Ghosting has a psychological cost that goes far beyond hurt feelings
Ghosting, the practice of ending a relationship or connection by simply disappearing without explanation, has become one of the defining social behaviors of the digital dating era. It is so common that most people who have dated in the past decade have experienced it from one side or the other, and its prevalence has normalized […]
Why love languages aren’t so simple after all
Love languages entered the cultural conversation decades ago and never really left. The idea that people give and receive love through five distinct channels, words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time, and physical touch, resonated so broadly that it became one of the most widely used frameworks for understanding romantic relationships in […]
Before and after getting serious: how commitment physically changes your body and brain
Commitment changes people. That much has always been understood intuitively. What science is now revealing is that it changes them biologically, at the level of hormones, immune function, brain architecture, and cardiovascular health, in ways that are both measurable and significant. The before and after picture of entering a serious committed relationship is not just […]
Situationships promise freedom but deliver something far more complicated according to new research
Situationships are everywhere. The term, which describes a romantic connection that operates with the intimacy of a relationship but without its definition or commitment, has moved from social media slang into mainstream cultural conversation with remarkable speed. And now, for the first time, researchers are beginning to examine what these undefined connections are actually doing […]
Falling in love is a biological event of stunning complexity that most people never think about
Falling in love has inspired more poetry, music, and art than almost any other human experience. What it has inspired less of, until recently, is rigorous scientific investigation. That is changing. Brain imaging technology and advances in neurochemistry are allowing researchers to look inside the experience of falling in love with a precision that previous […]
Breakup recovery has 4 findings that explain why heartbreak hurts in ways that go far beyond emotion
Breakup recovery is the experience that most people are completely unprepared for the first time they go through it and only marginally better prepared for every time after that. The cultural script for heartbreak is reasonably well-established. You are sad for a while, you lean on friends, you possibly make some decisions about your hair, […]