The science of romantic chemistry partially demystified
Why does one good-looking stranger make your heart pound while another leaves you cold? Now researchers have some explanations, many based on brain-scanning techniques. --- In general, you gravitate toward people like you. Good-looking people incline to go for similarly good-looking types. Experts believe this happens because equality contributes to a stable union. But once you get past the bone structure and bank account and into personality, opposites often attract. "We're apt to fall in love with those who are mysterious and challenging to us," says Helen Fisher. Attraction, romantic love and attachment involve 3 overlapping but separate brain systems.
Men less likely to forgive their girlfriend after meeting a beautiful woman
Research reveals that a man is more likely to view his girlfriend in a negative way after meeting an attractive female. But the introduction of an attractive male to a committed woman's life would make her more protective of her relationship. Men who met an attractive single woman were 12% less likely to forgive their girlfriends for a minor transgression. Women who met an attractive man were 18% more likely to forgive such behaviour in their partner. The researchers theorized that the presence of an alternative to current boyfriend could be seen as a threat because women favor long-term relationships.
Looking for a perfect match? Research says to follow your nose
What makes us fall in love? Mutual interests, shared life goals, or something more intangible? Researchers have discovered an olfactory nerve that they think is the route through which pheromones are processed. Nerve "O" wasn't previously detected because it is so tiny. What sexual cues do our scents give off? For one thing, we are more likely to be attracted to people whose scent is different from our own. Couples who have high levels of chemicals in common are more likely to face fertility issues, miscarriage and unfaithfulness.
Study: Hotties stick together - The beautiful marry the beautiful
In romance, we seek out partners who are just as "hot" or "not hot" as we are. A study backs up the idea that supermodels flock together while individuals without the perfect face and body also stick together. "Beautiful people marry beautiful people and less beautiful people marry less beautiful people," said professor Dan Ariely. But that doesn't mean less-attractive people are destined to feelings of settling for the mediocre. The study suggests people who lack good looks place more value in non-physical features, such as sense of humor, than in physical beauty.
Truly, madly, chemically in love: the finer points of romance
From that first glance and kiss to the lifelong bonding of soulmates, the mysteries of love and sex are being unscrambled by science. The last time you had sex, there was arguably not a thought in your head. Okay, if it was very familiar sex with a familiar partner, the kind that you likely have most of the time, your mind might have wandered off. As far as your genes are concerned, your job while you`re alive is to conceive offspring, bring them to adulthood and then obligingly die so that you don`t consume resources better spent on the young. But mating makes us come crazy in other ways, too: ones that are harder to explain by the mere babymaking.
Viagra increases level of oxytocin, which promotes romantic feelings
Research suggests that anti-impotence drugs can turn men into more loving partners. As well as its aim of improving sexual performance, Viagra boosts levels of a "cuddle chemical" in the brain that increases a man's love for his partner. The little blue pill stimulates production of the love hormone oxytocin - believed to promote romantic feelings and bonding between couples. Study leader Professor Meyer Jackson said: "...it raises the possibility that erectile dysfunction drugs could be doing more than just affecting erectile dysfunction."
Fertile Women Prefer Manly Men
A woman prefers a more masculine man when she is fertile and looking for a fling rather than a mate for life, study says. The value that women place on masculinity changes with context and with women`s reproductive cycles and goals. A woman's preference for manly men also vary based on how attractive she rated herself. And some of a woman's sex drive might involve tricks in the brain over which she has no control. Previous research has shown that women view facial masculinity as good characteristics for short-term partners, while more feminine traits are perceived as better for long-term mates.
Pleasure differences between women's and men's brains
Male and female brains are different asserts Brizendine. The sooner women -- and those who love them -- accept and appreciate how that shape female behavior, the better we can all get along. Start with why women prefer to talk about their feelings, while men prefer to meditate on sex. "Women have an eight-lane superhighway for processing emotion, while men have a small country road. Men have Airport as a hub for processing thoughts about sex, where women have the airfield that lands small and private planes." Why girls swap text messages: Connecting through talking activates the pleasure centers. It is the biggest pleasure you can get outside of an orgasm.
Official: Men really do have sex on the brain - Misread flirting
According to a study men 'oversexualise' conversations and wrongly assume women are interested in a sexual relationship, misreading friendliness for flirting on the part of a woman. As a result many men come away from first meetings incorrectly believing there had been sexual chemistry between them. The findings may help explain why men complain about women sending mixed signals. "Men were more likely to perceive their partner as sexy and flirtatious. But that didn't at all correspond with how she saw him or she saw herself. Behaviour that looks like she is engaged in the conversation may actually be taken as signs of sexual interest, as opposed to what she intends, which is friendliness."
Brain remembers familiar faces when choosing potential mate
Scientists have discovered that the human brain favours familiar-looking faces when choosing a potential partner. They also found that the human brain holds separate images of both male and female faces and reacts to them differently depending on how familiar it is with their facial features. "The next step in the research is to find out why the brain makes a link between familiarity and attractiveness. It maybe that visual experience of particular facial features suggests that a person is 'safe' or more 'approachable', both of which are desirable traits."
Actions that signal "I like you" to another person
When you meet a stranger, their impression of you is based 55% on your appearance and body language, 38% on your style of speaking and a mere 7% on what you actually say. There are a number of actions that signal "I like you" to another person. Adopting an open posture, and mirroring another's posture help create a feeling of affinity. And it is worth adopting stances that enhance your masculinity or femininity, such as placing hands in pockets with elbows out to enlarge the chest. You could also indulge in a "gestural dance", synchronising your body movements with those of the object of your desire, such as taking a sip of your drinks at the same time.
Love can be maddening, literally
The term `lovesick` is surprisingly accurate, explains Lauren Slater. People experiencing romantic love, could have a chemical profile in their brains similar to that of people who suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder. Some findings: Love lights up areas of the brain linked to reward and pleasure — the ventral tegmental area and the caudate nucleus — and releases chemicals such as dopamine which, in the right proportions, provoke intense energy, focused attention, recklessness and exhilaration. Love makes you bold, makes you bright and makes you run real risks. Doing novel things together triggers dopamine in the brain, stimulating feelings of attraction.
What goes on in the brain during attraction, bonding
Take the story of Sam and Margo who meet, and he first sees Margo. He notices that she`s hot. Why? -- It`s her body mass index, or BMI. Then it`s her facial symmetry. According to Devendra Singh, it`s her waist-to-hip ratio which, in Margo`s case, is the ideal 7. After using `speed-dating` events as his lab, Kurzban has concluded that there is a consensus about what counts as attractive, and for men it is based on BMI and facial features. For women it is based on BMI and cues about health and social status. Something happens to Sam and Margo as soon as they size each other up. Chemicals begin seeping into their brains. They begin to feel good. They`re happy and excited.
Do Pheromones Play Role In Your Sexual Life
Using a brain imaging technique, researchers have shown that homosexual and heterosexual men respond differently to two odors that may be involved in sexual arousal, and that the gay men respond in the same way as women. A pheromone is any chemical or mixture of chemicals produced by a living organism that transmits a message to other members of the same species. The term "pheromone" is usually used for sexual attractants. Pheromones in humans are believed to be produced by the apocrine glands. Pheromones could also be the reason why a person can sense "chemistry", or feel an instant attraction or dislike when first meeting someone.
Are Pheromones a Secret Weapon For Dating?
Odorless pheromones are secreted by many animals to attract mates. But they're also synthesized and marketed to consumers as potions to increase sexual attractiveness. They've been sold for years, but new studies and claims are making these items hotter than ever. Paris Hilton knows. She added them to her latest perfume. But the debate remains: Do pheromones really work or is this just all hype?
Study: Loneliness May Be in the DNA
Researchers surveyed 8,000 pairs of twins and found that 50 percent shared similar characteristics of loneliness. "Our results indicate loneliness is not a personality weakness," said psychology professor John Cacioppo. "Quite the contrary, it is just part of the genetic variation that we find in humans." The study indicated that loneliness has nothing to do with wealth, height or physical attractiveness.
Female exercise addiction 'manic' link
Exercise addiction in women may be linked to manic personalities, according to new research. The study found the manic behaviour usually associated with addictions such as gambling and drinking was also present in women reliant on keeping fit. Fitting their lives around their fitness programme, missing work to exercise and feeling anxious when they couldn't get to the gym were all signs of addiction.
The urge to infidelity ... it's in her genes
One woman in five in Britain is likely to be unfaithful to her partner, thanks to her genes. One of the largest ever sexual surveys -involving 1600 pairs of twins - has revealed that 40% of female infidelity can be explained by heredity. US scientists recently identified a "fidelity gene" in a vole: one form of a vasopressin receptor gene determined whether the animals were monogamous or promiscious. The London team tried to link the same gene with human behaviour, but found only that a number of genes might be involved.