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| Dr. David Buss, professor of psychology at The University of Texas at Austin, was one of two keynote speakers during the Psychology Synergy Conference Oct. 5-6. |
Love. Sex. Jealousy. Murder.
No it’s not a steamy harlequin romance novel or a six-episode arc on “Days of Our Lives.” It’s serious scholarly inquiry at Collin College.
All four topics were the cornerstones behind a presentation by Dr. David Buss, professor of psychology and president of the Human Behavior and Evolution Society from The University of Texas at Austin, Oct. 5 at the Spring Creek Campus.
Dr. Buss’ lecture was the first day of Collin College’s second annual Psychology Synergy Conference, which continued Oct. 6 with a lecture by Dr. Helen Fisher, visiting professor and member of the Center for Human Evolutionary Studies and Department of Anthropology at Rutgers University
Dr. Buss’ lecture, “Sexual Conflict in Human Mating,” presented much of his own and other research within the realm of relationships, sex, conflict (prior, during and after the relationship), jealousy, infidelity and, eventually, murder.
He led off his presentation by noting a survey asking men and women what a significant other has down to annoy, anger, disturb or hurt them.
There were 147 different responses -- from leaving the toilet seat up to physical and sexual abuse.
The purpose of this was to show that no matter on what level, there is a lot of conflict between the sexes. And conflict not only exists between man and woman, but between men and between women.
Dr. Buss presented a lot of information via PowerPoint and was quick to explain various phenomena and language that would befuddle the layperson. Additionally, his wit and humor made one realize that he knew that he was dealing with a subject matter -- the different sexes and how they act and react towards sex -- that is wrought with pre-conceived notions and fallacies purported by stereotypes and pop culture.
Then again, what one would consider to be true was indicated as such in much of the research Dr. Buss presented.
Men tend to want more partners. Men tend to get angrier at physical infidelity and women tend to get angrier at emotional infidelity. In one study, titled the Florida Study, researchers sent males to unsuspecting female college students and asked them one of three questions: A) Do you want to go on a date? B) Do you want to go to my apartment? C) Do you want to have sex?
One would suspect that the chance for an affirmative answer were lower with each question. And they did (0 percent, by the way, agreed to sex ... as Dr. Buss noted, “Women, generally, want a better preamble than that”).
The conflict between males exists with the poacher -- another male who attempts to woo the female away from another male. Thus, Dr. Buss presented the concept of infidelity. He noted that the benefits of infidelity are resources, superior genes or the segueing to a better relationship.
From infidelity, Dr. Buss came to jealousy and stalking. He noted that there are 104 acts of mate guarding, which, obviously, can vary in extremes. As for stalking, Dr. Buss said that males tend to be deterred by stalking and stalkers tend to obtain a new love interest or, in fact, re-connect with the mate they were stalking.
“Restraining orders are notoriously ineffective and sometimes result in greater harm to the woman, including death,” he said.
Part of the presentation included actual statements from stalking case studies interviewing stalkers and those who were stalked. As Dr. Buss said, they were “diabolical, nasty, illegal, but it worked.”
The path from mating, conflict, infidelity, jealousy and stalking led to murder. Dr. Buss said that studies have shown that most people have contemplated murder on even the most minute level. Male murder thoughts are more frequent and vivid. But Dr. Buss presented statements from females wanting to “cut the head off” another female and other acts.
“Mating and murder are closely related,” Dr. Buss concluded.
Second day brings another scholar, Collin College honors
