The following are my notes on Dr. David Buss’ interviews on evolutionary psychology.
Notes on Huberman Interview
- We don’t know why we find certain qualities attractive
- DB’s analogy: We find certain foods tasty. We don’t know why. We didn’t really “evolve” to know why. We just like the foods we like
- Most men aren’t walking around thinking about women’s reproductive and evolutionary fitness, unless they’re weird (DB’s joke)
- “We know statistically the higher mate value person is more likely to have an affair and is more likely to dump the other person and trade up on the dating market.” – DB
- If both partners have a secure attachment style, that’s conducive to long term mateship
Notes on Peterson Interview
- Women found to be more selective in casual sex, short term mating
- Survey question
- “’Sex without love is ok.’ Do you agree with that or disagree with that?”
- On a 7 point scale where 4 is the midpoint, men are about 5.5 and women average about 3.5, below the midpoint
- Ways to get ahead in life
- Inflict costs
- Confer benefits
- Competence (basically benefit conferral)
- DB’s lab found significant evidence in favor of the confidence and benefits, conferral model, and little evidence for the cost inflicting model of getting ahead
- Dark triad
- May be a way to indirectly look like you can confer benefits, inflict costs, or be competent
- For example, narcissists are confident, which makes you seem like you may be confident and capable
- YOUNGER women tend to be more attracted to dark triad. They also tend to grow out of this with maturity and dating experience
- Dark triads are “disastrous” for long term mating.
- As they cheat, abandon, abuse, and etc. more
- Scott Barry Kaufman has tried to psychometrically outline a light triad
Notes on Fridman Interview
- Concealed ovulation in humans may have coevolved with and led to human long term pair bonding (ovulation is not concealed in chimps)
- Women go for cues to good genes in the short term, cues to good resources in the long term
