Faculty:

Dr. David M. Buss

Contact:

Sean Conlan
Email: conlan@mail.utexas.edu

Description:

Human mateships rarely last a lifetime. Under a variety of circumstances, it would have been reproductively beneficial to break up with an existing mate. We are developing a theory of the coevolution of adaptations for mate expulsion and adaptations for defenses against unwanted mate expulsion. Our current research focuses on the costs and benefits, tactics, and decision rules of break up.

Qualifications:

The most important qualification is a desire to learn more about the topic. Students will be expected to think critically, engage the material, and contribute to the research effort. Students must also have a GPA of at least 3.0.

Duties:

Research assistant duties will include literature searches, reading and discussing journal articles, researching state records of divorce, helping to design and administer online and paper surveys, and some coding of data.