DenverCenterforInternationalStudies

IsLoveObjectiveorAbstract:AScientificExplorationof
WhatLoveReallyIs

MichaeaVaughn
PassagesI
Rivera
SemesterI

I.

Introduction
Isloveobjective?Iwouldliketoexplorethetopicoflovefromascientificperspective.I

amresearchingsociology,psychology,chemistry,neuroscience,andpossiblyothertypesof
science.Iwanttolearnaboutthehumanbrainandthesciencebehindbeinginlove.Ialsowant
toresearchhowloveisshownandportrayedinotherculturesandwhymainstreamsocietyand
popcultureisromanticized.Peoplefallinloveineveryculture,buthowandwhy?Accordingto
aSyracuseUniversityarticleontheNeuroimagingofLove,studiessuggestthat12different
partsofthebrainareinvolvedwhenfallinginlove.Lovehasthesameeffectonthebrainasa
smalldoseofcocaine.Chemistrysuggeststhatromanticloveeventuallycompletelyfadesdueto
thefluctuationofchemicalproductioninthebrain.Wheninlove,thebrainexperiencesadropin
serotoninlevels,whichprovidesasenseofinstabilityandlossofcontrol.Thequestionsthatwill
guidemyresearchare:Isitpossibletotrulylovepeopleotherthanyourself?Whatchemical
processesdoesyourbraingothroughwhenyouareinlove?Islovetangibleorisitjusta
delusion?Ifyoucanonlyloveyourself,whydohumansbelievethattheyareinlovewithother
people?Howdoesmainstreamsocietyinfluencepeoplesideasaboutlove?
Inmyexperience,tolovehasbeenobjectivebutinlovehasbeenabstract.Ibelieve
thateventheverbformoflovetakesacertainamountofabstractthought.Ibelievethatyou
cantlovesomethingasanobjectbeforeknowingtheabstractformoflove.Personally,Imnot
sureifloveissolelyobjective,butIknowthatloveisalargepartofhumanconnection.Im
interestedbecauseIwouldliketolearnmoreabouthumanconnectionandthescientificaspects
offallinginlove.Iwanttodigdeeperintobrainfunctionsandchemicalprocesses.Iwantto
researchthistopicbecauseoverthecourseofmylifeIexperienceddifferentformsoflovein
phases.Asachild,Iexperiencedloveinacertainway.IexchangedIloveyouswithmy
1

familyandpossiblymyfriendsfromschool.ButasIgotoldereverythingchanged.Istartedto
understandtheactualmeaningbehindlove,anditbecamelesstrivialovertime.SuddenlyI
reachedapointinlifewherelovewasusedmoreloosely.Butitwasmoresignificantthanjust
anemptyIloveyouthatIdidntunderstand.Wasthewordlovemoreemptythanitwaswhen
Iwasachild?Tome,lovehasalwaysbeenabouthavingsometypeofaconnectiontosomeone,
familialorotherwise.Eventually,Istumbleduponmycurrentphase,romanticlove.Ihadtrouble
transitioningintothisphasebecauseeverythingwasmoreconfusing.ThatshowIdeveloped
interestinthistopic.
Inthiscase,objectivemeanstangible,factbased,pertainingtosomethingthatcanbe
known,dealingwiththingsexternaltothemind,orexistingindependentofthoughtaspartof
reality.Whileabstractorsubjectivemeansexistinginsideofthemindorthoughtprocess,
basedonorinfluencedbypersonalfeelings,andhowpeopleexperiencethingsinsideoftheir
ownminds.
II.

III.

LearningObjectives
A. Toresearchloveasascientificconceptandfromanabstractperspective
B. Toevaluatedifferentscientificreasoningsbehindlove
C. Tolearnaboutloveandmainstreamsociety(Ifmainstreammediaheavily
influencespeoplesviewsofloveornot)
D. Tolearnhowtowriteacollegelevelargumentativepaper
E. Tolearnmoreaboutlovefrommanydifferentscientificperspectives.
F. Tomanagemytimemoreeffectively
G. Tomakeconnectionsbetweenscientificdiscoveryandculturallyconstructed
ideasaboutlove
Timeline

Date

AssignmentDue

August31

TopicDue

September2

PassageProposalIntroductionfinished
2

September4

PassageProposalLearningObjectives,
Timeline,Domains,andFormdue

September9

EntireproposalfirstDRAFTdue,inclass
peerreviewofproposals

September11

FinalProposalCommitteeDraftDueand
Committeemembersassigned

September17

CommitteeMeetingDay,decideonwhich
book(s)toread,atleast2notecardsofnotes

September21

1overarchingresearchquestionwith35
subquestionsbasedoncommitteemeeting,5
articles

September23

ThesisDue

October1

OutlineandSignatureSheet

October7

3pagesofwritingplusworkscited(1+works
citedandintextcitation)

October15

5pagesofwritingplusworkscited(3+
sourcesandintextcitations),readand
annotatedaboutofthebook

October27

20flashcardsofnotes,7+articlesread

October29

10pagesofwritingplusworkscited(5+
sourcesandintextcitationbookfinished

November16

15pageDRAFTpaperplusworkscited(8+
sourcesandintextcitation)

December11

15pageFINALpaperplusworkscited(8+
sourcesandintextcitation)

IV.

Form
Thefinalproductwillbearesearchpaperfollowedbyapresentation.Iwillpresenttomy
committeeandanaudience.Duringmypresentation,Iwillgiveabriefintroductiontomytopic,
doashortactivitywiththeaudienceaboutlove,andexplainmyargument,andendwith
supportingevidence.

*PLAY
SHOOTLOVE
byMAROON5beforepresentation
V.
GPSDomains(Science)
RecognizePerspectives
Iwillcomparemultiplepointsofviewandexplainhowscientificdisciplines,cultural
perspectives,ordiversecontextandaudiencesinfluencetheissueofloveanditsobjectivityor
subjectivityincertaincultures.Imresearchingatleast4scientificdisciplinesandasIgetfurther
intomyresearchIwillbegintounderstandmanydifferentscientificperspectives.
InvestigatetheWorld
IwillbeInvestigatingtheWorldbysearching,comparing,analyzing,andevaluating
backgroundinformationforscientificdisciplinesandavarietyofsourcestosupportmy
argument.

VI.
Preparation
Materials
Notecards
Flashdrive
Research(online,books,articles,etc.)
Computer(forresearch)
AccesstoGoogleDrive
Highlighters
Supportfrommycommitteemembers
PossibleSources(books)
AGeneralTheoryofLove
WhyWeLove
EssaysinLove
ThePsychologyoflove(anthology)

CommitteeMembers:
SonjaPardee
YeseniaBonillaCardenas
LeslieArgelles
MerynJohnson
AnpaoLocke