Psychology Facts

▲ Love Facts ▲

》The American Psychological Association defines love as an intense feeling of deep affection. However, there are a few more psychological components to consider when looking at love in modern dating.

》Types of love include:

Friendship: This type of love involves liking someone and sharing a certain degree of intimacy.

Infatuation: This is a form of love that often involves intense feelings of attraction without a sense of commitment; it often takes place early in a relationship and may deepen into a more lasting love.

Passionate love: This type of love is marked by intense feelings of longing and attraction; it often involves an idealization of the other person and a need to maintain constant physical closeness.

Compassionate/companionate love: This form of love is marked by trust, affection, intimacy, and commitment.

Unrequited love: This form of love happens when one person loves another who does not return those feelings.

》According to psychologist Zick Rubin, romantic love is made up of three elements:

Attachment: Needing to be with another person and desiring physical contact and approval

Caring: Valuing the other person's happiness and needs as much as your own

Intimacy: Sharing private thoughts, feelings, and desires with the other person

》Love, attachment, and affection have an important impact on well-being and quality of life. Loving relationships have been linked to:

Lower risk of heart diseases

Decreased risk of dying after a heart attack

Better health habits

Increased longevity

Lower stress levels

Less depression

Lower risk of diabetes

》Some of the potential negatives of experiencing love include:

Anxiety

Depression

Increased stress

Jealousy

Obsessiveness

Possessiveness

Sadness

》Lust Is Different Than Love

Lust is a way we psychologically are driven to reproduce. Testosterone and estrogen are the primary hormones that produce these lustful feelings. For relationships, you are more into the physical, but when a relationship is based on love, you want to know the person on a conversational and emotional level.

》 A study in 2014 found that married people were less likely to develop certain cardiovascular diseases. The study found that "married people were 5 percent less likely to have any vascular disease compared with singles," as well as "8 percent, 9 percent, and 19 percent lower odds of abdominal aortic aneurysm, cerebrovascular disease, and peripheral arterial disease, respectively."

》According to a study done in 2011, people tend to make moves on those who are approximately at the same level of attractiveness or 'league'.

》Chocolate causes the same psychological effects as love does. When you eat chocolate, your body lets off the hormone phenylethylamine, which is also a chemical released through love.

》 Men typically fall in love faster than women

》 Being a perfectionist in love can lead to stress and depression.

》 We can love two people at the same time, but never at the same intensity.

》 Falling in love has a similar neurological effect as cocaine.

》 It takes around four minutes to fall in love with someone.

》 Looking at someone we love, our pupils dilate.

》 Most people likely fall in love with someone when they meet in dangerous situations.