The geography of romance: How space determines who you fall in love with

When it comes to relationships and romance, the influence of geography doesn’t seem to have been paid much attention. Is it even possible that our dating choices are shaped by geography? In this talk, Prof Viren Swami, one of the world’s leading experts in the psychology of romantic attraction, draws on cutting-edge research to provide an account of the geography of romance. He looks at the way in which geography has affected romance over time and how different forms of geography can exert a subtle effect on relationship formation. Based on ground-breaking research, Prof Swami will show us how geography continues to affect who we fall for and why.

Viren Swami is Professor of Social Psychology at Anglia Ruskin University, where he is co-Director of the Centre for Groups and Societies, and Adjunct Professor at Perdana University, where he is Director of the Centre for Psychological Medicine. His research is focused on body image, mental health, and the benefits of being in nature. He is ranked in the top 2% of the most-cited scientists in the world and is the author of over three hundred academic papers and three books, including Attraction Explained (now in its second edition) and The Psychology of Physical Attraction.