Neurobiology Of Love

To begin the experiment, participants answered a questionnaire rating how intensely in love they were then they were shown photos of their partner during an MRI scan. It was found that dophamine-rich areas of the brain (area associated with rewards) had higher activity when shown their partner than when shown an image of their friend. These findings show that we form relationships with those who are rewarding.

In the movie Casablanca, directed by Michael Curtiz, two different kinds of love are exposed. The love relationship between Ilsa Lund and Rick is a more passionate relationship while the one between Ilsa and Victor Laszlo is more intimate. Love is composed of different feelings and because of that it can be expressed, as seen in Casablanca, in different ways. “The Intimate Relationship Mind”, a text by Garth J. O. Fletcher and Megan Stenswick, helps support that claim providing a scientific background on how love is shaped by those different feelings. It says that “love is composed of three distinct and basic components that each represent evolved adaptations; namely, intimacy, commitment,

It was really interesting that the author could pinpoint out these little feelings and describe what exactly happens in our body when we fall in love. Her reasoning she exhibited at certain places did that I was speechless and in other places it made me pensive and a bit skeptical of her reasoning. For many people who are not familiar with the scientific description of love is love a simple strong sensation when you meet the right person. Looking at it with a more scientific eye as Anastasia Toufexis does in The Right Chemistry, will tell you that love is a rather complex biological/chemical phenomenon something evolution has given us. Michael Millis gives the following explanation ''What seems on the surface to be irrational, intoxicated behavior is in fact part of natures's master strategy''1, which began in the African plains 4 years ago. This was according to me the key to human survival and it was here the romantic love started to blossom.Thanks to the fact that humans began walking on two legs and mad the entire body visible to one another developed this unique attraction forces, who developed the love into more than just a single reproductive act. Although assembly mates from behind was, and still is, the method favored by most animals, people began to enjoy face-to-face connections. Both appearance and personal attraction became a much bigger part of the equation.

In his article “Watching New Love as It Sears the Brain,” Benedict Carey expresses that love is not necessarily an emotion but rather a neurological and physical phenomenon. After comparing new love to mania and obsession, Carey offers evidence of romantic love as a neuropsychological event through the description of the caudate nucleus (a specific part of the brain which produces the neurotransmitter dopamine), explaining the cause of desire and passion in relation to love.

The human idea of love is quite possibly the most misunderstood in today’s society. Love can be between a man and woman, mother/father and their kids, or even really good friends. However, these relationships of love go through many interactions and stages to start and progress. Many psychological events must occur and be worked through in order to be successful. All relationships must endure the five perspectives of human behavior. These perspectives are biological, learning, social and cultural, cognitive, and psychodynamic influences.

The original study “The nature of love” was focused on gaining more understanding of human development (Hock, 2013). It involved a series of experiments done by Harry Harlow in 1958, in which he

Love is the basis of our existence. It affects our every moment, dreams, and hope for the future. Love has caused wars, ended lives, toppled governments and has been expounded on by poets, musicians, philosophers, and literates throughout the centuries. Research from Syracuse University shows that it takes about a fifth of a second to fall in love and it affects almost every part of our body. Our brain releases dopamine, a natural chemical that gives us energy and optimism. Love is similar to a drug and can become an addiction because it affects our brain much like other drugs by triggering the dopamine reward part of our brain. Love even affects a persons’ heart when a person is in love their blood pressure will lower and has been

What role does love play in work and education? In “Uses of Erotic” by Audre Lord and “Brainology” by Carol Dweck both authors explain how love plays in both the workplace and in education. Lord explain that women have been shaped by society and men to oversee the actual definition of erotic and instead change the expression to mean pornography, something that is enjoyable for only men. While Dweck says when two groups of children are praised in a different way, one for their hard work and who are willing to push through everything that is thrown at them, they grow up with a growth mindset, while the other group who was told that they were being praised for the great amount of intelligence that they already had to grow up with a fixed mindset.

Some say, to love is to be willing to die. Others say, to love is to be willing to do whatever a loved one asks. Barbara Fredrickson says love is neither of these. In her book, Fredrickson attempts to redefine love through the biological microscope. The author compiles a variety of studies and research data to prove her claim that love is the product of neural coupling, oxytocin in the brain, and the work of the vagus nerve. Fredrickson presents a well-rounded claim, but there are some deficiencies that hinder the strength of her argument. Fredrickson’s use of vague language throughout this excerpt causes the reader to call into question the validity of said studies. In addition, Fredrickson’s use of first person point of view is a clever

Love is said to be the greatest human experience in which mankind are privilege to partake in. To love can be a wondrous experience filling life with bliss and other strong emotions. Some people believe to love is to be alive and be able to see the good in the world and others. The purpose of this paper is to examine and find a better understanding of what is love, to explore what people believe love to be, and what lies surround the perception of love and to explore and expose what the meaning true love is or at the very least the authors understanding of the perception of love. In addition to exploring the concept, deception and the truth of love,

“Love2.0” opens with an interesting analogy comparing love to a vital nutrient, “The more you experience it, the more you open up and grow, becoming wiser and more attuned, more resilient and effective, happier and healthier” (Frederickson 107). Oxytocin, “the great facilitator of life,” is one of Frederickson’s three critical components of

Mankind has a natural urge for attachment. Every living person needs someone to be with, someone to confide in, someone to love. Attachment is a basic human necessity that people will fulfill with the companionship of another person, or a non – living object. But sometimes, humans attach onto other people or objects too hastily. After being with the person or object for a very short amount of time, humans feel they are connected to that person or object at a greater extent than they truly are. Sherry Turkle writes in her book Alone Together, how children get attached to toys very easily, and feel the difficulties of separation from these toys, even if they are not living creatures. Meanwhile, Barbara Fredrickson attempts to define love in her novel Love 2.0: How our Supreme Emotion Affects Everything We Feel, Think, Do, and Become by attempting to look at the science behind attachment and the reasons humans get attached to people and objects as quickly as they do. Attachment is something humans have no control over. Humans have no agency in the attachments they make because attachment changes how the body works by changing the body’s chemical makeup. Furthermore, humans never know when they are going to get attached to a person or object and find it difficult to let go of their attachments.

Love addiction and substance dependence have similar characteristics, namely, the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine, the presence of tolerance and withdrawal symptoms, and the negative influences they have on a person’s life. Love addiction is similar to addictive drugs such as alcohol, cocaine, marijuana and heroin because of the effects that dopamine have on the addict’s mind and body. These effects then lead to a person’s experience of tolerance and withdrawal symptoms. Tolerance and withdrawal symptoms are very important in the maintenance of an addiction as they cause the person to crave and need more of the addictive

Does brain equal behavior? Some people have argued that they have difficulty saying it does because they find it hard to believe that our individual, tangible brain controls emotions that many consider to be intangible, such as being in love. This paper will discuss the role that the brain actually plays in love- why we are attracted to certain people, why we feel the way we do when we are around them, and whether or not this is enough to say that in the case of love, brain does equal behavior.

What are the chemical causes and effects of falling in love? There are three phases of love, which include the following; lust, attraction and attachment. Lust is a phase driven by hormones where we end up in an experience of pure desire. Attraction is a phase where you are overcome in new feelings. Attachment is a phase where you grow bonds and feel connected. As stated by Science Daily, "Blood flows to the pleasure center of the brain during the attraction phase, when we feel an overwhelming attraction towards our partner. This behavior fades during the attachment phase, when the body develops a tolerance to the pleasure stimulants, and in other words, becoming accustomed to your partner. Endorphins and hormones "vasopressin" and "oxytocin" also submerge the body at this point, creating an overall sense of felicity and security that are necessities to a lasting relationship". Although getting struck by Cupid's arrow may very well take your breath away and make your heart go pitter-patter, doctors caution that certain physical responses to love may work to our disadvantage.