Modern Wisdom

#601 - Dr Andrew Thomas - Evolution's Secrets To Understanding Relationships

Mar 13, 2023

Dr. Andrew Thomas, a senior lecturer in psychology at Swansea University, shares fascinating insights into human relationships from an evolutionary lens. He reveals five key theories explaining attraction and mating strategies, including how modern dating dynamics are affected by our evolutionary past. The conversation touches on the complexities of sexual arousal, societal shifts impacting relationship preferences, and the nuanced understanding of partner counts and desirability. Expect humor, thought-provoking ideas, and essential advice for anyone navigating relationships today.

01:35:33

Creator website

Episode guests

Andrew Thomas

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Is social sexuality heritable and can it be passed down through generations?

01:06

Building Prestige Over Dominance

01:48

Desires Dictate Decisions

01:43

Look to the Past a Little Bit

01:44

Intro

4min

Navigating Modern Mating: Evolutionary Insights

22min

Heritability and Parenting Choices

5min

Navigating Mating Strategies: The Human Experience

13min

Navigating Modern Relationships

21min

Cultural Practices and Gender Inequality

5min

Navigating Partner Preferences in Relationships

22min

Choosing the Right Context for Meaningful Relationships

2min

Evolving Preferences in Partner Traits Through the Decades

3min

10.

Evolving Gender Dynamics and Social Support in Relationships

2min

Dr Andrew Thomas is a senior lecturer of psychology at Swansea University whose research focuses on sex differences and relationship preferences from an evolutionary perspective.

Evolution explains a large portion of why we like the things we like. Who we're attracted to, why we fall into and out of love, how our mental state affects our mating strategies. Therefore, if you are a human who ever intends on being in a relationship, this might be useful.

Expect to learn the 5 evolutionary theories which explain much of human mating, whether ChatGPT can correctly predict what traits men and women like most in each other, how many previous sexual partners people say they want their current partner to have had, how open men & women in the West are to polyamorous relationships, how sexual arousal can ruin a faithful relationship and much more...

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