Have you ever been in love? If so, how would you describe that feeling? What, if anything, would you compare it to? If not, what do you imagine love feels like? Why?
In “What New Love Does to Your Brain,” Dana G. Smith writes about the science of falling in love and how “romance can really mess with you”:
New love can consume our thoughts, supercharge our emotions and, on occasion, cause us to act out of character.
“People pine for love, they live for love, they kill for love and they die for love,” said Helen Fisher, a senior research fellow at the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University. “It’s one of the most powerful brain systems the human animal has ever evolved.”
Scientists have studied what is happening in our brains when we are in those early, heady days of infatuation, and whether it can actually alter how we think and what we do. Their findings suggest that song lyrics and dramatic plotlines don’t overstate it: New love can mess with our heads.
Experts define “romantic love” as a connection deeper than lust, but distinct from the attachment associated with a long-term partnership. In a few of the small studies that have examined this googly-eyed state, researchers put people in the early stages of a romantic relationship (typically less than a year) in M.R.I. scanners to see what was happening in their brains while they looked at pictures of their paramours. They found that the participants showed increased activity in areas of the brain that are rich in the neurochemical dopamine and control feelings of wanting and desire.
Students, read the entire article and then tell us:
Have you ever been in love? If so, does anything in the article describe what it was like for you?
If you haven’t been in love, do you hope to be someday? Is it something you think about often? Does this article make you see the experience any differently?
A 2023 poll from the Survey Center on American Life shows that American teenagers are increasingly less likely to have a boyfriend or girlfriend than they once were. What do you think about that research? Based on what you’ve learned about what love can do to your brain, what might be some of the positive and negative effects of being in a romantic relationship at an early age?
This article focuses on the beginning stages of love. How do you think those stages differ from a long-term committed relationship? How might you use that information for your own current or future relationships?
Have your parents or other trusted adults talked to you about love and relationships? If so, what have they told you? What helpful advice have they given you?
What other questions do you have about the science or psychology of love? If you were a scientist running your own study, what is one thing you would you want to find out, and why?
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.
Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.
