While the concept of romantic love may mean somewhat different things to different people, in recent decades scientists have examined the biology of reproduction and the brain processes involved in choosing a sexual partner.
In a research paper published in 1998, biological anthropologist Helen Fisher came up with a leading theory of romantic love, describing it as three independent drives affected by chemicals in our bodies. Lust, governed by sex hormones, is one. The other two, attraction and attachment, are influenced by the release of chemicals in our brain. Dopamine, for example, triggers excitement towards a love interest while oxytocin, dubbed the cuddle hormone, helps to promote a long-term bond.
“Love has a strong chemical component,” says Neil McArthur, a professor of philosophy specialising in ethics and technology at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada. “We really feel it in our bones, in our chemistry.”
Different parts of the brain are involved in love and brain scans of people in the throes of love have captured this.
Primitive brain regions linked to pleasure, such as the ventral tegmental area, for example, are activated along with the amygdala, which is responsible for emotional responses and the hippocampus, which processes emotions and helps form memories. Being in love can also impact other cognitive abilities, for example when we end up thinking about someone obsessively during the early stages of a romance.