The Cannon-Bard theory of emotion proposed the idea of the fight or flight response. It’s leading question: When faced with a potentially dangerous scenario, what do your instincts tell you to do? The Cannon-Bard theory states that the lower part of the brain, also called the thalamus, controls your experience of emotion. At the same time, the higher part of the brain, also called the cortex, controls the expression of emotion. It is believed
that these two parts of the brain react simultaneously. This theory was proposed in the 1920s and early 1930s by Walter B. Cannon and Philip Bard. It’s also referred to as the “fight or flight” response. Stress begins in your brain and your senses communicate potential dangers to it. For example, you may see a car
coming toward you or hear a sudden loud sound. The Cannon-Bard theory proposes that your amygdala processes what you see and hear, translating possible danger to the hypothalamus. Your amygdala processes emotions. When it communicates potential danger, your brain has a stress response to stay and fight the danger or run away. Once your amygdala initiates a distress signal, your hypothalamus alerts your sympathetic nervous system by sending signals to your adrenal
glands. Adrenaline begins pumping through your veins, quickly resulting in: Each of these physiological responses happens so quickly that you aren’t aware at first. Instead, you’re acting instinctively. Hundreds of years ago, our instincts kept us safe. Today, we face fewer real dangers, yet our fight or flight response may still
be triggered by something. Fight or flight response adapts as your environment does. Hundreds of years ago, you may have been scared of wild animals that threatened to attack you. Instead of spending time making a logical choice based on your scenario, your brain decided for you — run, or stay and fight. In today’s world, the fight or flight response may come in less dangerous situations. For
example, your boss at work asks you to come into their office. You immediately think something is wrong, and it triggers your glands to release adrenaline. You become defensive and may feel the need to walk into the office with your guard up, ready to fight. Alternately, past trauma or
PTSD can elicit a fight or flight response. Your memories are often grounded in your senses. You remember what you saw, felt, and heard at a particular time. If you see or hear something that reminds you of a traumatic experience, your brain may trigger the fight or flight
response. This happens in an effort of self-preservation to protect you from the same trauma again. Fortunately, repeated trauma will likely not occur. Therefore, you have to focus on calming yourself down so that the stress doesn’t continue to affect your day. Relaxation techniques. In establishing the theory of fight or flight, concerns were raised about the amount of
time your body spends under stress. The Cannon-Bard theory states that if you find yourself experiencing the symptoms of fight or flight, take a minute to calm down. Training your mind. Over time, you can train your brain to react with less eagerness if there isn’t any danger around. Mental stress. Fight or flight is great because it’s an innate survival
mechanism. However, if you are constantly facing “threats” that cause you stress, it can lead to poor health outcomes. Stress can become chronic if not properly managed. Nervous system issues. When your body focuses its energy on responding to threats, your nervous system takes a hit. This may leave you feeling unstable and lead to chronic health problems. If you pay attention to your subconscious response to threatening situations, you can learn a lot. If your
stress levels remain too high, it’s a sign that your sympathetic and parasympathetic systems aren’t working together. You can seek help from a professional mental health provider to learn how to better manage stress.Impact of Fight or Flight on Your Health
Examples of the Cannon-Bard Theory
Tips to Manage a “Fight or Flight” Situation
When “Fight or Flight” Becomes a Problem
The name of the noted physiologist who was employed at Harvard Medical School and first described the body's reaction to stress is
The body's stress reaction that includes an increase in heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, and serum cholesterol is called
Stimuli with the potential to cause stress are collectively called
The general adaptation syndrome has three stages, which are, in order
alarm reaction, stage of resistance, stage of exhaustion
The series of bodily changes that are the opposite of the stress reaction is called
A relaxation technique that involves a sensation of heaviness, warmth, and tingling in the limbs is called
The contraction of muscles for no obvious purpose is called
Which of the following people are known for studying stress and headaches
Stewart Wolf, Thomas Budzynski, and Howard Wolff
The theory developed by Kobasa and her colleagues that if you perceive potentially stressful events as a challenge instead of a threat, less stress will result, is known as the
The cumulative biological wear and tear that results from responses to stress that seek to maintain body equilibrium is known
Toxins, heat, and cold would be examples of what kind of stressor?
Threats to self-esteem or depression would be examples of what kind of stressor?
The physical, psychological, and behavioral outcomes of stress reactivity are called
strains
"Tend-and-friend" behaviors are nurturing activities that
girls tend to use more than boys
The goal of stress management is to
limit the harmful effects of stress
Which one of the following pioneers developed a meditative technique that was successfully employed to help reduce his patients' levels of high blood pressure?
Progressive relaxation is also known
Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe showed
that the more significant the change in someone's life, the greater the chance of the onset of illness.
The lower part of the brain responsible for various physiological processes necessary to stay alive is called the
Part of the subcortex responsible for coordination is called the
What are the two major components of the brain
cerebral cortex and subcortex
The part of the subcortex responsible for regulation of heartbeat and breathing is called the
The part of the subcortex responsible for regulating sleep is called the
The part of the subcortex responsible for the regulation of emotions is called the
The part of the diencephalon that activates the autonomic nervous system is called the
The system that produces emotions, which is also known as the "seat of emotions," is called the
The system that is comprised of hormones that regulate physiological functions is called
The part of the brain that "sounds the alarm" when stress is present is called the
What is released by the hypothalamus and results in the release of adrenocorticotropic hormones?
corticotropin releasing factor
What is released by the hypothalamus and stimulates the pituitary gland to secrete thyrotropic hormone?
thyrotropic hormone releasing factor
What stimulates the thyroid gland to secrete thyroxin?
The part of the adrenal gland that secretes corticoids is called the
_____________ regulates metabolism of glucose
The primary glucocorticoid is called
The primary mineralocorticoid is called
The inner portion of the adrenal gland that secretes catecholamine is called the
A catecholamine, often called adrenalin, is
A catecholamine, often called noradrenalin, is
An endocrine gland that secretes the hormone thyroxin that is involved in the stress reaction is called the
The part of the autonomic nervous system responsible for conserving energy is called the
parasympathetic nervous system
When you encounter a stressor, the sympathetic nervous system regulates the body to
Which of the following is NOT an example of an involuntary function
A substance found in the digestive system that helps break down food for digestion is called
Muscles attached to the bone are called
The electrodermal response, or the electrical conductance of the skin, is called
The average blood pressure for a young adult is
Cortisol is secreted from the adrenal cortex and is responsible for
an increase in blood sugar
an increase in blood sugar
The effects of cortisol and epinephrine are mediated by the hormones
People who react to stress with an all-out physiological reaction are
Conditions that have a mind and body component are called
A physical disease caused by emotional stress without a microorganism involved is
The study of the illness-causing and healing effects of the mind on the body is known as
____________ are a type of lymphocyte whose purpose is to destroy substances foreign to the body by puncturing invaded body cells and killing the cells and foreign substances.
Cells left in the bloodstream and the lymphatic system to recognize and respond to future attacks to the body by the same invader are called
The pressure of the blood as it leaves the heart is known as
The pressure of the blood against the arterial walls when the heart is relaxed is known as
Hypertension with no known cause is called
The total blood pressure is given in the formula:
Hypertension can be caused by which of the following?
all the choices are correct
A rupture of a blood vessel in the brain is known as a
When a part of the heart dies because of lack of oxygen, it is known as
The debris that clogs coronary arteries is known as
A behavior pattern associated with the development of coronary heart disease is
Fissures or cuts in the wall of the stomach, duodenum, or other parts of the intestines are known as
The constriction phase of a migraine headache, also called preattack, is called
Treatments for tension headaches would include all the following, EXCEPT
Cancer-causing agents are called
A foreign substance irritating to the body is a(n)
In order to have a healthy level of cholesterol in your blood, you want to have
high levels of HDL and low levels of LDL.
Substances produced by the body to fight antigens are called
A physiological response in which the body turns on itself is known as
The interference with the smooth functioning of the jaw is known as
temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ)
The Whitehall study indicated_______ was directly related to a person's level of stress
Which of the following can decrease the harmful effects of stress
Lazarus perceived stress to be a function of
demands exceeding recources
Activities to prevent a stressor from resulting in negative consequences are known as
Interpretation of a stressor is known as
After a life situation is perceived as stressful, what occurs next
In the stress model, emotional reaction leads to
All of the following are examples of physiological arousal, EXCEPT
If someone's response to stress proves to be ineffective, he or she should engage in
An intrapersonal matter is between
Being malnourished means you
Self-imposed starvation is known as
Food substances that produce a stress-like response are known as
both pseudostressors and sympathomimetics
Examples of sympathomimetics include all the following, EXCEPT
A deficiency in B complex and Vitamin C can result in which condition
A condition in which bones become weak and brittle and the sufferer is at an increased risk for fractures is known as
Noise that helps you relax and also drowns out other sounds that may interfere with relaxation is called
A word that is the focus of meditation is called
The presence of significant others with whom one can discuss stressors is called
Daily interactions that are essentially negative are known as
Positive events that make us feel good are known as
daily hassles are more harmful than significant life changes.
Some examples of bulimic behavior are
Expressing yourself and satisfying your own needs, feeling good about this, and not hurting others in the process is known as
Aggressive nonverbal communication would include which of the following
Paraphrasing a speaker's words and feelings is known as
Which of the following is TRUE about nonverbal body language
When trying to resolve a conflict, you should do all of the following, EXCEPT
A time management technique in which tasks are prioritized is known as
abc list
Which of the following are aspects of most relaxation techniques?
Social support consists of all the following, EXCEPT
The first step of selective awareness is to
recognize positive and negative elements
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of Type A behavior
Researchers have developed two components of Type A behavior that appear to operate in opposing directions. These two components are
impatience/irritability and achievement striving.
How highly you regard yourself is known as
The perception that one has little control over events that affect one's life is known as
external locus of control
The perception that one has control over events that affect one's life is known as
internal locus of control
The belief that one is either the victim of circumstances or the master of circumstances, each of which is erroneous, is known as
co-creator perception deficiency
An unrealistic fear that manifests itself in physiological arousal and is accompanied by the behavioral signs of escape or avoidance is
Anxiety that is either temporary in nature or specific to a particular stimulus is known as
A general sense of anxiety not specific to a particular stimulus is known as
Feelings of terror that strike suddenly and repeatedly with no warning are known as
If you are having a panic attack, which of the following will most likely occur?
An intense fear of something that poses little or no actual danger is known as a(n)
Self-efficacy is the personal belief that the self
Resilient traits include all of the following, EXCEPT
Hardiness has been shown to do all the following, EXCEPT
decrease one's ability to access strong emotions.
At stress reduction clinics, patients use which technique to learn how to live in the moment and become acutely aware of feelings, thoughts, and sensations?
A person's view of life's meaning, direction, purpose, and connectedness to other things, other people, and the past and future is known as
Prayer that seeks divine intervention either to prevent an occurrence or to help overcome it are known as
Spirituality can function as
either primary or secondary control
In a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), the most common form of CAM
Research investigations in which neither the research subject nor the data collectors are aware of who is in the control group and who is in the experimental group are known
Forgiving others has been found to be associated with which of the following
The purpose of meditation is to
gain control over your attention
A geometric figure used as the object of focus during meditation is called a(n)
a Hindu practice that involves breathing as the object of focus during meditation.
imagined sounds used as the object of focus during meditation
Unanswerable, illogical riddles used as the object of focus during meditation are called
a word used as the object of focus during meditation.
A good time to meditate is
A relaxation technique that involves imagining one's limbs to be heavy, warm, and tingling is called
A relaxation technique that involves imagining one's limbs to be heavy, warm, and tingling is called
The generalized warmth experienced during autogenics is a function of the dilation of
The sensation of heaviness experienced during autogenics is caused by
A(n) _________ in alpha brain waves, a sign of mental relaxation, occurs as a result of autogenics.
Using as many senses as you can during imagery will
make the image as real as possible.
A process by which one muscle group is relaxed, then another muscle group is relaxed, is called
Other names for _________ are Jacobsonian relaxation and neuromuscular
The contraction phase of progressive relaxation is designed to help people better recognize when they are
The use of electronic instruments or other techniques to monitor and change subconscious activities, many of which are regulated by the autonomic nervous system, is called
Electromyographic (EMG) biofeedback measures
Deep breathing that expands the belly rather than the chest is called
A relaxation technique that searches for relaxed body parts and transports that sensation to less relaxed areas is called
The most relaxing and healthy type of breathing is