe that HPA axis is more of a long term outlook on stress whereas the fight flight freeze response is an immediate response. For example, if a car is coming towards you quickly, you go into fight-flight or freeze, where you can either try to get out of the way, fight the car (? good luck) or you may freeze . Whereas, releasing you have 5 assignments due on one day may result in an initial shock and then countershock (resistance drops and then rises above), this is alarm reaction. Then, in the more short term, more cortisol may be released to increase energy and provide resources to cope with the stress of 5 assignments, this is resistance. Then, if this occurs for too long, the negative effects of cortisol start to set in and you enter the exhaustion stage whereby your immune system is weakened and you become fatigued etc.

So, to summarise, the HPA axis is more of a long term view whereas FFF (don't use this acronym in SACs) is short term. Both are biological

Hope this helped

[peter.g15]

Could somebody explain to me the similarities between long term potentiation and long term depression? Cheers!

Think of long term potentiation (LTP) and long term depression (LTD) as opposite functions. Both involve the changes of synapses and occur according to how much those neurons are used.

LTP: the long term strengthening of neurons due to repeated usage. For example, continually speaking French will strengthen and enhance neurotranmission between these neurons associated with French

LTP: the long term weakening of neurons due to lack of usage. For example, not playing for tennis for 10 years may result in the degeneration of these neurons and the connections are not as strong. Therefore, when you try to play again, you may forget. However, it'll probably be quicker to learn again (you'll learn about this in the next AOS of learning and memory)

Hope I answered your question