The Psychology of Attractiveness Podcast

The Psychology of Attractiveness Podcast episodes:

• 11.27.2018

  Fertility and health: is beauty a cue? 27 Nov 2018

  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...

  
• 10.30.2018

  Sex with an ex. 30 Oct 2018

  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...

  
• 08.28.2018

  Straight men who hookup with other men. 28 Aug 2018

  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...

  
• 07.31.2018

  Dirty jokes and age differences. 31 Jul 2018

  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...

  
• 07.03.2018

  Dating apps and sociosexuality. 03 Jul 2018

  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...

  
• 06.05.2018

  Replication crisis: Does the menstrual cycle really affect what women find attractive? 05 Jun 2018

  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...

  
• 03.13.2018

  Money, honour, and sexual coercion. 13 Mar 2018

  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...

  
• 02.13.2018

  Are personal values attractive? Listeners' choice! 13 Feb 2018

  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...

  
• 12.19.2017

  Baby photos increase interest in marriage. 19 Dec 2017

  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...

  
• 08.01.2017

  Conflict and reconciliation. 01 Aug 2017

  Do men and women have different tactics for making up after a fight? And do couples resolve sexual and non-sexual conflicts differently? We'll find out in this episode about conflict resolution. I also talk to...

  
• 07.18.2017

  BONUS: The Evolutionary Psychology of Mate Preference. 18 Jul 2017

  Earlier this year I posted a bonus episode featuring contributions from students in my undergraduate seminar here at Basel University. It proved to be one of the more popular episodes of the podcast. This semester I taught a masters level...

  
• 07.04.2017

  The face of a leader. 04 Jul 2017

  Can you tell a good leader from their face or their name? We'll look at the results of two new experiments to find out. Plus I talk to Zuzana Štěrbová about her research on how...

  
• 06.06.2017

  It's a family affair. 06 Jun 2017

  Supporters of the podcast on Patreon have chosen the topic for this month's episode, and it's a family affair: we find out if parents prefer attractive partners for their offspring. We will also discover if...

  
• 05.09.2017

  Threesomes and sexy fanfic. 09 May 2017

  This month we investigate unusual aspects of mating behaviour. How many young adults have experience of threesomes (sex with two partners at the same time)? And why does anyone read -- and write -- sexually...

  
• 04.11.2017

  Listeners' choice! Why we stay single. 11 Apr 2017

  For the first time, I hand over editorial control to you, the listeners of The Psychology of Attractiveness Podcast. Supporters of the podcast on Patreon have chosen what we'll discuss in today's show. Thanks to...

  
• 03.14.2017

  Sexting and phubbing: New technology and dating. 14 Mar 2017

  How do mobile phones improve and damage our relationships? We look at a study of sexting among high school students, and find out about 'phubbing': a modern relationship behaviour you have almost certainly experienced. Download...

  
• 02.21.2017

  BONUS: Personality and intimate relationships. 21 Feb 2017

  Some of you may know that last summer I started a new job at Basel University in Switzerland. During the autumn semester, I taught a class on personality and intimate relationships. One thing I had the class do is read...

  
• 02.14.2017

  Bad boys: Tattoos and soldiers. 14 Feb 2017

  It's a bad boy special. We discover if a spell at an army training camp can change the type of woman a man finds most attractive. We also find out what tattoos say about a...

  
• 01.17.2017

  Body odour: Effects of diet and fertility. 17 Jan 2017

  In this episode we poke our noses into two new research papers on body odour and attractiveness. Can women tell if another woman is fertile simply by sniffing her armpits? And can we sweeten our...

  
• 11.22.2016

  Politics and sex: Can attractiveness psychology make sense of the presidential election? 22 Nov 2016

  In a belated attempt to understand the results of the recent US elections, we harness the power of attractiveness psychology (because polling doesn't seem to work). Do we vote for candidates based on their voices?...

  
• 10.25.2016

  Porn: Does it damage your relationship? 25 Oct 2016

  Download the MP3 Does viewing pornography damage your relationship? In this episode we look at two recent research studies that seek to answer this question using very different methods. Also, does Trump’s red “power...

  
• 09.27.2016

  Are clever women attractive? 27 Sep 2016

  Download the MP3 Men are more attractive if they are intelligent, but what do smarts do for feminine appeal? We also find out whether physically attractive women are more interested in short-term flings or...

  
• 07.26.2016

  Attraction to opposite-sex friends. 26 Jul 2016

  Download the MP3 Something more than friends. We look at three new studies on attraction to opposite-sex friends. How do men and women differ in their attraction to friends? And can you make a...

  
• 06.28.2016

  FGM and penis length: genitals, attraction, and desire. 28 Jun 2016

  In this episode, how do our genitals affect the psychology of attraction and sex? We look at new research on female genital mutilation and its effects on women's sexuality, and find out whether a woman is more likely to experience...

  
• 05.31.2016

  Perfume and pheromones: The attractiveness of odor. 31 May 2016

  We discover why beauty is in the nose of the beholder in this odor special. We'll find out whether spraying scented deodorant all over your body can make your smell more masculine or feminine, and we'll also learn if a...

  
• 05.11.2016

  Fertility and fairness. 03 May 2016

  Fertility and fairness: We look at how the menstrual cycle influences women's sharing behaviour, and find out why your hormones (and the hormones of other women) have an impact on what you feel is fair. ...

  
• 04.05.2016

  Disease, body odor, and red clothes. 05 Apr 2016

  Are you sick of how you smell? We investigate the link between susceptibility to disease and attraction to the body odour of others and ourselves. Also, how do women choose to wear red clothes? Download...

  
• 03.09.2016

  Workplace romances: Can you sleep your way to the top? 08 Mar 2016

  The perils of dating your boss: do workplace romances have a positive or negative effect on your job prospects? And predicting the sex of your child: do women who prefer a certain type of man think they're more likely to...

  
• 02.09.2016

  Bad boys and fear of crime. 9 Feb 2016

  Let's take a walk on the wild side as we discover how a preference for macho men might be related to where we like to take an evening stroll. We'll also find out why sisters agree—and disagree—over what constitutes an...

  
• 01.14.2016

  Tall, generous, and handsome. 12 Jan 2016

  What women want: we investigate whether women's preference for taller men leads to a lifetime of happiness, and find out if it's more important for a man to be generous than handsome. Download the MP3 ...

  
• 12.29.2015

  Internet dating and ethnicity, with Melinda Mills; selfies and self-esteem. 29 Dec 2015

  I recently attended the Galton Institute's conference on mate choice, and was lucky to grab an interview with Prof. Melinda Mills, head of The University of Oxford's Department of Sociology. We spoke about Melinda's research on ethnicity and internet dating,...

  
• 12.15.2015

  Masculine masks: Testosterone and makeup, and bearded sexists. 15 Dec 2015

  Masculine masks: what a bushy beard says about a man's attitudes to women, and why a hit of the male hormone testosterone could have you reaching for your make up bag. Download the MP3 ...

  
• 12.02.2015

  Attractive hotel guests receive better customer service, with Dasa Fabjan 01 Dec 2015

  Checking in? I talk to Dasa Fabjan about how the attractiveness of hotel guests can influence the service they receive. We'll also find out why the size of your Christmas bonus might be linked to your appearance. ...

  
• 10.20.2015

  Head tilt and allure, with Danielle Sulikowski. 20 Oct 2015

  Head posture: Does tilting your noggin like a bobble-head doll make you more or less alluring? I talk to Danielle Sulikowski. Download the MP3 Rate me! Rate, review, or listen in iTunes or in...

  
• 10.06.2015

  Voice pitch and politics: How voices (and faces and weight) win votes, with Casey Klofstad. 06 Oct 2015

  How voices and faces win votes. I talk to Casey Klofstad about his new research into voice pitch and the effect it has on perceptions of a political candidate's age, strength, and competence. We'll also look at how other nonverbal...

  
• 09.08.2015

  Red or dead: Violent video games, red clothing, and attraction. 08 Sep 2015

  Red or dead: In this episode we investigate the allure of violent video games, and how they relate to sex. Also, does the colour red increase a man's attractiveness? Download the MP3 Rate me!...

  
• 08.25.2015

  Men produce more semen when they view more porn stars. 25 Aug 2015

  Is more more, or is more less? We look at two very different experiments about quantity, quality, and sex. How does the type and amount of porn a man views influence how much semen he produces? And do women from...

  
• 08.11.2015

  Marriage or fling? Desiring different partners for different relationships. 11 Aug 2015

  If you’re single (and even if you’re not) are you on the look-out for someone to marry, a one night stand, or something in between? In this episode we find out how they type of relationship we seek can influence...

  
• 07.28.2015

  Same-sex and both-sex attraction in adolescence. 28 Jul 2015

  With gay marriage now legal in the USA (not to mention, Sweden, New Zealand, Uruguay, and the Pitcairn Islands), let’s look at how same-sex attraction develops during adolescence. Is same-sex attraction stable during teenage years, and what are lesbians’ first...

  
• 05.19.2015

  Beer goggles and penis arrows. 19 May 2015

  We strap on our beer goggles and find out how alcohol influences attractiveness. Also, you have a penis! Well, half of you do, and we discover what happens to men’s sexual thoughts when they’re reminded of what they’re packing in...

  
• 04.21.2015

  How parents meddle in their children's love lives. 21 April 2015

  Meet the parents! Two new experiments show how choosing a partner can send shockwaves across the generations. We’ll find out how parents meddle in their children’s love lives, and how sexy sons lead to handsome fathers. Download the...

  
• 04.07.2015

  How 'coalitional mate retention' tactics prevent your partner cheating. 7 April 2015

  With a little help from my friends: How we use 'coalitional mate retention' tactics to prevent our partner cheating. We take a look at two new experiments that uncover how our friends work to keep our partners faithful. Download...

  
• 03.24.2015

  Make up and 'facial contrast', with Alex Jones. 24 March 2015

  Why do women wear make up? I interview Alex Jones of Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania about his new research into cosmetics and 'facial contrast' (follow @AlexJonesPHD on Twitter). Also, how did Kim Kardashian break the Internet? Was it her massive...

  
• 03.10.2015

  Beautiful leaders - undermining democracy with a pretty face. 10 March 2015

  How democracy is undermined by the psychology of attractiveness: we discover why good looking candidates have an advantage come polling day, either because their beauty distracts from their extreme policies, or (if they're very lucky) because their constituents are ill....

  
• 03.08.2015

  Lingerie, chocolate, and shopping. 24 Feb 2015

  Consumer psychology meets the psychology of attraction: how female fertility influences desire for variety in products. And look but don’t touch: observing male behaviour in lingerie stores. Download the MP3 Rate me! Rate, review, or listen in iTunes or in...

  
• 01.28.2015

  Killing the 'thin ideal'. Jan 2015

  Why do women have sex? We find out, using the YSEX? questionnaire. Also, how to stop the ‘thin ideal’ messing with our minds. And forget Star Wars - it’s time for Sperm Wars: are men turned on by pornography that...

  
• 12.26.2014

  Sexy footballers earn more money. Dec 2014

  We all know the stereotype of the handsome jock who scores on and off the field, but is there a real link between beauty and ball skills? Also, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, but what...

  
• 08.14.2014

  Penis size, with Brian Mautz; eat fruit to get a tan. Aug 2014

  Stay out of the sun! New research suggests that the skin colour change associated with sun tanning isn't as attractive as the effects of eating carotenoid-rich fruits and vegetables, like tomatoes, pumpkins, and spinach. Can an attractive personality make you...

  
• 07.24.2014

  Criminals have more kids. July 2014

  This month, crime pays: we discover the link between criminal behaviour and reproduction, and find out why it makes sense to judge your criminal accomplices on their beauty. We also learn what a woman’s bank balance says about her attitude...

  
• 07.04.2014

  How to get your sperm swimming like Michael Phelps. June 2014

  How to get a man’s sperm swimming like a shoal of miniature Michael Phelpses, and why expensive handbags are a weapon of war. We also find out what time of the month the idea of incest is most likely to...