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The passing of Helen Fisher recently has been sad and a shock for many in the love research community. She was an important advocate for the love research community. Fisher was charming and charismatic and a big figure in the popular media. She had many friends and everyone who worked with her speaks highly of her. She opened many doors for love researchers, and it is, possibly, only through her advocacy that an aspiring student like myself can approach a world leading university and apply to undertake a scientific PhD on the topic of romantic love. The science of romantic love is in great debt to Helen Fisher.
It is important, however, not to overstate Fisher’s scientific contribution to the science of romantic love. She undertook two empirical (fMRI) studies of romantic love (Aron et al., 2005; Acevedo, Aron, Fisher, & Brown, 2012) and one of romantic relationship dissolution (Fisher, Brown, Aron, Strong, & Mashek, 2010). Her important study of "early-stage intense romantic love" provided valuable information about the mechanisms of romantic love, but was not the first fMRI study of romantic love (Bartels & Zeki, 2000). Furthermore, her theory of independent emotions systems (Fisher, 1998), which Professor Aronson refers to, was published before a single biological study of romantic love had been undertaken. It was a gallant attempt at describing the mechanisms of mammalian reproduction, including romantic love. Some aspects of her theory are eminently correct. However, research over the past 25 years (Bode & Kushnick, 2021) has moved far beyond this initial speculation, and Fisher’s theory is not consistent with much of the available evidence about the mechanism of romantic love (Bode, 2023). Her theory, while well cited, failed to guide empirical efforts and very few hypotheses were ever generated based on her theory.
Helen Fisher, is one of the two most important figures in the science of romantic love (along with Elaine Hatfield). However, it is important that her contribution be accurately described and her scientific contribution not be embellished. I would like to think she would prefer to be known for her actual achievements, which included bringing the science of love to the living rooms of the world and helping make the science of romantic love an increasingly respected area of scientific inquiry. Vale Helen Fisher.
Kind regards,
Adam Bode
Acevedo, B. P., Aron, A., Fisher, H. E., & Brown, L. L. (2012). Neural correlates of long-term intense romantic love. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 7(2), 145-159. doi:10.1093/scan/nsq092
Aron, A., Fisher, H., Mashek, D. J., Strong, G., Li, H. F., & Brown, L. L. (2005). Reward, motivation, and emotion systems associated with early-stage intense romantic love. Journal of Neurophysiology, 94(1), 327-337. doi:10.1152/jn.00838.2004
Bartels, A., & Zeki, S. (2000). The neural basis of romantic love. Neuroreport, 11(17), 3829-3834. doi:10.1097/00001756-200011270-00046
Bode, A. (2023). Romantic love evolved by co-opting mother-infant bonding. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1176067
Bode, A., & Kushnick, G. (2021). Proximate and Ultimate Perspectives on Romantic Love. Front Psychol, 12, 573123. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.573123
Fisher, H. E. (1998). Lust, attraction, and attachment in mammalian reproduction. Hum Nat, 9(1), 23-52. doi:10.1007/s12110-998-1010-5
Fisher, H. E., Brown, L. L., Aron, A., Strong, G., & Mashek, D. (2010). Reward, Addiction, and Emotion Regulation Systems Associated With Rejection in Love. Journal of Neurophysiology, 104(1), 51-60. doi:10.1152/jn.00784.2009
Competing interests:
No competing interests
08 September 2024
Adam Bode
Student
Australian National University
Banks Building, Australian National University, 44 Linnaeus Way, Acton ACT 2601 Australia
Re: When I use a word . . . The pharmacology of love and sex
Dear Editor,
The passing of Helen Fisher recently has been sad and a shock for many in the love research community. She was an important advocate for the love research community. Fisher was charming and charismatic and a big figure in the popular media. She had many friends and everyone who worked with her speaks highly of her. She opened many doors for love researchers, and it is, possibly, only through her advocacy that an aspiring student like myself can approach a world leading university and apply to undertake a scientific PhD on the topic of romantic love. The science of romantic love is in great debt to Helen Fisher.
It is important, however, not to overstate Fisher’s scientific contribution to the science of romantic love. She undertook two empirical (fMRI) studies of romantic love (Aron et al., 2005; Acevedo, Aron, Fisher, & Brown, 2012) and one of romantic relationship dissolution (Fisher, Brown, Aron, Strong, & Mashek, 2010). Her important study of "early-stage intense romantic love" provided valuable information about the mechanisms of romantic love, but was not the first fMRI study of romantic love (Bartels & Zeki, 2000). Furthermore, her theory of independent emotions systems (Fisher, 1998), which Professor Aronson refers to, was published before a single biological study of romantic love had been undertaken. It was a gallant attempt at describing the mechanisms of mammalian reproduction, including romantic love. Some aspects of her theory are eminently correct. However, research over the past 25 years (Bode & Kushnick, 2021) has moved far beyond this initial speculation, and Fisher’s theory is not consistent with much of the available evidence about the mechanism of romantic love (Bode, 2023). Her theory, while well cited, failed to guide empirical efforts and very few hypotheses were ever generated based on her theory.
Helen Fisher, is one of the two most important figures in the science of romantic love (along with Elaine Hatfield). However, it is important that her contribution be accurately described and her scientific contribution not be embellished. I would like to think she would prefer to be known for her actual achievements, which included bringing the science of love to the living rooms of the world and helping make the science of romantic love an increasingly respected area of scientific inquiry. Vale Helen Fisher.
Kind regards,
Adam Bode
Acevedo, B. P., Aron, A., Fisher, H. E., & Brown, L. L. (2012). Neural correlates of long-term intense romantic love. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 7(2), 145-159. doi:10.1093/scan/nsq092
Aron, A., Fisher, H., Mashek, D. J., Strong, G., Li, H. F., & Brown, L. L. (2005). Reward, motivation, and emotion systems associated with early-stage intense romantic love. Journal of Neurophysiology, 94(1), 327-337. doi:10.1152/jn.00838.2004
Bartels, A., & Zeki, S. (2000). The neural basis of romantic love. Neuroreport, 11(17), 3829-3834. doi:10.1097/00001756-200011270-00046
Bode, A. (2023). Romantic love evolved by co-opting mother-infant bonding. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1176067
Bode, A., & Kushnick, G. (2021). Proximate and Ultimate Perspectives on Romantic Love. Front Psychol, 12, 573123. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.573123
Fisher, H. E. (1998). Lust, attraction, and attachment in mammalian reproduction. Hum Nat, 9(1), 23-52. doi:10.1007/s12110-998-1010-5
Fisher, H. E., Brown, L. L., Aron, A., Strong, G., & Mashek, D. (2010). Reward, Addiction, and Emotion Regulation Systems Associated With Rejection in Love. Journal of Neurophysiology, 104(1), 51-60. doi:10.1152/jn.00784.2009
Competing interests: No competing interests