The (Deeply Misunderstood) Evolutionary Science of Attraction

For decades, a buzzy branch of science has spread a deeply flawed story about romantic relationships, cloaking itself in the language of incontrovertible Darwinian fact. Evolutionary psychology claims our minds were shaped by primal drives that pit the genders against each other, from the myth that men are wired to be promiscuous to the notion that wealth, status, and beauty are the ultimate aphrodisiacs.

In this talk, UC Davis psychology professor Paul Eastwick, author of Bonded by Evolution and co-host of the Love Factually podcast, draws on original experiments from his own lab to reveal that these stories bear little resemblance to how attraction really works. Success in relationships does not hinge on finding the universally good partner, he argues, but on compatibility.

Popularity may shape first impressions, but its influence fades fast. And once we look at what men and women actually want, the supposed gender differences tend to evaporate. Eastwick reveals attraction as a process of finding, and often creating, a compatible connection.