ERQ Sample 1

When looking at the biological factors that influence the origins of attractions there are two factors that can be looked at: roles of evolutionary arguments and roles of hormones. One hormone that influences the origins of attraction is oxytocin. In the brain, it acts primarily as a neurotransmitter and is released during labour and initiation of maternal behaviour. It is often referred to as the “cuddle hormone” because it is related to bonding in couples. Baumgartner et. al (2008) did a study looking at the effect of oxytocin following breaches of trust. The used an fMRI to look at the brain during a “trust game”. The rules of the game were that the investor must decide if they will keep or share a sum of money that is given to them. If they decide to share the money, the sum of it will triple. Therefore, the trustee has to choose between repaying the trust to the investor and sharing the money or keeping the whole sum. The game was focused on the dilemma of trusting or not trusting. Participants had to weigh out the risks factors as well as the profits. Participants were placed under an fMRI scanner and received one of two conditions. They were either given an oxytocin nasal spray or a placebo one. In the first round they were asked to play the “trust game” with another human, and in the second condition they were asked to play the same game but this time with a computer. They were informed that their investment was poor due to the fact that the trust was broken. Then they were asked to make the next investment decision. Participants who received the placebo before they started playing were more likely to decrease their rate of trust after they were told that the trust had been broken. On the contrary, those who were given the oxytocin nasal spray continued to invest at similar rates, despite the fact that the other person had broken the trust. They showed decreases in responses in the amygdala, which is involved in emotion and fear learning. It also has many oxytocin receptors. The results seemed to show that the oxytocin spray played a role in decreasing fear reactions, which could arise from betrayal. Despite having the trust broken, participants continued to invest money.

The study lacks ecological validity because it is very artificial. However, it can be replicated, which increases its reliability. The study was also standardized. It is also considered slightly reductionist, as it does not take into account socio-cultural and cognitive factors. An fMRI was used which shows gives us the direct impact of an increase of oxytocin.

An evolutionary behaviour focuses primarily on the idea of natural selection. This means that when looking for something to have offspring with, with choose somebody with the best gene pool to be passed down generations. One example of this is the gene MHC, or the Major Histocompatibility Complex, a group of genes, which play a role in the immune system. The more diverse the MHC gene’s are, the stronger the immune system of the offspring.

A study done by Wedekind (1995) looked at the MHC gene, and if it would affect mate choice. The study was made up of 49 females and 44 male students. All of them were “typed” for their MHC and it was noted if women were taking oral contraceptives. The male participants were asked to wear a t-shirt for two nights and keep it in an open bag for the day. They were asked not to use anything with a scent, such as perfume or scented soap. They were also asked not to engage in sexual intercourse for the duration of the experiment and not eat anything spicy. Women were later asked to rank the smell of 7 t-shirts, with each t-shirt lying in a cardboard box with a smelling hole. Three t-shirts had a similar MHC to that of the woman, three had dissimilar, and one of the t-shirts was a control with no scent. Women were tested when possible in their second week after menstruation and were asked to prepare by using a nasal spray for 2 weeks before. Women scored the odours for sexiness and intensity. Researchers found that women scored odours more pleasant when they came from a man with dissimilar MHC to them. This was reversed when women were taking oral contraceptives. The results suggest that MHC or linked genes influence human mate choice.

The study clearly supports the evolutionary argument for mate selection in humans. The study has a number of strengths. Firstly, it has been replicated by Jacob et. al, and the same results were found, establishing its reliability. The researcher was also able to minimize demand characteristic by using a double-blind experiment. Neither the researcher nor the participant knew what t-shirt they were being exposed to at any point in the study. The study also brought in research showing that couples that suffer more spontaneous abortions often have a closer shared MHC gene than those who do not have spontaneous abortions. Despite all of the supporting evidence, it can be argued that the study is too reductionist as it over-simplifies human mate selection down to the MHC gene, not accounting for anything else.

On the contrary, it is also important to consider socio-cultural factors in the origins of attraction. Zajonc proposed the “Mere Exposure Effect”, which predicts that the familiarity that we develop with somebody often leads to liking. He tested this in a study with students. They were shown a series of photographs of men, some of which were in there more than once. He then asked them to rank the males on levels of attractiveness. He found a correlation between frequency of photo and level of attractiveness.

The theory is able to explain changes in levels of attractiveness on a social level. Much of it has to do with the fact that we relate to them based on social and cultural norms, which would make them our ingroup. However, the theory does not explain why some relationships do not last and why some last longer than others, no matter how much time people spent with each other beforehand.

Research on biological factors in attraction has given a lot of insight on the origin of relationships. However, there are a number of limitations to studying biology in relationships. Firstly, most biological research is correlational in nature and does not establish a cause and effect relationship. Often the experiments that are conducted are highly artificial because they are studied in a laboratory. The results are unlikely to be transferred into the real world. In addition, often cultural differences are stressed in research when in fact, with the changes in society, many cultures may have more similarities than differences. Finally, it is difficult to determine if attraction is the beginning of a relationship or something that follows other factors.

1050 words