Station Archive

Perhaps you’ve been there. You meet someone, the attraction feels mutual and genuine, and after awhile you wonder, where is this headed? Turns out, says new research from the University of California, Davis, that at first it’s hard to tell whether a new romantic interest is the start of a long-term connection or not. Short- and long-term trajectories begin to diverge just before the time a relationship becomes sexual. Why then? If people defer sex until after marriage, are there other sorting points? Our guest today is Paul Eastwick, an associate professor of psychology at UC Davis and the lead author of the study we’re talking about today. We get into mating schemas, why people are reluctant to end relationships that aren't working, the misperceptions of what college students experience, the practical value of this research, and more.