Essentials: How Humans Select & Keep Romantic Partners in the Short & Long Term | Dr. David Buss

In this Huberman Lab Essentials episode, my guest is Dr. David Buss, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin and a pioneer in the field of evolutionary psychology. We explore the science behind human mate selection in both short- and long-term relationships. We discuss universal traits valued in long-term partners along with key differences between women and men in what they prioritize when selecting a mate. We also discuss the darker aspects of mating behavior, such as deception, the evolutionary function of jealousy and the motivations behind stalking. Episode show notes: https://go.hubermanlab.com/91Vn4e1 Huberman Lab Essentials are short episodes focused on essential science and protocol takeaways from past full-length Huberman Lab episodes. Watch the full-length episode: https://youtu.be/HXzTbCEqCJc Watch more Huberman Lab Essentials episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPNW_gerXa4OGNy1yE-W9IX-tPu-tJa7S *Follow Huberman Lab* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hubermanlab Threads: https://www.threads.net/@hubermanlab X: https://twitter.com/hubermanlab Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hubermanlab TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hubermanlab LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-huberman Website: https://www.hubermanlab.com Newsletter: https://www.hubermanlab.com/newsletter *Dr. David Buss* Books: https://amzn.to/4pPNWS3 Lab website: https://labs.la.utexas.edu/buss/david-buss X: https://x.com/ProfDavidBuss LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmbuss *Timestamps* 00:00:00 David Buss 00:00:21 Mate Selection, Preferences & Competition 00:03:26 Desirable Qualities of Men & Women, Universal Traits for Long-Term Mates 00:04:38 Women’s Preferences; Men’s Preferences; Age Differences 00:08:58 Mate Deception & Online Dating, Tool: Travel, Stress & Emotional Stability 00:12:07 Short- vs Long-Term Mates, Men vs Women Preferences 00:14:23 Jealousy, Mate Value Discrepancy, Vigilance to Violence 00:17:07 The Dark Triad, Sexual Harassment & Coercion 00:19:14 Stalking, Motivations & Outcomes 00:21:53 Childhood Attachment Styles & Relationship Stability 00:22:58 Self-Assessment for Mate Value, Self-Esteem 00:26:35 Evolutionary Psychology & Neuroscience 00:27:20 David Buss’ Books; Acknowledgements Disclaimer & Disclosures: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer