Neuroscience of Relationships

Nature versus Nurture… which one has a bigger impact on your brain?

In past episodes, we’ve talked a lot about the nature of our brains and how they respond similarly throughout evolution to ensure our survival.

Our brain used to warn us when a sabertooth tiger might be nearby. In today’s world, we still get those same warnings from things like paying our taxes, preparing for a big exam or presentation, or when someone unfamiliar follows behind you in a parking garage.

But when exactly does nurture come into play? And how do the relationships we form early on in life influence the type of person we become and the relationships we choose later on?

In episode 6, Laine walks us through not only the neuroscience, but also the psychological findings that scientists like Bowlby, Siegel, and Levine have discovered about how nature and nurture change our brain function, our body's natural responses, and ultimately the person we become.

Books:

The Developing Mind by Daniel Siegel

Attached by Amir Levine and Rachel SF Heller

Resources:

A.Shore – Attachment and the regulation of the right brain*

P.Molenberghs – The Neuroscience of In-Group Bias

Buchheim, George, Gundel, Viviani – Editorial: Neuroscience of Human Attachment

J.Coan – Toward a Neuroscience of Attachment

V.Green – Emotional Development in Psychoanalysis, Attachment Theory, and Neuroscience