They say it's really the brain that orchestrates the forming of such heartfelt, lasting emotional bonds. Virtually every form of psychopathology is characterized by abnormal social attachments. It may sound a bit clinical to the romantics among us, who envision the complex processes of falling in love or being a loyal friend as more soulful than biologic. These neural pathways, he proposes, also may prove to be important in treating clinical disorders such as autism and schizophrenia, both of which result in social isolation and detachment. Neuroscientist Tom Insel, who has studied social attachment for the past 15 years, is known for developing the best laboratory model, a rodent from the Midwest call a vole.
Voles come in various species, including prairie and montane voles.
Field biologists in the wild discovered that highly social prairie voles are the model of family values. The male reacts aggressively toward other males once he's bonded with a female. Vole breeding pairs nest together, and both parents provide extensive and prolonged parental care, with offspring remaining in the nest for several weeks beyond weaning. By contrast, the montane vole is a loner, nesting in isolation. Love doesn't last beyond a brief interlude.