The Psychology of Attractiveness Podcast

This month, The Psychology of Attractiveness Podcast bows out with a special from the European Human Behavior and Evolution Association Conference in Toulouse! Thanks for listening, everyone: it's been real. I speak to Ayten Yeşim Semchenko about how men and women choose partners when they have limited information about their romantic prospects; to Linda Lidborg about the possible links between a father's testosterone levels and the sexual behaviour of his adolescent offspring; and to...

This month, we interrogate the psychology of the faithful and the faithless. Why do some people pass up the opportunity to cheat on their partners? And, when people do cheat, how do they justify their behaviour? Download the MP3 Subscribe! Make sure you never miss an episode by subscribing in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Stitcher. Read the transcript! 8 Reasons Not to Cheat “It Didn’t Mean Anything.” It's never the right time to leave. Freestocks. The Psychology of...

This month, we investigate faking orgasm. Who fakes orgasms, and why? We also find out how men and women weigh up the relative importance of facial and bodily attractiveness in a partner. Download the MP3 Subscribe! Make sure you never miss an episode by subscribing in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Stitcher. Read the transcript! Faking Orgasm: Who Fakes and Why? Face or Body: Which Traits Attract a Partner for Committed or Brief Relationships? Look like they're having fun....

In this month's episode we look at how men and women's partner preferences are affected by a dose of oxytocin, aka "the love hormone". We'll also find out whether germophobes are more or less likely to pursue short-term relationships. Download the MP3 Subscribe! Make sure you never miss an episode by subscribing in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Stitcher. Read the transcript! Disgust and Short-Term Relationships Oxytocin and Mate-Choice How does oxytocin affect men and women's...

I'm back after a holiday break to look at the psychology of appearance enhancement: what does our use of cosmetics say about us to other people? This episode also features an interview with Matthew Vazquez of California State University San Bernardino, who presented his research exploring the complexities of mate attraction at the 2018 HBES conference. Download the MP3 Subscribe! Make sure you never miss an episode by subscribing in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Stitcher. Read...

Why are we attracted to attractive people? Perhaps because evolution has shaped us to seek healthy and fertile partners. But is beauty really linked to biological fitness? We find out. This episode also features an interview with Kai Hiraishi of Keio University, who presented his research on men's over-perception of women's sexual intent at this summer's HBES conference. Download the MP3 Subscribe! Make sure you never miss an episode by subscribing in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or...

This month, is pursuing sex with an ex likely to help or hinder your recovery from a breakup? And we find out why a team of psychologists from Michigan brought volunteers to their lab to look at a rabbit and a snake. This episode also features an interview with Vicky Leigh of Glasgow University, who presented her research on sexual imprinting at the recent HBES conference. Download the MP3 Subscribe! Make sure you never miss an episode by subscribing in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or...

This month we sniff out the link between sex and a sense of smell, and we'll ask: how much should a engagement ring really cost? Download the MP3 Subscribe! Make sure you never miss an episode by subscribing in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Stitcher. Read the transcript! How Much to Spend on an Engagement Ring? Sex Smells If you need to get this close to sniff out a partner, you should get your nose tested. Freestocks The articles covered in the show: Bendas, J., Hummel,...

In this month's episode we look at sexuality: why do people who identify as straight sometimes hookup with partners of the same gender? We'll also find out if straight men prefer women who are attracted to other women. This episode also features an interview with Sydni Huxman of Kansas State University, who presented her research on backup partners at the recent HBES conference. Download the MP3 Subscribe! Make sure you never miss an episode by subscribing in Apple Podcasts, Google...

This month I tell some dirty and clean jokes: whether or not you laugh may say something about the kind of relationship that suits you best. We'll also find out why some of us are uneasy with relationships between people with a big age difference. And, in the first of my interviews from the recent Human Behavior and Evolution Society conference in Amsterdam, I speak with Dr. Anthony Lee of Glasgow University about his research on internet dating. Download the MP3 Support me! Support the...

In this month's episode we look at dating apps, and how the way we interact with them is influenced by our sociosexuality (aka our willingness to engage in casual sex). Download the MP3 Support me! Support the podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 and get access to the patron-only feed, including bonus podcasts and blogs not available elsewhere. Rate me! Rate, review, or listen in iTunes or in Stitcher. Read the transcript! Dating Apps and Mating Strategies Does our...

It can't have failed to escape you that psychology is in the midst of a replication crisis. Research findings previously thought to be solid and reliable have proven anything but, as teams of independent researchers have tried -- and failed -- to repeat the original experiments. On The Psychology of Attractiveness Podcast I might be guilty of focussing too much on the most exciting new findings: findings that may or may not be supported by later research. So in this episode we'll look at...

This month, how to love the one you're with. We find out why we prefer to stick with the partner we know than ditching them for someone new. We'll also discover how controlling our wandering eyes can keep our relationships strong. Download the MP3 Support me! Support the podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 and get access to the patron-only feed, including bonus podcasts and blogs not available elsewhere. Rate me! Rate, review, or listen in iTunes or in Stitcher. Read the...

What type of person is likely to give up the ghost and leave their partners without warning? We also investigate deceptive affection: is it an effective tactic for keeping a relationship strong? Download the MP3 Support me! Support the podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 and get access to the patron-only feed, including bonus podcasts and blogs not available elsewhere. Rate me! Rate, review, or listen in iTunes or in Stitcher. Read the transcript! Deceptive Affection: Expressing...

Sexual aggression is a serious subject, and one we should strive to better understand. In this episode, we find out why some men retaliate aggressively when they are rejected. We also learn about the links between sexual coercion, money, and risk-tasking; and how college students rebuff unwanted sexual advances. Download the MP3 Support me! Support the podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 and get access to the patron-only feed, including bonus podcasts and blogs not available...

This month we have a pair of studies chosen by Patreon supporters of the podcast. We find out if bullies have more sex, and whether a person's physical attractiveness or personal values better explain their appeal as a long-term partner. Download the MP3 Support me! Support the podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 and get access to the patron-only feed, including bonus podcasts and blogs not available elsewhere. Rate me! Rate, review, or listen in iTunes or in Stitcher. Read the...

This month, we're talking about the consequences of a wandering eye. Does contemplating infidelity make a person more suspicious that their own partner might be a cheater? And “should I stay or should I go?” -- how do we decide to respond after discovering our partner has strayed? Download the MP3 Support me! Support the podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 and get access to the patron-only feed, including bonus podcasts and blogs not available elsewhere. Rate me! Rate, review, or...

This month we examine inter-generational effects on attraction. Almost everyone likes looking at baby photos, but what effect does this innocent activity have on our mating psychology? We'll also discover how the body type women and men prefer in their partners can be influenced by their own fathers' physique. And I present the results of the recent (and first ever) listener survey. Who's listening and what do you want from the show? We'll find out. Download the MP3 Support me! Support...

Looking healthy is vital to an attractive appearance. But how do we judge a person's healthiness? We find out how face shape and colour influence our perceptions of health, and revisit the idea of limbal rings: a part of the eye that gives away our health and age. Download the MP3 Support me! Support the podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 and get access to the patron-only feed, including bonus podcasts and blogs not available elsewhere. Rate me! Rate, review, or listen in iTunes...

Why do people have cosmetic surgery, and how do cosmetic surgery advertisements make women feel about themselves and behave towards their partners? I also speak to Dr. Sylvie Borau of the Toulouse Business School about her new research on how sexy advertisements trigger women's competitive urges. Download the MP3 Support me! Support the podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 and get access to the patron-only feed, including bonus podcasts and blogs not available elsewhere. Rate...