Neuroimaging studies have found that a person who is in the throes of intense love and looks at a photograph of his or her partner will show increased activation in the ________ and deactivation in the ________.
A) amygdala (threat); ventral striatum (reward)
B) ventral striatum (reward); amygdala (threat)
C) amygdala (threat); hippocampus (memory)
D) ventral striatum (reward); hippocampus (memory)

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Neuroimaging studies have consistently shown that the ventral striatum, a brain region involved in the processing of rewards and pleasure, is activated when someone is in love and looks at a photograph of their partner. On the other hand, the amygdala, a brain region involved in processing threats and negative emotions, shows decreased activity in response to a loved one's photograph. This pattern of brain activation suggests that love is indeed associated with positive feelings and rewards, and decreases negative emotions and threat processing in the brain.

Neuroimaging Studies Have Found That a Person Who Is in the Throes