Darwin Goes to the Mall

Sex sells – no surprise there. Marketers have long compelled us to buy things we don’t want or need by tapping into our subconscious desires. So why do we go along with it?

According to the latest research in evolutionary psychology, nearly every decision we make, from the car we drive to the clothes we wear, to the schools and careers we choose, is driven by our desire to attract prospective mates and friends. We’re sending signals, displaying the personality traits we want others to see in us.

For more on this, Virginia spoke to Geoffrey Miller. He’s an evolutionary psychologist at the University of New Mexico, and his new book is Spent: Sex, Evolution, and Consumer Behavior.

The New York Times: Message in What We Buy, but Nobody’s Listening

Seed Magazine: Love’s Labors and Costs

(Photo by Tinou Bao via Flickr/Creative Commons)