What Evolution Says About Dating

Quick Overview

Evolutionary psychology, as discussed by David Buss, suggests that sexual selection is non-random, involving two causal processes: natural selection (survival advantage) and sexual selection (mating success), leading to significant sex differences where women generally exhibit greater choosiness in long-term mating due to higher obligatory investment, such as a nine-month pregnancy, compared to men.

Key Points: Sexual selection is driven by two processes: natural selection (survival advantage) and sexual selection (mating success), which are not random. Women show significantly greater choosiness in long-term mating due to the high obligatory investment of pregnancy (nine months) and parental investment. Data from studies (like Buss and Schmitt's) show women rate qualities like financial prospects and ambition higher for long-term partners, while men prioritize physical attractiveness and youth. For short-term sex, women still show choosiness, requiring a minimum percentile of intelligence (e.g., 70th percentile) in potential partners, whereas men's requirements drop significantly. The study cited showed 94% of men would have sex with a total stranger they just met, while only 6% of women agreed to the same scenario, highlighting the differing minimum thresholds for casual sex. The difference in mating strategies stems from differential parental investment, where women's investment is far costlier (pregnancy, nursing) than men's. The concept of female choosiness is heavily influenced by the need to secure a partner who will invest resources in offspring, contrasting with the male tendency toward greater desire for sexual variety.

Context: This video segment features an interview between Jordan Peterson and evolutionary psychologist David Buss, focusing on the empirical evidence supporting sex differences in mate preferences and sexual strategies derived from evolutionary theory. Buss is introduced as an expert who has extensively researched the evidence suggesting that women are generally choosier than men when selecting sexual partners, especially for long-term relationships, due to fundamental biological asymmetries in reproductive investment.