Walter Cannon was one of the early pioneers in advancing the understanding of stress and the stress response within the body. Cannon actually coined the now familiar concept of "fight or flight." He observed the behavior of animals in response to a perceived threat and noted that the animals either immediately prepared to attack (fight) or immediately prepared to escape (flight) (Cannon, 1932). Recent research has expanded upon Cannon's original fight or flight response to stress, suggesting that humans might have a wider range of stress responses such as freezing, fleeing, fighting, or fainting (Bracha, 2004).

• Briefly describe a situation in which you faced some kind of stressor. Make sure the example you choose is appropriate for sharing with your fellow classmates. The stressor could be something mild like receiving a parking ticket or making a public speech.

Then, focus your discussion on the following:

• Identify the stress response category that best fits your reaction.
  • Was your reaction fight or flight, or did your response fall under a different category, such as freezing?
• Discuss the ways that your response might havehelped you in the stressful situation you described.
• Discuss the ways that your response might have harmed you or hindered you in the stressful situation you described.