With Valentine’s Day upon us, The Backdrop explores the mysterious and complicated topic of human relationships.

UC Davis psychology professor Paul Eastwick investigates how people initiate romantic relationships and the psychological mechanisms that help romantic partners remain committed and attached.  As principal investigator for the Attraction and Relationships Research Laboratory, he seeks to build connections between research into attraction and close relationships, evolutionary psychology, and social psychology.

In this episode of The Backdrop, Eastwick discusses the latest research on finding the best partner, how compatibility is constructed in a relationship, and whether men and women really approach relationships differently.

The Backdrop podcast is a monthly interview program featuring conversations with UC Davis scholars and researchers working in the social sciences, humanities, arts and culture.  It is available free, on demand at Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Stitcher, Spotify and YouTube. The Backdrop is hosted by public radio veteran Soterios Johnson.