Module 05 · Understanding Love理解爱情
The Physiology of Love爱情生理学
Overview 概述
In this brief section, we’re going to break down what we know about the physiology of love into two categories: how the body reacts to love, and how the brain reacts to love.
在这个简短的章节中，我们将把我们对爱情生理学的了解分为两大类：身体对爱情的反应，以及大脑对爱情的反应。
Bodily Reactions 身体反应
The main physiological system in the body that plays a role in the experience of love is the sympathetic nervous system. This system is responsible for the activation of the fight, flight, or freeze response that readies the body to cope with a stressor. While it seems somewhat counterintuitive that the same system that enables us to run away from a snarling dog also plays a key role when we feel passion for another person, there is a long history of psychological research establishing this fact (e.g., Mercado & Hibel, 2017; White et al., 1981).
身体中在体验爱情方面发挥作用的生理系统是交感神经系统。该系统负责激活战斗、逃跑或冻结反应，使身体准备好应对压力源。虽然看起来有些反直觉，但正是这个使我们能够逃离咆哮的狗的系统，在我们对另一个人产生激情时也起着关键作用，这一事实已有长期的心理研究历史证实（例如，Mercado & Hibel，2017；White et al.，1981）。
In short, just like having a stressful experience (e.g., being in a minor car accident) can increase our heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate, as well as dilate our pupils and make us sweat, the same physiological responses (albeit at lesser levels) are also present when a person meets someone about whom they feel passion. The size of these physiological changes is proportionate to the amount of love felt, with larger changes indicating a stronger feeling of passion.
简而言之，就像经历一次压力事件（例如，发生轻微车祸）可以增加我们的心率、血压和呼吸频率，以及使我们的瞳孔扩张并使我们出汗一样，当一个人遇到他们感到激情的人时，也会出现相同的生理反应（尽管程度较低）。这些生理变化的大小与感受到的爱的大小成正比，变化越大，表明激情的感觉越强烈。
We will talk more about the role of these bodily changes and how they relate to the different types of love later in this module.
我们将在此模块的后面部分更详细地讨论这些身体变化的作用以及它们如何与不同类型的爱情相关联。
Reactions in the Central Nervous System 中枢神经系统反应
Putting people in an fMRI scanner, which can be used to monitor areas of activity in the brain, and then showing people pictures of a person that they’re in love with have helped psychologists understand the brain mechanisms involved in love. In particular, a circuit involved in pleasure and reinforcement shows a great deal more activity when people look at a love partner rather than at a long-term friend (Acevedo et al., 2012; Aron et al., 1997). Specifically, two areas, called the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the caudate nucleus, show increased activity when a person perceives a love partner, with greater changes in activation associated with greater intensity of love. These two brain areas are illustrated in the following figure, Brain Areas Involved in Love
将人放入 fMRI 扫描仪中，该扫描仪可用于监测大脑活动区域，然后向他们展示他们所爱的人的照片，这有助于心理学家了解爱情涉及的脑部机制。特别是，涉及愉悦和强化的回路在人们观看爱情伴侣时比观看长期朋友时表现出更多的活动（Acevedo 等人，2012；Aron 等人，1997）。具体来说，两个区域，称为腹侧被盖区（VTA）和尾状核，当一个人感知到爱情伴侣时，活动增加，激活的变化与爱情的强度有关。这两个大脑区域在以下图中展示，涉及爱情的脑区.
Brain Areas Involved in Love 涉及爱情的脑区
We can use the activation of these areas to give us greater insight into the experience of love. For example, the neurotransmitter most strongly associated with these areas is dopamine—a neurotransmitter with an important role in experiencing pleasure. Further, the highlighted brain areas also are strongly involved in the process of creating an addiction. For example, many addictive psychoactive drugs (e.g., cocaine) activate these areas, leading to intense pleasure (Nestler, 2005). While it’s an overstatement to directly compare love and addiction, it is clearly the case that both tap into circuits that have a strong influence on our experience of pleasure.
我们可以利用这些区域的激活来更深入地了解爱的体验。例如，与这些区域最强烈相关的是多巴胺——一种在体验愉悦中扮演重要角色的神经递质。此外，这些被突出的脑区也强烈地参与了成瘾的过程。例如，许多成瘾性精神活性药物（例如可卡因）会激活这些区域，导致强烈的愉悦（Nestler，2005）。虽然直接比较爱和成瘾是一种夸张，但很明显，两者都触及了对我们愉悦体验有强烈影响的回路。
Another important love-related neurotransmitter is oxytocin, commonly known as the “cuddle hormone” or “love hormone” (Carter, 2022). Although oxytocin is best known for its crucial role in facilitating birth and parent–infant attachment, its positive impact can be activated across the lifespan, whether by a long hug from a loved one or sexual intimacy with a romantic partner (Elias & Abdus-Saboor, 2022). Not only does oxytocin contribute to feelings of psychological and social safety, but it also enhances emotional and physical health. And these benefits may not be limited to humans—oxytocin is also present in our relationships with our pets (Applebaum et al., 2021).
另一种重要的与爱相关的神经递质是催产素，通常被称为“拥抱激素”或“爱情激素”（Carter，2022）。尽管催产素最著名的角色是在促进分娩和亲子依恋中发挥关键作用，但其积极影响可以在整个生命周期中被激活，无论是来自亲爱的人的长久拥抱还是与浪漫伴侣的亲密接触（Elias & Abdus-Saboor，2022）。催产素不仅有助于产生心理和社会安全感，还能增强情绪和身体健康。这些益处可能不仅限于人类——催产素也存在于我们与宠物的关系中（Applebaum 等，2021）。
Summing up, physiological systems both in the brain and in the body play an important role in the creation and experience of love.
总结来说，大脑和身体中的生理系统在爱情的形成和体验中发挥着重要作用。