Science of dating attraction
01-Sep-2020 15:43
While we can certainly lust for someone we are attracted to, and vice versa, one can happen without the other.Attraction involves the brain pathways that control “reward” behavior (Figure 1), which partly explains why the first few weeks or months of a relationship can be so exhilarating and even all-consuming.The two primary hormones here appear to be oxytocin and vasopressin (Figure 1).
Interestingly, people who suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder also have low levels of serotonin, leading scientists to speculate that this is what underlies the overpowering infatuation that characterizes the beginning stages of love.Lust is driven by the desire for sexual gratification.