Showing papers by "Arthur Aron published in 2012"
TL;DR: This article reviews the literature on sensory processing sensitivity in light of growing evidence from evolutionary biology that many personality differences in nonhuman species involve being more or less responsive, reactive, flexible, or sensitive to the environment.
Abstract: This article reviews the literature on sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) in light of growing evidence from evolutionary biology that many personality differences in nonhuman species involve being more or less responsive, reactive, flexible, or sensitive to the environment. After briefly defining SPS, it first discusses how biologists studying animal personality have conceptualized this general environmental sensitivity. Second, it reviews relevant previous human personality/temperament work, focusing on crossover interactions (where a trait generates positive or negative outcomes depending on the environment), and traits relevant to specific hypothesized aspects of SPS: inhibition of behavior, sensitivity to stimuli, depth of processing, and emotional/physiological reactivity. Third, it reviews support for the overall SPS model, focusing on development of the Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) Scale as a measure of SPS then on neuroimaging and genetic studies using the scale, all of which bears on the extent to which SPS in humans corresponds to biological responsivity.
363 citations
TL;DR: Results suggest that for some individuals the reward-value associated with a long-term partner may be sustained, similar to new love, but also involves brain systems implicated in attachment and pair-bonding.
Abstract: The present study examined the neural correlates of long-term intense romantic love using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Ten women and 7 men married an average of 21.4 years underwent fMRI while viewing facial images of their partner. Control images included a highly familiar acquaintance; a close, long-term friend; and a low-familiar person. Effects specific to the intensely loved, long-term partner were found in: (i) areas of the dopamine-rich reward and basal ganglia system, such as the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and dorsal striatum, consistent with results from early-stage romantic love studies; and (ii) several regions implicated in maternal attachment, such as the globus pallidus (GP), substantia nigra, Raphe nucleus, thalamus, insular cortex, anterior cingulate and posterior cingulate. Correlations of neural activity in regions of interest with widely used questionnaires showed: (i) VTA and caudate responses correlated with romantic love scores and inclusion of other in the self; (ii) GP responses correlated with friendship-based love scores; (iii) hypothalamus and posterior hippocampus responses correlated with sexual frequency; and (iv) caudate, septum/fornix, posterior cingulate and posterior hippocampus responses correlated with obsession. Overall, results suggest that for some individuals the reward-value associated with a long-term partner may be sustained, similar to new love, but also involves brain systems implicated in attachment and pair-bonding.
308 citations
TL;DR: For example, the authors found that 40% of those married over 10 years reported being very intensely in love with their spouse, while only 29% of the individuals who were newly in love reported very intense love.
Abstract: Some individuals in long-term marriages report intensities of romantic love comparable to individuals newly in love. How common is this? Are correlates of long-term romantic love consistent with theoretical models of love? In a random sample of 274 U.S. married individuals, 40% of those married over 10 years reported being “Very intensely in love.” Importantly, correlates of long-term intense love, as predicted by theory, were thinking positively about the partner and thinking about the partner when apart, affectionate behaviors and sexual intercourse, shared novel and challenging activities, and general life happiness. Wanting to know where the partner is at all times correlated significantly with intense love for men but not women. For women, but not men, passion about nonrelationship factors significantly correlated with intense love. In a random New York (NY) sample of 322 individuals married over 10 years, 29% reported being very intensely in love and our predicted correlates cross validated.
113 citations
01 Jan 2012
TL;DR: Using fMRI, this paper explored the neural correlates of marital satisfaction to investigate the physiological markers potentially mediating these health effects, and found that greater marital satisfaction was positively correlated with activation in several neural regions, including the ventral tegmental area (reflecting reward and motivation); the orbitofrontal cortex (associated with the evaluation of rewards); the anterior insula ( associated with empathy); the inferior frontal gyrus, associated with the mirror system), the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and the prefrontal cortex(associated with affective regulation).
Abstract: Numerous studies suggest that marital satisfaction is associated with psychological and physical health. Using fMRI, the present study explored the neural correlates of marital satisfaction to investigate the physiological markers potentially mediating these health effects. Seventeen middle-aged individuals (M= 52.85 years) in happy, stable, longterm, heterosexual pair-bonds (Mean length of marriage = 21.4 years) were scanned while viewing facial images of their spouses, as well as facial images of a familiar acquaintance and a close friend (to control for familiarity and social bonding). Participants’ marital satisfaction scores (assessed with the Relationship Assessment Scale; Hendrick 1988) were correlated with brain activity in response to all of these facial images. Greater marital satisfaction (after controlling for Passionate Love Scale scores) was positively correlated with activation in several neural regions, including the ventral tegmental area (reflecting reward and motivation); the orbitofrontal cortex (associated with the evaluation of rewards); the anterior insula (associated with empathy); the inferior frontal gyrus (associated with the mirror system), the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (associated with stress control); and the prefrontal cortex (associated with affective regulation). Greater marital satisfaction was also associated with decreased activation of the subcallosal cingulate gyrus, an area whose high activity is implicated in severe depression. These findings highlight key neural sites that may mediate the link between relationship quality with psychological and physical well-being and health.
37 citations
TL;DR: Preliminary evidence that neural responses in the early stages of romantic love can predict relationship stability and quality up to 40 months later in the relationship is found.
34 citations
TL;DR: Results indicated that among participants who were experiencing moderate levels of craving, cigarette cue-reactivity regions showed significantly less activation during self-expansion conditions compared with control conditions, providing evidence that rewards from one domain can act as a substitute for reward from another domain to attenuate cigarette cue reactivity.
Abstract: Self-expanding experiences like falling in love or engaging in novel, exciting and interesting activities activate the same brain reward mechanism (mesolimbic dopamine pathway) that reinforces drug use and abuse, including tobacco smoking. This suggests the possibility that reward from smoking is substitutable by self-expansion (through competition with the same neural system), potentially aiding cessation efforts. Using a model of self-expansion in the context of romantic love, the present fMRI experiment examined whether, among nicotine-deprived smokers, relationship self-expansion is associated with deactivation of cigarette cue-reactivity regions. Results indicated that among participants who were experiencing moderate levels of craving, cigarette cue-reactivity regions (e.g., cuneus and posterior cingulate cortex) showed significantly less activation during self-expansion conditions compared with control conditions. These results provide evidence that rewards from one domain (self-expansion) can act as a substitute for reward from another domain (nicotine) to attenuate cigarette cue reactivity.
27 citations
12 Oct 2012
18 citations
TL;DR: This monograph concludes that online dating has significant benefits: increased opportunities to meet potential partners, minimally threatening contexts for initiating relationships, and the possibility of “omitting from the dating pool people who are likely to be poor relationship partners in gen.
Abstract: Finkel, Eastwick, Karney, Reis, and Sprecher (2012, this issue) have provided a remarkably comprehensive, thoughtful, scholarly, and timely monograph. It is also extremely important. As the data they cite show, online dating, particularly in developed countries, already accounts for a substantial proportion of the initiation of romantic relationships—a proportion growing at a rate suggesting it may soon account for the majority of such meetings. Thus, online dating is significant as a major social phenomenon. More crucially, the quality of our close relationships is the single biggest contributor to personal well-being and one of the largest contributors to health and longevity. Thus, understanding a phenomenon that is changing the landscape for the formation of such relationships bears on fundamental issues in human life. (As an aside, this monograph also contributes to the basic science of relationships by offering a wonderfully thorough and up-to-date review of the research literature on key factors in romantic attraction and on the predictors of relationship success.) Frankly, although my original intention was a quick read while waiting for the take off of a plane I was on, I found myself so engaged that by the time I had read it (and often reread sections while making a zillion little notes), the pilot was announcing it was time to prepare for landing. Several conclusions, all well supported, from their review stand out about online dating as it currently exists. First, it has significant benefits: increased opportunities to meet potential partners, minimally threatening contexts for initiating relationships, and the possibility of “omitting from the dating pool people who are likely to be poor relationship partners in gen
8 citations
01 Jan 2012
3 citations