David Buss' primary interests include the evolutionary psychology of human mating strategies; conflict between the sexes; prestige, status, and social reputation; the emotion of jealousy; homicide; anti-homicide defenses; and stalking. He has examined these issues in cross-cultural research, using a network of research collaborators around the world. His most well-known study is a study of mate preferences in 37 cultures. Other research areas include the psychology of homicide, violence and evolutionary forensic psychology, the psychology of friendship, and the psychology of happiness.
He has published a number of articles, books and edited volumes, including "The Handbook of Evolutionary Psychology," "Sex, Power, Conflict: Evolutionary and Feminist Perspectives," and "Personality Psychology: Recent Trends, Emerging Directions."
Ph.D.
in Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, 1981
B.A.
in Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, 1976
Mating strategies; human sexuality; homicide; stalking; conflict between the sexes; strategies for preventing sexual victimization; prestige, status, and social reputation; evolution of social emotions; psychology
Member,
Board of Advisors, la Ciudad de las Ideas, Puebla, Mexico (2008 - 2015)
President,
Executive Committee, Human Behavior and Evolution Society (2005 - 2007)
President Elect,
Society for the Scientific Study of Sex (Midwestern) (1998 - 1999)
Head,
Individual Differences and Evolutionary Psychology, University of Texas at Austin (1996 - Present)
Member,
Board of Directors, International Society for the Study of Individual Differences (1995 - 2001)
Director,
International Consortium of Social and Personality Psychologists: Conducts parallel research across 43 cultures. (1990 - Present)
Member,
Editorial Board, American Psychologist; Journal of Personality and Social Psychology; Personality Processes and Individual Differences; Journal of Personality and Social Psychology; Interpersonal Relations and Group Processes; Psychology, Evolution, and Gender (1985 - 2015)
"Why Women Have Sex: Understanding Sexual Motivations from Adventure to Revenge (and Everything in Between)" (Times Books, 2009); "The Murderer Next Door" (Penguin, 2006); "The Dangerous Passion: Why Jealousy is as Important as Love and Sex " (Free Press, 2000); "Evolutionary Psychology: The New Science of the Mind " (Allyn & Bacon, 1999); "Sex, Power, Conflict: Evolutionary and Feminist Persepectives" (Oxford, 1996); "The Evolution of Desire: Strategies of Human Mating " (Basic Books, 1994)
The Most Eminent Psychologists of the Modern Era
- Archives of General Psychology (2014)
Highly Cited Researcher in the Social Sciences worldwide
- Institute for Scientific Information (2003 - 2014)
Harrington Award: Distinguished Visiting Professor
- Baldwin Wallace College (2003)
Distinguished Fellow
- New England Institute for Cognitive Science and Evolutionary Psychology (2002 - 2003)
Presidents Associates Teaching Excellence Award
- University of Texas at Austin (2001)
Elected as Fellow
- American Psychological Society (1997)
G. Stanley Hall Lecturer
- American Psychological Association (1990)
Distinguished Faculty Recognition Award
- University of Michigan (1989)
