Romance and Relationships

Biology of Close Relationships

Researchers in the biological sciences tend to focus on the physiological processes associated with falling in love. This work suggests that feelings of romantic attraction are associated with a number of neurotrans-mitters, including dopamine and serotonin, which act on the brain's “pleasure” centers. These chemicals facilitate romantic relationships by rewarding contact with that special someone. However, the sustained release of these chemicals typically drops off after 2 to 3 years in a relationship. What insight can biological perspectives provide into long-term relationships?

One compelling explanation involves the neuro-transmitter oxytocin, which is responsible for blood circulation and smooth-muscle contractions in specific areas of the body, for example, the lactation reflex in nursing mothers and uterine contractions while giving birth. Oxytocin is also involved in processes of social bonding and affiliation. It is released during orgasm in both sexes and exists in higher concentrations when people are in love. Administering oxytocin triggers [Page 718]increased trust, maternal behavior, and sexual arousal. Oxytocin also has a number of antistress functions, such as reducing blood pressure and stress hormone levels and increasing pain tolerance. One interpretation of these results is that oxytocin acts to increase long-term bonding and sustain romantic relationships beyond the initial attraction stage. These results also suggest that close relationships, romantic or otherwise, play a valuable role in helping people cope with stress and improve their overall health.

Psychology of Attraction

Researchers in psychology take a different approach to questions of love and attraction, focusing on features of the situation that predict the objects of our affection. This research has identified five factors that reliably predict an initial attraction to another person. First, the single best predictor of a first date is physical proximity between two people. This seems like an obvious point but works on a remarkable microlevel. In the 1950s, Leon Festinger studied friendships in a student housing complex and discovered that 41 percent of friendships were between next-door neighbors.

Second, we tend to become attracted to people with whom we are more familiar. Robert Zajonc refers to this phenomenon as mere exposure and finds that repeated contact with something is sufficient to increase its perceived attractiveness. In one study, female confederates were sent to a weekly seminar class 0, 5, 10, or 15 times during a college semester. At the end of the semester, students in the class rated pictures of the women and showed a near-perfect relationship between attendance and rank-ordered attractiveness. Incidentally, this effect works only up to a point and works only if we do not start with a strong negative reaction.

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