Abstract
Increased reproductive success is among the most commonly proposed adaptive functions of romantic love. Here, we tested if hormonal changes associated with falling in love may co-vary with hormonal profiles that predict increased fecundity in women. We compared blood serum levels of estradiol (E2, E2/T), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), prolactin (PRL), free testosterone (fT), and cortisol (CT), measured in the early follicular phase of the menstrual cycle in single women (N = 69) and in women at the beginning of a romantic heterosexual relationship who reported being in love with their partner (N = 47). Participants were healthy, regularly cycling women aged 24 to 33 who did not use hormonal contraception. We found that women in love had higher levels of gonadotropins (FSH, LH) and lower testosterone levels compared to single women who were not in love. These groups of women did not, however, differ in terms of estradiol, prolactin, or cortisol levels.
Highlights
Falling in love is accompanied by many distinguishable physiological changes in the body and brain [1]
Women who reported being in love had higher levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), and lower levels of free testosterone
We found no differences in estradiol (E2), prolactin (PRL), or cortisol levels (CT) between single women and those in love
Summary
Falling in love is accompanied by many distinguishable physiological changes in the body and brain [1]. These physiological and neural changes can influence behavior and impact various physiological processes in humans [1,2,3,4]. Most studies examining hormonal mechanisms in relation to love have focused on pair bonding and commitment [5,6,7,8,9,10], and have largely neglected the role of hormones on other aspects of human relationships, such as the phenomenon of falling in love Yet, the hormones most commonly targeted by such studies (e.g., oxytocin, prolactin, testosterone, and cortisol) are known to be involved in a range of behaviors and socioemotional contexts. Prolactin (PRL), besides its primary function in lactation, influences
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