ABSTRACT

D espite the appeal of messages celebrated in contemporary song lyrics such as those above by the Doors, the emotional transition from a first sighting to the expression of love is nei-ther instantaneous nor automatic. Indeed, a more realistic lyrical verse might be something like the following: “Hello, you seem to be emitting positive affect, which leads me to feel some type of arousal as I look at you, and as I appraise these sensations I believe they suggest some degree of attraction, although I am not sure if it is merely physical attraction or something deeper. Could we begin communicating so I can assess our degree of compatibility and your self-perceived level of arousal so I can better characterize what these sensations are that I am feeling?” Of course, this is a not a very catchy opening line for a song, and few listeners would find much romantic appeal in it. However, it more accurately reflects the emotional processes between first sightings and declarations of love.