Evolution and Emotions

1
What is This Thing Called Love?
What is the formula for love? What are the
necessary ingredients?
Intimacy Passion Love
2
Elements of Intimacy
Baumeister Bratslavsky definition   a.
Mutual disclosure b. Strong, positive
attitude c. Communication of
affection   Other ingredients
Concern Interdependence soldiers in battle,
ropes courses Vulnerability
Aron Overlapping selves
individual "I" becomes a common "we"
3
Elements of Passion

• Physiological arousal
• Strong feelings of attraction
• Desire to be united with partner
• d. Sexuality Can have sex w/o passion, but
  cant have passion w/o sex
• Passionate love Physio arousal attraction
  desire for union

4
Time Course of Intimacy
When is passion greatest, early phase, middle
phase, or later phase?
Middle phase Why? Passion is an emotion,
emotions occur when change occurs
5
How to Keep Passion Alive
New experiences (home childbirth) Risk of
loss of loved one Fights, arguments, marital
therapy
Evolutionary Innovation to enhance romantic
intimacy Hint Bonobo Apes do it, humans do
it, no other species does itthis way.
Frontal Sex eye contact, communication ? more
intimacy ? more passion
6
Erotomania Love gone mad
Common among lonely, isolated people with no
other psychiatric history. Love object someone
of higher status It it not erotic, more
idealized Convinced that object of affections
loves them. Lasts lifetime Women more than men
suffer from this
7
Love is in the AirLiterally!
Body odor conveys info about the immune
system MHC major histocompatibility complex
genes that help immune system function People
differ in MHC mixsome good for fighting flu,
some good for fighting strep, for example. BO
conveys info. of HMC, and this info affects
sexual attraction Why?
8
The Scent of Love, continued
How does MHC (via BO) ? sexual attraction? Hint
1 People with same MHC ARE NOT mutually
attracted People with different MHC ARE
mutually attracted
Hint 2 MHC provides info about immune profile

Hint 3 People have sex to produce offspring

Hint 4 People want offspring to be healthy
Explanation Differing MHC formulas mean kids
have more comprehensive immune defense anti-flu
anti-strep
9
The Last Word on Love
Does romantic love boil down to Delusion Smell
Selfish Genes Literary myths?
10
Major S. Ballou to Wife Sarah, 1861
The indications are strong that we shall move
into battle in a few days.. I feel impelled to
write a few lines that may fall under your eye
when I shall be no more. The memories of the
blissful moments I have spent with you come
creeping over me, and I feel most gratified to
God and to you that I have enjoyed them so long.
If I do not return my dear Sarah, never forget
how much I love you, and when my last breath
escapes me on the battlefield, it will whisper
your name. But, O Sarah! if the dead
can come back to this earth and flit unseen
around those they loved, I shall always be near
you in the gladdest days and darkest nights,
always, always Ballou was killed shortly
after, at the Battle of Bull Run
11
Subjective Well Being
12
What Does, and Doesnt, Predict SWB?
13
SWB and Income
14
Goals and Subjective Well Being (SWB)
SWB enhanced by pursuing intrinsically satisfying
goals Prison evidence I
need self-acceptance, meaning Suffer
more I need biceps, abs Suffer less
Goals that meet fundamental needs ?
happiness Goals and culture West
promotes self-completion, pers. goals ? happy
East promotes community, social goals ?
happy Internally congruent goals Likes
activity, outdoors, excitement ___ Fireman? ___
CEO?
15
Happiness and Heath The Nun Study
Happiness ? more Immunoglobulin A (S-igA)? Longer
life Nun study   Sample convent nuns
Review convent applications, why want to be a
nun Rate applications for happy vs. negative
tone Happy Glory of God, rapture,
serenity Unhappy Avoid sin, teach damnation
Survival rates 60 years later Happy nuns
80 still alive Unhappy nuns 55 still
alive
16
The Secret to Happiness Going for the Maximum or
Being Satisfied with the Good-Enough? Schwartz,
Ward, Lyubomirsky, Monterosso, White, Lehman,
2002
Maximizers People who seek out the very best of
all possible options. Satisficers People who
are happy with the good-enough
Maximization ScaleSample Items I channel surf,
scanning options while also watching one
program. Relationships are like clothingI try
many on to find the perfect fit. No matter how
good it is, I should always look for a better
job. Im a big fan of top 10 lists (best
movies, singers, novels, etc.)
17
Who are Happier,
Maximizers or Satisficers?
Maximizer Maximizer Maximizer Maximizer Maximizer
Maximizer
Satisficer Satisficer Satisficer Satisficer Satisf
icer Satisficer
Regret Depression Neuroticism Happiness Optimism S
atisfied with Life
gt
gt
gt
lt
lt
lt
Winston Churchill I am easily satisfied with
the very best.
18
Self Structure and Well Being
Actual Self Who you truly are, heart of hearts,
at your core. Values, likes, desires Other
selves Self as student, friend, son/daughter,
etc. Self Congruence Are all your various
selves consistent with your actual
self Traits Qualities that make up your
selves (pos. skilled, kindly, competent neg
selfish, lazy, jealous, etc.) Negative
Elaboration (NE) Degree that different kinds of
negative traits apply to your different
selves. QUESTION How do congruence and NE
affect SWB?
19
Happy With Being a Mom (Reich, Harber, Siegel,
2007)
Participants 33 first time expectant
mothers Time 1 Self structure reporting BEFORE
giving birth a. Self-congruence How much
does real me fit with (1) me as a mother
(2) me with the father of my child b.
Neg. Elaboration (NE) How much are my various
selves (real me, me as mother, me with childs
father) filled with negative
traits? Time 2 Feelings of depression AFTER
giving birth
20
Depression Post-Childbirth
maternal self-congruence
Note. NE Negative elaboration. Amount of neg.
traits w/n selves Maternal self-congruence
whether or not actual self contains me as an
expecting mother and/or me with father of my child
21
The Mystery of Laughter
22
Laughter is Essentially a Social
Phenomenon   Other species laugh Chimp
panting Rats chirping   Functions of
laughter Social bonding Coping   Dark side
of laughing Derision, in-group insularity
out-group rejection Giggling enuresis Laughter
in church phenomenon   Much still unknown