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Cited by 317Neuroendocrine regulation and behaviorEvolutionary Psychology and Human BehaviorNeurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 52 of the 52 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Defining the Brain Systems of Lust, Romantic Attraction, and Attachment

Fisher, Helen E., Aron, Arthur, Mashek, Debra, Li, Haifang, Brown, Lucy L.·2002·Archives of Sexual Behavior
DOI 10.1023/a:1019888024255
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Abstract

Mammals and birds have evolved three primary, discrete, interrelated emotion-motivation systems in the brain for mating, reproduction, and parenting: lust, attraction, and male-female attachment. Each emotion-motivation system is associated with a specific constellation of neural correlates and a distinct behavioral repertoire. Lust evolved to initiate the mating process with any appropriate partner; attraction evolved to enable individuals to choose among and prefer specific mating partners, thereby conserving their mating time and energy; male-female attachment evolved to enable individuals to cooperate with a reproductive mate until species-specific parental duties have been completed. The evolution of these three emotion-motivation systems contribute to contemporary patterns of marriage, adultery, divorce, remarriage, stalking, homicide and other crimes of passion, and clinical depression due to romantic rejection. This article defines these three emotion-motivation systems. Then it discusses an ongoing project using functional magnetic resonance imaging of the brain to investigate the neural circuits associated with one of these emotion-motivation systems, romantic attraction.

Overview

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Crossref · 10.1023/a:1019888024255

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52 of 52 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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Citations

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Research works printed but not linked: 4

  1. Davidson, R. J. (1994). Complexities in the search for emotion-specific physiology. In P. Ekman & R. J. Davidson (Eds.), The nature of emotion: Fundamental questions (pp. 237–242). NewYork: Oxford University Press.
  2. Fisher, H. E. (2000a). Brains do it: Lust, attraction, and attachment. Cerebrum: The Dana Forum on Brain Science, 2, 23–42.
  3. Fowlkes, M. R. (1994). Singleworlds and homosexual lifestyles: Patterns of sexuality and intimacy. In A. S. Rossi (Ed.), Sexuality across the life course (pp. 181–184). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
  4. Harris, H. (1995). Rethinking heterosexual relationships in Polynesia: A case study of Mangaia, Cook Island. In W. Jankowiak (Ed.), Romantic passion: A universal experience? New York: Columbia University Press.

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Metadata

Authors
Fisher, H. E., Aron, A., Mashek, D., Li, H., & Brown, L. L.
Affiliations
  • Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (US)
  • Stony Brook University (US)
  • State University of New York (US)
  • Albert Einstein College of Medicine (US)
Corresponding author
Fisher, Helen E.
ORCID
Venue
Archives of Sexual Behavior
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2002-10
Volume
31
Issue
5
Pages
413-419
ISSN
  • 0004-0002 (ISSN-L)
  • 1573-2800
DOI
10.1023/a:1019888024255
OpenAlex
W2129018677
Cited by
317
References
52
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 26 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 17 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 28 · 2014: 16 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 17
FWCI
9.20
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
Locations
  • Archives of Sexual Behavior (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
National Science Foundation
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
Keywords
lust, romantic attraction, attachment, mating behavior, parental behavior, neural circuits, brain evolution, passion crime, romantic rejection, depression, functional MRI
MeSH terms
Affect, Brain, Female, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Libido, Love, Male, Object Attachment, Receptors, Adrenergic, Receptors, Dopamine, Receptors, Serotonin, Sexual Behavior

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