I love you from the bottom of my hypothalamus: The role of stress physiology in romantic pair bond formation and maintenance

Social and Personality Psychology Compass
Evelyn Mercado, Leah C Hibel

Abstract

Monogamous pair bonds helped solve ancestral problems pertinent to our survival as a species. In order for these pair bonds to succeed, biological systems were co-opted to support and reinforce attachment bonds through feelings of pleasure and reward. One of the major biological systems that may play an important role in the formation of romantic attachments is the stress response system (autonomic nervous system and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis). Research suggests attraction, mate preference, and emotional connectedness may be supported by the activation or inhibition of the stress response system. Further, as romantic relationships progress, new findings suggest partners' physiological patterns coalesce, potentially serving a regulatory function that reinforces the pair bond and affects overall well-being. Based on this evidence, the current paper puts forth the Physiology of Romantic Pair Bond Initiation and Maintenance Model, which will provide researchers with a new perspective on the function of the stress response system in romantic relationships.

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Citations

Apr 23, 2019·Stress : the International Journal on the Biology of Stress·Jenny M PhanElizabeth A Shirtcliff
Dec 14, 2019·Perspectives on Psychological Science : a Journal of the Association for Psychological Science·Darby E SaxbeJames A Coan
Dec 22, 2017·Child Development·Leah C Hibel, Evelyn Mercado
Nov 7, 2019·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Piotr SorokowskiKatarzyna Pisanski
Sep 2, 2020·Psychosomatic Medicine·Theresa PaulyChristiane A Hoppmann
Jul 28, 2019·Hormones and Behavior·Leander van der MeijTila Pronk
Apr 30, 2021·Frontiers in Psychology·Adam Bode, Geoff Kushnick
Jul 25, 2021·Psychoneuroendocrinology·Kristi ChinRobin S Edelstein

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