Incidental regulation of attraction: the neural basis of the derogation of attractive alternatives in romantic relationships.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Single-group within-subjects laboratory fMRI experimental study
PubMed 21432689 · doi:10.1080/02699931.2010.527494
What was done
Romantically committed participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while judging whether they would consider attractive or unattractive opposite-sex individuals as hypothetical dating partners. The task was performed under two conditions: with cognitive load and without cognitive load. Neural activation was assessed during derogation and correlated with self-reported relationship investment.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical values, effect sizes, or sample size. Relative to cognitive load, derogation of attractive alternatives under no cognitive load was associated with increased activation in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) and posterior dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (pDMPFC), along with decreased ventral striatum activation. These prefrontal activations were absent under cognitive load. Right VLPFC activation correlated positively with relationship investment.
Why it matters
The findings demonstrate that incidental derogation of potential romantic rivals relies on prefrontal emotion-regulation networks and requires cognitive resources, sharing neural mechanisms with deliberate emotion regulation.
Limits
The abstract omits sample size, participant demographics, and statistical values. The task used hypothetical photograph evaluations in a laboratory setting, which may not capture real-world interpersonal dynamics or actual relationship outcomes.