Wired for Love audiobook cover - A Neuroscientist's Journey Through Romance, Loss, and the Essence of Human Connection

Wired for Love

A Neuroscientist's Journey Through Romance, Loss, and the Essence of Human Connection

Stephanie Cacioppo

★ 4.6 / 5(539 ratings)
Start ListeningDownload App
Categories:
PsychologySex & RelationshipsBiography & Memoir

If You're Curious About These Questions...

You should listen to this audiobook

Listen to Wired for Love — Free Audiobook

Loading player...

Key Takeaways from Wired for Love

Learning Tools

Reinforce what you learned from Wired for Love

Mind Map

Wired for Love
Biological Imperative+
Neurobiology of Love+
Cognitive Enhancements+
Brain-to-Brain Connection+
Love and Lust+
Grief and Loss+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 8
According to the book, what biological factor subconsciously drives attraction between two people?
  • A. Having similar immune systems to prevent autoimmune conflicts
  • B. Having different immune systems to give offspring better disease resistance
  • C. Having matching levels of serotonin and dopamine
  • D. Having completely opposite dietary preferences
Question 2 of 8
How does the brain's chemical cocktail alter our perception and behavior when we fall deeply in love?
  • A. Increased norepinephrine distorts our perception of time, while decreased serotonin can cause obsessive thoughts.
  • B. Increased serotonin causes us to feel sleepy, while decreased dopamine makes us lose our appetite.
  • C. A massive drop in oxytocin creates a laser-like focus on the partner and increases anxiety.
  • D. The ventral tegmental area shuts down, allowing the prefrontal cortex to make highly rational dating choices.
Question 3 of 8
What did Stephanie Cacioppo's 'Love Machine' experiment reveal about the cognitive effects of love?
  • A. Love severely distracts the brain, making people perform worse on reading and sorting tasks.
  • B. Subliminally priming participants with their partner's name made them recognize real words significantly faster.
  • C. Participants could only easily recognize words that were directly related to romance and relationships.
  • D. The brain's primitive reward system completely shut down when participants were primed with a partner's name.
Question 4 of 8
Which recently evolved area of the brain is activated by love, linking romantic feelings to creativity, intuition, and complex language?
  • A. The ventral tegmental area
  • B. The amygdala
  • C. The angular gyrus
  • D. The prefrontal cortex
Question 5 of 8
What fascinating capability does the human Mirror Neuron System (MNS) possess beyond just mirroring the physical actions of others?
  • A. It completely regulates the release of oxytocin during physical contact.
  • B. It shuts down the brain's alarm system to prevent fear responses in social situations.
  • C. It permanently alters the brain's perception of time during romantic encounters.
  • D. It subconsciously senses the intent and motivation behind other people's actions.
Question 6 of 8
According to neuroscientific research involving the insula, how do love and lust interact in the brain?
  • A. They operate as a seesaw, with physical desire fueling love, and love feeding back into lust.
  • B. They are completely separate networks that cannot be activated at the same time.
  • C. Love activates the entire insula, while lust only activates the primitive animal brain.
  • D. Lust eventually replaces love as the front part of the insula degrades over time.
Question 7 of 8
What neurological difference was observed in patients suffering from 'complicated grief' compared to those with uncomplicated grief?
  • A. Their prefrontal cortex became permanently hyperactive, causing endless planning.
  • B. Their amygdala completely stopped functioning, leaving them emotionless.
  • C. Their brain's dopamine-driven reward system activated when seeing a photo of their lost loved one, still expecting a reward.
  • D. Their mirror neuron system could no longer recognize familiar human faces.
Question 8 of 8
What counterintuitive advice does the author give for helping a person who is experiencing chronic loneliness?
  • A. Shower them with unsolicited help and gifts to show you care.
  • B. Ask them to help you with something, which increases their sense of worth.
  • C. Force them to join an online dating application to find a partner.
  • D. Encourage them to spend more time alone to build emotional self-reliance.

Wired for Love — Full Chapter Overview

Wired for Love Summary & Overview

Wired for Love (2022) combines fascinating neuroscientific research with a captivating personal story to reveal some of the secrets behind that great human mystery: love. Love is often thought of as a topic best left to poets and musicians –⁠ but it can and should be studied as a legitimate scientific question. In a world that is constantly throwing up new challenges to romance, from online dating to global pandemics, an understanding of and respect for love is more important than ever before.

Who Should Listen to Wired for Love?

  • Hopeless romantics
  • Neuroscience and psychology fanatics
  • Anyone who is, has been, or wants to be in love

About the Author: Stephanie Cacioppo

Stephanie Cacioppo teaches psychiatry and behavioral neuroscience at the University of Chicago, where she’s also the director of the brain dynamics laboratory. Her work focuses primarily on the neurobiology of love and the social self. Her scientific articles have been covered by the New York Times, CNN, and National Geographic.

🎧
Listen in the AppOffline playback & background play
Get App