Neurophysiological evidence of romantic love- and maternal love-specific vicarious risk and outcome processing during dynamic decision-making.

Abstract

Vicarious decision-making is a fundamental to social interactions. Growing evidence suggests that the neural mechanisms underlying such decisions may vary according to interpersonal relationship types. However, the specific modulatory effects of romantic love on vicarious risk assessment and outcome evaluation during dynamic decision-making remain unclear. Against this background, we employed a computerized gambling task combined with electroencephalography (EEG) to examine the neurophysiological correlates of romantic love's influence on vicarious decision processes in romantically involved young adults (n = 40) while also investigating comparative effects of maternal love. Our results showed relationship-specific risk cues and outcome processing patterns during vicarious decision-making. In detail, we found enhanced N100 and late positive potential (LPP) amplitudes for romantic partner at the cue phase but increased P300 amplitudes to wins and attenuated LPP amplitudes to losses for mother at the feedback phase. Additionally, oscillatory analysis revealed reduced alpha band oscillation for self versus strangers and attenuated theta band oscillation for partners relative to mothers during low-risk conditions. Together, these findings demonstrate that vicarious risk and outcome processing are fundamentally shaped by interpersonal relationships, with romantic partners and mothers eliciting qualitatively distinct neural response patterns in romantically involved individuals.