What Can Sociology Do For You? at 2:16 PM

Part of Social Physiology says that we all have very real, biological emotional responses. Our heart rates speed up or slow down, we sweat, our eyes dilate, hormonal changes occur in the brain. These are all very physical and biological, not really what sociology deals with I know, stay with me. While we all have the same emotions, its been proven; seven are universal, what we call them or recognize these biological changes as varies. We label what we experience as love, hate, fear, sickness.

Imagine two bridges. One is over a very shallow creek, maybe a foot bellow the bridge. The other is over a deep canyon. Now place two identical twins at one side of each. Ask some guys, or girls, or whatever, to cross the bridge and go toward the girl, or guy, or whatever on the opposite side. Those who go over the "dangerous" fall will be more likely to find the person on the other side attractive. Now part of this is they had to take a harder journey to get there, but most of it is the label they are giving to their emotions. They're heart rate increases, blood starts flowing, and chemicals start causing very real biological changes. Is this fear or a kind of physical attraction? In our society, both of these labels for emotions have the same physical meanings.

So what? What good is this to you? Well boys and girls, think about the study, and it is a real study, next time you go on a first date. You got a crush on a girl, boy, whatever, and you take them to the movies for your first date. Do you take them to a chick flick, the standard romantic first date movie, or something with a little more boom? If you can get their heart beating with some good chase scenes and explosions you are more likely to get a good night kiss. They might label the physical emotions as something you created and give you the credit. Manipulative? Nah, science is your friend, take advantage of it.