Attraction explained: The science of how we form relationships

When it comes to relationships, there is no shortage of advice from self-help ‘experts’, pick-up artists, and glossy magazines. But modern-day myths of attraction often have no basis in fact or – worse – are rooted in little more than misogyny.

In this talk, Prof Viren Swami, ARU, one of the world’s leading experts in the psychology of romantic attraction, debunks these myths and draws on cutting-edge research to provide a ground-breaking and evidence-based account of relationship formation. He presents a very simple idea: that there are no ‘laws of attraction’, no foolproof methods or strategies for getting someone to date you. But this isn’t to say that there’s nothing to be gained from studying attraction. Based on science rather than self-help clichés, Prof Swami looks at how factors such as geography, appearance, personality, and similarity affect who we fall for and why. 

Presented as part of our Talking Science series, 8-12 June 2020.