Click the play button below to listen to key figures in the world of sexuality. Each interview provides perspectives from people who have acquired either comprehensive or uniquely specialized knowledge about sexual behavior.

Dr. Douglas Kenrick

Dr. Douglas T. Kenrick (1948-) is well known for his innovative and creative experimental design in evolutionary psychology, cognitive science and theory of dynamical systems. Dr. Kenrick has consistently demonstrated a great talent for devising experiments in which the participants reveal their innermost intentions regarding love and attraction. Dr. Kenrick has explored many human social and sexual behaviors, including altruism, mate selection, conformity, homicidal fantasies, and personality. Dr. Kenrick is a psychology professor at Arizona State University, and his many influential publications include Sex, Murder, and the Meaning of Life: A Psychologist Investigates How Evolution, Cognition, and Complexity Are Revolutionizing Our View of Human Nature and The Rational Animal: How Evolution Made Us Smarter Than We Think.

Discussion Questions:

1. What are some examples of gender differences when mating motivation is switched on? Try to explain the purpose behind these differences.
2. What are gender differences in partners’ age preferences?
3. What is the difference between necessity and luxury in mate preferences?