Love is blind, the saying goes, and thanks to a world-first Australian study, we are now one step closer to understanding why.
Romantic love and behavioral activation system Sensitivity towards a loved one
Summary
Research into the mechanisms that contribute to romantic love is in its infancy. The behavioral activation system (BAS) is a biopsychological system that has been shown to play a role in various motivational outcomes. To our knowledge, no studies have investigated the role that BAS may play in romantic love. Using a biological conceptualization of romantic love, we developed a means to assess BAS sensitivity toward a loved one and evaluate its association with the intensity of romantic love. The result is the formulation of a new way of evaluating a biopsychological system that can contribute to the expression of romantic love.
This study was the first to investigate romantic love and the behavioral activation system. In Study 1, the Behavioral Activation System Scale-Sensitivity Towards a Loved One (BAS-SLO) was validated in a sample of 1,556 young adults in relationships experiencing romantic love. In Study 2, hierarchical linear regression was used to identify associations of the BAS-SLO scale with the intensity of romantic love in a subsample of 812 young adults in relationships who experienced romantic love for two years or less. The BAS-SLO Scale explained 8.89% of the variance in the intensity of romantic love. Subject to further validation and testing, the BAS-SLO scale may be useful in future psychological and neuroimaging studies. The findings are considered in terms of the mechanisms and evolutionary history of romantic love.
Comments
It is well known that romantic love changes the brain, releasing the so-called love hormone oxytocin , responsible for the euphoria we feel when falling in love. Now, researchers from the ANU, the University of Canberra and the University of South Australia have measured how one part of the brain is responsible for putting our loved one on a pedestal in that first rush of romance.
In the world’s first study investigating the link between the human brain’s behavioral activation system (BAS) and romantic love, researchers surveyed 1,556 young adults who identified themselves as "in love . " The survey questions focused on their emotional reaction toward their partner, their behavior around them, and the focus they placed on their loved one above all else.
It turns out that when we are in love, our brain reacts differently. It makes the object of our affections the center of our lives.
ANU lead researcher and PhD student Adam Bode says the study, published in the journal Behavioral Sciences , sheds light on the mechanisms that cause romantic love. "We actually know very little about the evolution of romantic love," says Bode. "As a result, each finding that informs us about the evolution of romantic love is an important piece of the puzzle that has just begun."
"Romantic love is thought to have first emerged about five million years ago, after we split from our great ape ancestors. We know that the ancient Greeks philosophized a lot about it, recognizing it as both a surprising and traumatic experience. The poem that was once recovered was actually a love poem dated around 2000 BC."
Dr Phil Kavanagh, an academic at the University of Canberra and adjunct associate professor at UniSA, says the study shows romantic love is linked to changes in behavior and emotions.
"We know the role oxytocin plays in romantic love, because when we interact with our loved ones, it circulates in waves through our nervous system and bloodstream," says Dr. Kavanagh. "However, the way loved ones take on special importance is due to the combination of oxytocin with dopamine , a chemical our brain releases during romantic love. Basically, love activates pathways in the brain associated with feelings positive."
The next stage of the research involves investigating the differences between men and women in their approach to love and a global survey that identifies four different types of romantic lovers.
Conclusions
This article reported two studies related to the behavioral activation system and romantic love. In Study 1, the BAS-SLO scale was validated in a sample of 1,556 young adults in relationships experiencing romantic love. Validation determined that the characteristics of the BAS-SLO Scale were sufficient to justify its use in future psychological and imaging studies. In Study 2, hierarchical linear regression was used to identify associations of the BAS-SLO scale with the intensity of romantic love in a subsample of 812 young adults in relationships who experienced romantic love for two years or less.
The BAS-SLO Scale explained 8.89% of the variance in the intensity of romantic love. The findings shed light on one of the biopsychological mechanisms contributing to romantic love and provide insights into the specific functions of regions associated with romantic love from fMRI studies. The BAS-SLO scale should be used in future psychological and imaging studies.
The binding attraction system in romantic love is characterized by both oxytocin and dopamine activity, among other factors.
