Swipe, Right?: The Future of Romantic Relationships in the Digital Age

This event took place on Tuesday, September 10, 2019
at the Vancouver Playhouse, (Map)
In partnership with alumniUBC

This series is made possible with the generous support of the R & J Stern Family Foundation

Media Partner: The Georgia Straight

About the Talk:

Is technology changing who and how we love? Is there still a place for Cupid in our cloud-based culture? In this lively talk, acclaimed anthropologist and neuroscientist Dr. Helen Fisher reveals the three brain systems that evolved for mating and reproduction—the sex drive, romantic love, and attachment—and maintains that while online dating won’t alter these basic mating instincts, it is definitely changing how we court and who we choose.

As Chief Scientific Officer of Match.com, Fisher is well-placed to explain modern dating tactics—from Millennials to Seniors—and the newest trend in courtship: “slow love.” She posits that humanity has evolved four broad basic styles of thinking and behaving that draw us naturally toward one person rather than another—in love and in business. She explores the biological underpinnings of love at first sight, love addiction, adultery and divorce, and explains how neuroscience can help make love last.

About the Speaker:

Dr. Helen Fisher is the most referenced scholar in the field of love and relationships in the world today. A Senior Research Fellow at The Kinsey Institute and anthropologist at Rutgers University, she is a pioneer in the biology of human personality and the neurochemistry of love and leadership. Named a TED All-Star and one of “the 15 most amazing women in science today” by Business Insider, Dr. Fisher has given the world a new way to look at relationships—both personal and professional.

As Chief Scientific Advisor for Match.com, Dr. Fisher developed The Fisher Temperament Inventory—the first and only personality questionnaire built from and validated by neuroscience—which has been taken by more than 14 million people in 40 countries (see note below). Her discovery of the four basic biological styles of thinking and behaving — Explorer, Builder, Director, and Negotiator — represents the biggest leap in personality tools in the last 100 years.

Dr. Fisher has written five bestsellers on the neuroscience behind human social behavior, including  the 1994 classic Anatomy of Love (re-issued in 2016). She has addressed audiences at Fortune, the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, The World Economic Forum, SXSW, The Economist’s Ideas Economy, and the G-20. Her three TED Talks have been viewed by more than 12 million people worldwide.

A SPECIAL NOTE ON THE FISHER TEMPERAMENT INVENTORY

During her talk, Dr. Fisher may reference the Fisher Temperament Inventory, a four-part personality examination that is central to her research. To prepare for your event, consider taking the Fisher Temperament Inventory yourself. This will allow for a more interactive and immersive experience, as well as a stronger understanding of Dr. Fisher’s work—and yourself!

Click here to view a PDF version of the Fisher Temperament Inventory