#751 - Macken Murphy - What Does Science Say Makes Someone Attractive?
![#751 - Macken Murphy - What Does Science Say Makes Someone Attractive?](https://www.podcastworld.io/podcast-images/modern-wisdom-144efdvp.webp)
Explore "mate selection" with insightful episodes like "#751 - Macken Murphy - What Does Science Say Makes Someone Attractive?", "#1959 - David Buss", "Dr. David Buss: How Humans Select & Keep Romantic Partners in Short & Long Term" and "#474: The Surprises of Romantic Attraction" from podcasts like ""Modern Wisdom", "The Joe Rogan Experience", "Huberman Lab" and "The Art of Manliness"" and more!
David Buss, PhD, is a founding figure in the field of evolutionary psychology, and a professor at the University of Texas at Austin. His primary research focuses are on human mating strategies, conflict between the sexes, and the psychology of prestige, status, and reputation. He is the author of several books, among them "The Evolution of Desire: Strategies of Human Mating", and "When Men Behave Badly: The Hidden Roots of Sexual Deception, Harassment, and Assault".
According to the popular, evolutionary theory of human attraction, people select romantic partners based on objective assessments of what's called their "mate value" -- the extent to which an individual possesses traits like good looks and status. But is that really all that's behind the way people pair up?
My guest today has done a series of studies which add greater nuance to the mysteries of romantic attraction. His name is Paul Eastwick and he's a professor of psychology at USC Davis. We begin our conversation unpacking the fact that there's sometimes a gap between the sexual and romantic partners people say they prefer in the abstract, and the partners they actually choose in real life. We then turn to whether or not the popular idea that men value physical attractiveness more than women, and that women value status and resources more than men, is really true. We also talk about how people's consensus over who is and isn't attractive changes over time, and whether it's true that people of equal attractiveness generally end up together. We end our conversation discussing how these research-based insights can be applied to the real world of dating, and why less attractive people may have better luck meeting people offline than on.
Some interesting insights in this show that lend credence to the old adage that there's someone for everyone.
Get the show notes at aom.is/eastwick.
Stay up to date
For any inquiries, please email us at hello@podcastworld.io