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Medical Video: 5 Signs to Leave a Relationship
Let's just admit, who's ever been in a hurry swipe right, do you see Tinder's tempting profile? Uh, but after the appointment met, he turned out to be a former girlfriend of his own friend. The shame is, you know!
It is undeniable that we have all done really stupid things in life. Yes, including the example above. And maybe, half of this ridiculous decision you made when you were aroused - aka horny. How could that be?
Sex drive decreases alertness and your ability to make decisions
Two Canadian psychologists investigate how sex drive may have an impact on risky decision-making and actions, both in the sexual sphere and outside the bedroom.
They did it by doing two experiments: In the first experiment, one group of participants was shown pornographic films or read erotica fiction, while the other was given a neutral video, and then each of them rated their level of passion; they were asked about the extent to which they were willing to engage in risky sexual behavior, such as having unprotected sex with a new partner. And in the second experiment, researchers used the same video clip from the first try, but this time let the participants play Blackjack, a card game, on a computer.
The researchers found that groups of people who aroused people who reported they were more aroused were also more likely to take risks. In the first experiment, people who experienced a greater increase in sex drive were more likely to show willingness to engage in unsafe sexual practices, whereas in the second experiment, people who were more aroused someone reported showing impulsive tendencies and greater willingness to make decisions risky in the game Blackjack.
Sexual passion makes you have less self control, says study author Shayna Sparling, Ph.D. Still related to Sparling's findings, a previous study in the Netherlands in 2012 found that women tend not to be as disgusting usually when touching body fluids or engaging in new fetishes when aroused. The same study also shows that women can tolerate cruel and frightening images when aroused after watching porn. This shows that sex or sexual arousal decreases our alertness in more than one way.
What happens to the brain when you are aroused?
The team of researchers from Ireland found a connection between a particular region of the medial prefrontal cortex, called the paracingulate cortex, and one's decision about sex and dating. This region is activated with increased activity when research participants are shown photographs of people randomly; to then be asked for their opinions, "interesting" or "not interesting".
Meanwhile, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, which is closer to the front of the head, becomes very active when participants look at the face they think attracts attention. But there is one thing: This region will be most active when seeing certain faces that have been agreed upon by many people as "sexy faces". Of course, people don't always agree on what looks sexy. When people see faces that trigger their sex drive but don't get good ratings from others, different areas are activated: the rostromedial prefrontal cortex, a segment of the medial prefrontal cortex located lower in the brain. This area is known to be very important in social decisions.
Furthermore, sex drive does not always only affect your ability to make decisions, but also affects the motivation behind the decision. Among the judgments made in this area is how others like you. Someone is more likely to find someone who is type with them as a potential partner. This is what makes the rostromedial prefrontal cortex signal that, "Hey, he is right for us!" - which shows how often we experience sex drive only in certain people.
