The brain's reward systemWIKIMEDIA, OSCAR ARIAS-CARRION ET AL.In order to work well together, people must understand what others are thinking and feeling. New research suggests that we are attracted to those whose emotions we feel we can easily understand. And our confidence in that emotional understanding is reflected in the brain’s reward system, according to a study led by Silke Anders of the University of Lübeck, Germany, and colleagues, which was published today (April 4) in PNAS.
“This is fascinating, because it indicates that one of the reasons we find someone attractive could be related to our ability to put ourselves into their shoes,” Martin Hebart, a neuroscientist at the US National Institute of Mental Health who has collaborated with some of the study’s authors but was not involved in the research, wrote in an email.
But that doesn’t mean the opposite is true. “Just because you find someone attractive doesn’t mean you can read their emotions well,” Hebart added.
Previous studies have shown that encountering someone we find attractive activates our brain’s reward system. But until now, most of the research has focused on physical attraction—neglecting the role of social interaction.
The researchers found evidence to suggest that a person’s ability ...
