Behavior: Nothing Says ‘Focus’ Like Memory of Love

In a new study, people shown images of attractive men and women paid less attention to them if they had just been reminded about the person they loved.

For the study, the researchers looked at more than 100 college students who said they were in committed relationships.

One group was asked to write short essays about “a time in which they experienced strong feelings of love for their current partner.” The other volunteers were asked to write about a time when they were extremely happy.

When attractive faces of the opposite sex appeared, the students were slower to identify the shapes. But those who had written about their loved ones were less distracted.

Long-term relationships, the researchers said, offer benefits for reproduction, in part because both parents can play a role in rearing the children.