6. Healthy brain development requires lots of love and affection throughout the entire lifespan, but especially during infancy and childhood.Image: AkiyoshiKitaoka
7. 3 Kinds of Love There are three kinds of love: lust, attraction, and attachment, and each has their own biological purpose (Sweeney 220). Lust (associated with hormones estrogen and androgen) encourages mating. Attraction focuses lust on a single person, conserving energy. It is believed to be associated with serotonin. Attachment keeps parents together, providing plenty of care for offspring.
15. Oxytocin: Hormone that contributes to trust and bonding. (Chemical structure pictured below).(Sweeney 221)
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17. Maternal affection helps infants learn how to cope with stress. Cortisol floods a baby’s brain when they are stressed; overexposure may impair his or her ability to regulate cortisol levels. Expressing love to an infant by caring for them teaches them to regulate stress (Gerhardt).
24. Increased life span: “According to a Dutch study of elderly patients, upbeat mental states reduced an individual’s risk of death 50% over the study’s nine-year duration” (Lemonick & Cray).
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26. When people are happier, they tend to take better care of themselves (Lemonick & Cray).
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28. Annotated Bibliography Gerhardt, Sue. Why Love Matters. 2004. Brunner-Routledge. Discusses the vital importance of love and affection during early childhood. Langton, M. “The Health Benefits of Love”. 2007. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/443851/the_health_benefits_of_love.html?cat=5. Explains many health benefits of love. Lemonick, Michael D. & Cray, Dan. “The Biology of JOY”. Time Magazine; 1/17/2005; Vol. 165 Issue 3. Explores the biology of joy and physiological effects. Sweeney, Michael S. Brain: The Complete Mind. 2009. National Geographic. Includes the basic neural chemistry of positive emotions such as love and joy. Tugade, Michele M.; Fredrickson, Barbara L.; Barret, Lisa Feldman. “Psychological Resilience and Positive Emotional Granularity: Examining the Benefits of Positive Emotions on Coping and Health”. J Pers; 2004 December. Talks about the benefits of positive emotions. IMAGES: Image of brain on slide 9: http://library.thinkquest.org/04oct/01639/en/health/popup/nucleus.html Dopamine image on slide 9: http://www.madewithmolecules.com/blog/?p=86 “This is your brain on joy” image on slide 8: Cover of book, This is Your Brain on Joy by Dr. Earl Henslin.