People in love may have a harder time focusing
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2013 15:31 PM

It is common for people to say and do things when they are in love they probably wouldn't normally do. Recently, researcher Henk van Steenbergen, with help from colleagues at the University of Maryland and Leiden University, set out to see what effects romance has on the brain.

The researchers worked with 43 participants who had been in a relationship for less than half a year. Overall, they found that romantic feelings had an impact on these individuals' ability to focus, as the more in love they felt, the more likely they were to give attention to irrelevant information.

While it may be difficult for people to concentrate when they are dealing with new love, Van Steenbergen said they need to gain more control over their cognitive abilities if they are to make a relationship work.

"When you have just become involved in a romantic relationship you'll probably find it harder to focus on other things because you spend a large part of your cognitive resources on thinking of your beloved," said Van Steenbergen. "For long-lasting love in a long-term relationship, on the other hand, it seems crucial to have proper cognitive control."

With this information in mind, individuals who are in love and are curious to know how it has affected their cognitive abilities may want to take an IQ test. Doing so may help them determine whether romance has made them wiser or just another fool in love.