Helen Fisher
Senior Research Fellow, The Kinsey Institute
Helen E. Fisher, Ph.D. biological anthropologist, is a Senior Research Fellow at The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University, and a Member of the Center For Human Evolutionary Studies in the Department of Anthropology at Rutgers University. She has written six books on the evolution, biology, and psychology of human sexuality, monogamy, adultery and divorce, gender differences in the brain, the neural chemistry of romantic love and attachment, human biologically-based personality styles, why we fall in love with one person rather than another, hooking up, friends with benefits, living together and other current trends, and the future of relationships — what she calls: slow love.
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Are humans hardwired for monogamy?
Evolution steered humans toward pair bonding to ensure the survival of genes. But humans tend to get restless.
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3 min
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Is love an addiction?
Love triggers the same regions of your brain as cocaine addiction.
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2 min
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Brain in love: The science of attachment in relationships
What areas of the brain are activated when you feel a cosmic connection with someone?
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3 min
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Has Online Dating Changed the Way We Love Each Other?
An anthropologist weighs in on how dating apps like Tinder and online dating sites change the way we love.
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2 min
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The Brain Has 3 Systems for Mating — Combined, They Promote Adultery
Even though adultery is punishable by death in some societies, it still occurs regularly. This tells Dr. Helen Fisher there is probably a genetic predisposition toward cheating on your partner.
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4 min
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Here’s a Neurochemical Profile of 3 Presidential Candidates — And Their Supporters
Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and Bernie Sanders: The biology of their brains is different from one another, which shows in their speech, behavior, and in who their supporters are.
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3 min
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The science behind maintaining a happy long-term relationship
We all want to have a good, stable relationship with somebody, says Dr. Helen Fisher. So it's important to understand how intense romantic love affects our long-term goals.
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9 min
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Why Your Boyfriend Won’t Look at You
There may be an evolutionary reason that men prefer to have intimate discussions without making eye contact with their partner.
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Helen Fisher Explains Why Casual Sex Doesn’t Exist
A Rutgers professor explains a new study of college students and why they went into a hookup, 50 percent of women and 52 percent of men reported that they hoped […]
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2 min
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A Life Based on Passion
Helen Fisher on what it’s like to spend your career studying love.
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2 min
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In Defense of Online Dating
Online dating is much more natural than walking up to a stranger in a bar, says Helen Fisher.
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5 min
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Why Your Boyfriend Won’t Look at You
Helen Fisher believes there’s an evolutionary reason for the fact that men prefer to have intimate discussions without making eye contact with their partner.
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7 min
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Why the Clintons Are Married
Helen Fisher found six personality chemicals that play off each other in relationships. There’s a reason why Bill cries during Hillary’s speech.
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6 min
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The Advantage of High School Sweethearts
People who create an early vision of a partner in their mind often hold onto it for a long time.
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6 min
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Why Casual Sex Doesn’t Exist
In a study that asked 515 people why they went into a hookup, 50 percent of women and 52 percent of men reported that they hoped to trigger a longer relationship.
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8 min
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Big Think Interview With Helen Fisher
A conversation with the biological anthropologist and Rutgers University professor.
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33 min
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