We like to think of romantic feelings as spontaneous and indescribable things that come from the heart. But it's actually your brain running a complex series of calculations within a matter of seconds that's responsible for determining attraction. Doesn't sound quite as poetic, does it? But just because the calculations are happening in your brain doesn't mean those warm, fuzzy feelings are all in your head. In fact, all five of your senses play a role, each able to vote for, or veto, a budding attraction. The eyes are the first components in attraction. Many visual beauty standards vary between cultures and eras, and signs of youth, fertility and good health, such as long lustrous hair, or smooth, scar-free skin, are almost always in demand because they're associated with reproductive fitness. And when the eyes spot something they like, our instinct is to move closer so the other senses can investigate. The nose's contribution to romance is more than noticing perfume or cologne. It's able to pick up on natural chemical signals known as pheromones. These not only convey important physical or genetic information about their source but are able to activate a physiological or behavioral response in the recipient. In one study, a group of women at different points in their ovulation cycles wore the same T-shirts for three nights. After male volunteers were randomly assigned to smell either one of the worn shirts, or a new unworn one, saliva samples showed an increase in testosterone in those who had smelled a shirt worn by an ovulating woman. Such a testosterone boost may give a man the nudge to pursue a woman he might not have otherwise noticed. A woman's nose is particularly attuned to MHC molecules, which are used to fight disease. In this case, opposites attract. When a study asked women to smell T-shirts that had been worn by different men, they preferred the odors of those whose MHC molecules differed from theirs. This makes sense. Genes that result in a greater variety of immunities may give offspring a major survival advantage. Our ears also determine attraction. Men prefer females with high-pitched, breathy voices, and wide formant spacing, correlated with smaller body size. While women prefer low-pitched voices with a narrow formant spacing that suggest a larger body size. And not surprisingly, touch turns out to be crucial for romance. In this experiment, not realizing the study had begun, participants were asked to briefly hold the coffee, either hot or iced. Later, the participants read a story about a hypothetical person, and were asked to rate their personality. Those who had held the hot cup of coffee perceived the person in the story as happier, more social, more generous and better-natured than those who had held the cup of iced coffee, who rated the person as cold, stoic, and unaffectionate. If a potential mate has managed to pass all these tests, there's still one more: the infamous first kiss, a rich and complex exchange of tactile and chemical cues, such as the smell of one's breath, and the taste of their mouth. This magical moment is so critical that a majority of men and women have reported losing their attraction to someone after a bad first kiss. Once attraction is confirmed, your bloodstream is flooded with norepinephrine, activating your fight or flight system. Your heart beats faster, your pupils dilate, and your body releases glucose for additional energy, not because you're in danger but because your body is telling you that something important is happening. To help you focus, norepinephrine creates a sort of tunnel vision, blocking out surrounding distractions, possibly even warping your sense of time, and enhancing your memory. This might explain why people never forget their first kiss. The idea of so much of our attraction being influenced by chemicals and evolutionary biology may seem cold and scientific rather than romantic, but the next time you see someone you like, try to appreciate how your entire body is playing matchmaker to decide if that beautiful stranger is right for you.
我們總認為戀愛的感覺是不可預測 無法形容的心理感受 但其實那是你的腦袋在數秒之間 處理一連串複雜的計算 最後決定了什麼對你有吸引力 聽起來一點也不浪漫,對吧? 但就算你腦袋裡轉著計算公式 不代表那個溫熱柔軟的感覺 都只是你的幻覺 事實上,你的五個感官也各出了一份力 投票通過或否決剛滋長的愛苗 眼睛是參與吸引力決策 的第一個成員 視覺審美標準在各文化、時代之間皆相異 視覺審美標準在 各文化、時代之間皆相異 年輕、生育力 與健康的徵象也都不同 例如有光澤的長長秀髮 或光滑無痕的肌膚 幾乎總是需求不斷 因為這些和繁衍後代的能力有關 而當眼睛看見喜歡的事物時 我們的本能便是靠上前 好讓其他的感官也能夠偵察 鼻子對於愛情的貢獻 不只是注意到香水或古龍水而已 鼻子也接收自然化學物質的信號 這類物質稱作費洛蒙 費洛蒙不只傳達關於其來源的 生理或基因的重要資訊 也能引發信號接受者 在生理上或行為上的回應 某研究曾讓一群 在月經週期不同階段的女人 穿著同一件衣服三晚 再隨機指定男性自願者 聞那些被穿過的衣服 或是沒人穿過的新衣服之後 唾液採樣顯示 聞排卵期女性穿過衣物的男性 身上睪固酮量增加了 這樣的睪固酮激增 就可能驅使男人去追求一位 他原來也許不會注意到的女人 女人的鼻子則對 主要組織相容性複合體 (MHC) 分子特別敏銳 這是用來抗病的分子 在這種情形下,異性就會相吸 當實驗要求女人聞 不同男人穿過的 T 恤時 她們偏好與自己 不同 MHC 分子的氣味 這不無道理 免疫能力多元的基因 可能給後代重要的存活優勢 我們的耳朵也能決定吸引力 男人比較喜歡女人的聲音頻率高、氣聲多 共振峰間距寬 代表了較小的體形 而女人則偏愛低頻的聲音 共振峰間距窄 表示體形較大 以及,意料之中 觸覺對愛情來說是很關鍵的 在這個研究中 不知實驗已開始的受試者 被要求暫時拿著一杯咖啡 可能是冰的也可能是熱的 之後,受試者閱讀一篇故事 內容關於一個虛構的人物 他們被要求評價這個人物的個性 拿著熱咖啡的人 對故事人物認知為較開心 也較願意交際、大方,較溫和的人 比照拿冰咖啡的受試者的看法 他們則認為這個人物冷漠、嚴謹、不熱情 如果有某個可能的對象通過 這些檢驗,最後還有一項: 惡名昭彰的初吻 初吻交換豐富而複雜的 觸覺及化學信號 像是呼吸的氣味 及嘴巴的味道 這個神奇的時刻非常關鍵 以致於很多男人女人 都說過他們在糟糕的初吻經驗後 就對對方失去興趣了 一旦確認了吸引力 你的血液裡便充滿了 去甲腎上腺素 啟動你的「打或逃」機制 你的心跳加速 瞳孔放大 身體釋放出葡萄糖 以產生額外的能量 不是因為你有危險了 而是你的身體在告訴你 有件大事正在發生 為了讓你能專注 去甲腎上腺素製造出隧道視覺的效果 遮蔽周遭讓你分心的東西 可能甚至涷結你的時間感 而增強你的記憶力 這也許能解釋為何人們總忘不了初吻 知道了我們的吸引力 是如此受化學物質與生物演化的影響 可能令人感覺無情、過於理性,一點也不浪漫 但下次你遇見喜歡的人時 試著感謝你的整個身體如何替你作媒 來決定這個美麗的陌生人適不適合你