![]() The theory was that 'negative reappraisal' – essentially delving into the faults of their ex – would decrease a person’s sadness over their lost relationship. However, researchers like Langeslag are investigating this very question.įor instance, in 2019 she conducted a study where participants were asked to reframe their partner in a positive or negative way. I think this yearning is in some ways akin to a craving for recreational drugs in the way the pathways within the brain are engaged,” she says. And you can't meet that desire so an intense frustration appears. "When you lose a particular individual, your desire to be with them probably doesn’t go away. How did the heart become synonymous with love?ĭonaldson also says comparing love to addiction is useful when explaining human heartbreak, which she describes as similar to drug withdrawal.This is your brain on love: the beautiful neuroscience behind all romance.Those confronted with a picture of a loved one had poorer and slower task performance. In fact, her findings indicate intense passionate love is associated with decreased cognitive control.įor instance, in one study she asked participants to perform a short-term memory task while presented with pictures of a beloved, friend or stranger. However, Dr Sandra Langeslag, a behavioural neuroscientist at the University of Missouri–St Louis has found a major neurological drawback of being in love: it distracts us. Love normally does not reach this ‘maladaptive level’ – and it isn’t as detrimental to your health as many recreational drugs. And addiction is simply taking that to a maladaptive level – it’s where this circuitry hijacks the brain,” says Professor Zoe Donaldson, a behavioural neuroscientist. “While a source of joy, these pathways in the brain also motivate us to engage in certain behaviours.
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