Emotions and Attraction

1
Emotions and Attraction

• By Torin Hester and Rachel Ball

2
Emotions

• An emotion is..
• A mental and physiological state associated with
  a wide variety of feelings, thoughts, and
  behavior
• Any strong feeling

• But where do emotions come from? How are they
  made? How do we experience them?

3
Where They Come From

• Although many theories as to how emotions come to
  be exist, we know that they take place in the
  limbic system. This system deals with other
  elements concerning regulation of memories,
  "fight or flight" reactions and motivations, but
  most importantly it concerns emotions. The parts
  of the limbic system that contribute to this are
  the Amygdala (a small almond shaped structure)
  and the Hippocampus (a tiny seahorse-shaped
  structure). The amygdala connects with the
  hippocampus, as well as the Thalamus. This
  connection between these three parts of the brain
  allow it to control and regulate emotions, such
  as anger, love and affection. It also helps to
  maintain major things such as friendships and
  relationships as well as the expression of moods
  (ex crying, laughter, etc.) Below this is the
  Hypothalamus, which sends instructions to the
  rest of the body.

4
Amygdala and Hippocampus

• Amygdala
• - Causes reaction to emotions, situations etc
• EX HappinessSmile, Laughter
• - Monitors amount of emotions.
• EX Keeps you from over reacting

• Hippocampus
• - Appears to be very important in converting
  things that are in your mind at the moment (in
  short-term memory) into things that you will
  remember for the long run (long-term memory).
• - Commits feelings aroused from situations to
  memory.

5
Thalamus and Hypothalamus

• Thalamus
• - Makes sure your facial expressions and body
  languages matches your mood/feeling

• Hypothalamus
• - Where chemicals called peptides are made
  for moods/feelings

6
How do Emotions Come To Be?

• Although we aren't exactly sure the entire
  science behind how emotions are "made" we do know
  a few things. We know that when our bodies
  experience a feeling, the hypothalamus makes
  a chemical for that specific emotion. These
  chemicals are called peptides (small chained
  amino acid sequences). So when you feel sad, your
  brain makes peptides for that specific feeling.
  When hundreds and thousands of these are made,
  they are assembled into smaller chains called
  nueropetides, or neurohormones and then are sent
  out to the blood stream. The hypothalamus
  memorizes the format of the peptides so it will
  recognize the feeling the next time it occurs.
  For example, the feelings that you experience on
  a daily basis (happiness, stress, etc.) have had
  their peptide formation "drilled in your brain".
• On every cell in your body is something called a
  receptor. These take in things to the cell, like
  water, oxygen and nutrients.. When peptides make
  it to a receptor of a cell, they then lock in
  with it. Think of this process much like how a
  key would slip into a lock. After this happens
  through out the body, you begin to completely
  experience the emotion.

7

• Well, I guess "completely" wouldn't be the right
  word. These peptides also must go through the
  Amygdala to monitor the amount of the emotion so
  to say. For example, if your cat dies, the
  amygdala won't send out enough peptides to the
  receptors to make you want to commit suicide.
  Instead you'll just be kindly upset. The amygdala
  helps to keep you from over-experiencing certain
  emotions.

8

• In the thalamus during this process, peptides are
  sent to here where they are read. After doing so,
  the thalamus determines whether or not your
  facial expressions and body language match the
  feeling. If the emotion is happy, you'll generate
  laughter. If the emotion is sad, you'll generate
  tears. It also helps to make sure you don't crack
  up and smile uncontrollably when you should be
  scared, for instance if a bear was preparing to
  attack you. The thalamus makes sure you match
  what you're feeling.
• The hippocampus comes in to play by committing to
  memory the feelings, and what you associate with
  them. For example, if you were ever in a bad
  relationship, then instead of remembering love as
  something full of happiness, you may recall it as
  hurtful or upsetting. This affects emotions
  because of the way things have been registered in
  your mind. If your brain remembers how a
  situation made you feel, it will bring up that
  feeling when that situation is brought up again,
  until you rewrite the situation. If you were once
  attacked by a dog, you associate dogs with fear,
  unless you get a dog and it changes your
  perspective on it. Now instead of putting dogs
  and the emotion of fear together you may put dogs
  with the emotion of happiness together.

9
The Basics of Attraction
The ideal face of an attractive woman, according
to experiments with men, has high cheek bones,
big eyes and a thin jaw.

• People are subconsciously wired to be attracted
  to people with symmetrical and proportional
  features, which makes them appear healthy and
  free from disease.
• Even if you arent flirting with the intention of
  having children with that special someone, your
  brain and optical nerve are working together to
  decide if your crush has traits that would do
  well passed on to offspring.

http//www.viewzone.com/attractive.female.jpg
10
Some Parts of the Brain Involved

• The FUSIFORM, located in the back of the head
  near the spine. It is the same neural pathway
  used to recognize other people, and damaged
  fusiforms render people unable to recognize
  anyone or determine beauty.
• GnRH NEURONS, responsible for sexual behaviors
  and control of the pituitary gland, which
  controls puberty and hormones.

11
Some Parts of the Brain Involved (continued)

• The HYPOTHALAMUS also releases of hormones
  including PEA (Phenylethylamine), commonly called
  the molecule of love which emits feelings of
  euphoria and gives the feeling of falling in
  love.
• The hypothalamus also releases DOPAMINE, which
  makes you more talkative to a potential
  significant other, and makes you focus your
  attention on them.

• SEROTONIN is another hormone that controls mood,
  and is the culprit of violent behavior.
• OXYCOTIN is being studied for its possibility to
  influence bonding in adults. Female prairie voles
  deprived of oxycotin will not bond to males,
  while ones exposed to it will bond to a specific
  male.

12
Pheromones

• Pheromones are debated to exist in humans, and
  are used to express health and to attract the
  opposite sex.
• Androstenone was discovered at the Chemical
  Senses Center in Philadelphia, and their partners
  in France and is the pheromone given off by men.
  It is found in mens sweat.
• Its even possible to buy colognes and soaps with
  pheromones in them.
• The Vemeronasal Organ (VNO) in the nose is formed
  specifically to detect pheromones.
• Androstenone makes men more attractive to women
  and more dominant over other men.
• Pheromones are detected unconsciously in humans.
  They have no smell and are invisible.

http//www.parrant.co.uk/myadoption/pictures/phero
mones20and20odours1.gif
13
sources

• http//huehueteotl.files.wordpress.com/2007/04/amy
  gdala_hippocampus_lateral_large.jpg
• http//psychology.about.com/od/biopsychology/ss/br
  ainstructure_6.htm
• http//biology.about.com/library/organs/brain/blth
  alamus.htm
• http//www.rhododendrites.com/blog/files/2009-06/h
  ypothalamus.jpg
• http//www.incrediblehorizons.com/balance-Hypo20f
  unction.htm
• http//www.viewzone.com/attractiveness.html
• http//totallyher.com/what-causes-attraction/
• http//www.vetscite.org/publish/items/002552/index
  .html
• http//relationships.blog-city.com/the_chemistry_o
  f_attraction_in_the_brain.htm