romantic love: an fmri study of a neural mechanism for mate choice yan lee (jojo) lilly zhang tin...
TRANSCRIPT
![Page 1: Romantic Love: An fMRI Study of a Neural Mechanism for Mate Choice Yan Lee (JoJo) Lilly Zhang Tin Poon (Tina)](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062404/551824e655034684678b4a2c/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Romantic Love: An fMRI Study of a Neural Mechanism for Mate
Choice
Yan Lee (JoJo)Lilly Zhang
Tin Poon (Tina)
![Page 2: Romantic Love: An fMRI Study of a Neural Mechanism for Mate Choice Yan Lee (JoJo) Lilly Zhang Tin Poon (Tina)](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062404/551824e655034684678b4a2c/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
General Question Addressed in This Paper
•Which specific brain system is associated with “courtship attraction”?
![Page 3: Romantic Love: An fMRI Study of a Neural Mechanism for Mate Choice Yan Lee (JoJo) Lilly Zhang Tin Poon (Tina)](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062404/551824e655034684678b4a2c/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
Why is this question interesting
• A primary aspect of reproduction• Brain mechanisms that are involved
in a relationship are largely unknown
• Love is a cross-cultural universal experience
• Love is primarily a motivation system
• Love leads to various emotions.
![Page 4: Romantic Love: An fMRI Study of a Neural Mechanism for Mate Choice Yan Lee (JoJo) Lilly Zhang Tin Poon (Tina)](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062404/551824e655034684678b4a2c/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
What specific hypothesis was the study supposed to address?
• Hypothesis 1: “romantic love would involve subcortical dopaminergic pathways that mediate reward”
• Hypothesis 2: “romantic love would involve neural pathways associated with goal-directed behaviors”
![Page 5: Romantic Love: An fMRI Study of a Neural Mechanism for Mate Choice Yan Lee (JoJo) Lilly Zhang Tin Poon (Tina)](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062404/551824e655034684678b4a2c/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
• Age: 18-26• Duration: 1-17 months being in love• Prescanning orally interview• Passionate Love Scale which
measures several traits commonly associated with romantic love (Cronbach’s alpha for questionnaire reliability= 0.81)
METHOD USED
![Page 6: Romantic Love: An fMRI Study of a Neural Mechanism for Mate Choice Yan Lee (JoJo) Lilly Zhang Tin Poon (Tina)](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062404/551824e655034684678b4a2c/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Study of Romantic Love by fMRI
There are 4 Tasks1- Photo of the beloved is shown
(30s)2- Countback distraction (40s)3- Neutral stimulus (30s)4- Similar countback task (20s)
*Procedures repeated for 6 times
![Page 7: Romantic Love: An fMRI Study of a Neural Mechanism for Mate Choice Yan Lee (JoJo) Lilly Zhang Tin Poon (Tina)](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062404/551824e655034684678b4a2c/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Results• Activation in the right ventral
tegmental area (VTA), caudate nucleus in the right medial and posterodosal body
• VTA= reward system• VTA sends projections to the caudate
nucleus• Hypotheses 1 and 2 are supported• Those who self-reported higher levels
of romantic love also showed greater activation in the right anteromedial caudate body
![Page 8: Romantic Love: An fMRI Study of a Neural Mechanism for Mate Choice Yan Lee (JoJo) Lilly Zhang Tin Poon (Tina)](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062404/551824e655034684678b4a2c/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
![Page 9: Romantic Love: An fMRI Study of a Neural Mechanism for Mate Choice Yan Lee (JoJo) Lilly Zhang Tin Poon (Tina)](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062404/551824e655034684678b4a2c/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
Important Things about Romantic Love
• Romantic love may be a primary motivation system–Focus on specific reward
• Romantic love is distinct from sex drive–fMRI studies show activation in different brain regions
![Page 10: Romantic Love: An fMRI Study of a Neural Mechanism for Mate Choice Yan Lee (JoJo) Lilly Zhang Tin Poon (Tina)](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062404/551824e655034684678b4a2c/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
Bartels and Zeki (2000;2004) • Investigated brain activity in 17 men
and women who had been in love for longer duration (8-17 months)
Results• Same as study by Fisher and Aron• Also found activity in the anterior
cingulate, mid-insular cortex and posterior cingulate cortex
• Also showed increased activity in the ventral pallidum
![Page 11: Romantic Love: An fMRI Study of a Neural Mechanism for Mate Choice Yan Lee (JoJo) Lilly Zhang Tin Poon (Tina)](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062404/551824e655034684678b4a2c/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
Mate choice is dynamic: it changes across time
![Page 12: Romantic Love: An fMRI Study of a Neural Mechanism for Mate Choice Yan Lee (JoJo) Lilly Zhang Tin Poon (Tina)](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062404/551824e655034684678b4a2c/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Cont.Based on a study of Prairie Voles• Prairie voles show increased
activity in the ventral pallidum• They form a distinct
preference for partners• The injection of dopamine
agonist can alter the female preference of her mate
![Page 13: Romantic Love: An fMRI Study of a Neural Mechanism for Mate Choice Yan Lee (JoJo) Lilly Zhang Tin Poon (Tina)](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062404/551824e655034684678b4a2c/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
Conclusion
• Reward regions using dopamine are activated during feelings of romantic love
![Page 14: Romantic Love: An fMRI Study of a Neural Mechanism for Mate Choice Yan Lee (JoJo) Lilly Zhang Tin Poon (Tina)](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062404/551824e655034684678b4a2c/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
• More Money= More Love?–A study by Knutson, both the right anteromedial caudate body and the monetary reward region are activated when people are in love
• Activation of VTA and caudate nucleus in early stage romantic love may consist of general arousal
![Page 15: Romantic Love: An fMRI Study of a Neural Mechanism for Mate Choice Yan Lee (JoJo) Lilly Zhang Tin Poon (Tina)](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062404/551824e655034684678b4a2c/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
Improvement
• There may be bias in self-report • fMRI study cannot show the
causation of mate-choice• Should have included a neutral
image of the brain and a fMRI image of being in love
![Page 16: Romantic Love: An fMRI Study of a Neural Mechanism for Mate Choice Yan Lee (JoJo) Lilly Zhang Tin Poon (Tina)](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062404/551824e655034684678b4a2c/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
What’s Next?
• The more wealthy the partner is, the more you love?•Will dopamine resolve hatred?
![Page 17: Romantic Love: An fMRI Study of a Neural Mechanism for Mate Choice Yan Lee (JoJo) Lilly Zhang Tin Poon (Tina)](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062404/551824e655034684678b4a2c/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
Reference
Fisher H, Aron A, Brown L. 2005 Romantic Love: An fMRI Study of a Neural Mechanism for Mate Choice