This document provides an overview of the biology of love by discussing several studies on the roles of neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin in the different stages of love (lust, romantic love, and attachment). It summarizes key findings from studies that used brain imaging and blood tests to show how dopamine is involved in goal-seeking and romantic love, how lowered serotonin contributes to obsessive thinking in lovers, and how oxytocin activates reward centers in the brain and is important for building romantic bonds and relationships. The document also discusses how these neurotransmitters relate to concepts like addiction, monogamy, and communication between couples.

1. The Biology of
Love

2. Learning Outcomes
 B6: Using one or more examples, explain
the effects of neurotransmission on human
behavior.

3. Love Quotes
 Share your quote with your table and explain
why you chose it.
 Discuss the following questions…
 What do our quotes reveal about love? Are
there any common themes?
 From your own experiences, are these quotes
accurate representations of love? Why or why
not?
 What value does our society place on love?

4. The Science of Addiction
 Key Questions:
 What is the function of dopamine in regular
behavior?
 What role does dopamine play in creating
addition?
 What important ideas stand out to you
about addiction?

5. The Three Stages of Love
 Lust
 Romantic Love
 Attachment

6. Lust
• The craving for sexual gratification.

7. Romantic Love
• Elation, heightened energy, mood swings, focused
attention, craving for emotional union with the
beloved, goal orientated behavior, and intense
motivation to win the preferred mate.
 Increased Dopamine: Goal seeking behavior, increase
in energy, sleeplessness, craving, mood swings, etc.
 Lowered Serotonin: Obsessive Thinking

8. Attachment
 The connection and feeling of content
when in proximity with your partner and
anxiety when separated.
 Related to Oxytocin (Hormone)

9. Fisher et al (2003)
 Aim: To determine the neurological
activity of a person in love.
 Method:
 Participants: 7 Men, 10 Women. Between
the ages of 18-26. Average relationships of
7.4 months.
 Placed participants in fMRI Machine
 Showed a picture of an acquaintance,
asked them to count backwards to clear
mind, and then showed picture of their
beloved.

10. Fisher et al (2003) Continued
Findings: When looking at the
image of their beloved, participants
displayed activity in the area of the
brain called the VTA. This area is
part of the brain’s “reward system,”
and is rich in dopamine.
Conclusions: Dopamine plays an
essential role in shaping the feelings
of love.
Critical Thinking?

11. Marazziti et al (1999)
Aim: To compare the brain
chemistry of a person in love with a
person with OCD.
Method:
 20 Men & Women recently fallen in love.
 20 Men & Women with OCD
 20 Men & Women as a Control
 Took samples of their blood and
measured levels of serotonin.

12. Marazziti et al. (1999)
Finding: Men and Women with OCD
and those in love had similarly
lowered levels of serotonin.
Conclusion: Decreased Activity of
Serotonin contributes to a lover’s
obsessive thinking.
Critical Thinking?

13. Wrap Up: Your Love is My Drug
 What does this lesson reveal about Ke$ha’s
brain chemistry during this song?
 How does this relate to addiction?
 What stage of love is Ke$ha experiencing?
 What advice would you give to Ke$ha if you
were one of her friends?

14. Warm-Up Part I: Taylor Swift
 What biological functions are driving
T-Swift through this song?
 How do the stages of love relate to the
color symbolism that Taylor sings about?
 To what extent is the comparison
between love and addiction accurate?
Explain your thinking.

15. Example #2: Oxytocin
 Released by the pituitary gland.
 Only exists in mammals.
 Acts primarily as a neurotransmitter.
 Involved in building bonds, trust,
generosity, and social memories.
 The coolest hormone ever!

16. Scheele et al. (2013)
 Aim: To determine the role of oxytocin on
heterosexual male’s perception of their
romantic partners.
 Method:
 Repeated Measures Design
 Treatment: Oxytocin Spray; Control: Placebo
 Showed pictures of romantic partners and
measured their perceptions of partners
and brain activity using a fMRI

17. Scheele et al. (2013) Cont.
 Findings:
 Oxytocin activated the reward (VTA) center in
the brain to a greater extent.
 Men on oxytocin perceived their partner more
attractive than other women.
 Oxytocin did not activate the reward system
with acquaintances, only romantic partners.
 Conclusions: Oxytocin play a key role in
shaping monogamy and building bonds
between lovers.
 Critical Thinking?
 Connections to major debates in Psychology?
 Connections to other studies?

18. Feldman et al. (2012)
 Hormone: Oxytocin
 Aim: To investigate the role of Oxytocin in
early relationships in young adults.
 Method:
 Measured the oxytocin levels of 120 young
adults (60 couples of 3 months) and 43
singles.
 Measured oxytocin levels of the same
participants six months later.

19. Feldman et al. (2012)
 Findings:
 Oxytocin levels were higher for the new couples
than the single individuals.
 High Oxytocin levels at the first test correlated
with couples staying together after 6 months.
 High Oxytocin predicted more affectionate
touch, reciprocity, positive emotions, and
worries about the partner and relationship.
 Conclusion: Oxytocin plays a key role in the
formation of new romantic relationships
among young adults.
 Critical Thinking?

20. Ditzen (2013)
 Hormone: Oxytocin
 Aim: To determine the impact of oxytocin
on couples’ communication.
 Method: Had couples either spray
oxytocin or a placebo up their nose and
engage in a high stress conversation.

21. Ditzen (2013) Continued
 Findings:
 Oxytocin improved communication and
lowered levels of cortisol.
 Women: showed less social stress
 Men: showed more social stress and were
more engaged in the conversation (Eye
contact, smiling, etc.)
 Conclusions: Oxytocin impacts the ways
that couples communicate.
 Critical Thinking?

22. Nakajima et al. (2014)
 Aim: To determine the role of oxytocin in
female rats interest levels in male rats.
 Method: Gave a group of female rats a
chemical that blocked the receptor sites
of oxytocin in the frontal lobe.
 Finding: The females showed almost no
interest in males and even showed equal
attention to a LEGO block.
 Conclusion: Oxytocin is responsible for
sexual interest in female rats.
 Critical Thinking?