Sexual Economics – Or: Why the Man Buys Dinner

Prof. Roy F. Baumeister Professor emeritus, University of Queensland (Australia) for a guest lecture in Kamp-Lintfort

Campus Kamp-Lintfort

Audimax

This talk offers a novel perspective on human sexuality, using economic theory (e.g., supply and demand, marketplace competition) to integrate various facts and findings from the sexuality research literature.

Although it is decidedly unromantic, it offers fresh insights into how the onset of sexual relationships is ‘negotiated’. The speaker will cover aspects such as courtship, virginity, prostitution, infidelity, divorce, consent, shortages of eligible mates, social status, groupies, the Sexual Revolution, and cultural suppression of female sexuality.

Prof. Baumeister’s work, published in hundreds of books and journal papers, has been cited about 300,000 times. Willpower was on the top of the New York Times best-seller list for weeks, and the German edition (Macht der Disziplin) on the Spiegel best-seller list. Prof. Baumeister counts as the ‘father’ of Self-regulation Theory (a system of conscious decisions to achieve personal goals such as a certain career) and the controversial Intimacy Change Model, also known as “The Passion Formula” (describing increases in intimacy as generating passion, which explains changes in intimate relationships over time).

Prof. Baumeister is known for his provocative experimental designs. He has co-produced the globally most successful Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on social psychology.

This guest lecture and the following discussion will be held in English. Doors will close punctually. There will be free drinks after the event.

Inquiries to be directed at Prof. Alexander Gerber (ag@hsrw.eu).